Once in a while, even the most solitary gamers find themselves poking their heads out into the great wide world of multiplayer gaming. Humans are social creatures, and PC gaming enthusiasts are certainly no exception.
It’s gotten to the point where multiplayer games that might have previously been console exclusives are launching on PC as well. That’s great news for us! It means there are so many fantastic options, it’s almost hard to make a list of the best multiplayer games for PC.
I’ve done my best, and the following list is a showcase of the best of multiplayer PC gaming, with a good mix of older and more recent games. You’re sure to find a new favorite!
Before you dive into a new game, make sure you’re protected with ExpressVPN It has server locations in 105 countries, so you’ll always get a fast and stable connection to your game server. Powerful encryption helps you get around game blocks at work or school, so you can play your favorite games from anywhere.
Get ExpressVPN
10 best multiplayer games for PC
10. Hunt: Showdown: An incredible extraction shooter
As someone who prefers an arena-style shooter or battlefield to the likes of battle royale or extraction games, Hunt: Showdown is one of the few extraction shooters that I find tempting. Like most games in the genre, it sees you going into parts unknown, collecting loot and gear, and fighting NPCs and other players alike, all with one goal: survive long enough to get out with your stuff.
Hunt: Showdown is a fantastic example of the genre, pitting you against your foes in a fantastical and horror-themed world, where supernatural threats are around every corner.
Best feature: Tense gameplay in a gorgeous world.
9. Counter Strike 2: Tactical shooting perfected
Counter Strike 2 is the most recent release in the Counter Strike franchise. Your job? That depends. If you spawn on the Terrorists team, you need to plant a bomb and defend it until it goes off, or eliminate the enemy team. If you spawn on the side of the counter-terrorists, you need to eliminate the enemy team and, if necessary, defuse the bomb.
Playing well earns you in-game money that you can spend between rounds for better armor, weapons, and grenades. After 12 rounds, you switch sides and do it all over again.
Best feature: Literal decades of carefully refined gameplay.
8. Fall Guys: Endless silly obstacle course fun
Fall Guys is a simple game with a simple premise. Make it to the end of the obstacle course before everyone else does. If you can, sabotage the other players along the way by pushing or grabbing them. This colorful and family-friendly game of mayhem definitely carries the spirit of games like Mario Party, but with a special emphasis on obstacle courses.
If beating your friends at the game isn’t enough for you, you can make your own maps and courses. Be warned that this may or may not be good for your friendships.
Best feature: Watching your friends lose in ridiculous ways.
7. Rocket League: Football (soccer) with rocket cars
Rocket League puts you behind the wheel of your very own rocket powered car. Your goal is… well, THE goal. That’s right, you’re playing football with a really big ball. You have only your wits, your determination, and a futuristic supercar to make it happen.
It’d be so easy if it weren’t for all the other players with their own supercars. I’m not into sports games, and even I say you should try it once.
Best feature: Rocket. Cars. Need I say more?
6. Portal 2: One of the greatest sequels ever
Portal 2 only barely makes this list by virtue of its two-player co-op mode, but that’s all the excuse I need. Portal 2 is, much like its predecessor, a masterpiece of both storytelling and level design. Grab a friend, grab your portal guns, and get ready to solve physics-based puzzles by putting portals all over the place. This is truly one of gaming’s finest experiences, so try it if you haven’t already.
Best feature: GLaDOS. Play both Portal games. You’ll see what I mean.
5. Warframe: The Space Ninja simulator
Parkour your way through procedurally generated maps—and some static open world areas—in space, and across every planet in the solar system, to collect loot to craft weapons, gear, and the eponymous Warframes. This is the MMO-lite that everyone should try at least once, because no other game will ever make you feel this much like a space ninja.
Get far enough into the game, and you’ll begin to see an amazing story that ties everything together, and tugs at the heartstrings besides.
Best feature: Incredible variety in play styles and customization.
4. Valheim: Challenging survival and fantasy combat
Valheim puts you in a world inspired by Norse mythology. As a Viking, it’s your job to collect what you need from the world, build bases, craft your gear, and survive long enough to take on challenging world bosses for the glory of the gods.
Featuring an incredibly flexible building system, great team play, stunning art direction, and more, Valheim is legitimately one of the best survival-crafting games out there. And, of course, it’s super fun with friends.
Best feature: The atmosphere and the building system.
