Positive sides of multiplayer games are obvious: it is an opportunity to compete (or vice versa – cooperate) with live people, and new acquaintances, and the feeling of belonging to a huge community, and an exciting pastime with experience that you can not get in single-player games.
That’s why many players worldwide are looking for more experience in multiplayer games. The Blix team has compiled a list of top multiplayer titles with different types of interaction and other genres. We are sure that everyone will find something for themselves in our selection.
Contents
Highlights
- Top-17 multiplayer titles for competitive and casual play across genres
- Description of each game, release date, features, and critics’ reviews
We also have separate selections for different platforms, such as the Top 20 Xbox Multiplayer Games to Play in 2025.
Top-17 Multiplayer Games for Competitive and Casual Play
The whole problem is that popular multiplayer games like Apex Legends, Overwatch, Helldivers 2, and COD have bored many players, and they tend to find alternatives.
Plus, we’ll settle for one guy on Reddit. Many people only have a couple of hours a day, so the high entry threshold for games is a problem. We have considered this issue, and here is our Top List.
| Top-17 Best Multiplayer Games | Naraka: Bladepoint | NBA 2K25 |
| StarCraft II | Deep Rock Galactic | Street Fighter 6 |
| Age of Empires IV | Titanfall 2 | Tekken 8 |
| Among Us | Elden Ring | Super Smash Bros |
| Fall Guys | Baldur’s Gate 3 | Sea of Thieves |
| Fortnite | Rocket League | Valheim |
We also have a great selection: Top Crossplay Games to Enjoy with Friends Across All Platforms.
Strategy Games
StarCraft II
Game Trailer
- Release Date: July 27, 2010
- Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
- Platform(s): Microsoft Windows, macOS
- Features: Real-time strategy, Single-player, Multiplayer
- Metacritic Score: 93
As StarCraft II begins, you take control of the Terran race to destroy Dominion leader Arcturus Mengsk. You and your army wage war across the vast galaxy in amazingly designed real-time battles where strategy is required at every turn.
It’s impossible not to praise StarCraft 2. Nowadays, it’s cooler to find flaws and say that it’s not so great. But let’s be honest: if you start cursing the StarCraft 2 campaign, all other strategies should be drowned in the pond as soon as they are born, as if they were unwanted kittens.
Age of Empires IV
Game Trailer
- Release Date: October 28, 2021
- Developer: Relic Entertainment, World’s Edge
- Platform(s): Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
- Features: Support for network games up to 8 participants, Four conditional eras, Real-time strategy
- Metacritic Score: 81
Contrary to popular belief, Age of Empires differs greatly from Warcraft or StarCraft. Of course, the principle is the same everywhere: as in any other RTS, you must collect resources, build a base, create units, and attack the opponent.
However, Age of Empires, unlike most similar projects, pays special attention to internal economy and settlement development.
Age of Empires IV is almost an ideal game for fans of any part of the series: the developers found an approach to both fans of the second and the third parts.
Games for Casual Multiplayer Fun
Among Us
Game Trailer
- Release Date: June 15, 2018
- Developer: Innersloth
- Platform(s): Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Android, iOS
- Features: Customizability, Simplicity, Ability to customize characters
- Metacritic Score: 85
You’re familiar with the hit social game Among Us. One of the players (or two or three) on a ship is a traitor, and his goal is to get rid of the crew without anyone suspecting it’s him.
The crew members don’t know which is the traitor and can vote to “banish” any character, trying to identify traitors during emergency meetings.
In 2022, a new mode, Hide n Seek, was added: instead of figuring out the traitor, players learn his identity at the start of a round and hide from him as the game progresses while completing missions. All in all it’s a cool fun casual multiplayer game suitable for both party and home evening.
