When it comes to finding out the best multiplayer games, there are a variety of choices that could be perfect for you and your squad. From distant lands of fantasy mayhem to digital battlefields, getting together with the gang is guaranteed to be a blast.
Some of them are easily among best co-op games around, too. However, all the titles below have an exciting multiplayer option that is worth enjoying. So grab your best PS5 controller or best Xbox controller, and dive into the best multiplayer games on PS5 and Xbox consoles, as well as some Nintendo Switch titles included in the mix.
The best multiplayer games are:
1. Remnant 2
One of the best Soulslike games right now, Remnant 2 is a great cooperative shooter that gives you and up to two friends a hard, but fun time. No matter which of the Remnant 2 classes you decide to choose from, there are plenty of difficult enemies and challenging bosses to take on in this third-person shooter.
There’s also a lot of content planned to be added, with new DLCs releasing in the future to expand the world of Remannt 2, as well as new classes to enjoy for extra replayability.
Our Remnant 2 review says that “Remnant 2 more than improves on the foundation laid by its predecessor, making for an enjoyable and action-filled romp”, so if you’re looking for a great Soulslike to play with friends, this may be your best bet.
2. Minecraft
You can’t talk about the best multiplayer titles without mentioning one of the best games of all time. Minecraft, which was first released in 2011, is a cultural phenomenon that is still played to this day by millions. And there’s a good reason for it.
Each Minecraft world is randomly generated, offering a different experience for you and your friends each time. As you collect resources and craft better gear, build a home, and take on the various monsters of the night, you’ll find a game worthy of being one of the best survival games ever.
Minecraft offers a near-endless amount of creative freedom for you and up to seven friends to enjoy, and thanks to crossplay, your platform of choice doesn’t matter. The addition of Creative mode also allows you to play with nearly unbound freedom, meaning you can build huge fortresses or create giant TNT cannons without worrying about finding the resources necessary.
3. Left 4 Dead 2
Despite being released in 2009, as one of the best zombie games out there, Left 4 Dead 2 thrives in zombie-killing simplicity for you and up to three friends. As you venture out from one safehouse to the next, you’ll take on a huge zombie horde, alongside different powerful infected which may mean your run ends in defeat.
Left 4 Dead 2 doesn’t offer deep mechanics, with everlasting effects on your adventure, but rather, it has a solid core gameplay loop with different weapons and items to find to help you defeat the masses of zombies coming against you.
Unfortunately, the game isn’t available for PlayStation and Switch and is only playable on PC via Steam or on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S thanks to backward compatibility.
4. Destiny 2
If you like the sound of being a badass power-wielding Guardian attempting to save the solar system from the paracausal force known as the Darkness, well, Bungie’s FPS MMO may be the perfect choice for you and your friends to play.
Proudly sitting on our best FPS games list, Destiny 2 offers a great amount of content, from story missions and narrative expansions to major multi-hour Raids, and a host of PvP content, all of which can be played with friends. Now’s the time to jump in, especially with the finale of the Light and Darkness Saga coming up with The Final Shape release date approaching.
Whether you’re hoping to find the best Destiny 2 weapons, or simply enjoy a sci-fi MMO with your closest buddies, Bungie’s latest game is the one to play.
5. Stardew Valley
Not all multiplayer games have to be about fighting off an apocalypse or taking on your teammates. Sometimes, it can just be about farming peacefully and exploring a lavishly-animated pixel town.
Stardew Valley excels at offering a relaxing experience, as you aim to make the best farm life for yourself and your friends. In this farm life-sim, you’ll become a part of a tight-knit rural community as you thrive and survive off your land.
Stardew Valley’s single-player campaign can be made richer with the inclusion of up to four players, allowing your group to plant, pick, and play in peace. However, if you want to seek out some action, the mines are always an option for some intriguing combat and deep rock exploration.
6. GTA Online
After a decade, Rockstar’s open-world opus GTA 5 is still alive and kicking. It isn’t going anywhere either, at least for until we get to bask in in the glory of the sunny Vice City shores in GTA 6. Rockstar is still bringing players regular updates for GTA Online, from fresh missions to ridicolous new vehicles to roam around Los Santos in.
The grind in GTA Online can be brutal sometimes, but once you start a business and get into the game’s criminal underworld, the money will start rolling in. With a next-gen port bringing 4K sheen and 60fps support, GTA Online is always a blast with friends.
7. Sea of Thieves
Argh, me hearties! The Sea of Thieves is perfect to live out your pirating dreams, as you set your eyes on finding some hidden treasure and becoming a pirate legend.
