With a near-endless selection of online games and blockbuster titles vying for your time, how do you choose which ones to play? Start with a helpful guide like this, of course! We’ve scoured the app stores and digital marketplaces to create a comprehensive guide to the best online multiplayer games to play with friends. Some games are popular, while others are still up and coming. There’s even a few classics in the mix. Whether you’re looking for free to play games to kill some time or a new virtual life to lose yourself in for 100+ hours, there’s something for everyone on this list. So without further delay, here’s our comprehensive guide to the best online games for you and your friends.
Table of Contents
- 1. Destiny 2
- 2. Call of Duty: Warzone
- 3. Among Us
- 4. Sea of Thieves
- 5. NBA 2K24
- 6. Overcooked: All You Can Eat
- 7. Minecraft
- 8. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- 9. GTA Online
- 10. Path of Exile
- 11. Final Fantasy XIV Online
- 12. Rocket League
- 13. Drawize
- 14. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
- 15. Dead by Daylight
- 16. Words with Friends 2
- 17. Forza Horizon 5
- 18. Apex Legends
- 19. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- 20. Warframe
- 21. Phantom Abyss
- 22. Red Dead Online
- 23. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- 24. Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled
- 25. The Elder Scrolls Online
- 26. Monster Hunter World
- 27. Golf Battle
- 28. Fortnite
- 29. Divinity: Original Sin 2
- 30. Phasmophobia
- 31. Portal 2
- 32. Uno with Friends
- 33. League of Legends
- 34. Counter-Strike 2
- 35. Pokémon Go
- 36. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
- 37. Fallout 76
- 38. Risk of Rain 2
- 39. Diablo IV
- 40. Tetris 99
- 41. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
- 42. Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- 43. Payday 3
- 44. Decurse
- 45. Moving Out 2
- 46. Gears 5
- 47. Borderlands 3
- 48. World of Warcraft Classic
- 49. Deep Rock Galactic
- 50. Valheim
- General FAQs
1. Destiny 2
Team up for one of the best online multiplayer games ever made and explore the galaxy in the ever-expanding action RPG Destiny 2. Launching back in 2017, this looter shooter continues to evolve giving players enough reasons to keep playing or to jump back in after a break. Destiny 2 has even gone free to play, so new players can take to the story in three-player co-op, attempt raids as part of six-man squads and takedown randoms in PvP without spending a cent.
Genre: Action RPG
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1
Squad size: 1 – 6
Price: Free to play
2. Call of Duty: Warzone
One of the newest faces on the battle royale scene, Call of Duty: Warzone is a free-to-play online multiplayer game for up to 150 players who parachute in, armour up, loot for rewards, and fight to be part of the last squad standing. It’s the same Call of Duty action you know and love, scaled up with huge maps, vehicles, unique operators and multiple modes that change across seasons. Warzone supports crossplay, meaning you and your friends can squad up no matter how or where you play video games.
Genre: Battle Royale
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S XB1
Squad size: 1 – 4
Price: Free to play
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3. Among Us
This indie game launched a few years back although its popularity skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the social aspects and free-to-play nature of the mobile version. Among Us is a game of deduction, where you and a group of players crew a spaceship, but one player is a shapeshifting alien who disrupts your journey home by attempting to murder everyone on board. Once a body is reported, you vote on who’s the culprit. If successful, the killer is ejected into space. If not, the alien is free to carry out further crimes.
Genre: Social, deduction
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1, Switch, iOS, Android
Player count: 4 – 15
Price: Free to play (mobile), AUD$7.95 (Steam)
4. Sea of Thieves
A social game at its core, Sea of Thieves is one of the best games to play online. It’s all about teaming up with some scallywags, crewing a ship, seeking buried treasure, fighting skeletons and having a laugh. Your pirate crew can be noble or a bunch of total a-holes, depending on how often you raid and murder the other players online. Set sail, survive the Kraken, fire friends out of cannons, and sing a sea shanty or two. Fun times!
