Dec 26, 2019 Best Desktops for 2020. Our editors hand-picked these products based on our tests and reviews. If you use our links to buy, we may get a commission. Best Free PC Games for 2020. Best Free PC Games. Quick Links: Call of Duty: Warzone – Fortnite – Apex Legends – Path of Exile – CS:GO – War Thunder – Black Squad. Call of Duty: Warzone. Apex Legends. Path of Exile.
Sometimes it’s not the game that shines, but the players. Intricate gameplay and glistening visuals only go so far in making a standout multiplayer title; its humans that can provide surprises and schemes that transform the average first-person shooter or puzzler into a gladiatorial showdown or co-op crusade. That’s the secret to the best multiplayer games on PC.
Fast and frantic or tense and calculated, the best PvP games come in all shapes and sizes. But they’re all connected by the simple pleasure of interacting with other humans. Whether it’s a healer and a DPS attempting to solve a finicky flanking manoeuvre in Overwatch, or a tense head-to-head battle tackling terrorists in Rainbow Six Siege, these games wouldn’t be the same without a bunch of people running around killing, maiming, or, occasionally helping each other.
So banish those bots, break out your friends list, put on your most sociable face, and prepare to embrace the best multiplayer games on PC.
The best PC multiplayer games are:
War Thunder
War Thunder is a free-to-play multiplayer game all about military vehicles knocking seven bells out of one another, whether that’s in aerial dog fights, sprawling tank battles, or naval skirmishes. That pitch might sound familiar, but no free MMO has achieved what War Thunder has in terms of quality, balancing, and the sheer scope of vehicles waiting to be unlocked. While the multiplayer game started out with a humble suite of aircraft and ground vehicles you’ll recognise from WW2 games, it’s myriad tech trees now encompass the military histories – past and present – of several nations, from global superpowers to smaller nations famed for punching above their weight.
What separates this war game from its competitors are its incredibly detailed ballistics modelling and simulation game modes. A 1v1 between two tanks can be affected by countless factors, as armour thickness, armour angle, material, shell size and type, and distance from target can be the difference between a shot ricocheting and dealing no damage, or piercing and wiping out the entire enemy crew. The more you play the more you learn to spot different types of vehicles so you can exploit their weak points and win the fight with a single well-placed shot. It’s an endlessly satisfying loop, and with hundreds of vehicles to earn, it will be a long time before you run out of new content.
Destiny 2
Whether you want to squad up for gargantuan PvE raids, duke it out against others in PvP, or even combine elements of both in PvPvE, Destiny 2 ticks all of the boxes when it comes to the best multiplayer games. A few years since launch and Destiny 2 is better than ever, with the Forsaken expansion addressing plenty of foibles and a free-to-play launch on Steam bringing the game to new audiences.
Read more: All you need to know about Destiny 2 classes
Loot ties all of the multiplayer arms together, so no matter how you’re playing Destiny 2, your goal is always to acquire powerful new weapons and armour like Destiny 2 Exotics. Every mission completed, miniboss slain, and PvP match won contributes by rewarding you with mightier gear, creating an ongoing, near endless power fantasy.
Apex Legends
From hyper-mobile gameplay that lends itself to flanking manoeuvres to respawn beacons that bring your mates back into the fight after death, Respawn’s nimble shooter boasts all the usual trimmings of the best multiplayer games.
Where it truly excels, however, is its ability to bring everyone into the fold with its ping system. Should you feel uncomfortable talking to strangers with your microphone or simply don’t want to, you can still contribute by pinging enemies, locations of interest, and even the best Apex Legends weapons you want or think others may find useful.
The post-apocalyptic shooter is also early in its life cycle, meaning that now is an excellent time to jump in and try our Apex Legends tips. There will also be a steady stream of Apex Legends new Legends for players to sink their teeth into, which promises to freshen up the battle royale’s meta every few months. There’s also a very good chance you’ll bump into someone from this office. Be gentle, please.