Unfortunately, you’re not the only person looking for riches, with other enemy pirates looking to plunder your ship. And there’s a variety of mythical monsters and skeletons looking to stop you in your adventures. Fortunately, you can bring your friends (or crewmates) with you as you set sail.
Recently, Rare released the Safer Seas mode, which allows you to play without the risk of enemy pirates killing you, so you can get to grips with the gameplay and how to sail your brand-new ship. But beware, despite the name, the monsters still exist within Safer Seas.
8. Fortnite
Despite being released in 2017, Fortnite is still one of the best battle royale games, even if it has become much bigger than the genre it started in. The core mode still consists of dropping into matches alone or with friends against up to 99 other players, with the goal of collecting loot and being the last one standing, but thanks to the best Fortnite Creative maps, there’s also a variety of player-made game modes to enjoy too.
Not only that, but consistent balance and quality of life tweaks, major map and weapon pool changes, and the release of Zero Build mode (meaning you don’t need to learn the building mechanic at all) all make for a game that is almost completely different from its 2017-18 version.
If you’re hoping for a game that is adrenaline-pumping, with quick matches and a lot of crossover collaboration skins to purchase and show off, Fortnite is just the game for you.
9. Rocket League
It’s not very often that you can truly call a game unique when it comes to gameplay, but that’s exactly what Rocket League is. Psyonix’s competitive car soccer game sits in a subgenre all of its own and boasts incredible multiplayer action.
Take control of one of the best Rocket League cars, boost, jump, and flip your way across the pitch, and try and knock the enormous ball into the opponent’s net. The premise is simple and enjoyable, but Rocket League has an enormous skill ceiling – there’s even a dedicated competitive mode where you can climb the Rocket League ranks, if you really want to put your skills to the test. Oh, and it’s totally free to play.
Much like other games in this list, Rocket League delivers regular seasonal content and battle passes, so things are always feeling fresh, despite the core gameplay remaining the same.
10. Overcooked All You Can Eat
If mayhem is in your wheelhouse, then Overcooked: All You Can Eat is the multiplayer game for you. Endeavor to save a kingdom one meal at a time, working as a team to keep things running smoothly. Where other cooking simulators might stay close to reality, Overcooked throws moving platforms, complex dishes, and clumsy physics-based movements into the pot, some additions that make succeeding more difficult than at first glance.
The All You Can Eat edition consolidates all the best features of the series into one chaotic game, meaning there’s no lack of delicious content to dig into with your team. Plus, being able to customize your little chef into all kinds of fits offers some additional silliness to saving the realm.
As a word of warning, we’d recommend playing this game only with people you have a very close relationship with. The stress (and fun) of Overcooked can make or break your friendships, but it is still worth playing. We’d even say it’s worth losing your friends over.
11. Apex Legends
A hero-shooter set in the battle royale genre sounds like an exciting concept on paper, and fortunately, Respawn Entertainment pulls it off with Apex Legends. As one of the best free shooting games out there, Apex Legends is a squad-focused shooter that feels as good as it looks.
Most seasonal updates change or adjust the gameplay, whether through major shifts thanks to new Legends, or great quality-of-life adjustments that make it more fun. You may want to take a look at the Apex Legends tier list to see which of the Legends you should focus on picking up first and foremost too.
And if you’re looking to take your squad to the next level, you can rise through the Apex Legends ranks thanks to its highly competitive offering.
12. Hunt Showdown
More of an extraction shooter than a traditional FPS game, this period-piece shooter will see you take on the role of a bounty hunter as you attempt to kill monsters in a variety of nightmarish maps. But beware, you’re not the only hunter looking to earn his payday, and they’ll be willing to kill you for it.
You can play with up to two friends as you take on the different beasts of Hunt Showdown, and if you’re waiting for an Escape from Tarkov Xbox and PS5 release, then Hunt Showdown is likely your best alternative.
Unfortunately, this is closer to a hardcore shooter, so many casual FPS fans may be put off from enjoying Hunt Showdown’s challenging and less firefight-focused approach to the genre, but it is still a great time for those who dare to play it.
13. Ultimate Chicken Horse
If infuriating your friends is your multiplayer currency of choice, look no further than Ultimate Chicken Horse. What can only be described as a vindictive obstacle course builder, UCH offers up a range of stages you and your friends can continually customize round by round.
In Ultimate Chicken Horse, the goal is to make it to the end unscathed whilst also ensuring your teammates take a spill along the way. If everyone makes it, no one wins, so make sure to be as cruel as you can, so long as you can make it to the end yourself.