Genre: Social, survival
Platforms: PC, XBX/S, XB1
Squad size: 1 – 4
Price: AU$49.45 (Steam)
5. NBA 2K24
The best way to get that baller fix without getting off the couch is with a few pick-up games of NBA 2K24. While the less said about the its ‘Pay-to-Win’ NBA 2K24 Season Pass the better, the game still offers just the right kind of authentic basketball experience for those who enjoy going up against their friends, along with the kind of welcome incremental upgrades that always come with an annual franchise like this one.
Genre: Sports
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1, Switch
Team size: 1 – 8
Price: AUD$89.95 (Steam)
6. Overcooked: All You Can Eat
You and up to three of your friends work together to prepare a bunch of meals within a set time limit. It’s a simple concept that quickly gets out of hand when hazards like bottomless pits, swamps, fires, and moving countertops stand in between you and culinary perfection. Whatever the result, hilarity ensues.
Genre: Party
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1, Switch
Player count: 1 – 4
Price: AUD$56.95 (Steam)
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7. Minecraft
There’s a good reason why Minecraft is the second bestselling game of all time. It’s a digital block builder with unlimited potential. A good imagination is required to make the most of this pixelated gem, but there’s no set way to play. You and some friends can build, scavenge and hang out to your heart’s content. You can craft hideouts and defend them against monsters at night. Or, play creative mode and just build inspiring structures to share with other players and show off online.
Genre: Construction, survival
Platforms: PC, PS4, XB1, Switch, iOS, Android
Player count: 1 – 10
Price: AUD$19.75 (PlayStation)
8. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Sometimes you want to play alongside your friends while other times you want to destroy them. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate combines over 70 Fighters from Nintendo’s catalogue plus extras like Sonic the Hedgehog, Snake from Metal Gear and Ryu from Street Fighter. Hold a four-player free-for-all, or kick it up to eight-player battles across 100 plus stages. It’s fast; it’s over the top and overall, one of the best online games.
Genre: Fighting
Platform: Switch
Player count: 1 – 8
Price: AUD$89.95
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9. GTA Online
Despite GTA V launching almost a decade ago, the multiplayer portion of the game goes from strength to strength with a higher player count year on year. GTA Online is a shared social space where you can race, battle and compete against players online right across the Los Santos landscape all while building your criminal empire. Rockstar expands the online experience each year with new content including co-op heists, deathmatch arenas and Hot Wheels-like race tracks. There’s no shortage of things to do, and no better way to prepare for the Grand Theft Auto 6‘s imminent arrival.
Genre: MMO
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1
Player count: 1 – 30
Price: AUD$30.95
10. Path of Exile
Diablo III might be the go-to hack-and-slash dungeon crawler for RPG fans, but Path of Exile offers a comparable experience and is free-to-play. From New Zealand developer Grinding Gear Games, players of Path of Exile join forces and fight to survive the dark continent Wraeclast. Create a character, customise them from hundreds of available skills and keep looting for the best and rarest weapons and armour. Path of Exile was good at launch with the constant stream of free expansions making it better and offering more content with each update. A free-to-play sequel is also expected soon.
Genre: Action RPG
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1
Player count: 1 – 6
Price: Free to play
11. Final Fantasy XIV Online
The original Final Fantasy XIV was a huge failure. However, tonnes of new content and a relaunch have seen this Final Fantasy grow to become one of the best online games available today. Live and breathe Final Fantasy as you craft, hunt, socialise, ride Chocobos and become a warrior of light, helping save the realm from certain destruction.
Genre: MMO
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1
Party size: 1 – 8
Price: AUD$28.95 (Steam)
12. Rocket League
Easy to pick up, tough to master, Rocket League combines car racing and FIFA for what is basically a giant game of football played with a beach ball and exploding cars. It’s also one of the best online multiplayer games. In this free to play racer/baller, you customise a vehicle, form a team with friends or join some random players online, then boost, nudge and knock the ball towards the goal net. Simple right? Rocket League has proven so successful that it’s now played for competitive eSports and regularly receives new content, meaning there are always reasons to roll back onto the field.