Fortnite
Epic’s shooter first emerged as an intriguing mix of building, sandbox, and survival elements. The original Fortnite: Save the World mode – in which you construct fortresses to combat a severe zombie threat – has long been eclipsed by the world-conquering Fortnite Battle Royale. Thanks to some phenomenal Fortnite player numbers, and the fact it’s a good deal more polished than PUBG, Epic’s last man standing extravaganza is one of the best multiplayer games on PC.
Where you stand on the great Fortnite vs. PUBG debate depends on personal preference. Both are strong battle royale games with devoted communities, but Fortnite’s eye-catching Pixar sheen, accessibility – helped considerably by being free-to-play – and Fortnite building mechanics give it the edge for some over the detailed, deep military sim sensibilities of PUBG. We’re in no doubt, however, that Epic’s cosmetics game is far stronger: the sheer number of Fortnite skins and Fortnite Wraps (weapon and vehicle skins) is mind-boggling.
Dota 2/League of Legends
Now before you baulk at the aggregation of these two rival beasts of the MOBA genre into a single entry, we’re intending to recommend one or the other, not both – and let’s face it, while the mechanics, items, lanes, and League of Legends Champions/Dota 2 Heroes offer different gameplay experiences, the multiplayer aspect of both these games is largely the same. Gather four friends and discover how you each cope with blame and failure, or be assigned a team of four strangers who all somehow manage to be much worse than you at the game, even though statistically they are likely to be very close to you in rank.
The competitive scene around both of these games is gargantuan – almost four million people watched the LoL Worlds Semifinals simultaneously in November 2019, and back in August 2019 the prize pool for Dota’s The International reached over $34 million, the biggest prize pool in esports history.
League of Legends is Twitch’s most watched game of 2019, and with about eight million concurrent players a day to Dota’s average of 400,000, it’s clear to see which of the two is the most popular. That doesn’t mean LoL is necessarily the better game, but the figures do make sense when you consider how Riot churn out absolute bangers to promote their MOBA.
We recommend you try a couple of matches in both games before you decide on the best MOBA for you, but if you’re looking for a game that is a totally different experience every match depending on your draft vs the opponents’ draft, meaning you and your team can enjoy a new challenge night after night – we advise getting into LoL or Dota 2.
Team Fortress 2
If you were not there when Team Fortress 2 launched, it is difficult to convey what a delirious and unexpected pleasure it was in 2007. In development longer than Pangaea, TF2 blindsided everyone when it finally arrived in its cheery and lustrous Pixar sheen. Instead of the anticipated amalgamations of biceps and military garb we expected, its cast is a brigade of slapstick comedians whose interplay provoked frequent, spirited, and genuine lols.
Each had skills and abilities that interweaved beautifully. Heavy mows down Soldier. Engineer builds sentry to mow down Heavy. Spy saps sentry. Pyro incinerates Spy. Sniper takes out Pyro. Scout bonks Sniper on his noggin and runs off. Demo obliterates Scout with his sticky bombs, then resumes flashing people. No, not like that. Medic watches that Uber gauge, and licks his lips.
It’s a very different game today, now absolutely baffling to lapsed players. Still, the rich visual design, the sheer strength of its cast, and the interplay between classes preserve it as one of the best multiplayer games around. An enduring classic… even if the emergence of Fortnite has lead to the biggest Team Fortress 2 player count drop ever.
Overwatch
Beautifully blending Team Fortress 2 and League of Legends, Overwatch remains a phenomenon and easily one of the best multiplayer games ever made. A class-based multiplayer shooter that owes much to TF2’s art style, payload maps, and asymmetrical combat, Overwatch also owes plenty to LoL’s diverse roster and essential teamplay. As our Overwatch PC review attests, its tantalising recipe for multiplayer grandeur is a mixture of popular styles, ripe with possibilities, which has captured the imaginations and evenings of the masses. That much is apparent from even a cursory visit to the fantastically busy Overwatch reddit, where you will certainly never go hungry for GIFs.
