Multiplayer Games Online: Play With Friends or Real Players
Updated
Multiplayer games online put you in the same match as other people. Some pair you with whoever is playing at that moment, some let you open a private room and invite friends, and many also let two people play on one device. Below is how to tell which kind a game is, with games from the multiplayer games category.
Three ways to play with other people
| How you play | What happens | Games to try |
|---|---|---|
| Public match | The game puts you with whoever is online | tankroyale.io, Spinner.io, Holdem Royale |
| Private room | You create a room or a code and your friends join it | Ludo Online, gatdamn.io, Dart Duell: Timing Champion |
| Same device | Two people share one keyboard or one screen | Toy Soccer Cup, Table Tug Online, 5 MiniBattles |
Many games offer more than one. Ludo Online has a bot mode, an online mode with randomly matched people and a private mode with a shared code. Toy Soccer Cup has a 2 Players mode on the same device and an Online Multiplayer mode against another player in real time.
How to tell if a game is online
Read the game's description before you start. These words tell you what kind of multiplayer it has:
- "Real players", "players from around the world", "online opponents": matches against people on the internet. Tank War Multiplayer says you fight players from all over the world.
- "Room", "server", "private code": you can pick or create a match. Multiplayer Tanks asks you to create or join a server first.
- "Same device", "2 players", "Player 1 and Player 2": both people play on one computer, phone or tablet.
- "Bots", "house players", "AI": some opponents are run by the game. Deathmatch Combat io has an option to add bots to the room, and Holdem Royale tops up quiet tables with house players.
A line that only says "multiplayer mode" does not tell you which kind it is. Several board games below list a multiplayer mode next to a game against the computer and a friend on the same device, so open the menu and check.
Multiplayer games online with friends
A private room is the way to play with people you know.
- Ludo Online has three modes: Vs Bot against the computer, Online with randomly matched people, and Private, where you share a private code and connect with friends. Click to roll the dice and move your tokens to the center of the board. The rules are in how to play Ludo.
- gatdamn.io puts you on a public server by default. To play with friends, check the play with friends box, make a room with a unique name and ask your friends to join it. Pick a loadout (assault, shotguns or machine), aim with the mouse, and take the gun of any player who falls.
- Dart Duell: Timing Champion plays the classic X01 darts game. Play the computer, train your accuracy or challenge a friend in an online room. Click once to lock your aim and again to stop the power meter and throw.
- PixelForces.io lets you create a room or enter one someone else made, with five modes: RPG, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Explore and Battle Royale.
- Drawaria.online is draw and guess: players take turns drawing a secret word while the others guess it before time runs out. A correct guess scores a point, and the fastest one earns a bonus.
- Sploop.io mixes village building, crafting and player-versus-player fights. Collect resources, build a fortress and make a team with friends against other players and the animals on the map.
Games against real players
These games match you with whoever is online at the time.
- Holdem Royale is Texas Hold'em with real players, live. Everyone at a table buys in for the same amount, so all start even. Tables run from 200 to 2,500 chips, and High Stakes tables from 5,000 to 40,000 once your stack is big enough. Solo tables against five house players use practice chips that never touch your balance.
- tankroyale.io is a top-down battle royale in a small arena: be the last tank left, collect medals and gold, and climb the leaderboard to win the current season.
- Tank War Multiplayer is a 3D capture the flag match: steal the other side's flag, bring it to your base and knock out enemy tanks on the way.
- Rollem.io races hamsters against people around the world. After each race you see your worldwide position, a record time on any level puts your name on the board in the spawn area, and a level editor lets you build tracks that others then race.
- Mageclash.io is a fantasy arena: fight monsters and other players to become the strongest hero on the server, pick from more than 100 spells across six magic types, and team up to take down bosses.
- Spinner.io and Fidget spinner multiplayers are push-out games: knock the other spinners off the platform and stay on until the end. The second one puts you against four online opponents.
NEW
Arena games where you grow by eating whatever is smaller are in games like Agar.io, and the io games category collects that style.
Board and card games against a person
- Master Chess Multiplayer, Backgammon Multiplayer, Domino Multiplayer, Reversi Multiplayer and Rummy Multiplayer share the same three modes: a multiplayer mode, a game against the computer and a friend on the same device. How to play chess covers the rules of the first one.
- Dominoes Battle: Domino Online lets you set up matches with friends and family, play the robots, or challenge players from anywhere in the world in its online mode.
- Poker (Heads Up) is one-on-one poker, and its description mentions playing an online opponent.
- Castle Wars: Legacy is a card game: build a deck, defend your castle and break through the other player's walls. Battle friends online, enter daily tournaments, or fight the AI in quick matches.
Two players on one device
When the other player sits next to you, a same-device mode is the simplest choice: no room and no code.
- Toy Soccer Cup is tabletop soccer. Drag back from a player and release to flick the ball, and the longer the drag, the harder the shot. Score three goals or lead when the clock runs out.
- Table Tug Online is a tug of war across a table, with Space or a tap to tug. It has a local two-player mode and online play against players from around the world.
- 5 MiniBattles has five mini games, from catching chickens to scoring goals, against the computer or a friend: player 1 on W A S D, player 2 on the arrow keys.
How two people share one keyboard, with more games for it, is in 2 player games on one keyboard.
Multiplayer games FAQ
How do I play an online game with a friend?
Pick a game with a private room or a code. In Ludo Online you choose Private and share the code; in gatdamn.io you check the play with friends box and both join a room with the same unique name.
Are all my opponents real people?
Not always. Holdem Royale fills quiet tables with house players, Deathmatch Combat io can add bots to a room, and Ludo Online has a separate Vs Bot mode. The description usually says when a game mixes in computer players.
Can I play multiplayer games on a phone?
Many work with touch. tankroyale.io moves with tap and drag, Holdem Royale lets you tap Raise to choose an amount, Toy Soccer Cup flicks with your finger and Table Tug Online tugs with a tap. The site works in the browser of a phone, a tablet and a computer.
Do I need to download anything or make an account?
No. You play free, right in the browser, with no install and no registration.
The multiplayer games category has many more matches waiting for a second player.
