The internet has made it easier than ever to keep in contact with friends who live further away. Whether in a different state or an entirely different country, you can always meet up online for a chat. Game developers have cottoned on to the fact that people are increasingly choosing the internet as a place to socialize, and this has resulted in a number of online games which give people a chance to play directly with or against their friends.
More people own computers and smartphones than dedicated gaming consoles, so having online games are easier for them to access. Many are also free, so there’s no need to get everyone to shell out for a copy of an expensive game. Here are some of the best games to play with friends online.
Fantasy Football
DraftKings fantasy football platform offers a great way to show off your sporting knowledge and compete against your friends to see who can pick the best team. There are various ways to play, but all of them follow similar principles. Join a league, draft your players, pick your starting team, and check in every week to see how they’re doing. The software you use will calculate your team’s performance based on the performance of your player’s real-life counterparts, so keep an eye on how the teams are doing and make sure you’re swapping out injured and underperforming players.
- You can enter a public league or create a private league just for you and your friends.
- Some leagues let you play for free, but if you want a chance to win some money at the end of it, you’ll have to pay to join. Entry starts from a few dollars, but the more you pay, the bigger the prizes.
- You can change your players around at any time, including adding new free agents to your roster, giving you the freedom to maximise your team’s potential.
Among Us
This 2018 game gained a huge number of players last year. Demand was so high that the developers released a version for PC in order to reach more people.
Among Us has a simple concept – players have to complete a number of tasks in order to win the game, but one player is secretly an imposter, who must sabotage and kill all whilst remaining undetected. The rest of the team get the chance to vote on who they think the Timposter is and expose them before it’s too late. Among Us is a great little detective game that lets you play with groups of friends, and each playthrough is different from the last.
- Play on multiple platforms including pc and smartphone for maximum flexibility.
- Among Us is highly rated for replayability. Being the imposter is a completely different experience to being crew, and with three different maps and dozens of different tasks, each game is unique.
- Unlike AAA rated games from big software developers, Among Us only costs a few dollars to purchase, giving you hours of fun for less than a cup of coffee.
Scrabble Go
This is a free, online version of the classic word-spelling tile game where you compete against friends to finish with the highest score. It can be played online or downloaded as an app onto your mobile or tablet. Connect with friends to challenge them directly, either in a head-to-head or as part of a group game.
- Pretty much everyone knows how to play Scrabble, so you and your friends won’t have to spend a frustrating few games getting to grips with the rules and mechanics.
- In-built tools let you check the validity of words before playing them, so you can actually improve your vocabulary as you play.
- Games are turn-based and can be completed in your own time – you and your friends don’t have to be online at the same time in order to play.
Virtual Reality – the Future of Online Gaming?
Virtual Reality gaming used to be just a feature of science fiction, but recent developments in technology have led to it is not only more prevalent but also affordable. Players can wear a custom headset, or use their smartphones fitted into special goggles, to access computer-generated worlds. Virtual reality is used for education and training – for example, racing drivers will practice on a simulated track, and surgeons can perform VR operations to practice techniques – and is now becoming more popular for games.
In the future, VR technology will allow you and your friends to meet up in a virtual space where you can see each other and move around as if you were all really there. The scope for online games will widen, as players could use VR headsets and gloves to play sports like tennis or golf with friends. The technology is already here and many of us will see its wider application during our lifetime.
For now, though, friends will have to make do with connecting over the internet through video games. There is a wide selection of games on offer, with different titles to suit all tastes and abilities. Whether you and your friends fancy plunging into battle, pitting your wits against each other, or solving problems together, there is something out there for you.
