From Forspoken's release to The Last of Us's highly-rated show on HBO, the gaming community is being spoiled with the amount of content they are getting at the beginning of 2023. With all this new content, gamers might be more compelled to take a step back and revisit some of their favorite multiplayer games.
Not every one that likes video games considers themselves a gamer. Whether one regards themselves as a devoted member of the gaming community or not, there are a few multiplayer games that everyone should try at least once. Anyone who finds themselves wanting to start should begin with these.
Mario Party (1998-Present)
Mario Party is a game series that debuted back in 1998. Since its inception, it has released over 20 versions of the game across all consoles.
Mario Party is a great party game with a bunch of different gaming options. Players can partake in the board game option, which is fun because it is like a combination of a board game and an actual video game. Or players can opt to play only the mini-games if they do not feel like committing to a longer game. This game is famous for having friends screw each other over, which makes it a hilarious time.
Among Us (2018)
Among Us was a viral sensation that took over the internet a few years after its release. Since then, it has been a mainstay in the pop-culture discourse.
Among Us is a great game because it can be played on mobile, with everyone in the same room, or it can be played online with everyone on a chat. Understandably, some people do not enjoy the game since they are not great liars, but it is fun to get a read on one's friends and see who is telling the truth. While some people have unpopular opinions about the game, most fans enjoy the sneaky nature and brutal betrayal.
Mario Kart (1992-Present)
Mario Kart has been around since its first release in 1992. There have been 14 games released in this franchise across all platforms.
Mario Kart is perfect for any ultra-competitive friend group. Going head-to-head against one's friends in a Grand Prix or Ballon Battle will get the competitive juices flowing more than in other games. Plus, one can even play this game solo to practice, so they are superb when they go up against their friends. Some fans have some grudges when they replay Mario Kart, but it is overall a lot of fun.
Call Of Duty (2003-Present)
Call of Duty has had a chokehold on the first-person shooter genre since its inception in 2003. It is one of the best-selling franchises and has 21 official installments.
Other than the games' campaign mode, there are tons of multiplayer options players can tackle. Split-screen team death matches are always very intense, especially if it is one-on-one. If players want to turn up the intensity, they can take the game online and play against some of the game's best players. Later installments have a large variety of game modes, so players will never be bored as they can always try something new together.
Super Smash Bros (1999-Present)
Super Smash Bros is one of the best fighting games ever released. Since its initial release in 1999, there have been 6 total games for fans to enjoy.
One of the biggest draws to Super Smash Bros is that players get a chance to play as their favorite characters and battle a bunch of different faces from a variety of franchises. They can battle their friends or take their talents online to face strangers. In its newest game, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, 8 players can play at once, so a whole friend group can get in on the action.
Fortnite (2017)
Fortnite was released in 2017 and has kept its place in the cultural vocabulary since. There have been numerous updates to the game over the years.
Fortnite is famous for its Battle Royale mode, which is a lot of fun for friends to play together and to try and get a Victory Royale. But, there are so many more the game has to offer nowadays, so there are plenty of options if one is not so keen on a Battle Royale shooter. There are some RPG modes that one can play with their friends, including a Fortnite version of Among Us.
Fall Guys (2020)
Fall Guys was released in the summer of 2020 and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. The game's simple goal and colorful graphics drew the attention of lots of players.
There are no split-screen capabilities in Fall Guys, so friends can join the same lobby on different consoles and play together that way. There is even a mechanic where players can grab each other to mess them up, so one can screw over their friends if they wanted to. Although it could be aggravating at times because it is not the easiest game to win, the feeling when one beats their friend is incredible.
Wii Sports (2006)
Wii Sports is one of the most legendary games of all time. It came with the Wii console, so most people who had the Wii had a version of Wii Sports.
This game is very fun to go head-to-head in all the sports the game offers, like boxing or baseball. Players can even play with more than two players when they play golf or bowling. One of the best aspects of the game is if a player does not want to play a whole game, then some mini-games are multiplayer that help sharpens the players' skills.
Rocket League (2015)
Rocket League was released in 2015 and has been one of the most popular games since. It originally started as a game on PC, but later was made for consoles.
Rocket League is a lot of fun mainly for its unpredictability. It is very hard to control where the ball is going, so it is, even more, fun and hilarious when the players are not very good yet. Friends can either play split-screen or online together in teams of 2,3, or 4, making it a great game to involve the friend group.
Guitar Hero (2005-2015)
Guitar Hero was originally released in 2005. The franchise, as a whole, had a lot of ups and downs, as the main series ended after seven games in 2015.
Guitar Hero can be played with up to 4 friends as they added drums and a microphone to the game to combat Rock Band's popularity. There are game modes where the players can either work together or battle against each other to see who gets the higher score. Friends can rock out to all of their favorite classic rock songs together, as there are a few different difficulties, so players can move up the more they get the hang of it.