Fall Guys
Game Trailer
- Release Date: August 4, 2020
- Developer: Mediatonic
- Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Android, iOS
- Features: Multi-genre, Short game sessions, Regular updates
- Metacritic Score: 81
The game belongs to the Battle Royale genre, but since we have introduced this section, we’ll leave it here. Fall Guys concentrates on the very entertainment that video games were originally. It’s pure “fun,” even though the competitive element is at the center of the game.
The basic idea of Fall Guys is that six dozen participants must reach the end of the level, which is a sophisticated obstacle course. Those who fail to reach the finish line are among the first to be eliminated from the competition, and the rest move on to the next challenge, where the race begins under new conditions. And so, until the only winner remains.
Some levels are competitions between several groups of participants – for example, soccer with huge balls or collecting as many eggs scattered around the arena as possible for your team.
Battle Royale
Fortnite
Game Trailer
- Release Date: July 25, 2017
- Developer: Epic Games
- Platform(s): macOS, Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Android, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5
- Features: Events, Collaborations, Mode diversity, Cartoonishness, Versatility
- Metacritic Score: 78
Is it the best battle royale ever? For many gamers, it certainly is, as this hit from Epic Games is constantly being updated with new modes, weapons, skins, and other fantastic features.
In addition, the entry threshold into the game is low, and the graphics are pleasant and stress-free. In a word, it will not cause depression. Some gamers don’t want to give it a chance because of the building mechanics. However, you are free to adjust your gaming experience. There is a mode where you can play Fortnite without building fortresses.
Plus, if you’re a Star Wars fan, it’s time for you to get into the game right now. We have an article about the new season: Fortnite’s Next Season Goes Galactic with Star Wars Crossover.
Naraka: Bladepoint
Game Trailer
- Release Date: August 12, 2021
- Developer: 24 Entertainment
- Platform(s): Windows, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5
- Features: Emphasis on melee combat, Eastern fantasy setting, Equipment repair
- Metacritic Score: 71
Surely a massive number of gamers, from beginners to professionals, have experienced the experience of playing in various kinds of “Battle Royal”, the purpose of which, strangely enough, is to become the very “king”, defeating all their opponents.
In Naraka, players get a unique experience by testing themselves as a local martial artist using different kinds of weapons, both short-range and long-range, such as bows, crossbows, and even flamethrowers with cannons.
However, most of the time you’ll be in close-range matches, which adds to the uniqueness of this genre of games.
First-Person Shooters (FPS)
Deep Rock Galactic
Game Trailer
- Release Date: May 13, 2020
- Developer: Ghost Ship Games
- Platform(s): Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
- Features: Cooperative first-person shooter, Variety of missions, Four character classes with their strengths and weaknesses, Ability to play alone
- Metacritic Score: 85
Deep Rock is often recommended in discussions like this. It’s an almost perfectly calibrated game where people spend hundreds and thousands of hours. In our opinion it is definitely in the top 5 best competitive games.
There is always something to do in it: every resource is needed and spent, there are a lot of Battlepasses, constantly giving out some tasks, and releasing updates every year. Cool?
A variety of awesome weapons with modifications, fun classes, availability of perks and their pumping, different builds, great community, a lot of other enemies, lore progression, procedural generation of maps and events, lack of any agenda – there is everything you need for a fan, guys.
Titanfall 2
Game Trailer
- Release Date: October 28, 2016
- Developer: Respawn Entertainment
- Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
- Features: Full story campaign for single player, Variety of levels
- Metacritic Score: 89
So, in TF2, everything works properly, works the way you expect it to work. And there are no useless mechanics in TF2 at all. Everything has a use. In this respect, TF2 reminds Half-Life 2 and Portal 2. The best competitive game for those who don’t want to get tired of learning at the beginning.
The game is very friendly to the player. It doesn’t crush the player with senseless complexity, doesn’t humiliate the player, and doesn’t force the player to struggle through the thorns to the stars. TF2 reminds you that games are meant to entertain the player, not humiliate him. And at the same time, TF2 is not trivial and simple. There are many places where you need to turn your head.
Besides, TF2 is a quality epic action movie framed in uncluttered sci-fi, and the script is perfect.