14. Super Smash Bros Ultimate
A candidate for our best fighting games list, Super Smash Bros Ultimate is a platform fighter with over 80 (yes, 80) fighters from popular IPs like Sonic, Mario, Metal Gear Solid, and more. The beloved Smash Bros series is known for its high-octane battles, and the latest entry is a culmination of all games before it.
Within Super Smash Bros Ultimate, you’ll pick one of many fighters and learn their various abilities and combos to win against enemy players (or within a small team), but items and stage obstacles can also be used to defeat you (or be used by you) and claim victory.
Whether you decide to enjoy its single-player offering first or delve straight into the multiplayer action against up to seven other players, Super Smash Bros Ultimate is one of the best Switch games made.
15. Fall Guys
Enter the Blunderdome with your closest crew in Fall Guys, an online multiplayer game that asks you to push through a large and challenging obstacle course to achieve ultimate glory. In the wackiest costumes you can put together, you and three friends can collaborate and navigate all manner of odd physical puzzles evocative of game shows like Takeshi’s Castle.
With seasonal content updates happening all the time, Fall Guys is sure to keep you and your friends busy for months to come. It’s also totally free to play!
16. Exoprimal
Dinosaurs and mechs – what’s not to love? Exoprimal is Capcom’s latest release that takes the fight to the future and the past, as you work in teams of five to complete a wide array of objectives, all while racing another troupe of exosuit-donning dino fighters. Working together fast is key because even though Exoprimal matches begin as a PVE experience, it soon turns to PVP as you progress through its challenges and face your enemies during the final task.
The quicker you take out your prehistoric enemies, the more advantage you’ll have against the other players, making it a formidable challenge, not only of how well your crew can work as a team but how fast they can dispatch other players.
You can read our Exoprimal review here, where we said it offers “satisfying combat and a diverse array of Exosuits”, and while we complained about the lack of content, the game has been receiving updates that introduce new and exciting additions.
17. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Notorious for tearing apart friends and families, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe pits racer against racer in gorgeously animated Nintendo style, offering one of the best racing games ever made. Once you’ve picked your driver, from Luigi to Link, you can drift corners around iconic stages and fight to the finish.
But of course, it’s not just the danger-littered courses you need to worry about; racers can pick up all manner of powerups to knock each other off course, from banana peels to blue shells.
Not only is it the perfect party game, but Mario Kart 8 also offers an incredibly competitive experience. So if you’re hoping for a relaxing racing game, or want to prove you’re the best in your friend group, there’s no better game to drop into than Mario Kart 8. And, keep it a secret, but we can tell you the best Mario Kart 8 kart if you want to get an advantage.
18. Mortal Kombat 1
The latest entry in the historic and celebrated fighting game series, Mortal Kombat 1 delivers an exhilarating experience whether you play with friends or against others online.
The roster of Mortal Kombat 1 characters is only growing with new DLCs coming in the future, so our Mortal Kombat 1 tier list is looking to change over time. And, the Mortal Kombat 1 chapters list offers plenty of story missions for those looking to focus on the story mode alone.
Whether you’re a Scorpion or Sub-Zero fan (you can only pick one side), there’s plenty of content to enjoy in the latest entry for the series.
20. Splatoon 3
Get the band together and paint the town red, literally, in Splatoon 3, Nintendo’s wonderfully messy third-person shooter… Set in a sprawling, stylish metropolis, you’ll need to choose between being an Inkling or an Octoling to fight it out in a wide range of areas, with eight players split into two teams of four. Your party will need to spread your ink and frustrate other plays to gain control of the area and reign supreme.
The bonus of Splatoon’s character customization is also a key part of the experience, letting you fully embrace your unique fashion sense and tastes as part of the team, or for those who want to coordinate, you can also match up, showcasing a united fashion front in the battle.
21. Diablo 4
Diablo’s historic multiplayer has long been hailed as a reliable and epic experience that doubles as a fun way to take on the forces of evil with friends. This time around, it’s Lillith poisoning the minds of locals, and with monsters on the prowl, you and your friends can gallivant the land in search of loot, blood, and glory.
For those unaware of the beloved Diablo series, it’s an incredibly fun action RPG with lots of loot to collect, a detailed and intricate world to explore, and an incredibly lengthy endgame that, if you have fun with it, offers hundreds of hours of content to enjoy.
Once you get into the meat of the game, you’ll also be able to root out random encounters with evildoers that your group can take on with other players across the world, creating an even more collaborative way to dungeon crawl.
