Find out What are the best online multiplayer PC games, including Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto V, Overwatch and 63 other top answers suggested and ranked. Question Notes: Online multiplayer games are games that can be played over the internet with multiple players. Multiplayer games are made up of player vs player as well as co-op games. For a similar question regarding local “couch” multiplayer games, see here. Looking for the best free PC game? Whether you’re broke or just frugal, free is a price point that appeals to everybody’s purse. We’ve collated the top free games on PC guaranteed to deliver. But the (apple) core ensures it remains one of the best multiplayer games on PC: 30 seconds in which you must steer your pink avatar around a pockmarked landscape with the aim of blasting, batting. Play Multiplayer Games on Miniclip. Our top Multiplayer games are 8 Ball Pool, Lordz2.io, and Little Big Snake - and we have over 126 other Multiplayer games to enjoy! Grab a friend and enjoy the best co-op games the PC has to offer. Skip to main content. PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES. Multiplayer works pretty seamlessly: You share money.
- Multiplayer Games For Pc 2019
- Best Multiplayer Pc Games 2019
- Multiplayer Games For Pc And Ps4
- Multiplayer Games For Pc Lan
- Multiplayer Games For Pc And Android
- Multiplayer Games For Pc
Multiplayer games are the best type of games, because they’re built around the most interesting components known to humans: humans. Men, women, and an awful lot of children.
Internet strangers aren’t always the friendliest bunch, but they can surprise you in ways that a static system can’t. People form the living, beating hearts of the gaming moments I value the most. Join me, then, as I point at the games that encase those beating hearts best.
Outwitting another human will always be more satisfying than outwitting an AI. The games on this list are geared towards competitive multiplayer, though do check out our roundup of the 25 best co-op games if you’d rather work with your neighbour than beat them up.
You can change pages using the previous/next buttons above and below the text on each page, or by using your keyboard’s arrow keys.
25. Onward
Developer: Downpour InteractivePublisher: Downpour Interactive
Buy it:Steam
Onward is basically a slower-paced Counter-Strike in VR, and it’s every bit as exhilarating as that suggests. Two teams of five fight over objectives while wrestling with guns that come with all the faff of their real world counterparts. I’ll never forget the time I lay quivering on top of a rooftop, forgetting how to reload my sniper rifle thanks to the panic-inducing bullets pinging off the concrete around me.
I’ve told this story in at least three different places on RPS, but you’re going to hear it again because it’s such a good illustration of VR’s potential.
My back was pressed against a wall, and the fallen members of my team were pressed around their specating screens. The bomb needed arming and I needed to be the one to do it, but I was sure I could hear an opponent lying in wait for me around a corner. In a normal FPS, I’d have had no choice but to jump into the trap. In VR, I realised I only needed to stick one arm around the wall and fire.
I stepped out of safety to find my would-be ambusher crumpled at my feet. If you own some cybergoggles and haven’t tried Onward, sort it out.
Notes: If you’re shorter than 5’6 the guns on your avatar won’t match up to where they are on your body, which sucks.
What else should I be playing if I like this: Pavlov VR is a faster-paced ‘VR Counter-Strike’ that can’t match Onward’s tension, but still offers some cracking VR firefights and involves far less waiting around.
24. Mount Your Friends
Developer: Stegersaurus Software Inc.Publisher: Stegersaurus Software Inc.
Buy it:Steam
Mount Your Friends is what QWOP would look like if it was a multiplayer game about having an orgy on top of a goat. It’s about overcoming awkward controls to climb an ever growing mountain composed of your mates. It’s about cheering when they pull off something impressive and cheering harder when they spectacularly fail.
You’re eliminated if you can’t reach the top within 60 seconds, so when you start playing your piles of men probably won’t be that mountainous. Every limb needs to be carefully extended individually, and you’ll find yourself slowly dragging your way up before pressing the wrong button and plummeting to the ground.
Put a little practice in though, and you can do vertical cartwheels at speeds that would embarrass Mo Farah. Momentum can be used to swing your body far, far into the air… and over to the opposite side of the tower, before plummeting to the ground. That’ll earn you the biggest cheer of all.
The journey from gangliness to grace is one well worth taking, but definitely embark on it with some friends.
Notes: There’s also a mode that turns everything literally sideways, and a surprisingly fun deathmatch mode where you joust with pointy hats.
What else should I be playing if I like this: They’re not multiplayer, but QWOP, GIRP and Getting Over It are all great games about overcoming infuriating control schemes.
Read more:Have You Played… Mount Your Friends?
23. Sportsfriends
Developer: Die Gute FabrikPublisher: Die Gute Fabrik
Buy it:Steam
I’m cheating here because this is actually a pack of four local multiplayer games, though not all of them will change your life. Joust is a blast but requires Playstation Move controllers, BaraBari Ball isn’t as fun as its name and Hokra is neat but gets old too quickly.
Super Pole Riders, though, is sublime.
A ball hangs above you and your opponent, suspended from a wire that runs between each team’s goal. At first you might both just limply bat at the ball with your pole, caught in a stalemate with an equally flummoxed friend (or two, if you’re playing doubles). Then one of you will figure out how to fly.
Dig in at the right angle, flick your joystick in the right way, and you’ll go soaring into the air. Hit the ball, and it’ll go hurtling towards your opponent’s goal. Land on that opponent, and you can gain some precious ground while they respawn.
Hilarity ensues as you each battle against initially fiddly controls, then transcend them to become agile in that uniquely Bennett Foddy way (famed for QWOP, Getting Over It).
Notes: There’s a free Flash version of Pole Riders, which isn’t nearly as refined but is almost as much fun.
What else should I be playing if I like this: Bennet Foddy’s other games, though they’re not multiplayer.
Read More: Have You Played… Sportsfriends?
22. Mortal Kombat X
Developer: NetherRealm Studios, High Voltage SoftwarePublisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Where can I buy it:Steam
Candid admission time: it felt wrong to leave this list without a fighting game on it, but they’re not really in my wheelhouse. I can’t tell you if or why Mortal Kombat X is better than other fighting games because I haven’t played many, so it’s OK if you want to mentally replace this entry with your brawler of choice. I’ll allow it.
But hey, Mortal Kombat X is great fun. Look past the gratuitous gore (or look at it through begrudgingly appreciative ‘oh, come on now’ spectacles) and you’ll see a solid punchfest between pleasingly outlandish characters. There are nuances to delve into if you like, though you can go a long way with just a couple of combos and some panache.
This iteration of Kombat is particularly keen on turning each stage into more than a pretty background, offering opportunities to jump about and occasionally chuck passers by at your opponent.
What else should I be playing if I like this: The same team made Injustice: Gods Among Us, if you prefer your fighting games to be a little more DC.
21. Northgard
Developer: Shiro GamesPublisher: Shiro Games
Buy it:Steam, Humble
Northgard is an elegant RTS where winter can pose a bigger threat than an army of axemen. Every villager adds another hungry mouth to feed, and food is always in short supply. Especially when the snow starts to fall.
Time ticks ever onward and winter is always just around the corner, bringing harsh production penalties along with rat plagues, blizzards and earthquakes. Even so, the slow pace and relative simplicity of Northgard make it easy to get into – if not to excel at. You probably won’t meet your viking foes until you’re fifteen minutes into a match, and it’ll be longer still before you start poking at their territory. If you even want to.