Genre: Sports, racing
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1, Switch
Team size: 1 – 4
Price: Free to play
13. Drawize
Drawize is a free-to-play digital Pictionary alternative where you and your friends take turns choosing a word and attempting to draw it for the other players to guess. Hilarity ensues as most of us couldn’t draw if our lives depended on it, let alone under the pressures of a time limit and the impending ridicule of your mates. Available via web browser or app, the endless laughs are enough to make Drawize one of the best online games for mobile.
Genre: Social
Platforms: iOS, Android, web browser
Player count: 2 – 4
Price: Free to play
14. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
Inspired by balls-out Japanese game shows, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout takes 60 tumbly characters and sets them off down tough as nails obstacle courses, withering away numbers each round until one player is crowned champion. The game offers a healthy mix of slapstick comedy and competitive chaos with the seasonal events, new courses and costumes giving people plenty of reasons to keep playing.
Genre: Party
Platforms: PC, PS4, XB1, Switch
Player count: 60
Price: Free to play
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15. Dead by Daylight
Dead by Daylight is the ultimate game for fans of slasher films. It’s an asymmetrical multiplayer experience for five players, where four take on the roles of scared survivors looking to escape while the fifth player is the killer, who aims to brutally takedown as many players as possible. Dead by Daylight successfully captures the tension of horror films and features licensing from Silent Hill, Evil Dead, Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street, Stranger Things, Saw and Resident Evil to name drop a few.
Genre: Multiplayer, horror
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1
Player count: 5
Price: AUD$28.95 (Steam)
16. Words with Friends 2
Words with Friends 2 is the free-to-play Scrabble alternative that’s flaunted as the world’s most popular mobile word game. You’ll be unscrambling letters, improving your vocabulary and scoring bragging rights over friends and random players online. There’s also lightning rounds, goals and solo challenges to fill that time on your daily commute. Downloading this one to your phone is a no brainer.
Genre: Puzzle, social
Platforms: iOS, Android
Player count: 1 – 5
Price: Free to play
17. Forza Horizon 5
In Forza Horizon 5, race, drift and stunt your way through a stunning recreation of Mexico while testing over 450 of the world’s most iconic rides. Experience dynamic seasons of weather as you take on the scorching-hot deserts, lush jungles, historic cities, hidden ruins, pristine beaches, vast canyons, and more. Then, jump online with some friends or randoms to compete for online prestige. Forza Horizon 5 is an acclaimed racer that will keep you and some mates well entertained.
Genre: Racing
Platforms: PC, XBX/S, XB1
Player count: 1 – 6
Price: AUD$89.95 (Steam)
18. Apex Legends
Apex Legends combines the gameplay of acclaimed shooter Titanfall 2 with the juvenile humour of Fortnite for a unique battle royale that’s been going strong for years now. This free-to-play game can be enjoyed alone but rewards teamwork and playing with others is the best way to become the last squad standing. The humour isn’t for everyone but the gameplay is tight and the typical short length of matches makes it hard to grow tired of this experience.
Genre: Battle royale, shooter
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1, Switch
Squad size: 1- 3
Price: Free to play
19. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Jump into Animal Crossing: New Horizons and your virtual escape couldn’t be any more wholesome. You’re the newest resident of an island paradise brimming with possibility. Craft, collect, go fishing and build the ultimate cutesy community. Then, invite real-world friends over to see your island utopia or pack your bags and take a trip to theirs. Launching right at the start of the pandemic, Animal Crossing couldn’t be any more relevant, and it’s undoubtedly one of the best games to play online with friends.
Genre: social, sim
Platform: Switch
Players: 1 – 8
Price: AUD$79.95
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20. Warframe
Tens of millions of people play Warframe for two reasons: It’s free and loads of fun. It’s an online co-op shooter for up to four players. Set in a futuristic alien landscape, players take on the role of Tenno (basically space ninjas at war with alien races). Like Destiny, The Division, and several other online games, the core gameplay loop involves completing missions, upgrading weapons, armour and abilities and repeating in search of better loot. Warframe is free. There’s absolutely no reason not to give it a go.