22. Party Animals
While not a perfect game, Party Animals is by far some of the most fun you can have with a multiplayer game right now. It’s party-based, competitive antics will have you throwing your friends overboard, drowning them, murdering them, freezing them, and launching them across the sky to try and win against the other team.
Plus, it is full of cutesy Party Animals characters and a selection of the best Party Animals weapons to use to diversify how you wallop your opponents beyond just landing a punch here or there. You can read our Party Animals review to see what the game is all about. While it’s only available on Xbox and PC at the moment, there are hopes for a Party Animals PS5 release down the line.
23. Monster Hunter Rise
The long-running Monster Hunter series has been well known for its ambitious larger-than-life battles against huge creatures, and the latest game in the series is no different. Monster Hunter Rise, originally a Switch exclusive, is one of the faster-paced games in the series, but for fans, it is still as challenging as ever.
In Monster Hunter Rise, you and up to three friends can hunt down some elusive monsters that are causing trouble on the outskirts of a rural village, using a variety of Monster Hunter Rise weapons that offer different combos and abilities. And after killing monsters, you upgrade your gear and hunt more challenging monsters, and so on. The loop remains the same, but it always stays exciting.
Thankfully, the introduction of the Sunbreak expansion means more monsters than ever, as well as a new story, and many free content updates over the years, have brought classic monsters from the series back for you to hunt all over again. If that doesn’t sell you, then The Loadout’s Echo Apsey said in their Monster Hunter Rise review that “Monster Hunter Rise’s fights are as enjoyable as ever with vastly expanded combat”.
24. Among Us
Prepare to be a survivor or the elusive impostor in Among Us, the social deduction party game that took the world by storm years ago. While its glory days of popularity may be behind it, it still boasts a healthy player base, and with full crossplay support across a range of platforms, it’s super accessible.
As a small crew on a broken spaceship, you and other players will be put into one of two teams. Survivors must complete puzzles and fix broken parts of the ship to win, while Impostors will hunt down any Survivors while trying to push the blame onto someone else. In the end, only one team can be victorious.
Among Us may not be a game that you’ll play for years on end, but it is certainly an exciting party game and one that any friend group or family should try.
25. Deep Rock Galactic
One of the best indie games in recent years, Deep Rock Galactic sees you and up to three friends take on procedurally-generated environments as you drill and mine for resources as four badass space dwarves. There are four distinct classes, each with its own strengths to choose from, and a seemingly endless amount of fun to be had as you upgrade your equipment and unlock new gear.
There’s no real end goal to Deep Rock Galactic, as it excels at delivering consistently fun cave systems to explore and bugs to squash. If you prefer a game with a finale, you’ll not get that here, but Deep Rock Galactic offers a satisfying gameplay loop, no matter if you play alone, with friends, or with random players online.
If you’ve been looking for a game with a huge amount of longevity, then Deep Rock Galactic is one that we highly suggest playing. And you can usually buy it at a good price in sales, but we’d argue it’s worth the full asking price.
26. Forza Horizon 5
If you find that you and your friends are looking to get behind the wheel of a beautiful luxury car or an off-road four-wheeler, then we’d like to introduce you to one of the best Xbox racing games – Forza Horizon 5. Featuring hundreds of vehicles to drive, a beautiful landscape to explore, and plenty of challenges to partake in, you can get hours of enjoyment from Xbox’s latest Forza Horizon entry.
Not only is Forza Horizon 5 a solid racing game, but it’s also one of the best Xbox open world games, delivering a stunning Mexico to traverse. As you make your way to the next event to take part in, you’ll find plenty of other racers making their way across the map, before going up against friends and foes alike in different races.
While we think the recent Forza Motorsport entry is pretty good, nothing beats the fresh air of driving the open roads of Horizon 5’s Mexico. And, it’s a great game to play if you want something to experience on your own as well. Make sure to read our Forza Horizon 5 review for more reasons to check out this incredible game. But, unfortunately for PS5 players, this game is only on Xbox and PC.
27. Call of Duty MW3 (2023)
The latest game in the long-running series, the Call of Duty MW3 multiplayer is just as competitive, engaging, and fun as ever, delivering some improvements to movement and health compared to the CoD’s last installment, MW2.
Whether you want to use the best MW3 loadouts in the current (and evolving) MW3 meta, or you’re hoping to play some MW3 Zombies, a first for the subseries, you’ve got plenty of multiplayer action to enjoy. And for those of you who are veteran fans of Call of Duty, you may recognize many of the MW3 maps as remastered variants of the classic Modern Warfare 2 maps from 2009’s CoD game.