The dash of 4X in Northgard’s DNA means military conquest isn’t the only route to victory. Amass enough fame, wealth or knowledge and it won’t matter how many angry Norsemen are at your gates. That gives multiplayer matches a dynamic that goes beyond the one-note destruction of other RTSeses, where the leading player tries to distract everyone from their imminent victory. I once won a game by pretending my villagers had all been eaten by wolves, tricking my opponents into thinking they could focus on expanding their own settlements rather than tearing down mine. I must have looked unbearably smug when I learnt the last bit of lore I needed to win a knowledge victory.
Victory is sweet, but my favourite moments in Northgard have all been when me and the friends I’m competing with get struck by the same calamity together. They’re the moments when a seasonal disaster punctuates everyone’s routine with panic, and when you overcome the threat while your neighbour is still shouting about how everything is on fire. You’re pitted against the world as much as each other, which is what makes thriving in it so satisfying.
What else should I be playing if I like this: Here’s Brendy’s roundup of accessible RTSs.
Read more:Northgard review.
20. Regular Human Basketball
Developer: PowerhoofPublisher: Powerhoof
Buy it:steam, Itch
Just some regular humans here, nothing to look at. Nope, no giant robots equipped with jetpacks, magnets and retractable legs playing basketball. I don’t know what you’re talking about.
You’ll need to assemble four friends for Regular Human Basketball to work properly, but if you can manage that you’re in for a treat. It’s just like normal basketball, except each team controls a mech by frantically running around inside it to reach the controls.
It’s difficult enough when you’re on your own, but coordinating with a teammate who has a VERY different idea about ‘appropriate times to activate the jetpack’ can be a nightmare. A hilarious nightmare, but a nightmare nonetheless.
Notes: The original version is still free on Itch, though it doesn’t have online multiplayer.
What else should I be playing if I like this: Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime also involves confusedly piloting a machine by jumping around its rooms, though in co-op rather than competitive multiplayer.
Read more:Have You Played… Regular Human Basketball?
19. Neptune’s Pride
Developer: Iron Helmet GamesPublisher: Iron Helmet Games
Buy it: One person needs to pay to set up a match on the game’s website, but then everyone else can join it for free.
It feels almost irresponsible to recommend Neptune’s Pride, but here we go. Take a long, loving look at your friends – because you’re never going to see them the same way again.
You start with just one lonely star, and win once you’ve populated 50% of the galaxy. Ships can take half a day or more to reach their destination, so strap in for a few weeks of excitement, exasperation and despair.
You make simple decisions with the stars you capture, devoting them to produce money, ships or research. That’s not really where the game is, though.
The game actually takes place in the 2am texts between you and the neighbour who you’re pretending to ally with, but are actually just milking for information before you pincer them between your forces and those of the person who you’re actually working with. For now.
Much like its board game inspiration, Diplomacy, Neptune’s Pride is about weaving a Machiavellian web around your friends while they attempt to do the same. Everyone goes home covered in the icky filament of betrayal. It’s an unforgettable experience, whether you wind up basking in that or loathing it.
What else should I be playing if I like this: Subterfuge is a mobile game with essentially the same premise, but swaps out the spaceships for submarines and lets you get up to more tricks.
Read more: Is this Neptune’s Pride diary the best read on RPS? It might well be, if not for the one on Solium Infernum.
18. For Honor
Developer: Ubisoft MontrealPublisher: Ubisoft
Buy it:Steam, Ubisoft store.
You won’t find much honour in the servers of this third-person stab ’em up, but that’s part of the fun. What sort of duel doesn’t include the threat of being pushed into a pond?
I’m bringing up duels because those are where For Honor shines. There’s a tortuous progression system that gives advantages to those rich in time or pocket money, but the 1v1 and 2v2 battles strip that out and offer a level playing field. Apart from those aforementioned ponds.
I know I keep banging on about it, but the pleasure of so many multiplayer games rests in getting into your opponent’s head. For Honor excels at letting you do that, with a combat system that makes every feint, parry and dodge part of a mind game that varies depending on which vikings, knights or samurai are on the field.
A shield-bearing Warlord and hulking Shugoki might slowly pad around each other, launching ponderous blows that deal devastating damage if they land. Two assassin type peacekeepers, meanwhile, might resemble a whirlwind of knives constantly nipping at each combatant’s health bar. Best of all are when the squidgy, agile classes meet the big lumberers in David Vs. Goliath clashes.
What else should I be playing if I like this: PvP duels in Dark Souls.
Read more:For Honor review, For Honor’s rough edges hide a diamond worth polishing.
17. Quake Champions
Developer: ID SoftworksPublisher: Bethesda Softworks
Buy it:Steam
Right, look, I haven’t played any of the old Quake games because my flesh is too young and sprightly. Maybe one of those should have taken this spot, but I doubt it.
I doubt it because this is everything people have told me a Quake game should be. You’re nimble. You’re deadly. If you play the best mode, Instagib, you’re equipped with a one-hit instakill laser rifle that explodes people in showers of gristle and instant gratification.
There are character specific abilities in the mix, which some naysayers claim sully the purity of symmetrical laser ballet, but to me they add variety and a welcome layer of strategy. They don’t suffocate, they enhance. I’m fond of dancing around opponents as Slash, then setting off the explosive trail I’ve woven around the battlefield.
Instagib mode captures that ‘every man for himself’ excitement which can drown in the chaotic brawls of normal deathmatches with health pools. I wish I was playing it right now.
Notes: At the time of writing this still doesn’t have capture the flag mode, which will probably be a blast.
What else should I be playing if I like this: Titanfall 2 is another shooter where you’re light on your feet, unless those feet are inside a big mech.
Read more:Rick Lane’s beta review, Has Quake Champions been improved by its updates?
16. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Developer: ValvePublisher: Valve
Where can I buy it:Steam
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the culmination of 14 years of development to a genre-defining team shooter. Five terrorists want to arm a bomb, or defend a hostage. Five counter-terrorists want to stop them. You know how CounterStrike works, right?
It’s a deeply unimaginative premise, but that doesn’t matter – CS: GO is one of the most stimulating games I’ve ever played. The guns feel great and if the maps were any more refined they’d start cutting into the fabric of reality, but those are the factors that enhance Counter-Strike’s best moments rather than generate them.
There’s an exquisite tension to being the last person left alive on your team. The same can be said for any game with the same round structure, but the simplicity of Counter-Strike elevates that dynamic.
The knowledge that four pairs of eyes are studying your every move, especially when those eyes belong to people you know, has an impact that’s both intoxicating and paralysing. I can count the number of times I’ve come out on top when I’ve been outnumbered on one hand, but there’s no situation where success feels more rewarding.
What else should I be playing if I like this: Rainbow Six: Siege
Read more:Our review, abuse in Counter-Strike, Pip’s chicken ranking.
15. Rainbow Six Siege
Developer: Ubisoft MontrealPublisher: Ubisoft
Buy it:Ubisoft store
You know those movie moments where a flashbang goes off and a squad of highly-trained agents crash through windows while rappelling into a room? That’s what Rainbow Six Siege is all about.
People will tell you tactics are more important than aiming, but they’re lying. If you don’t want to be the first one to die each round in this Counter-Strike-like shooter, you’ll need both.
The basics will sound familiar: one team has to plant a bomb or pry a hostage away from the other. It diverges from Counter-Strike with its classes, which all bring different abilities to bear on levels with destructible walls and floors.
The team playing offense needs to carefully plan their attack, breaching rooms from multiple angles simultaneously. When you swing through a window at the same time as your friends detonate their C4 on the opposite wall, you can almost convince yourself you should be in the actual SAS.
What else should I be playing if I like this: Counter-Strike, though it might feel like a step backwards.
Read more: Alec’s Rainbow Six Siege review, Dave’s Rainbow Six Siege guides, Has Rainbow Six Siege been improved by its updates?