3. Deep Rock Galactic: The Space Dwarf simulator
Quaff your ale, grab your drill and your gun—it’s mining time! Oh, the guns? Those are for the space bugs on the planets you go to. As a Space Dwarf in the employ of the Deep Rock Galactic mining company, it’s your job to drill down, get the loot, and get out alive. Dying costs the company money, after all.
Deep Rock Galactic is, on top of being super fun, one of the most generous live service games in the world. Grab a copy, grab some friends, and thank me later.
Best feature: The moment to moment gameplay in the mines.
2. Final Fantasy XIV – Peak MMO action
Every day that I get to rave about the awesomeness of Final Fantasy XIV is a good day. It’s a classic MMO with grinding, quests, loot, and raids, to be sure. But it’s also a full on mainline entry in the Final Fantasy series, and that means there’s a huge emphasis on the story as well.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll wish the devs would have let you fight that one guy 70 hours ago to save yourself a lot of pain and a few character deaths. I love it.
Best feature: The incredible hundreds-of-hours-long story.
1. Baldur’s Gate 3: Probably the ultimate RPG ‘til now
Based on the lore and rules of Dungeons & Dragons, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a standalone turn-based RPG, with a heavy emphasis on the roleplaying part of the acronym. Want to make a strength-based bard that hits people with their lute? You can, though the lute might not last long.
This game is Larian Studios’ masterpiece, with incredible writing, compelling characters, and endless choices. It’s as close as you get to real D&D on the PC.
Best feature: Play almost any kind of character you can imagine.
Why ExpressVPN is the best VPN for PC gaming
ExpressVPN makes a fantastic gaming VPN for PC. First and foremost, there’s the sheer speed, with VPN servers tuned to handle impressive amounts of data without introducing lag to gameplay. The network includes VPN servers in 105 countries, so you can always get a fast connection to any game server.
In some cases, that means you’ll actually reduce your ping. Connecting to a VPN server near the game server you want to play on can actually help you bypass a lot of network issues, like bad signal routing and congested networks. You also get unlimited bandwidth, so you never have to put up with VPN data caps.
Next up, there’s the top-notch security. ExpressVPN masks your IP address, which can help boost your online anonymity and help prevent DDoS attacks on your home network. ExpressVPN also encrypts all the data that travels between your PC and the VPN server of your choice. That encryption helps you get around activity-based ISP throttling and gaming blocks at work or school.
Try it risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Get ExpressVPN
The bottom line
Even after listing all my favorite multiplayer games for PC, I can’t call the list above “complete” or “comprehensive.” There are so many great PC games out there, both old and new, and most of them are discoverable on Steam under the “multiplayer” tag. Still more are out there in Github repositories, other storefronts, and nearly-forgotten websites. Still functional, still fun.
I hope the list above has at least given you a few ideas of where to start your online PC gaming adventures, or where to find them next. With a little research and ExpressVPN at your side, you’re bound to have hours upon hours of fun.
Happy gaming!
Get ExpressVPN
FAQ: About best multiplayer games for PC
What is the best 1v1 game for PC?
That sort of depends. Fighting games are perhaps the most perfect expression of the phrase, “1v1 me bro!” You might want to go with Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Mortal Kombat 1, or another option in that category. For shooters, go with Friends vs. Friends. It has a great 1v1 mode and a card system with random buffs/debuffs as the game goes on.
Are there two-player games on PC?
Of course. PC being one of the oldest video game platforms, there are maybe too many. It Takes Two is a fine example, along with Portal 2, Overcooked 2 (in couch co-op mode), A Way Out, Chained Together, and many, many more. Of course, if you’re willing to play with more than one other person, then your options are multiplied exponentially.
What is the best free PC game?
You’re frankly spoiled for choice. I will always champion Warframe as one of the best, if you love being a space ninja. However, battle royale fans also have Fortnite and Apex Legends , classic shooter fans have XDefiant, and people who like tanks and planes have War Thunder. MOBA players love League of Legends, DOTA 2, Smite, and more.
What is the best PC game for beginners?
You could check out the Portal games, Stardew Valley, The Sims, Life is Strange, Minecraft, Rayman Legends, or Cities: Skylines… depending on what kind of game tickles your fancy.
What is the oldest game for PC?
That’s a difficult question to answer. For starters, what are you counting as a PC? Spacewar! is considered to be the first “computer game” as we know them, but it was running on an MIT-owned computer the size of a large car. Hardly a “personal computer.” Microchess seems to be one of the earliest games sold for home PCs, but it has competition.
