The most popular online games are full of shooters, but social games offer much more. We’ve compiled a list of ten examples of games you can play with friends, even if you’re not interested in shooting.
During the interest rate pandemic, many people are looking for ways to spend time with their friends, and games are a great way to do that. However, the biggest and most popular games tend to be competitive online games, from Fortnite to Call of Duty.
If you’re looking for a different kind of gaming experience with friends, check out the games below. All the games on the list offer a variety of social gaming experiences for two or more players over the network, and while some of them involve a bit of shooting, that’s certainly not the main point of the games. If you want more specific details, find more here.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
The absolute surprise hit of recent times, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is as far from a shooter as you can get. Nintendo’s social simulation game takes you to your own island, where you can complete missions, build things and talk to animal characters. Best of all, the game supports online multiplayer for up to eight players, so you can do all this with friends.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is only available for Nintendo Switch.
Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled
Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled is a true classic of classics! If you haven’t tried the game yet, you’ll need to do so soon.
Karting games are a great option for guys who want to race but don’t like realistic racing games. Last year’s Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled is the latest example, but Team Sonic Racing and, of course, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo offer broadly similar racing with imaginative tracks and weaponry.
The plus point of Crash Team Racing, in addition to the wealth of content, is that there’s always an event going on, where you can earn points and unlock new content by playing.
Overcooked 2
Overcooked 2 offers intense cooperative gameplay for teams of up to four friends, and it’s certainly not a casual chain simulator. In Overcooked, you’ll be sweating it out in one strange restaurant after another, and teamwork is essential if you want to get your orders filled. To top it off, there’s a competitive online game where you can take your team to compete with other players to win.
Overcooked 2 is available for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
Portal 2
For more multiplayer, Valve’s classic puzzle game Portal 2 is sadly not available on current consoles. What makes Portal 2 particularly fun is that it features an entirely separate multiplayer campaign, with puzzles designed specifically for two players. A two-player puzzle game of equal quality will be sought in vain.
Portal 2 is available to play on PC, as well as on the male-generation consoles Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
A Way Out
Right from the start, it has to be said that A Way Out does have a bit of a splash at the end of the game. Even so, you would think it would appeal more to those interested in cooperative play and a narrative experience. Indeed, A Way Out is a fascinating tale of two prisoners in a joint prison escape, and can only be played as a two-player cooperative game. Both players do not have to pay for the game, however, as one of them can download a free trial version.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes puts players’ heads together as they work together to figure out how to disarm the explosive device at hand. The catch is that only one player can see the bomb and the others have to scroll through the instructions to figure out how to disarm the explosive. If you want to take the immersion a step further, the player responsible for dismantling the bomb can use VR glasses.
This one is especially suitable for gamers who enjoy solving problems in a group. It’s a fun game to play with a group of friends, but for a quiet Sunday night game, a bomb blast is not the best option.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the perfect game to play from the same couch. It offers a new player a chance, especially with items, but allows for an extremely challenging experience for those who want one.
Crowned with a huge roster of characters, the game also has a relatively refreshing level of racing action around it. Casual play is thus a good workout for throwing all your opponents to perdition at the Nakkila High School students.
Although the threshold for starting the game is seemingly low, one brilliant player can dominate matches. This is why, among players of roughly the same level, Ultimate is at its best.