14. Duelyst
Developer: Counterplay Games Inc.Publisher: Bandai Namco
Buy it: It’s free to play Steam
I’ve committed to few games as hard as I have to Duelyst. It’s a CCG with a board-based twist, where the positioning of your units can matter more than their composition.
The new playing field brings new meaning to Familiar abilities. Taunt, for example, will only impact adjacent units – while other ‘keywords’ might allow a minion to teleport, or hit every enemy in a line. It gives you more to think about, and saves you from feeling like you deck is playing itself.
It would be remiss to not mention one of Duelyst’s finest touches: a button that allows you to swap an unwanted card each turn. It gives you a greater deal of control over your deck without sacrificing the card-spewing randomness that makes CCGs tick. Even so, I was so keen to make my deck optimal that I once got a streamer to refine my deck. He didn’t change a thing, which was both flattering to my deck-building self but not what my card-playing self wanted to hear.
The price model is still skimpy, though it’s not too bad compared to other offenders in the genre.
What else should I be playing if I like this: Here’s Brendy’s guide to online CCGs, and some of my own recommendations from when I used the Hearthstone servers being down as an excuse to push them on people.
Read more:Duelyst Review, The dumbest multiplayer fight Brendy’s ever had, Have You Played… Duelyst?
13. Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds
Developer: PUBG CorporationPublisher: PUBG Corporation
Buy it:Steam
A hundred murderers parachute onto an island. Only one can survive.
An average game of Plunkbat consists of 10-20 minutes of uneventful wandering, then being shot in the back of the head by someone you never had a chance of spotting. It’s the most fun I’ve had in a multiplayer game in years.
Well, maybe not specifically in those matches – but the frequency of failure is part of what makes success so thrilling. Tension escalates alongside heart-rates as the blue zone creeps in, until just a handful of players are hemmed together in the final minutes of a round. Every second of those final moments justifies the build-up, which has a tension of its own if you’re playing solo – but with some friends in tow it’s surprising how readily that tension sublimes into hilarity.
Fill those lulls with conversation and antics, and Plunkbat becomes the best murder island hangout this side of post-brexit Britain.
Notes: Plunkbat.
What else should I be playing if I like this: There’s a real drought of battle royale games, unfortunately. Your options are limited to Fortnite, Realm Royale, H1Z1, Surviv.io, Last Tide, Isles of Nyne, and dozens of others that I’ve missed.
Read more:Graham’s review, my Playstyle Royale diaries, an interview with Brendan “Plunk” Greene.
12. StarCraft 2
Developer: BlizzardPublisher: Blizzard
Buy it: Huh. It’s free from Blizzard’s site. I didn’t notice that happen.
The holy grail of RTS design, and not for no reason. It’s a slick, polished to perfection unit-bosser that hasn’t been bettered in the X years since it came out.
Gosh, it’s hard though. At least, if you want to compete on the ladder: that direction involves research, timing memorisation and a faster clicking finger than a snapping mouse trap. Playing with friends lets you be a little more goofy. Sometimes it’s nice not to have to worry about zerg rushes because you know your mate always plumps for Hydralisks.
It’s another one where playstyles lead to identities. I play a particular brand of Protoss, because I’m a prick who loves the idea of kicking ass with all their fiddly units when really I’m more cut out for Siege tanks and marines.
What else should I be playing if I like this: Again, Brendy’s guide to accessible RTSs should steer you in the right direction.
Read more:Quinns enjoyed being an insect.
11. Battlefield 1
Developer: EA DicePublisher: Electronic Arts
Buy it:Origin.
Ahh, Battlefield. You behemoth.
I’ve spent so many hours in Battlefield 1’s trenches that I’ve tired of being bombarded, but I wouldn’t for a second want anyone else to miss out on it. Playing a Battlefield game is like submerging yourself in liquid explosion. It’s horrible, chaotic and extraordinary.
For sheer spectacle, nothing can compete with 64 players clashing on rubble-strewn maps packed with destructible buildings. Battlefield’s been doing that for yonks, but this iteration ramped up that spectacle with ‘Behemoth’ vehicles, such as a map-dominating blimp and an armoured train. Bigger vehicles means bigger explosions, so they’re a welcome addition – though where this really steps up from Battlefield 4 (the previous entry in the series, because video games are stupid) is with superior infantry combat.
WW1 turned out to be the perfect excuse to introduce weapons with genuinely different characteristics that are less reliable at range, pushing their wielders towards the nitty-gritty of close quarters combat. I’d tell you about how satisfying it is to snipe people, but I’d get told off in the comments.
What else should I be playing if I like this: Every other Battlefield, even if you only see each map once.
Read more: Battlefield 1 review, House hunting on the front lines.
10. Garry’s Mod
Developer: Facepunch StudiosPublisher: Valve
Buy it:Steam
Some people like to build, and that’s great. I like to let other people do the hard work and poke at whatever they create.
Garry’s Mod is many things to many people, but for me it’s collection of home-brewed nonsense assembled from Steam assets and unhampered imagination. I’ve dabbled in the free-form construction mode, but most of my time has been spent on Fretta servers.
Within the same half hour, I’ve dodged geometric shapes while clambering up a slope alongside 30 other people. I’ve built bobsleds, then raced them. I’ve hunted down players posing as inanimate objects, completed obstacle courses and played charades.
The game changes whenever enough people vote for it to, so if you pile into a server with a handful of friends you can form a voting cartel and ensure the game swaps at your whim. Plenty of the games are fun in their own right, but Fretta works best when you’re constantly pushing on to the next.
That ‘oh, so that’s what we’re doing!’ at the start of each game is a moment to be treasured.
What else should I be playing if I like this: I’m stumped. Mario Party?
Read more: Nobody seems to have written about Fretta servers, but: Have You Played… Garry’s mod?, A brief history of Garry’s mod, another one of those, Brendy doing silly Brendy things.
9. Battlerite
Developer: Stunlock StudiosPublisher: Stunlock Studios
Buy it:Steam
Battlerite takes the top-down teamfighting from MOBAs and builds a whole game around them. Accurate aiming and quick reflexes are key, but it’s the psychology behind Battlerite’s scraps that I love the most. It’s played in 2v2 or 3v3, though my favourite moments happen when only two combatants remain.
Think of a fencing match, but with swords swapped out for spells. There are dodges and counters and stuns, all with nuances that need to be learned and adapted to. It’s an intimidating amount to learn by the standards of most games, but a far cry from the knowledge bases that its progenitors ask you to pick up.
It’s perfect for anyone who’s interested in that element of Dota or LoL, but has never felt drawn to the drawn-out slogs they can become. For everyone else, it’s a great way to see some of what you’re missing.
Multiplayer Games For Pc 2019
Notes: Battlerite is now available in battle royale flavour.
What else should I be playing if I like this: This is the spiritual successor to Bloodline Champions, so that might be worth a poke. Alternatively: Dota.
Read more:Battlerite review
8. Nidhogg
Developer: MesshofPublisher: Messhof
Buy it:Steam
Nidhogg is electric. It’s sharp. It’s hilarious.
You play as one of two souls, both doomed to repeatedly die in a hellish battle to reach a mythical worm that will devour one of them and set them free from torment. It’s a series of simple 2D sword fights, where you and a friend compete to reach opposites sides of multi-screened arenas.
We haven’t quite reached the best sword fights in video games, but Nidhogg’s come close. The mismatched weapons introduced in the sequel create duels with an appeal of their own, but they’re a messy counterpoint to Nidhogg’s cleanly symmetrical tussles.