Genre: Action, RPG
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1
Squad size: 1 – 4
Price: Free to play
21. Phantom Abyss
Phantom Abyss is an Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom simulator. You traverse hectic temples full of traps to retrieve relics and get further than your friends. It’s an asynchronous multiplayer game, so you and your friends or random players online all compete through the temples at the same time. You can use the other players as a guide or simply collect their whips and use them to your advantage. The procedurally generated temples are unique each run, so no two Phantom Abyss runs will ever be the same.
Genre: Action, rogue-like
Platform: PC
Player count: 1 – 20
Price: AUD$36.50 (Steam)
22. Red Dead Online
Following your 100 or so hours spent conquering the untamed wilderness in Red Dead Redemption 2, there’s plenty more to see and do in Red Dead Online. Death matches, horse races, hunting, trading, exploring and a light story keep you busy, and while Rockstar Games’ dev support has ended so it can focus resources on Grand Theft Auto 6, there’s still a massive world to discover here. It may feel odd that one of the best single-player experiences also makes a list of the best online multiplayer games but Red Dead succeeds at both.
Genre: MMO, western
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1
Squad size: 1 – 7
Price: AUD$29.95 (Steam)
23. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
As the king of family-friendly racers, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a must-own for Switch and a must-play for everyone who has ever considered themselves a gamer. This rowdy racer has thrived across two console generations and continues to dominate thanks to its accessible yet technical racing and beloved characters. So, pick up a Joy-Con and dominate the family in four-player split-screen or jump online and compete against the world’s best players for gaming glory. Just be mindful of the blue shell!
Genre: Racing
Platform: Switch
Player count: 1 – 12
Price: AUD$79.95
24. Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled
For everyone who doesn’t own a Nintendo console, there’s Crash Team Racing. Nitro-Fueled is a remake of the 1999 kart racer. It’s addictive, fast-paced racing for up to four competitive friends seeking bragging rights. Or, there’s always the option of racing against randoms online and placing in the leaderboards to take that bragging to the next level.
Genre: Racing
Platforms: PS4, XB1, Switch
Player count: 1- 4
Price: AUD$69.95
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25. The Elder Scrolls Online
If you love Skyrim, then you’ll adore the Elder Scrolls Online. It’s one of the best games to play online if you plan on leaving the real world behind. You and your mates choose a race, class and create a character from scratch before taking on epic quests and generally living your best fantasy life. Raid, pickpocket, fish, hunt, craft, and explore your way through hundreds of hours worth of content playing solo or with a squad of like-minded adventurers. Elder Scrolls Online has received major expansions each year, and updates for PS5 and Xbox Series X means this online game is looking better than ever.
Genre: MMORPG
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1
Player count: 1 – 12
Price: AUD$59.95 (Steam)
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26. Monster Hunter World
This popular franchise hit its peak with 2018’s Monster Hunter World. Teaming up with friends to take down larger-than-life monsters is a thrilling experience and the promise of bigger and better weapons and armour is what makes continuing worthwhile. Over 16 million players have taken to the living, breathing ecosystem of the New World, and the seasonal events and Iceborne expansion mean there’s never a shortage of things to see and do.
Genre: Action RPG
Platforms: PC, PS4, XB1
Squad size: 1 – 4
Price: AUD$44.95 (Steam)
27. Golf Battle
This free-to-play mobile game is easy to learn and allows you to challenge real players from across the globe in rounds of mini-golf. In Golf Battle, form a party up with five friends and engage in six-player mini golf set in real-time. It’s simple, yet addictive. This game has you covered whether you’re a casual player looking to kill some time or a mobile gaming die-hard chasing all the special club and ball unlocks!
Genre: Sports
Platforms: iOS, Android
Player count: 1 – 6
Price: Free to play
28. Fortnite
The global phenomenon that is Fortnite continues to thrive thanks to its constant stream of new content and pop-culture crossovers. This free-to-play battle royale offers a great deal of content and variety, whether you’re a gamer who craves victory or a virtual landscape for flossing with your mates. The inclusion of famous faces like Loki, Superman, Rick and Morty, and Lebron James keeps Fortnite in the headlines. Older audiences might prefer PUBG or Warzone, but younger crowds argue that Fortnite is one of the best online games to play with friends. Just limit their V-Bucks spending.