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Blizzard are continually updating the game and adding to their impressively diverse and colourful roster with new Overwatch heroes, too. Want to master the best Overwatch characters? Prepare to commit months to the colourful blaster. Somehow, Overwatch gets even better while maintaining a careful competitive balance.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has an underwhelming origin story. A refresh of Valve’s previous refresh of a Half-Life 1 mod, CS:GO was conceived as nothing more ambitious than a console port; an experiment to see if PlayStation and Xbox gamers would engage with the Counter-Strike name. And, if PC players fancied a go, what’s the harm? As it turns out, we got one of the best multiplayer games on PC.
Thanks to regular CS:GO updates, the shooter sensation is consistently one of the most played games on Steam. Its weapon skins support an entire cottage industry of trading sites. It is an ultra-competitive, high prize pool esport. You cannot move on Twitch for CS:GO streams.
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Its popularity is self-evident, but its quality requires a deeper understanding of its appeal both as a nostalgia trip and a well-supported, pacey shooter with state-of-the-art spectator tools. Valve’s masterpiece is ripe for tactical exploitation, meaning you should check out our CS:GO tips if you want to succeed. Bristling with razor-sharp weapon feedback, this FPS is more comforting than mama’s homemade apple pie.
Rocket League
The moment someone at Psyonix said “how about football… but with cars?” one of the best multiplayer games on PC was born. Despite the failed first attempt, Rocket League’s success is down to its streamlined design: you just push a ball across a pitch with a car. It is hardly something only hardcore petrolheads can understand.
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Do not mistake simplicity for a lack of depth, however. As we point out in our Rocket League PC review, mastering all the key Rocket League tips and successfully passing, shooting, and scoring is a thrilling learning curve. It leads to a career – not just for new musical talent – of a thousand near-misses and ‘almost!’ moments, your body inching forward in your seat as the tension builds. Headshots in shooters are ten-a-penny, but a goal in Rocket League is something special.
Rocket League’s exceptionally moreish online games are even better in local split-screen multiplayer. Everyone in the room will be ooh-ing and aahh-ing as the ball zooms from one end of the pitch to the other, punctuated by an obligatory elbow-to-the-ribs to prevent an inevitable goal.
Rainbow Six Siege
Despite surface-level similarities to FPS darling CS:GO, Ubisoft have made reinforcing a wall or laying barbed wire as heroic as no-scoping an enemy from two rooftops away. Perhaps more than even the best multiplayer games, Rainbow Six Siege is about planning, communication, and execution of a team-based strategy.
Rainbow Six made its name by taking a quieter, more considered approach than the bombastic shooters against which it debuted in the late nineties, and in doing so it made you feel like a highly-trained, goggle-wearing, silenced MP5-toting specialist. The latest series entry evokes that same feeling despite the meta changes presented by a barrage of Rainbow Six Siege operators with more new operators coming in regular post-launch updates. If that sounds intimidating, Ubi do offer a Rainbow Six Siege Starter Edition so you can try it at a lower price.
Although, of course, there is destruction. Great big chunks of it that can kick up fine concrete dust every round. Just make sure you don’t get it all over your posh new cosmetics. Part of being ‘good’ at Siege is knowing each map intimately, and co-ordinating your team accordingly. The depth, nail-biting tension, and tactical potential of Rainbow Six Siege makes for a memorable cat-and-mouse multiplayer experience. No wonder the future of Siege is bright. As an esport it’s going global, while still allowing inexperienced high school minnows the chance to attain the glory of a major tournament place.
Arma 3
Arma 3 is about as close to finding yourself on a real battlefield, gibbering unintelligibly as the choppers and tanks go by. The large-scale battles and ultra-realism are not the only intimidating things about Arma 3, either. Populated by a diehard community with expertise levels second to none, the game’s players know things you didn’t know you knew.