Two evenly matched Nidhoggers are a glorious sight to behold, and they’re a sight that’s meant to be beheld. Nidhogg plays best when there’s a crowd to cheer at every stab and riposte, to gasp at every last-second comeback and laugh every time a player accidentally throws themselves down a hole.
Party games don’t get better than this. Apart from No. 3.
Notes: Turn on boomerang swords.
What else should I be playing if I like this: Nidhogg 2 is the obvious place to start, but Eggnogg might be even better. It’s a free version of Nidhogg that someone made while they were waiting for it to come out, which puts its own spin on the same formula.
Read more:Alec’s impressions, Graham’s review, his and Adam’s verdict, Have You Played… Nidhogg?
7. Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
Developer: Torn Banner StudiosPublisher:
Torn Banner Studios
Buy it:Steam
This. This is the entry with the best sword fights in video games.
Whenever I hear anyone talk about a new game with deep first-person melee combat, I think about how it won’t be as good as Chivalry’s. Melee combat in other games can feel hectic and weightless, but in Chivalry every swing is imbued with heft and consideration.
Fighting isn’t about learning combos. It’s about mastering the nuances of attacks that can be sped up or slowed down, cancelled and riposted. It’s about getting into the mind of your enemy, anticipating their responses and reacting to those in turn. It’s about learning to slam your mouse backwards in a move dubbed ‘matrixing’, where your character tilts their torso horizontally to dodge a strike before following up with their own.
You’ll get yourself killed a billion times before you pull it off, but it’s worth it.
Notes:AAAAAH!
What else should I be playing if I like this: I’d happily recommend its spell-slinging cousin, Mirage: Arcane Warfare, if I thought you’d have anyone to play with. The servers are sadly empty, so I guess I’ll recommend For Honour instead.
Read more:Adam’s review, Have You Played… Chivalry?
6. Rocket League
Developer: Psyonix, Inc.Publisher: Psyonix, Inc.
Buy it:Steam
Bombastic joy. Those are the two best words to describe Rocket League, a game about playing football with rocket-propelled cars.
That joy kicks in from the very first second. It’s scrappy at first, a mess that invokes childhood memories of school kids swamping the ball, not sparing a thought for teamwork or positioning. That can still provide a chaotic giggle, but Rocket League literally soars to greater heights once everyone knows what they’re doing.
A well-executed aerial shot is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in a video game. Combing the boost button with a double jump at just the right time at just the right angle opens up a space for dextrous plays that hover just out of reach, accessible only to the dedicated but on display for the masses.
Games have discovered plenty of ways to create tension, but chucking players into a field with a ball and two goals remains one of the most effective.
What else should I be playing if I like this: Laser League is a very different game, but mirrors Rocket League’s combination of depth and accessibility, and its matches only last a little bit longer. Regular Human Basketball and Pole Riders are both great games involving balls.
Read more:Adam’s review, our verdict.
5. Overwatch
Developer: BlizzardPublisher: Blizzard
Buy it:Battlenet
There’s a theme with the games on this list, where I highlight how they’re a lovely time if you’re playing with friends. Which is fine: these games are here because they’re particularity good at facilitating enjoyment amongst company. But I’ve played an awful lot of Overwatch by myself, which is a sure sign that it’s a cut above.
To get my attention, class based games only really need to have one or two that I really click with. I know some have broader pallets, but I like to pick someone who’s nippy and deadly, then specialise. Much of Overwatch’s joy stems from the way I’m not the only type who’s spoilt for choice.
Genji properly feels like a ninja, with the ability to climb walls and deflect fire back at his opponents. Reaper feels like a proper bruiser, a rudeboy ghost with double shotguns that materialise from dimensions unknown. Tracer provides the epitome of annoying hit n’ run playstyles, Winston is as attention grabbing as gorilla’s ought to be and – most recently – Hammond the hamster offers a degree of grapple hook enhanced mobility that gives him a freedom of movement relative to other heroes that’s unparalleled in any other game. Each of the current 28 characters oozes personality, and each changes how the game must be played in a multitude of ways unique to them.
Beyond the endlessly inventive character design, there are masterful touches everywhere you look. When opponent’s use their mega-powerful ultimate abilities, a warning cry echoes across the battlefield in their native language. If they’re on your team, then you’ll hear it in English. The footsteps of your opponents are louder than those of your allies.
Throw in some best-in-class voice acting complete with splendid cross-character interactions, and you’ve got a team shooter that will be played for decades to come.
Best Multiplayer Pc Games 2019
What else should I be playing if I like this: Team Fortress 2 is probably closest, although wildly different player counts and its lack of abilities mean they play very differently.
Read more:Our Overwatch verdict, Have You Played… Overwatch?, Overwatch’s Symmetra changes placate the toxic parts of its community, a reminder that Overwatch should be the friendliest shooter ever, Has Overwatch been improved by its updates?, Why we need a 2 player Play Of The Game, Hammondball is the apotheosis of Esports.
4. Devil Daggers
Developer: SorathPublisher: Sorath
Buy it:Steam, Humble, GOG. But you got that this one wasn’t really specifically about Devil Daggers, right?
You might be wondering what I’m playing at, putting a sublime singleplayer wave-survival shooter near the top of a best multiplayer games list. What manner of provocative stunt is this?
It’s a provocative stunt designed to celebrate one of the best types of multiplayer gaming: leaderboard chases! Devil Daggers would still be fantastic if it lacked a leaderboard, but it did need one to make me persevere after my hundredth death to the same spidery monstrosity. Without a friend’s score to surpass, the difference between surviving for 102 or 103 seconds is nothing. With it, that extra second means everything.
The magic only works when you can entice in a friend or two, which happens naturally when these sort of games first come out but inevitably dwindles over time. You know what though? Round up a few competitively-minded friends, revisit this, Super Hexagon, or even Opus Magnum – and I bet you’ll have a whale of a time.
Notes: A hot tip for Devil Daggers: take your finger off the trigger every now and then. That lets you vacuum up the rubies that pour out of enemies, which massively increase your firepower each time you collect enough of them.
What else should I be playing if I like this: All those other leaderboard chasers I mentioned.
3. Towerfall Ascension
Developer: Matt ThorsonPublisher: Matt Makes Games Inc.
Buy it:Direct, Steam
Towerfall Ascension is my favourite local-multiplayer game. It’s got a neat wave survival co-op mode, but that’s not why it’s here. It’s here because nothing has thrilled or delighted me in quite the same way as one of Ascension’s archery duels.
It goes up to four players, and its best mode is its simplest: last archer standing wins. Ascension tells engrossing stories with just three verbs – dodging, jumping and shooting. It only takes a single arrow to take out a player, but a well timed dash can let them safely pluck the offending projectile out of the air. It’s a system that gives fights a wonderful back and forth feeling to them, and results in the best slow motion replays in video games.
Plus the jumping feels real good.
Notes: When you tire of the numerous normal levels, the Steam Workshop has plenty more.
What else should I be playing if I like this: Samurai Gunn is sort of like a blend between this and Nidhogg.
Read more:Have You Played… Towerfall Ascension?
2. Team Fortress 2
Developer: ValvePublisher: Valve
Buy it: It’s free on Steam
The problem with writing about Team Fortress 2, Valve’s unsurpassed class-based shooter, is that I’m in love with one particular version of it.
It’s the version I get to play as a Spy, the weakest character in the game when it comes to a straight up fight. His is a stealthy approach, often revolving around his ability to turn invisible with the aid of different types of watch. That’s deception of a sort, but not the kind that makes his the most unique and memorable role you can play in any multiplayer game. Really, the Spy is all about acting.