Platform: Battle Royale
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1, Switch, iOS, Android
Player count: 100
Price: Free to play
29. Divinity: Original Sin 2
Inspired by the classics like Baldur’s Gate, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a critically acclaimed, top-down, turn-based fantasy RPG that’s considered one of the best games to play with friends by anyone who’s into the genre. Yes, this is a challenging game, but it does offer you the freedom to play and explore in any way you choose. The entire game can be played solo or in co-op, so a mate can be the voice of reason, suggesting a stealthy approach to situations instead of just pickpocketing every character or setting them all on fire – NPCs included.
Genre: RPG
Platforms: PC, PS4, XB1, Switch
Player count: 1 – 2
Price: AUD$64.95 (Steam)
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30. Phasmophobia
With paranormal activity on the rise, it’s up to you and three friends to wield an array of equipment to investigate a haunting, and boy! It’s a creepy one. Setup cameras, use night vision and lose your shit as you experience whispers, moving objects and jump scares. Combining elements of Blair Witch, The Ring, and Paranormal Activity, there are few scarier experiences that you and your friends can face from in front of a PC.
Genre: Horror
Platform: PC
Player count: 1 – 4
Price: AUD$19.95 (Steam)
31. Portal 2
Portal 2 is the classic puzzler that blew everyone away for its humour, unique design, and compelling story. But it’s the innovative co-op mode and editing tools that see it endure and make the list of best online games to play with friends. So, team up with a friend to solve the specially designed two-player test chambers set across a separate co-op campaign. Then, carry on the mayhem across player-created test chambers and the free PC mods, which offer an endless stream of puzzling potential.
Genre: Puzzle
Platform: PC
Player count: 1 – 2
Price: AUD$14.50 (Steam)
32. Uno with Friends
Uno is that timeless game that appeals to everyone despite age, skill and now location! Uno with Friends is a free-to-play digital version of the classic card game. Join online games with random players or create private rooms for you and your friends and family. Arguably the only differences between digital Uno and the real thing are that no one can cheat in the online version or spill drinks on the cards.
Genre: Card, social
Platform: PC
Player count: 2 – 4
Price: Free to play
33. League of Legends
This team-based strategy game can be overwhelming at first. Although, experimenting with the 140+ champions and finding a lineup that works for you can be satisfying. The objective of League of Legends is to traverse a map eliminating monsters and ultimately destroying your opponents base. It may not sound like it has much depth, but when you combine the sheer quantity of so many characters with the risk vs reward gameplay, you’ll start to see why over 115 million people play each month and why League of Legends is all over e-sports tournaments.
Genre: Strategy
Platform: PC
Team size: 1 – 5
Price: Free to play
34. Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike 2 is the long-awaited continuation of the team-based multiplayer phenomenon. This sequel updates the classic formula with refined gameplay an delivers one of the most immersive online gaming experiences for you and a handful of your mates. Whether you’re forming a squad with said mates to pass a night in or in order to chase e-sports glory, Counter-Strike 2 has you covered.
Genre: Team shooter
Platform: PC
Team size: 2 – 5
Price: Free to play
35. Pokémon Go
The social phenomenon from a few years back continues thanks to a steady stream of new content that works to make Pokémon Go one of the best online games to play with friends. Catch wild Pokémon out in the community, train them, then battle friends or randoms to chase that dream of leaving your life behind and becoming a certified Pokémon trainer.
Genre: Social
Platforms: iOS, Android
Friends list: 1 – 400
Price: Free to play
36. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
PUBG or PlayrerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is arguably the original battle royale game. Now, you’ve heard this before: 100 players skydive onto an island and battle it out until one player or squad is left standing. So Fortnite, Warzone and Apex Legends all stole the formula from PUBG and twisted it in their unique ways. But PUBG still works. Not just because it’s the OG, but because it has tight gunplay, tense action, and less flossing. It’s a slightly more realistic approach to this popular competitive genre for you and some friends to squad up and take on the ever-expanding lineup of maps and modes.