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Where pretend guns are concerned, this is one of the best multiplayer games around – no wonder Arma 3 sales are into the millions. Every battle is an engrossing spectacle, peppered with complex team chat and ingenious tactical manoeuvres (if you’re on a good server). It might still be buggier than the underside of a rotten branch, but it did its bit to bring about PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Enough said.
Titanfall 2
Titanfall 2 boasts one of the best single-player FPS stories in recent memory. However, as if that wasn’t enough, Respawn’s majestic, mech-based shooter is one of the best multiplayer games around, too – make sure to read our Titanfall 2 class guide so you can meet your future robot buddies.
Titanfall 2’s intoxicating multiplayer component is all about interplay. Think David versus Goliath, except it can be Goliath against Goliath. Then, sometimes, David is inside Golia… actually, never mind.
The opening stages of an online match are redolent of Call of Duty: you start as one of five nimble pilots, using your grappling hook and other gadgets to get the jump on the opposition and rack up kills. Then, everything changes: Massive 20-foot titans with various weapons and abilities rain down and devastate the battlefield. Trading agile, dynamic traversal as a pilot to take control of the slower, but much more powerful titan imbues multiplayer rounds with an endlessly satisfying rhythm that refines the promising core of the original. If you missed Titanfall 2, rectify that now with Origin Access.
Unreal Tournament
Unreal Tournament has made a huge contribution to the world of online FPS games. Chasing power-ups, armour shards, and super-weapons may have fallen out of favour since 1999, but the pace, game modes and map designs ensure Unreal Tournament remains one of the best multiplayer games you can play.
Not that anyone cared at the time, of course. We were too busy headshotting each other, cowering in the opposing towers of CTF_Face away from the best sniper rifle games had offered to date. Or scurrying over to the Redeemer for a chance to turn the tides on a poor round’s performance. It might have lost its initial graphical sparkle, but its level layout and special weapon feedback mean that Unreal Tournament remains perfectly playable all these years on.
Overcooked
The best multiplayer games are all about having fun with friends – and exploding the noggins of internet randoms, of course. That said, Ghost Town Games’ Overcooked will strain even the strongest of friendships.
The true chaos of this couch co-op cooking game is not revealed immediately. Shrouded beneath a cute, colourful aesthetic, you will likely fly – or should we say fry? – through your first culinary challenges in the Onion Kingdom. Each meal you cook helps save the world from a massive meatball. After your first few kitchen adventures, though, you and your staff/erstwhile friends will be screaming at each other louder than Gordon Ramsay with lego in his shoes.
Read more: Here are the best cooking games on PC
If you fail to assign clear roles and communicate effectively, beef patties will burn, dirty dishes will pile up, and customers will get cheesed off. From swaying pirate ships to lorries that split in half in the middle of the motorway, the kitchens in which you work your gastronomic magic will become increasingly treacherous as the dishes you cook grow in complexity.
The sequel, Overcooked 2, serves up online multiplayer and the ability to throw ingredients across the kitchen, which is also a great time-saving hack for real life cooking. With new Overcooked chefs and kitchens being added since the original game’s release, there’s never been a better time to try this, one of the best indie games on PC.
TowerFall Ascension
TowerFall Ascension is a game all about platforms – apart from the ill-fated Ouya platform on which it originally launched, that is. With competitive multiplayer for up to four, think Bomberman with the camera moved, and bows instead of explosives, TowerFall Ascension’s engaging appeal is easy to understand, as we found in our TowerFall Ascension PC review.
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One of the best multiplayer games for couch co-op, the simplicity of both premise and control scheme – jump, move, shoot – ensures accessibility. You might as well play it long after your friends have gone, too: the game’s refined movement and map design reward extended practice.
