In the early days of video games, AI wasn’t advanced enough to challenge human players, so they mostly competed against one another. Although born from necessity, multiplayer gaming has been a big part of games from the very beginning, and two-player titles remain a staple of the action genre.

Some of the most compelling multiplayer games for home consoles in the nineties were one-on-one fighting games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat or racing titles like Ridge Racer and Mario Kart. While split-screen shooters like GoldenEye 007 provided a glimpse of what was to come on console, PC gamers were already accustomed to frenetic deathmatch experiences like Quake and Unreal.

The advent of widely available, high-speed internet made it possible for hundreds of players to connect simultaneously to the same game. Suddenly, gamers could play against dozens, or even hundreds of human competitors, from right across the world.

Superior connections also allowed outdoor first-person shooters to be upscaled, with new weapons, classes and vehicles. The games were richer and their worlds more compelling than ever. At the same time. handheld devices made casual multiplayer gaming more accessible for everyone. You didn’t need to be at home to catch a little action with other like-minded gamers!

Some multiplayer games have you working towards a common goal. Players might have to defeat monsters, gather resources for a colony or build structures together to achieve an objective. Teamwork is a big factor in the success of multiplayer games and adds a highly social element to online play, bringing together large teams of human players in “massively multiplayer” online games.

While it wasn’t the first MMO, without doubt the most successful of these massively multiplayer games was World of Warcraft. It allowed players access to an enormous world in which you could team up to conquer quests, dungeons, and other players. This provided a model for other games to aspire to—nowadays it seems like almost every game comes with a multiplayer element.

Multiplayer games are a major pillar of the gaming industry. The focus on single-player campaigns has diminished over the years, even in games that used to make the campaign their focus.

With the likes of Counter Strike, Fortnite and DOTA taking the world by storm, gaming is all about online, minute-to-minute competition against other players. So, what are the common features of multiplayer online games? The first and most important is the other players! It doesn’t matter if you’re playing Words With Friends on your phone or hunting down enemy squads in Call Of Duty: Warzone, multiplayer games appeal because they let you go up against other players, a very different kind of challenge than an AI-controlled opponent.

Depending on the type of multiplayer game, you might also find a ranking system to add more depth to the game itself. For example, some games allow you to customize weapons and items to make them more effective or durable. The more XP you gain, the more items you can unlock and upgrade. Going hand in hand with this, multiplayer games will have some sort of achievement system that players can use to show off their experience. It might include cosmetic items like rare weapon skins and items of clothing, or it might include items that affect gameplay, like powerful weapons or armor. In some bigger multiplayer games, these items can be traded for other valuable items, either from other players or in-game stores.

Many games offer new content in the form of DLC (Downloadable Content). This could be anything from new guns, maps, and items to new missions and game modes. DLC is a way for developers to keep loyal players interested, sometimes for years after the game has been released.

In the past ten years, microtransactions have become common in games. Microtransactions allow you to buy certain in-game items with real money. The items you buy might offer ways to speed up progress or unique and powerful items and weapons. The purchases might take the form of loot boxes, which drop random items when purchased, or might be a simple storefront, where the player knows exactly what they are buying each time.

With browser games, playing multiplayer games online is easier than ever before. You don’t need to download any software or fill up space on your computer or mobile device with oversized installations. Just click on the game you’d like to play and get started playing against other human players!

Whether you’re looking to challenge other players or work together with friends—or strangers—we have the perfect browser games for you here at Gamepix. These games are from some of the most popular and well-known developers so you’ll have hours of fun.

From the makers of the smash-hit puzzle game Cut The Rope comes an epic battle of machine and man! Build an epic killer robot and smash the opposition into pieces with CATS (Crash Arena Turbo Stars). Build, customize and level up your battle bot and face off against 150 million players in an adrenaline-fueled battle arena.

A modern take on a classic game with updated graphics, physics and objectives, Little Big Snake takes the original premise—grow your snake by eating food—and gives it a multiplayer twist. You still have to grow your snake by consuming balls of nectar, but now you have to watch out for other players who are bigger and badder than you! How long you survive depends on your ability to deftly navigate the dangerous world. Climb the global leaderboards to get your name in the hall of fame!

Krunker is an online first-person shooter that will push your reflexes to the limit. Inspired by the Counter Strike series and with an artistic style like Minecraft, this team deathmatch arena has a simple objective—spawn in, gather weapons and shoot other players. Take cover, aim down sights and get those headshots to bring your foes down quickly.

Tanki has you in highly customizable tanks, moving through an environment and blowing stuff up! In this Massively Multiplayer Online game, you slug it out with other players across a variety of maps. Use cover and tactics to flank the enemy and blast them to pieces. Level up to customize your tank with better armor, guns and ammunition. Different game modes such as Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag make each game feel completely unique!

Aside from the challenge of facing human-controlled opponents, who tend to be tougher than AI-controlled ones, many multiplayer games offer great opportunities for team play, introducing a social element to online gaming, which appeals to many players.

Yes, there are a huge number of multiplayer games available to play for free. The easiest to play are free, online multiplayer browser games like the range we have here on Gamepix. Why not choose one and see for yourself?