Genre: Battle Royale
Platforms: PC, PS4, XB1
Squad size: 1 – 4
Price: Free to play
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37. Fallout 76
Over the past few years, Fallout 76 has transformed from a joke to become a solid RPG and a decent way to pass the time with some mates. Is Fallout 76 one of the best online games? That’s questionable. But is it enjoyable, and the gameplay is quintessentially Fallout. The addition of friends adds new layers to the formula, and fans of the franchise will find a lot to like within this post-apocalyptic Appalachia.
Genre: MMORPG
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1
Squad size: 1 – 4
Price: AUD$54.95 (Steam)
38. Risk of Rain 2
This cartoony co-op rogue-like title sees you and your friends team up to fight through chaotic alien hordes in an attempt to escape a hostile planet. Each playable character class offers unique ways to play, but at its core, Risk of Rain 2 is all about the action-packed gauntlets and larger-than-life bosses. If you’re looking for some gun-blazing action to fill a few hours and don’t mind a laugh or two, you can’t go wrong with this acclaimed shooter.
Genre: Rogue-like
Platforms: PC, PS4, XB1, Switch
Squad size: 1 – 4
Price: AUD$35.95 (Steam)
39. Diablo IV
After Diablo III dominated gaming schedules for over a decade, Diablo IV arrived earlier this year to take the baton and run with it. You probably know the story by now: choose a character class, slay hordes and hordes and hordes of demons, and keep grinding for that epic loot. And much like its predecessor, you can rest assured that the developers at Blizzard Entertainment will keep the fresh Diablo IV content coming for another decade to come.
Genre: Action RPG
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, Switch
Player count: 1 – 4
Price: AUD$109.95 (Steam)
40. Tetris 99
It’s hard to believe that falling block puzzles could work as a battle royale, but Tetris 99 successfully turns the classic game into modern competitive mayhem. Tetris 99 sees you and 98 other players all complete separate puzzles at the same time. Every time you clear two rows, a random player is hit with garbage blocks, limiting their possible moves. It keeps going like this until one player remains. You can play Tetris 99 free with an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
Genre: Battle Royale, puzzle
Platform: Switch
Player count: 99
Price: Free to play
41. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
For a while now, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege has been considered one of the best online multiplayer games thanks to its rewarding tactical gameplay and continually expanding roster of operators and maps. The simple objectives become tense standoffs as players tear through walls, drop drones and work together in tight formation. There’s a steep learning curve to this one, so make sure your squad stays in communication throughout each round.
Genre: Tactical shooter
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XB1
Squad size: 5
Price: AUD$29.95 (Steam)
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42. Halo: The Master Chief Collection
The only thing better than playing Halo with friends is playing ALL the Halos with friends. The Master Chief Collection features six Halo games—each built for co-op play—collected in a neat little package and enhanced with 4K and HDR where available. There’s also a dedicated multiplayer component for those looking for a more competitive experience. The Master Chief Collection, along with Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 5 are all part of Xbox Game Pass, making that subscription service a great way to start exploring this list.
Genre: First-person shooter
Platforms: PC, XBX/S, XB1
Squad size: Varies between modes/games
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43. Payday 3
The latest instalment in this long-running heist franchise takes some of the best elements from Michael Mann’s Heat and combines them with a dash of the intro to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (the bit without Batman) to create one of the most white-knuckle online co-op experiences currently available. Fantastic combat and levelled-up AI ensure Payday 3 is a big step forward from its predecessor, while consistent updates mean you and your mates will be able to continue planning and executing heists for a long time to come.