Action-RPG/ RPG
Elden Ring
Game Trailer
- Release Date: February 25, 2022
- Developer: FromSoftware
- Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2
- Features: Open world and freedom of movement, Advanced combat mechanics, Dark Fantasy, Co-op, PvP, PvE
- Metacritic Score: 96
Elden Ring takes multiplayer gaming to a whole new level. We could call it one of the best multiplayer games. Players can summon allies to battle ferocious enemies or use PvP duels to test their mettle against others.
The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion further expands this universe by adding an entirely new region, terrifying bosses, and new cooperative quests.
Whether you team up to explore treacherous dungeons or fight tense duels, this game offers endless replay value and unforgettable multiplayer encounters. Epic adventure and dark fantasy are what you’ll get when you play Elden Ring.
We wrote about the Nintendo Switch 2 here: Switch 2 Direct Recap: Every Major Reveal and Announcement.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Game Trailer
- Release Date: 3 August 2023
- Developer: Larian Studios
- Platform(s): Windows, PlayStation 5, macOS, Xbox Series X/S
- Features: High interactivity and freedom of action, Optional quests, Influence of player choices on the plot
- Metacritic Score: 96
The game continued the Baldur’s Gate series based on the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop RPG. It takes place in the same fictional universe as Forgotten Realms.
Baldur’s Gate 3 received universal acclaim from critics, who praised the game’s gameplay, story, variety of available adventures and activities, and freedom of action for players.
Fans of role-playing games should undoubtedly pay their attention to Baldur’s Gate 3. But even if you are not particularly friendly with RPGs, the novelty can be an excellent guide to the wonderful world of mortals and gods, terrible monsters and fantastic creatures, great heroes and cunning villains.
A new patch was recently released: Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 8: Big, Brilliant, and Brutally Final.
Sports Games
Rocket League
Game Trailer
- Release Date: July 7, 2015
- Developer: Psyonix
- Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5
- Features: Single-player, Multiplayer, Combining the mechanics of a soccer game and driving cars
- Metacritic Score: 85
Rocket League combines cars and soccer. It is relatively simple for beginners, yet has an infinitely high skill ceiling for those who crave competition.
The game features a variety of modes, including 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4 soccer, as well as several alternate modes that are riffs on other sports, such as hockey and basketball.
Another appealing feature of this unusual car game is that it’s free online multiplayer game, which makes it one of the best party games around. Entertainment and leisure don’t have to be expensive.
NBA 2K25
Game Trailer
- Release Date: September 6, 2024
- Developer: Visual Concepts
- Platform(s): Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Arcade Edition, iOS, macOS, tvOS
- Features: ProPLAY system, Learn 2K mode
- Metacritic Score: 79
EA’s NBA Live series was once unbeatable—until upstart 2K started releasing almost unbelievably good basketball games. NBA 2K turned a sports game into a role-playing game with its MyCareer mode. It recreated bygone eras of the sport down to the smallest detail, and you had to squint to realize it wasn’t real basketball on TV.
On the court, 2K25 has the same strengths it has had for over a decade. The animation is exact, right down to the throws and lay-ups of individual players.
Without the ball, an utterly convincing battle for space in the paint unfolds between centers who move and pivot to gain an advantage over each other. Even difficult moments like collisions in the air look convincing.
Fighting Games
Street Fighter 6
Game Trailer
- Release Date: June 2, 2023
- Developer: Capcom
- Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, Arcade, Nintendo Switch 2
- Features: Online PvP, Solo Mode, Tournaments
- Metacritic Score: 92
With a diverse cast of characters, each with unique moves and abilities, Street Fighter 6 offers a cool competitive experience. And with various game modes, including Arcade, Survival, and Online, players have plenty of opportunities to test their skills and improve.
Sure, it may not be as fast-paced as some other competitive games, but isn’t that something new we’re here for?
