From mobile casinos to first person shooters: The best multiplayer games
Whether it’s on the console, PC, tablet or smartphone, gaming is certainly not the solitary activity it was once considered. The possibility to play multiplayer games online has, in fact, made it a more social pastime than ever before and has even given rise to the eSports phenomenon that is taking the world by storm.
So in this era of social gaming, what are the best multiplayer experiences? Here, we take a look at a cross section of the world’s favourites, across all genres and platforms.
Mobile casino tournaments
With new sites launching almost every day, offering ever more tempting mobile casino no deposit bonuses and free spins, it is no surprise that this genre is one of the biggest growth sectors in gaming. What might be less obvious at first glance is that mobile casino games do not have to be a solitary experience.
Multiplayer tournaments allow you to pit yourself against real life competitors without risking a big financial hit. Just pay the entrance fee, and you know where you stand from the start. Place near the top, and you will even get some money back, but the most important thing about these tournaments is the chance to spend anything from five minutes to an entire weekend enjoying everything from poker to slots in a fun, competitive environment with like-minded people.
First person shooters
Mention multiplayer games, and most people think of first person shooters such as League of Legends or more recently, Counter Strike: Global Offensive. This is not unreasonable, particularly where the latter is concerned. The game probably has a bigger following than anything in the industry’s history, and is the mainstay of the eSports sector.
It is also the easiest game of this type to try if you are new to the genre, not because it is any easier than other games, but due to the sheer wealth of guides, blogs and tips. This is an interesting side effect of it being seen as a sport – there are almost as many people keen to offer coaching advice as there are golf pros willing to help you improve your swing.
Platform games
From the earliest days of Chuckie Egg in the early 1980s, platform games have always been a mainstay of gaming. Back then, kids would sit round a BBC Basic or ZX Spectrum, laughing at the fortunes or misfortunes of their friends while awaiting their turn, so it could also be described as the oldest form of multiplayer gaming, too.
These days, the graphics are more advanced, the platform is more likely to be a smartphone and the players could easily be spread across the globe. But at heart, today’s platform games are not so different to the ones we were playing 30 years ago or more. Games like Worms 2: Armageddon capture the same atmosphere, when watching your fellow players come to a sticky end can be just as much fun as playing your own turn.