Worms
It is easy to be cynical about Worms, now entering its third decade with a penchant for platform proliferation. Chop a turn-based party game from Team17 in half, myth has it, and two new groups of the slippery blighters will spring writhing from its remains. But the (apple) core ensures it remains one of the best multiplayer games on PC: 30 seconds in which you must steer your pink avatar around a pockmarked landscape with the aim of blasting, batting, and Super Sheep-ing an opponent into dust before their turn starts.
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Typically played with three or four players, Worms is a slapstick spectator sport ripe for grenade gaffes, jumping misjudgements, and an assortment of other seconds-left mistakes. The nuance offered by trajectory and wind speed – not to mention elusive mastery over the ninja rope – means there is scope for high-level play, too. It may be disarmingly cute, but Worms is still one of the best strategy games on PC.
Some say that Worms Armageddon was a spiritual high point. But we recommend the subsequent Worms World Party for the potential for customisation, or the recent Worms W.M.D to see the current vehicle-infused iteration of the formula. The latest free update to Worms W.M.D, Brimstone, takes you to the pits of hell in its new map, complete with themed hats and gravestones.
So there you have it, the best multiplayer games on PC. Of course, we all know playing multiplayer is only fun when you’re winning, so make sure you read our Fortnite tips for Battle Royale and check up on all the new Overwatch heroes for online success. Many of the best upcoming PC games also have exciting new multiplayer modes. It means there’s never been a better time to tap into your competitive side. Solo gaming is fine and all, but beating other gamers makes the best multiplayer modes incredibly moreish.
Arr matey, I see yer interested in the best pirate games on PC. Why, it’ll always be a good idea to want to be a buccaneer. The clash o’ swords, the deck at your feet, the sea in yer beard, the grog in your stomach – ‘tis a pirate’s life that’s right for us.
No point in sitting ‘round here thinkin’ bout it. Yar better bring in the anchor and hoist the sails, for we be setting off on an adventure, scanning the seas for the finest treasure on sea or land. That’s right, a veritable bounty of the best pirate games on yer fine vessel, the PC.
Right, that’s enough talking like that, we’re starting to get a headache. There’s nothing more liberating than being a pirate. No, not that kind of pirate – you’ll want to pay for this selection of games to support the creators and get the best experience possible. From insult swordfighting to dodging krakens, the PC boasts the finest pirate games out there. Let’s have a look then, shall we? Let’s run our swords through the best pirate games on PC. Just try not to spill your grog on the way, landlubber.
Here are the best pirate games on PC:
Archeage
Archeage isn’t all about pirates, but sailing around its enormous fantasy world slaying sea monsters and battling to establish trade routes is one of its best features. Unlike many free MMOs, Archeage’s open world is truly open – there are no zones and the only thing stopping you from trekking across it is your ability to defend yourself against everything from polar bears to dragons. You can also play any nautical role you desire, whether you’d prefer to lead an armada into naval battle or discover key trading routes and become rich the peaceful way.
The Curse of Monkey Island
When you’re talking pirate games, right at the top should always be the Monkey Island series from LucasArts. These are some of the finest point-and-click adventures ever made, and for our interests here, the five games in the series manage to explore every aspect of the buccaneer lifestyle.
All of the Monkey Island games are great, but if you’re going to settle on just one then it’s the third game, The Curse of Monkey Island, you should boot up as it works as a ‘best of’ for the series. It’s funny, clever, and thanks to the hand-painted backdrops, it’s still one of the best looking games around. Add to that brilliant voice acting, a song and dance number, and the debut of Murray the demonic skull – one of the best videogame characters conceived – and you have a point-and-click masterpiece.
It’s also the one game in the quintology in which you can actually sail a ship and indulge in some piracy, which is kind of important for a list of the best pirate games. And yes, of course there’s insult swordfighting – it wouldn’t be a Monkey Island game without it.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
A great pirate game, a fantastic Assassin’s Creed entry, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag has everything fans of both could ever want, making it one of the best open-world games on this list.