Tekken 8
Game Trailer
- Release Date: January 26, 2024
- Developer: Bandai Namco Studio
- Platform(s): PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows
- Features: PvP, Online Tournaments, Solo & Multiplayer Modes
- Metacritic Score: 90
For the eighth installment in a long-running franchise that has been constantly adding new mechanics, Tekken 8 demonstrates a surprisingly low entry threshold for newcomers.
At its core, Tekken remains a fast-paced fighting game with an emphasis on combos and juggling – the prolonged juggling of an opponent’s body with the help of precise input commands. Of course, there are other ways to win, but a player familiar with combos will always have a significant advantage.
Beautiful, fast, easy to learn, yet deep and constantly throwing up new surprises in combat, it’s addictive and doesn’t let go until you fall asleep or have to get ready for work.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Game Trailer
- Release Date: December 7, 2018
- Developer: Bandai Namco Studio
- Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
- Features: Online play for up to four players, Online Tournaments, Spectator Mode
- Metacritic Score: 93
The essence of Super Smash Bros. is a fun deconstruction of the usual fighting game genre. Here, instead of serious men with backgrounds about saving the world, the girl from Animal Crossing beats a dog from the famous eight-bit “Duck Hunt” with an umbrella.
Instead of static arenas from other fights, there are scenes as eventful as your Telegram newsfeed: something constantly disappears, appears, explodes, sinks, and flips, sometimes the battlefield moves sideways, and objects that change the rules of the game always fall from the sky.
Even the health ruler here is not like the others – the percentages in it only grow, and the more they are, the easier it is to throw a fighter out of the arena. And that’s the only way to win.
In general, if you are tired of the routine, the high threshold of entry into the game, and other things, this is the way out. It’s fun, casual, but still great. This game is one of the best multiplayer games in the fighting genre that has stood the test of time. By the way, recommended by other players.
If Nothing Fits
Sea of Thieves
Game Trailer
- Release Date: March 20, 2018
- Developer: Rare
- Platform(s): Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5
- Features: Huge open world, Lots of activities, Dynamic weather
- Metacritic Score: 69
When you want a simple human experience, like watching the waves at sunset without anyone touching them, think of this game.
In each game, 1-4 players cooperatively control a ship, navigate the ocean seas, and search for treasure on islands and waters teeming with evil skeletons and enemies.
Sea of Thieves is one of the most successful multiplayer games supporting cross-play between PC and Xbox consoles. We’ve already recommended it in our selection of the best Co-op Games to Play With Friends in 2025.
Valheim
Game Trailer
- Release Date: February 2, 2021
- Developer: Iron Gate
- Platform(s): Windows, Linux
- Features: Procedural world generation, Multiplayer, Friendly NPCs
- Metacritic Score: tbd
Valheim is a cool survival game with much content at the start and potential for development. Elaborate mechanics and fascinating gameplay are waiting for you. It’s a good game; you should play it if you’re not afraid of Scandinavian mythology.
In this great multiplayer game, you will have to explore a vast world filled with many biomes, enemies, and resources that you can use to survive.
Although the game is known for a steep learning curve, you can make it easier on yourself by installing mods and playing with nine other people on the same server.
New Multiplayer Games to Watch in 2025
It’s been a busy four months of 2025, with various announcements and releases of highly anticipated games, such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remaster, now available on Steam and Consoles.
Games that promise a new experience for multiplayer fans are appearing. Pay your attention to the future novelties:
- Project L: A fighting game from Riot Games, where the action occurs in League of Legends.
- Grand Theft Auto VI Online: This is expected to be the most addictive open-world multiplayer game in history.
- Palia: A cozy social multiplayer game where friends can build, farm, and explore the neighborhood together.
Conclusion
We’ve picked some beginner-friendly games in various genres so that everyone can find something different. Start by choosing a game you’re interested in and spending time learning the basics. Watch professional players and streams to learn strategies and techniques. Most importantly, practice regularly, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes—they are part of the learning process!