Genre: First-person shooter
Platforms: PC, PS5, XBX/S
Squad size: 2-4
Price: AUD$59.95 (Steam)
44. Decurse
Not everyone is into racing, shooting, and looting. That’s where Decurse comes in. Decurse is a cutesy farming sim where you build a magical kingdom at the bottom of the ocean. You grow, build, trade, and sell on your quest to remove a curse and successfully kill time between real-life activities – like with all good mobile games. Connect with your friends online to compete in races, land on leaderboards and trade to beat that free-to-play grind.
Genre: Farming, sim
Platforms: iOS, Android
Player count: 1+
Price: Free to play
45. Moving Out 2
Getting roped into moving furniture is a sure-fire way to ruin a weekend, yet this indie game turns the world’s worst job into the ideal way to spend a few hours indoors. Racing against the clock, you and the other players work together to gather up boxes, white goods, awkward-shaped furniture and more, then load it in the removal truck with bronze, silver and gold medals awarded for performance. Anyone familiar with Overcooked will feel right at home here. Moving Out 2 is ideal for keeping entire families entertained during the wet weather or a lazy weekend.
Genre: Party
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, XB X/S, XB1, Switch
Player count: 1 – 4
Price: AUD$44.95
46. Gears 5
Touching on a franchise we’re long overdue a new instalment for, Gears of War has always championed co-op play and features stacks of varied multiplayer modes. The latest entry in the series, Gears 5, is no exception. First, the story campaign features hours of three-player action online or via split-screen, making it one of the best online games on the market. Afterwards, check out Escape: A new, aggressive, high-stakes mode featuring a three-player suicide squad working together to take out enemy hives from within. Then Horde and Versus modes keep you playing with more teamwork or competitive play. Gears 5 is a huge package that will keep you busy for the foreseeable future.
Genre: Team shooter
Platforms: PC, XBX/S, XB1
Squad size: 1 – 3
Price: AUD$49.95 (Steam)
47. Borderlands 3
Borderlands 3 is a co-op game that features cel-shaded first-person shooter action where you take on insane enemies, score loads of loot and save your home from the most ruthless cult leaders in the galaxy. Players tear through hostile deserts, battle across war-torn cityscapes, navigate deadly bayous, and more. The lengthy campaign and unique characters will keep everyone occupied for dozens of hours.
Genre: First-person shooter
Platforms: PC, PS4, XB1
Squad size: 1 – 4
Price: AUD$89.95 (Steam)
48. World of Warcraft Classic
Jumping back to the early days of this online sensation, World of Warcraft Classic allows players to return to the popular game in its original state. Meaning familiar, fun gameplay without hefty updates and unwanted changes. This option had been requested for a long time, and players finally got their wish in late 2019. So if you played WOW back in 2006 or always thought about giving it a go, World of Warcraft Classic is the best place to start.
Genre: MMORPG
Platforms: PC
Party size: 1 – 5
Play: Free to play
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49. Deep Rock Galactic
Part Minecraft, part Borderlands, complete original, Deep Rock Galactic is a co-op shooter for up to four players. You take on the roles of badass space dwarves who blast through procedurally generated caves taking on endless hordes of alien monsters. Every landscape is fully destructible, making each playthrough unique, and the class-based dwarves cater to everyone’s playstyles.
Genre: First-person shooter
Platforms: PC, XBX/S, XB1
Player count: 1 – 4
Price: AUD$44.95 (Steam)
50. Valheim
Valheim is a brutal survival game and one of the best games to play online. Set in Viking purgatory (aka a beautiful, procedurally generated world), up to 10 players battle, build, and conquer together to please Odin and bring order to the afterlife. The community is still growing and there’s currently no shortage of players, as well as plenty of benefits, so pick up your axe and get to work.
Genre: Survival
Platform: PC
Player count: 1 – 10
Price: AUD$28.95
General FAQs
While most of the titles on our list of ‘50 best online games to play with friends’ are available across multiple platforms, PC offers more of the titles on this list than any other platform. In fact, PC offers a staggering 40 out of the 50 games we’ve added to our list.
While it has fewer overall games than many other consoles/platforms, the Nintendo Switch has the highest number of exclusive titles, meaning you won’t find them anywhere else. These include outstanding games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
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