What really sells it is Edward Kenway, who is a deeply likeable central character, and the coolest assassin in history. The story of his fight to stop the Templars finding the Sage is undoubtedly entertaining for Assassin’s Creed fans, but the tale of Kenway and the other captains’ attempts to establish a pirate utopia has a much broader appeal.
You captain your own ship and crew, sailing the entire Caribbean hunting for vessels to raid, treasures to be stolen, and adventures to be had. The ship-to-ship combat is a highlight, it being intense in the moment, while also being easy to pick up – this isn’t a naval simulator. But let’s not forget the fantastic sea shanties. Who needs an epic orchestral soundtrack when you can sail the seas to your crew singing ‘The Coast of High Barbary’, ‘Lowlands Away’, or the classic ‘Drunken Sailor’?
Sea Dogs
Rather than an action-adventure game, Sea Dogs is more of a pirate RPG – in fact, you don’t even have to be a pirate if you don’t fancy it.
After escaping with a group of prisoners, you take your tiny sloop and, from there, you’re free to do as you wish. You can work your way through various story paths, accept missions from different countries, take cargo, and even become a trading merchant if you so choose. Or, take the missions from the pirates and become the biggest, most terrible privateer on the seven seas. The choice is yours. Yes, the graphics and the voice acting may have aged, but this is still a top competitor for the best RPGs on PC.
There’s actually an equally good sequel, Sea Dogs 2, which was repurposed by Disney and turned into the official Pirates of the Caribbean game alongside the first movie. Unfortunately, due to the IP it’s not currently available on PC, but the original is probably the better game anyway – and both of its excellent expansions are on GOG.
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean is the most successful pirate movie series, but unfortunately, games based on the franchise seem to be cursed (‘tis that voodoo lady) – they’re either awful, hard to play on modern PCs, or have been cancelled. Fortunately, Lego Pirates of the Caribbean is great as it represents the series well and is easily available.
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean spans the first four movies, lovingly recreating them with great humour, as you’d expect from developer TT Games. Expect everything from Elizabeth spotting the Black Pearl to the destruction of the Fountain of Youth.
This is the last Lego game that has no voice acting. Which might sound like a downside, but it’s the opposite – aside from negating all language barriers, the mimed jokes are one of the strong points of the Lego games. The biggest draw is how the games tap into that primal urge to collect everything. There’s little as satisfying as 100% completing a Lego game.
Sid Meier’s Pirates!
The creator of Civilization and the team that would go on to make XCOM at Firaxis made a pirate strategy game once. Perhaps not surprisingly, it’s one of the best pirate games of all time, and shouldn’t be forgotten. It’s actually a 2004 remake of a game Sid Meier made in 1987, but due to the stylish art and simple, intelligent gameplay, the remake is far more playable – and just as fun today as it was back then.
Sid Meier’s Pirates! is an open-world strategy-adventure that’s just as addictive as Civilization or XCOM, and a great deal more lighthearted in tone. You work your way up from being an insignificant captain on a dreary vessel to becoming the most feared pirate on the seas. You can ransack towns, raid ships, take on rivals, and even go ballroom dancing.
Your exploits don’t stop at your own adventures, either – you can influence and alter the entire political landscape of the Caribbean. Intercept a ship carrying a peace treaty between England and Spain and they might launch an attack against each other, leaving you to go about your plunderin’ without worry. This is probably the most addictive and playable game on this list – but what did you expect from the creator of Civilization?
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
The first Pillars of Eternity was an attempt to recapture what made classic fantasy RPGs so beloved, and it was a damn good job. For the sequel, however, developer Obsidian Entertainment took a swashbuckling direction, and made one of the best games of 2018.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is a fantasy RPG in the style of early BioWare games, but it’s also an excellent pirate game with a fantasy twist. The story picks up about five years after the first game, with you once again taking the role of the Watcher – now returned to life to hunt the dead god Eothas through the Deadfire Archipelago. The story is written to captivate and it doesn’t falter in that effort once. The world is a joy to explore, too – it feels alive, as if populated by real people, a charming cast that tests your morals and challenges your gumption.