Our Call of Duty MW3 review was disappointed in the campaign offering this time around, but aside from some bugs and issues that are likely to be ironed out over time, Modern Warfare 3’s multiplayer is a great time.
28. Halo Infinite
For all the Xbox (and PC) players out there, don’t sleep on Halo Infinite. While its rocky launch led to widespread disappointment, years on from launch, Infinite is almost an entirely new game.
The core gameplay is as outstanding as ever, with silky smooth gunplay, precise movement, and one of the best weapon and vehicle sandboxes of any FPS game. However, since launch, major changes have been made to the systems that held it back at launch, including the battle pass challenge system and how armor customization functions. Likewise, there are now a lot more maps and modes to sink your teeth into, particularly now that both the incredible Forge and Firefight modes are in Halo Infinite at long last.
With best-in-class gameplay and now more solid foundations than ever, the Xbox exclusive we’re most excited about in 2024 is Halo Infinite, against all odds.
29. Overwatch 2
Like Halo Infinite, Overwatch 2‘s launch was met with lots of disappointment, particularly given its development hurting the last few years of Overwatch 1. However, after plenty of changes to progression and having since added so many new maps, modes, and heroes, Overwatch 2 is better than ever. In fact, there’s even a campaign mode, though we’re still waiting for the next batch of missions to be revealed, let alone released.
Nevertheless, if you’re in the mood for some competitive PvP in one of the best FPS games today, then it’s hard to go wrong with Overwatch. With its tight gunplay and intense 5v5 action split between three roles, you’ll really need to work together as a team to come out on top – as all good multiplayer games should. Best of all though, it’s free to play on all platforms, including PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.
30. Baldur’s Gate 3
Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3 might not immediately come to mind when you think of the best multiplayer games on PS5 and Xbox. After all, it is a massive and exceptionally rich turn-based RPG – not typically something you can enjoy with others. However, co-op multiplayer has long been a core feature of Larian’s games, and BG3 is no different. In fact, thanks to the remarkably well-implemented BG3 split-screen feature, you can even play through the entire BG3 length alongside other players, not just using online play.
With a veritable ocean of possibilities at your fingertips, from dialogue conversations and combat encounters that change the course of your playthrough, to small details that really let you get into your role, there’s a lot of fun to be had with others. Take a look at the best BG3 class and best BG3 party to find out the optimal setup for your multiplayer adventure. To spice things up a little, you could even take a look at these Baldur’s Gate 3 cocktails to fully immerse yourself in your journey.
31. Helldivers 2
Arrowhead Game Studios’ bug squashing, robot crushing multiplayer hit is an essential pick from this list. Tasked with defending Super Earth from all manner of galactic threats, you and three buddies (or random players) can set out to liberate hundreds of planets in the ultimate fight for democracy. Helldivers 2 is really something special, though. Not only is the game’s community absolutely hilarious and wholesome, but Arrowhead gives players amazing best-in-class combat to experience.
There’s also the matter of Stratagems, which are summonable weapons or support tools to defeat all those bugs with. Want to summon a massive nuke? Want to place turrets everywhere? Do it, but you’ll need to input some Dance Dance revolution style inputs first. Naturally, this leads to some brilliant shenanigans.
32. Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League
Now you might be rolling your eyes at this one, but there’s a seriously fun third-person shooter inside of Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League. You can play solo or in 4-player co-op to take down Brainiac’s forces and a corrupted Justice League, crafting majorly powerful builds along the way. The game’s weaponry and build system is super versatile and will turn you into a god-like presence in battle. Once you’ve completed the wicked story, the endgame loop can be a little grindy, but fun-yet-difficult missions make it enjoyable.
Aside from Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and King Shark, there’s also other DC villains coming to Kill the Justice League as playable characters. The first of which is the Joker, but not the one you’re familiar with. Kill the Justice League is worth giving a shot.
33. Red Dead Online
Yes, just like Rockstar Games’ other massive game on this list, Red Dead Online is actually kind of underrated. While bigger updates for the game are transitioned to a smaller monthly rotation, Red Dead Online’s highly realistic (and gorgeous) world is perfect for completionists and friends looking to posse up in different roles.
Each role comes with equipped with its own reward track to complete too, giving you plenty to do on top of RDO’s story. We’re still itching for Rockstar to drop a Red Dead Redemption 2 60fps patch, though.
That concludes our list of the best multiplayer games, at least for now. We recommend picking up the best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S if you want to experience these games in all of their beauty and bookmark this article so you can come back and see any new additions in the future as new Xbox games and new PS5 games release.
#multiplayer #games #console