It only takes one suspicious Pyro for a ruse to come undone, but you’d be amazed what you can get away with. Slap on a disguise, backpedal from the frontlines while screaming for a medic, and four times out of five times the most important member of the enemy team (their medic, always their medic) will trot right up to you. Maybe he’ll try to give you an inquisitive whack with his bonesaw, but if you know what you’re doing that whack won’t land. You’ll have already stabbed him in the back with your insta-kill knife, potentially drawing from a bag of ninja-esque moves that combine agility with psychological trickery.
More so than with Overwatch, each class plays like a different game – and some items transform their wielder into new classes in their own right. I’ve spent dozens of hours with the double-jumping Scout and the ‘nade spamming Demoman, but it’s the Spy who stole my heart. Give him a chance, and maybe he’ll steal yours.
Notes: Blizzard have since lent their cinematic prowess to the cartoons they release alongside new Overwatch characters, but TF2 did it first and TF2 did it best.
What else should I be playing if I like this: There’s nothing quite like it, but Overwatch is similar in that each class has radically different capabilities.
Read more:Have You Played… Team Fortress 2, Has Team Fortress 2 been improved by its updates, We interviewed the co-director of a documentary about competitive TF2.
1. Dota 2
Developer: ValvePublisher: Valve
Buy it: It’s free, Steam
It feels contrived to describe Dota 2 as a hobby rather than a game, but that doesn’t make that description any less fitting. I’ve poured thousands of hours of my life into it, and I can see myself pouring in thousands more. Dota isn’t just a game: it’s an eternally evolving battleground where limits are tested and friendships are forged.
Sure, every competitive game is about testing limits, but part of what makes Dota special is how many it tests at once. There’s the sheer amount of knowledge that it demands you absorb, the hundreds of items and spells and the endless interactions between them. You’ll need to hone reflexes, develop strategies and learn to be patient with both yourself and others.
That sounds like a lot of hard work, and well, it is – but importantly, another limit I often find being tested in the middle of Dota is my ability to concentrate while laughing hysterically.
Dota is stupendously silly. I mean that both in the sense that it’s ostensibly about wizards trying to knock over rock-gardens that form fragments of a sentient moon, and in a mechanical sense. I could have learnt a language (or several) in the time I’ve spent playing Dota, but almost every match still includes unexpected moments that make me gasp and giggle.
An example: last weekend, I was in a game where an enemy’s spell went travelling across the map after I teleported myself out of danger. Ten seconds later, while I recuperated in my base, the stun landed and bounced to a nearby teammate in the middle of his attempt to teleport to the front lines. We lost an important fight because of it, in a way that seems maddeningly unfair while epitomising Dota’s ‘anything goes’ philosophy.
It’s exactly the sort of thing a game designer might just as easily look at and go ‘well, we’ll have to stop that’, and exactly the sort of thing that makes me keep playing.
Notes: You won’t ‘get’ Dota until you’ve played it for about 100 hours, and you won’t ‘really get’ Dota until you’ve played for many more. Whether you find that intimidating or enticing is a good way to decide if this is for you.
What should I be playing if I like this: League of Legends is probably pretty good too.
Read more:Pip’s guide for beginners is getting a little dated now, but it’s still a cracking place to start. There are also a whopping 53 articles in her Dote Night column. I spoke to an ex-Dota pro about toxic teammates.
Thus ends our list of the best multiplayer games to play on PC. Is your favourite game missing from the list? It’s probably at #26, but before you rush to call us names in the comments: stop. Your derision of us won’t bring new fans to your beloved multiplayer bonanza. Instead, write about why you love the game you love, and maybe we’ll reconsider its standing when we update this list.
This list, by the way, looks like this when laid out in full:
25. Onward
24. Mount Your Friends
23. Sportsfriends
22. Mortal Kombat X
21. Northgard
20. Regular Human Basketball
19. Neptune’s Pride
18. For Honor
17. Quake Champions
16. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
15. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
14. Duelyst
13. Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds
12. StarCraft 2
11. Battlefield 1
10. Garry’s Mod
9. Battlerite
8. Nidhogg
7. Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
6. Rocket League
5. Overwatch
4. Devil Daggers
3. Towerfall Ascension
2. Team Fortress 2
1. Dota 2
24. Mount Your Friends
23. Sportsfriends
22. Mortal Kombat X
21. Northgard
20. Regular Human Basketball
19. Neptune’s Pride
18. For Honor
17. Quake Champions
16. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
15. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
14. Duelyst
13. Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds
12. StarCraft 2
11. Battlefield 1
10. Garry’s Mod
9. Battlerite
8. Nidhogg
7. Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
6. Rocket League
5. Overwatch
4. Devil Daggers
3. Towerfall Ascension
2. Team Fortress 2
1. Dota 2
If you still thirst for yet more great games to play, we’ve got many other suggestions. Check out these objectively true best-of lists elsewhere on the site:
The best PC games of all timeBest free PC gamesThe 50 best FPS on PCThe 25 best co-op games ever madeThe best space games on PCThe best non-violent gamesThe 14 best MetroidvaniaThe 10 best hacking, coding and computing gamesThe 25 best horror games on PCThe 23 best VR gamesThe 10 best games based on moviesThe 25 best stealth games on PCThe 25 best action games on PCThe 50 best RPG on PCThe 25 best adventure games ever madeThe 25 best puzzle games on PCLooking for the best free PC game? Whether you’re broke or just frugal, free is a price point that appeals to everybody’s purse. We’ve collated the top free games on PC guaranteed to deliver a near endless stream of complementary entertainment. All you need to spend is your time.
From military to sci-fi to fantasy, from MMOs to block-builders to card battlers, it turns out that zero can buy you quite a lot in the F2P game world – and that some classics are available at the steepest possible discount. From cultural phenomenons like Fortnite, to all-time classics like Team Fortress 2, there are good games for free that suit literally every type of PC player.
To get started in your journey to playing the top free PC games, you need just look at this very extensive list we’ve put together. Finding these free download PC games reminded us just how far the world has come; you really can get triple-A quality games without spending a penny. Warframe is bigger than Destiny, Paladins as stylish as Overwatch, and League of Legends the only MOBA you need to care about. So without further ado, here are the best free games on PC.
View
$85.00
$194.89
The best free PC games are:
Play nowDauntless
Sure, Monster Hunter: World may have finally made the leap onto PC, but Dauntless offers the same brilliant monster-slaying gameplay at a budget of zero. Dauntless lets you buddy up with up to three friends in co-op and take on a series of increasingly challenging Behemoths (you can read our Dauntless guide if you need help), each one offering a new set of attacks and abilities to learn and overcome. Just make sure that your party is packing a variety of weapons as you will need to chain abilities and combos to stand any chance of taking down these challenging beasts.
Play nowMagic: The Gathering Arena
Thanks to CCG titan Hearthstone, there are lot more card gaming experts around than there used to be. Recent card gaming converts can move onto games like Gwent or The Elder Scrolls: Legends for themed twists that boast a few new mechanics, but if you want a real challenge then you can’t beat Magic: The Gathering Arena.