At its heart, though, Deadfire is a pure pirate game. You sail your trusty vessel through uncharted waters, fighting in tactical ship battles, hunting down bounties, and taking part in an epic high-seas adventure.
TheBeast of Winter DLC sees you travel to the frozen wastes to face down the titular Beast, and Seeker, Slayer, Survivor provides a new combat challenge with three different arena challenges on a story-rich island. The Forgotten Sanctum DLC rounds out the trio with challenging endgame battles alongside compelling new characters, and serves as a conclusion to the much-loved plot.
Risen 3: Titan Lords
The path that the Risen series has taken is a funny one. Developer Piranha Bytes lost the rights to the Gothic series, so instead created Risen as much the same type of game – a fantasy action-RPG played straight. It was fine and fairly well-received, but for Risen 2 the studio entered a pirate-themed world, and thank goodness it did. Swords, ships, and jungles, it’s a cool idea – shame the game isn’t that great.
With Risen 3: Titan Lords, however, the team got the balance right. The final Risen game is much more fun, and most importantly, a much better pirate game. It also corrects the biggest omission of Risen 2 in that you can actually sail and captain your own pirate ship. Combat isn’t the awful unfair mess that it was in Dark Waters as it’s been heavily tweaked so now it’s properly fun.
You also get to have a parrot, which automatically qualifies it for this list of best pirate games. In fact, there’s a fearsome Ghost Pirate, a British female companion, a voodoo priestess who offers advice, and you can pick up a monkey. Yes, it’s not just any pirate game, this is basically a Monkey Island RPG. Get some grog down you to celebrate.
ArcheAge
Korean medieval fantasy MMO ArcheAge lets you choose to rule the seas as a dastardly pirate, gathering the treasures of the deep while dragons wheel overhead. Previously, ArcheAge was among the finest free PC games, but limited several features to ‘patrons’ only, meaning that subscriptions were pretty crucial if you wanted to experience all the game has to offer. The recent launch of ArcheAge Unchained has given players a new start in which content is available to all players for a one time fee.
Becoming and playing as a pirate in ArcheAge Unchained is a true challenge. There will only be 100 pirates permitted per server, and if you don’t log in for a week you’ll lose your pirate status – pirates don’t go on holiday, though they do get abandoned on beaches occasionally. As a pirate you’re prevented from mingling with wider society, you can’t be part of a guild, and it’s harder to gear up. However you are free to commit crimes against your fellow man without the threat of jail, plus you gain access to exclusive quests and the pirate hideout.
There are currently thousands of landlubbers jostling for space on the new servers, so now is the time to betray them all and become the most notorious threat on the high seas. For our money, it’s one of the best MMOs around.
Sea of Thieves
Not counting Kinect titles, online pirate adventure Sea of Thieves was Rare’s first proper game in ten years, and boy did the team make the time count. While a little dull in single-player, get a small group together on a single ship and Sea of Thieves becomes one of the most enjoyable multiplayer games you can play right now. It’s also arguably the most pirate of the games on this list, because it’s all about shiploads of pirates, who do nothing but pirate things.
This is all about getting a crew of friends together, all doing your part onboard to sail across the seas, and searching for booty to plunder. You can get into tense, and hilarious, sea battles with other players, as well as skeleton crews, giant sharks, and the terrible Kraken. When you want to get back on dry land momentarily you can raid outposts filled with undead guardians and loot their treasure chests. Or just follow the adventurous story missions in your quest to become a Pirate Legend – and have every pirate on the Sea O’ Thieves gunning for you.
