Giphy has launched Giphy Arcade, which lets you create, play, and share your own mini-games. Giphy is best known as a search engine for GIFs, and Giphy Arcade is an attempt to bring the thinking behind GIFs to gaming. And it kinda works.

How to Create and Play Giphy Arcade Games

Giphy Arcade is essentially a database of mini-games you can play online. There are a limited number of styles of game available, but beyond that every element is customizable. So while the gameplay will feel familiar, the art style and music may not.

Giphy Arcade has three different components. At its core, it lets you play mini-games quickly and easily on the web regardless of the device you're using. However, you can also remix the games to your own liking, and share them online with a single link.

To create a game from scratch you first choose a game template. Game styles include Floppy Bard, Runner, Blast 'Em Up, and Brick Buster. Then, you choose your hero and other graphical components, plus your soundtrack. Finally, give it a title, and it's ready.

You can also remix any game you play on Giphy Arcade, customizing it with your own characters and components. Either way, your game will be given a simple URL which you can share with family, friends, and/or everyone online as easily as you would share a GIF.

Giphy Arcade Could Turn Everyone Into Gamers

The games on Giphy Arcade aren't going to win any awards. They're simple twists on old-skool genres we've all seen before. However, they're fun to play, and the ability to create your own web-based mini-game is rather compelling. See my effort, Chuck Norris Rulez.

Giphy Arcade could help turn more people into gamers too. Because even your gran could get the hang of these simple efforts. And once your gran has become a gamer, she should check out our list of addictive mobile games you can play for five minutes at a time.