Wizards of the Coast’s latest digital port of the revered paper card game is certainly not for the faint-hearted – it’s based on trading card game that’s been going since 1993, so you can only imagine how many cards and keywords are at play. Magic: The Gathering Arena does an excellent job of shedding some of that historic baggage while retaining most of the complexity that makes Magic so special, and it comes complete with all of the board animations and sensory delights that we’ve come to expect of modern CCGs.
play nowWorld of Warships
If you like the idea of World of Tanks but the battlefields just are not wet enough, then you need World of Warships. Introducing the navy to the concept of deathmatch, the controls are simple and welcoming, but allow for interesting tactics. World of Warships is more fun than Total War’s pondering naval engagements, definitely more approachable than Silent Hunter, and far, far deeper than the Pirates games. Surprising deep, if you’ll excuse the submariner humour. World of Warships esports scene is also far more exciting than it has any right to be.
play nowCrossout
Crossout is a vehicular combat MMO in which you craft outlandish cars and then drive them into battle alongside other players. Set to a Mad-Max-stye backdrop of a post-apocalyptic wasteland, there’s an emphasis on deep customisation as well as skilfull driving and aiming. Crossout contains a variety of co-op and competitive game modes, as well as a marketplace full of tradable goods. The sheer number of Crossout factions, different body types, guns, cannons, and armor ensures that there are many different ways to play… although they are all pretty deadly. Launched in May last year Crossout was one of the best free PC games of 2017.
play nowWar Thunder
You don’t have to find a group of like-minded aviation enthusiasts on a message board and join their virtual squadron to enjoy War Thunder. You don’t have to choose between realism or accessibility, either. You just download it, and then you’re flying – or driving, or shooting, or even both at the same time. This massively-multiplayer WW2 combat game effortlessly encompasses all of the explosions and excitement that planes and tanks are capable of generating. Not sure where to start? Our War Thunder tips will help point your tank’s cannon in the right direction. If you’re looking for war games that put you in the thick of it then War Thunder is for you.
play nowWorld of Tanks
One of the mightiest PC tank games there has ever been, World of Tanks 1.0 is an accessible and exciting tank simulator that is built on a foundation of complex game mechanics. It pits two teams of tankers against each other in a classic deathmatch scenario. There are hundreds of vehicles to unlock across ten different tiers, from speedy scouts to hulking heavies. You will be surprised at how many tanks Wargaming have managed to cram in.
play nowStar Trek Online
Who wouldn’t want to take control of a starship, explore the fringes of the galaxy, battle dangerous aliens and train an elite crew of pangalactic professionals? Star Trek Online is your chance to show the internet that you’d make a much better Picard than Picard. Or, at least, than they do. Each quest in this MMO is like an episode of the show, and each mission series is an arc, complete with the occasional filler episode. Packed full of the best pieces from Roddenberry’s universe, this is the only MMO for a true Trekkie.
play nowNeverwinter
Neverwinter comes from a long line of ambitious, multiplayer Dungeons & Dragons RPGs – including both the original Neverwinter Nights – the first ever MMOs with graphics – and the BioWare game of the same name. Neverwinter, however, is the cheapest yet at a tempting $0.00, and benefits from the massively-multiplayer expertise of City of Heroes studio Cryptic. Packed with action-focused combat, challenging dungeons, and amazing locations to explore, this is one of the best RPGs on this list. It is also fantastic Forgotten Realms fan service: a place where you can meet both RA Salvatore’s Drizzt and Minsc from Baldur’s Gate.
Play nowRift
Rift was once a subscription-based fantasy MMO – like World of Warcraft in new trousers, essentially. It made its name by updating and improving itself at a ferocious pace, with new raids, new zones, new world events appearing on a monthly basis. Now it is entirely free-to-play: you can explore its colourful, exciting world without spending a penny. And when you consider how many hours you can sink into Rift, that’s not a bad deal at all.
Play nowTrove
Trove may look a lot like Minecraft, but in reality it’s a thoroughbred MMO replete with classes inspired by sword and sorcery classics. Just like those MMO great, Trove is also all about grinding for more and more gear, making it a great hobby game especially as it regularly receives hefty updates that add everything from new dungeons to PvP game modes for you to try out.
play nowStar Conflict
A shiny, colourful space sim that places you in a massively multiplayer universe, Star Conflict drops you right in the middle of an interplanetary skirmish that encompasses both PvE and PvP. Its void is as roomy as any other sector of space you might name, while its busy, man-made surface environments recall the twisty tunnels of the Descent series.
play nowBlade & Soul
Blade & Soul’s story is of a journey to the West: well-regarded enough in Asia to prompt a 10,000 signature petition for wider release, this martial arts MMO has since blown up under NCSoft West’s stewardship. The keys to its success? High-wire swordplay pulled straight from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and a propulsive revenge plot akin to that of Kill Bill. It is a highlights package of the best of Wushu. If you’re a little wary of starting out in a new MMO then check out our Blade & Soul beginner’s guide.
Play nowGuild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 is one of the best MMOs available. Even better: you can play a huge chunk of it for free. There’s a lot to do, from traditional questing for NPCs to zone events where everyone can suddenly get involved and work as a massive team to bring down a boss, or help a burning village. You’ll need to pay to get into the Heart of Thorns expansion, but the free-to-play base game is huge enough as it is, and the backlog of Living World stories now available to play means there is plenty to see, explore, and get involved with.
Play nowWarframe
Everything’s better in space, as Warframe proves with its Ninjas in space theme. It is a co-op third-person game where teams of ninjas suited up in powerful ‘Warframe’ armours head out to slice up bad guys, or just hang out at the dojo. It blends some MMO elements with the sensibilities of a more straightforward action game, creating something slick, exciting, and very sociable. Although it’s not without depth: you can pour hundreds of hours into perfecting Warframe builds. The game is often compared to Destiny, and Warframe players will even tell you that it is far better than Bungie’s triple-A shooter.
Play nowArcheAge
ArcheAge is the closest thing we’ve got to a proper pirate MMO. You can try to master the endless sea as a notorious pirate or choose to be a humble peddler of crafted goods. The labour system – how ArcheAge gates its content – may take time to get used to, but nevertheless it is a really solid free-to-play experience.
Even if you’re not after the one of the best pirate games, there’s plenty of classic fantasy MMO elements to keep you happy. Yes, magical swords and fancy armour are still a huge part of ArcheAge. Some of that armour is on the backs of the dragon mounts who arrived in the recent Legends Return update – majestic killers raised by players who want to tame the skies as well as the seas.
World of Warplanes
Seize the free-to-play concepts behind World of Tanks, take them to the skies, and you have World of Warplanes, a game of whirling dogfights and nail-biting bombing runs for teams of jet bombers and biplanes alike. It’s getting sleeker and shinier with every release.
Heavy Metal Machines
Love crunchy guitar riffs and destruction derbies? Of course you do. Heavy Metal Machines is a 4v4 car battle brawler that marries the two. The aim is simple: you and your three teammates must rush to collect the bomb and fire it into the other team’s goal, or rather, jaws of death. You can try and avoid the carnage or master the mayhem in this brutal take on Rocket League’s balletic car combat. It’s still in Early Access but Heavy Metal Machines is a well built and intense ride.
Warface
Multiplayer Games For Pc And Ps4
Warface is a fast-action military shooter, but less concerned with realism than its po-faced peers. Warface wants you to do two things: cooperate with your team in urban deathmatches, and slide along on your arse while firing a machine gun. Made by Crytek, the developers behind Crysis and the original Far Cry, you can be assured it is crafted from the DNA of top-tier FPS games.
Multiplayer Games For Pc Lan
Final Fantasy XIV
FFXIV has earned its spot among the best free PC games the hard way. After a disastrous launch and many months spent recovery mode developers developer Square Enix has managed to right the course of its ambitious Final Fantasy MMO and build one of the best gaming communities along the way. And yes, while the full game isn’t free you can invest a solid chunk of time into the free trial version, which caps your progress at level 35.
A Realm Reborn isn’t just a great PC game, it really draws on everything that makes the Final Fantasy series so popular: beautiful worlds, eccentric characters, stylish cutscenes, and adorable critters. You can also look forward to plenty of sprawling expansions like Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, as well as a constant stream on new characters and jobs like the FFXIV Blue Mage.