Sea of Thieves’ monthly content updates provide a steady trickle of new treasure for buccaneers. The latest update, Crews of Rage, introduces a new type of cursed chest called a Chest of Rage that slowly overheats and explodes into flame, unless you water it frequently to calm it down. The update also introduces a Pirate Appearance Potion, which allows you to choose a new appearance for your pirate. If you’ve got a group of friends who want to become pirates then Sea of Thieves is the best game to do it in.
Tropico 2 – Pirates Cove
Let’s stop trying to become a pirate for a sec. How about, instead, we try to manage a group of pirates? Or how about a pirate island, in fact? While the other games in the series focus on modern dictatorial regimes, Tropico 2 tasks you with creating a pirate utopia in the golden age of seafaring – your own personal Nassau or Tortuga to oversee.
Your goal is to keep all the pirates on your little plunderer’s paradise happy, while sending out ships to ‘collect’ gold – all while trying to keep the island secret from the eyes of the various Empires surrounding it. What marks Tropico 2 as brilliant is how it gradually steps up the challenge as you progress. You start off with simple pirates that just need a bit of grog and attention, but before long, more demanding, high-profile buccaneers start to show up. Pratty pirates soon become the least of your problems, though, as diplomatic relations with the local superpowers become more fraught.
It’s certainly one of the funnier, more tongue-in-cheek management games around – in fact, it almost plays like a Monkey Island strategy game. Better still, if you buy Tropico 2 these days you get the first Tropico and all its expansions for free.
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Blood and Gold: Carribean!
Built on an upgraded version of the Mount & Blade: Warband engine, and borrowing a great deal of its mechanics, Blood and Gold is a fully-fledged pirate simulator, letting you live out every aspect of pirate life from gambling in sweaty taverns and duelling in the street with cutlasses, to starting up a shady trading company and spending all of your gold on cannons for your corvette. You can be a mercenary assassin, get captured and enslaved, fight your way out and take to the seas with a crew of fellow prisoners. Or you can feign nobility and marry a governor’s daughter, giving you resource and license to declare war against the Spanish.
Blood and Gold is like Sid Meier’s Pirates! on steroids, with far greater scope for adventure and more severe consequences to boot. Unfortunately, like so many ambitious games built from mods, you can expect quite a few bugs, glitches, and some lacklustre graphics in Blood and Gold: Caribbean!
Rebel Galaxy
Fun Multiplayer Games Mac
You didn’t think piracy was exclusive to 16th century Caribbean sailors, did you? Rebel Galaxy is all about pirates… in… SPAAAAACE! You’re still in a ship undertaking journeys of high adventure, plundering other vessels after fine battles – you’re just on the edge of the universe rather than the seven seas.
Best Multiplayer Steam Games Mac
Related: Here are the best space games on PC
In some ways, Rebel Galaxy could be considered a sci-fi Sea Dogs, as you can choose to follow the main quest or make your own way through the galaxy. You can be an honourable trader or miner, but more likely you’ll want to make your fortune as a bounty hunter, or as we like to say, proper space pirate. One thing’s for sure: you’ll get in a lot of space battles, so it’s good they’re a lot of fun. Use deflectors to dodge missiles, choose where to aim, watch for range – there’s a lot of strategy in these battles.
Apart from combat, there’s plenty to explore and do in this part of space. Outposts, distress calls, strange readings to investigate, all need attending to. Or you can just sit and watch the gorgeous galaxy go by. You’ve got a lot of freedom in Rebel Galaxy, just try not to get in too much trouble, ok?
Best Multiplayer Computer Games Mac Online
Yarr, those be the finest pirate games on the fair ship PC. We hope ye enjoyed the bountiful booty we dug up for ye – only the best for our cap’n. So many vessels sunk, ports raided, chests stared at, and skeletons disassembled. If ye be likin’ the games on this list, here’s a map to the best PC games to play right now, or some co-op games to play with your pals. It’s not quite the same, but if you also live for a life at sea then you’d be a fool not to check out our roundup of the best submarine games on PC, too. Yarrrrrr…