The Top 15 Online Games to Play with Friends

Last updated: 1/8/2024
5 minutes read

There was a time when playing with friends meant being in the same room, managing travel time and all the complications such an approach would imply. In the internet age, we can sidestep this issue, with thousands of online games to play with friends available right at our fingertips.

From the new and cutting-edge to some classics that stood the test of time, it’s been difficult to narrow down a list of fun games to play with your friends online, but we’re confident we’ve covered something here for everyone in our list below.

15 Online Games to Play with Friends

Mario Kart 8: Deluxe

Mario is a man with many careers of questionable legitimacy, and for our money, kart racing might be one of his best. This Switch contains a huge number of tracks and is welcoming enough that even the most amateur of players stand a shot. Online games to play with friends are never as funny as when that blue shell comes sailing by.

Diablo 4

The Lord of Terror returns in one of the best online games to play with friends in the ARPG genre. Build your hero and kit, take down legions of monsters, and play with cross-platform support in this rare return to form from Blizzard.

Rocket League

Rocket League mixes cars and soccer in what is easily one of the greatest games to play with friends online for free. Play on the same team or against your buddies as you punt the ball into the net, blame each other, and try not to imagine the G's felt by the drivers.

Doom (1,2, Final Doom)

The three classic Doom games offer fantastic net support with modern source ports and are still great online games to play with friends. Make your way through the levels of hell as you save Earth in one of gaming's most important series.

Minecraft

The most popular game in the world can't be ignored from this list, in all its Lego-like glory. Build together, take down the Ender Dragon, and accidentally set traps for your friends to fall into while feigning the utmost of concern.

Dota 2

Dota 2 is one of the most popular games in the world for good reason. Jump into this one as one of the best free online games to play with your friends as you attack, defend, buff, debuff, and take to the forests. A deep game, but one worth checking out for sure.

Deep Rock Galactic

This four-play cooperative game has you and your friends digging into the guts of an asteroid for treasure, gems, and upgrades. Equally thrilling and relaxing, DRG’s community and gameplay make it a continual smash hit.

Among Us

Some online games to play with friends are about honest teamwork, and then there's Among Us. Work to complete tasks and avoid the hidden alien menace as you test your ability to deceive and discern.

Apex Legends

Another free-to-play title, this time in the battlegrounds genre, this first-person shooter is set in the Titanfall universe. Apex Legends provides ability-based gameplay and fantastic traversal options as you strive to be the last team standing.

Street Fighter 6

The latest entry in the fighting game's most famous series is a welcoming one, placing it as one of the best online games to play with friends. SF6 lets you get back to your fireball-throwing roots, as you reignite old rivalries.

Ghost of Tsushima

One of the slightly more realistic games on this list in single-player, the multiplayer mode of Ghost of Tsushima, has you reenact famous stories from the game's world. Work together in stealth and combat to take down your enemies in real tests of skill.

Valheim

Valheim takes place in the fictional afterlife of the Vikings, as you and your friends build, explore, protect, and expand your power. Valheim is one of those games you can find yourself getting lost in for hours while looking back with satisfaction at what you've accomplished.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3 has been developed as a single-player title, but it also features robust multiplayer support for those who prefer online games to play with friends. If you're after a deep story in D&D, this might be the best in the business.

Halo Infinite

The early days of Halo 2 on Xbox Live were some of the best gaming experiences many of us have had, and Halo Infinite recaptures that feeling. Fantastic game modes and low requirements make this a perfect fit on Xbox or PC, and it's only improving with more content.

GTA Online

Rounding out our list of great online games to play with friends is GTA Online. Taking place in the world of GTA 5, the online mode has you hang out with your friends, enjoy the carnage of large servers, and imagine what the upcoming GTA6’s online modes might offer.

15 Games to play with friends on your phone

What Online Game Genres Can Be Fun to Play with Friends?

Playing with friends you have to think in terms of teams. The best online games to play with a friend are those that suit the tastes and needs of your friend group. From AAA games played in real-time to Flash games taken in turns over Parsec, the most fun online games to play with friends are best decided by you. Keep in mind you might need to compromise if you want to find a game to suit a broad range of tastes.

Challenge Your Friends to a Game

Whether you’re a new gamer learning the completionist meaning first-hand, or a veteran looking to explore something different, the list of games to play online with friends is vast and varied. The online space lets us share good times, relax, and hang out in a way that fits with our busy modern lives.

We hope you’ve found at least a few online games to play with friends on this list, and if not, we’re sure there’s something out there that provides exactly what you need. We might not have any easy solutions to stop Dave from going AFK whenever his cat walks by, but for fun online in every genre imaginable, luckily for us - the 2020s leave us with a ton of choices!