Smite
Following the same formula as League of Legends and Dota 2, Smite has teams of five players trying to fight their way into their opponent’s base. Rather than giving players a top-down view of the battlefield, however, it chooses a third-person perspective, switching the focus of the game from tactics to action. Plus, instead of a roster of colourful fantasy characters, each player takes on the role of almighty Smite gods inspired by real religions, from Norse to Celtic to Chinese.
Shadowverse
Shortly after Shadowverse’s mobile release in Japan in 2016, it became the biggest strategic card game in the country, and with good reason. This charmingly designed CCG eases you in gently with its tutorial and single-player story mode, and keeps you coming back with complex gameplay and new card packs every three months. You have seven different leader classes to choose from, and they each allow significant strategic depth. Whether you are an aggressive, cautious, or sneaky player, Shadowverse will cater to your playstyle.
Skyforge
Skyforge blends sci-fi and fantasy together for an action-heavy MMO that’s happy to ditch many of the rules so many other games adhere to. There’s no levelling or strict classes: instead you develop your character however you like and can swap between different combat roles whenever you wish. As you gain more power you’ll eventually become a god incarnate, complete with your own followers.
Gwent
When it comes to mini-games, the card-based collect-a-thon enjoyed across Temeria in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt doesn’t get more detailed or compulsive. The world might be being threatened by menacing, masked bad guys and an all-consuming frost, but it was Gwent to which we lost countless hours.
Fans of Sapkowski’s fantastical world cried out for more tactical goodness, and the much deeper Gwent: The Witcher Card Game duly arrived sporting prettier graphics and higher production values to match. The increased variety of unit types and abilities leaves the original mini-game in the dust. What’s more, you can do battle with this free-to-play game online in casual and ranked matches, too – make sure you check out our Gwent decks guide before you jump in.
Closers
Closers is an episodic MMORPG where you can fight battles with jumps, dodges, and combos in your quest to save Earth. You play as a titular ‘Closer’ – a character with a customisable personality and character arc – in your fight against horrific interdimensional beasts.
Each Closer has their own combat style and that, combined with the thousands of weapons at your disposal, makes the experience different every time you play. And, if you fancy engaging in some beat ‘em up action with your friends, there are modes for co-op and head-to-head PvP, too. If you’re looking for anime games and don’t want to spend any money then Closers is an excellent choice.
Fortnite
Do we need to tell you what Fortnite is? You probably already play it, since Fortnite’s player count is 250 million and counting. Among them are the biggest Twitch streamers, sports stars, and celebrities. Epic’s battle royale really needs no introduction: it’s the biggest cultural shift in gaming since League of Legends.
Aside from being free to play, there are several reasons why Fortnite has wiped the floor with the competition. Despite being thrown together in a couple of months and bolted onto the side of the original Fortnite: Save the World game, this cartoony last-man-standing is the ever-evolving foundation for weekly updates, seasonal changes, and a plethora of genre-defining new ideas. However often you log in, there’s always a new challenge to complete, and the Fortnite Battle Pass system rewards the most devout players with heaps of rewards. Casual players need not fear though; simple shooting and rules keep it accessible, and the building mechanics offers depth to chase. Not sure where to start? Our Fortnite tips will guide you to a Victory Royale.
Revelation Online
Revelation Online may look overly familiar at first thanks to its classic eastern visuals, but there is one very specific feature that sets it apart from the likes of ArcheAge and Blade & Soul: flight. Your champion, rather than being chained to the floor by gravity, can simply spread their wings and soar through the skies of Nuanor. The seamless open world is yours to explore on your terms, with nothing deemed out of bounds. Flying is not just for exploration, either. The numerous PvP modes include an aerial combat arena, adding a new dimension to multiplayer battles.
Paladins
Paladins is a team-based hero shooter that pits teams of colourful, ability-laden heroes against each other. Yes, it is a bit like Overwatch, but shares many of Blizzard’s titan’s merits as a tactical murder simulator and provides them at a fraction of the cost. You can play as a mecha-goblin or gigantic rolling bomb and work in conjunction with your comrades to knock the numbers out of your opponents before diving on the objective. Bonus: everyone gets their own horse. If you’re not sure where to start, our guide to the best Paladins champions will help you out.
Eve Online
No MMO can claim to be as player-driven as Eve Online, with the space game/lifestyle boasting mega-corporations run by legions of players and, very occasionally, gigantic space battles with upwards of 5,000 participating pilots.
New to Eve? Read our Eve Online beginner’s guide
Eve Online’s free-to-play model lets players experience all of that space madness (bar access to some of the end-game ships and skills) without having to pay a subscription fee.
Hearthstone
Blizzard’s world-dominating card game is about as addictive as chips. Who’s ever had enough chips? You’ve always got room for more chips, and you’ve always got time for another game of Hearthstone. With a gargantuan selection of cards, the game now supports hundreds of different play styles, which you can easily tailor by building your perfect Hearthstone decks. The heart of Blizzard’s CCG is in its competitive multiplayer matches, but Dungeon Run provides an excellent and moreish solo card experience few other games can match.
League of Legends
Inspired by the original Dota, League of Legends takes the same 5v5 base attack concept, but introduces a completely different roster of playable characters that is constantly being expanded. Many players find League of Legends is easier and more accessible than Dota, but it is still extremely nuanced; it has one of the highest skill ceilings in gaming, and the best players are considered tactical geniuses. More than 100 million people play it every month, so you won’t struggle to find a game, and you’re guaranteed to find a few LoL champions that you can’t stop playing.
Dota 2
Two teams of five choose their Dota 2 heroes from a selection of hundreds before taking to the battlefield to destroy their opponent’s base. It is no mean feat, as both teams bases spawn waves of creatures and are protected by powerful towers. Each player will need to make the best of their hero’s abilities in what is not only a game, but a sport. It is tough, complex, and inspires fanaticism in its fans. It is one of the most played games on Steam, and draws in hundreds of thousands of players every day.
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm is Blizzard’s stab at taking on League of Legends and the MOBA crowd. Yet this 5v5 arena game isn’t just another Dota clone. Instead of a single map, Heroes of the Storm has many themed arenas that ask you not only to defeat the enemy but also complete side quests to help improve your chances. Not only does this provide variety, but it is intensely fun.
Combined with the All-Stars approach that pulls maps and characters from every Blizzard game – from Warcraft to Overwatch – Heroes of the Storm is the most polished of the MOBA gang, and the easiest to pick up and play. You can also expect a consistent stream of new characters like the new hero Imperius from Diablo.
Team Fortress 2
Valve’s class-based shooter, Team Fortress 2, has achieved legendary status thanks to its varied game modes, impeccable sense of fun, and being home to more hats than the world’s millinery stores combined. The whole game is free-to-play these days, from the standard shoot-everything-that-moves deathmatches to the fantastic Mann vs Machine co-op mode where teams fend off waves of robots. Not to mention it’s constantly being cared for with updates like the Jungle Inferno event.
Armored Warfare
In Armored Warfare, the tanks of today and tomorrow are at war. The idea is that you’re fighting as part of a modern-day private military company. Big player-versus-player rucks are exciting, but if you’re not into that, there’s a co-op campaign you can play with your mates and heaps of events like the recent Armored Warfare Black Sea Incursion campaign.
Duelyst
Duelyst is a free PC CCG that offers players something a little more strategic than just laying down cards. Instead of a standard deck and board, Duelyst offers a five-by-nine grid straight out of a top-down tactical game like Blood Bowl. Cards in Duelyst spawn in units rather than simply casting effects, which makes for a game that is like a CCG twist on chess. Order your units across the grid, out-maneuver your opponent, and score a worthy victory. Counterplay Games Inc. have also lavished their game with a beautifully crisp 16-bit art style that’ll have you collecting cards for the art just as much as than their effects.
Fractured Space
Think Battlestar Galactica meets Dota 2, and you’ll be somewhere close to the award-winning Fractured Space. Control gigantic ships and shoot your intergalactic foes in intense battles as you use your tactical nous to capture bases.
The complexity of developer Edge Case Games’ meta has only grown deeper in the years since release – and that’s on top of the game’s time in early access, too. From solo scraps in PvE to 5v5 quickplay, there are plenty of modes to get your teeth into if you are low on time. But, if you’re looking to get into something meatier, Fractured Space has the tactical complexity to rival the best MOBAs.
Dreadnought
Normally if you want to take charge of massive airships, you’ll need a fair amount of cash and hours of training. With Dreadnought, a team-based dogfighter from Yager Development, you can pilot massive spaceships across the skies of many different planets for absolutely zero cost.
Dreadnought gives you access to a variety of ships equipped with massive, earth-shattering weapons that you can customise down to the last thermal exhaust port. The combat is a tactical affair, with a combination of slow methodical broadside assaults and rapid, piercing strikes. There are several game modes to choose from in this space game, and doing well in the tactical team-based warfare will reward you with an ever-growing fleet of ships.
Winning Putt
Lots of people like to play golf, and many of them like to play golf videogames, too. MMOs are designed for lots of people. Therefore the two should combine, and they do in Winning Putt. The good news is that this free PC game has all the trappings you would expect from that genre, wrapped around a perfectly serviceable set of thwack-the-ball-into-the-hole mechanics. There are plenty of upgrades and wardrobe items to be had, plus all kinds of friendly and competitive play options. And a man with a really nice voice gently encourages you throughout – something which, frankly, more games should have.
Path of Exile
An action-RPG in the mould of Diablo, Path of Exile is one of the most polished, well-executed games on this list. Adventure with a friend or two through hundreds of areas in a dark fantasy world that provides a dizzying collection of monsters to repeatedly click on until they squish. Path of Exile does feature a microtransaction system but it’s admirably unobtrusive, plus there’s a massive free expansion every few months such as the recent Path of Exile: Blight.
Lord of the Rings Online
Turbine’s free-to-play MMO transports you to perhaps the most famous fantasy setting there has ever been. Explore Tolkien’s Middle-earth, from The Shire to Mordor, and build up a character than will be worthy of 1v1ing Sauron himself. The LOTRO Store is where premium players can drop pennies, but frugal adventurers can lose themselves in Middle-earth just as easily.
Hex: Shards of Fate
Multiplayer Games For Pc And Android
At its heart, Hex is a two-player card game. Hex’s rules are a little more complex than Hearthstone’s but we found it to be a more rewarding game. Both players have 20 health and draw cards from their decks to summon creatures and cast spells against each other. The spells and creatures can weave their abilities together to make powerful combinations. Hex is free on Steam right now, and with hundreds of different cards available, players are still finding new ways to combine them.
Read more: Here are the best card games on PC
Star Wars: The Old Republic
After a long, slow start, Star Wars: The Old Republic is now a stellar MMO – particularly thanks to the Knights of the Fallen Empire expansion, which is basically ‘BioWare does a proper KOTOR sequel’. It is a fast-paced action-RPG with lightsabers and space combat and Jedi houses and bounty hunters and, if you go full dark side, you can fire lightning from your fingertips. It really is one of the best Star Wars games around.
PlanetSide 2
Battle has never been so big. Imagine entire continents at war, with tanks, trucks, and fighter craft alongside hordes of infantry. Throw that into the far future and you’ve got PlanetSide 2, a never-ending conflict on an incredible scale that’s pretty damn good-looking to boot. There is nothing else quite like this out there, especially when it comes to free Steam games.
TERA
TERA has been a mainstay in the MMO stable for many years, and with good reason. Rejecting traditional point-and-click combat, TERA is an all-out action game that draws from games like Devil May Cry. If that fact doesn’t grab your attention, perhaps its new event server will. Manahan is an alternate reality where level progression is quicker, dungeons are tougher, battlegrounds are switched up, and special changes are added to pretty much everything. Regardless of if you are a new or returning player, TERA’s most recent update has something for everyone.
Mechwarrior Online
Pledge your loyalty to a great house or sign up for a mercenary company in this mech simulation, included in our best robot games on PC. Whether you’re piloting a light or heavy mech, you’ll have to manage your weaponry and keep an eye on your system temperature. In the Mechwarrior universe, piloting a giant robot can be a technical and rather nuanced occupation. There is also stomping for the more violently-inclined player.
Dungeons & Dragons Online
Do you want a chance to adventure in some of the most famous fantasy worlds there ever were? With D&D Online you can set foot in the Forgotten Realms and the land of Eberron, stepping into the well-worn boots of a thief or a spellcaster as you fight dragons and demons. It’s not often you get high fantasy for free.
Runescape
This golden oldie continues to be one of the largest MMORPGs ever made, as well as holding the record for being the most updated game in history. Runescape has an enormous player base and a massive, ever-evolving world to explore, full of challenges that you can choose according to your own interests. Want to fight, complete quests, or just to play minigames? In Runescape it is entirely up to you.
Related: New to the game? Here is our Runescape guide for beginners
Heroes & Generals
Do you want to shoot all the guns and make all the decisions? War isn’t all about what happens on the front line, but nor is it about the decisions made back at headquarters, so Heroes & Generals is the perfect game for players who want to try a bit of both. The game has been tailored for a variety of Heroes & Generals players, so there’s something for all different skill levels. Plus, it’s still getting massive updates on the regular.
Spelunky Classic
It says something about how special PC gaming is that one of the best platformers we’ve ever seen is still free. Spelunky is inspired by 8-bit old games, but it procedurally generates its levels so that you have something new to explore every time you play. It also has snakes, boulders, ice caves, and more bats than you can shake your shotgun at. If you can find one in the darkness.
Alien Swarm
A top-down, team-based action game where each of you takes the role of an engineer, medic, gunner, and so forth. Alien Swarm takes its inspiration from a certain very famous sci-fi film and throws hordes of horrific extraterrestrials at you across a series of ever more difficult levels.
Read more: check out our list of the best police games
Race against the clock and coordinate with your team to get to the shuttle or to put up your sentry guns before time runs out.
Multiplayer Games For Pc
Dwarf Fortress
Dwarf Fortress is a seemingly impenetrable simulation that mixes Dungeon Keeper, roguelikes, and ridiculous levels of detail to create something truly unique in games. Manage an expanding fortress of dwarves by mining materials, setting up industries, defending from goblin attacks, and satisfying the whims of nobles.
Super Crate Box
Super Crate Box is a super-fast, super-dangerous platformer where enemies constantly drop from the top of the screen. Score points not by killing them, but by collecting crates, each of which has a new weapon for you, though some are much better than others. Let any of the monsters past you and into the fire below and they respawn more powerful than before. Repeat this formula and enjoy ad infinitum.
- More Dauntless:
There you have it, our complete list of the best free PC games. As you can see there are loads of experiences you can enjoy for nothing, and the top free games will keep you hooked for hundreds of hours. For more free PC games goodness, check out our definitive list of the best free Steam games and the free MMOs you should try. And, if you’re in the market for dropping some cash, find out about the best PC games around – you don’t want that hard-earned money to go to waste, after all.
- Read More
- Dauntless guide
- Dauntless Behemoths
- Dauntless Exotic gear