The Best Multiplayer Games You Can Play Solo

Have you ever been to a party where you don’t want to leave, but you also don’t want to talk to anybody? Sometimes, it’s nice to just bask in the vibes while taking it at your own pace. Other times, it’s also nice to find yourself dangling over a keg. People still do that, right?

Both types of energy can also be found in your average online multiplayer game. While most of them are made with socializing and teaming up in mind, you can still play solo and get a similarly satisfying experience in a number of instances. So what are some multiplayer games that allow for this shared solitary experience?

8

Tom Clancy’s The Division

A Pandemic All Your Own

In The Division, you find yourself as part of an elite group sent to help reclaim New York City in the midst of a nationwide pandemic. This game was released in 2016, allowing for approximately four years of blissful escapism before it probably started to feel just a bit too real.

Given the premise, this shooter/RPG is obviously meant to be played with friends or others online. But while many items and rewards require a team to unlock, you can still roam the lawless streets by yourself, and its difficulty automatically adjusts for solo play.

7

Fallout 76

Crawl Out Through The Fallout

While Fallout 76 really caught some players off-guard for various reasons, it ultimately did deliver what was promised: Bethesda’s Fallout experience, but online. The ability to team up with friends and explore the wasteland together was an enticing one, but what about those who just wanted more of what they loved from Fallout 4?

This game has you covered. There’s technically no escaping the online and social elements in Fallout 76, but you can easily ignore them like junk mail and just play it as you would a typical Fallout game (post-Bethesda acquisition). Explore, build your C.A.M.P., or just goof off as everyone is wont to do after the world has exploded.

6

Palia

The Last Human Wants Corn

It’s not often you find an MMO where you, the player, are never in danger. That’s where Palia shines. This ultra cozy open-world game is all about building a life for yourself. This includes tending to your property by going out in the world and collecting materials, an activity tailor-made to do with friends.

Of course, you don’t have to do any of it with anybody. You can maintain your house, mine for minerals, and do quests for the townsfolk all on your own. Some activities like the surprisingly satisfying tile-based game Hot Pot require others, but there’s nothing wrong with keeping to yourself the rest of the time. It frankly makes all of Palia’s romance options less awkward with nobody else around anyway.

More Than Just A Description Of Grandpa On Facebook

While Fallout 76 caters heavily to Fallout 4 fans who want a little more, The Elder Scrolls Online is a bit more of its own thing. Those going in expecting to stealth archer their way through like Skyrim will be in for a rude awakening. You can still technically be a stealth archer, but just be ready to run.

But aside from certain different mechanics, there’s nothing stopping you from playing The Elder Scrolls Online without a party. You still explore Tamriel and feel that serotonin hit for discovering new locations just like in previous offline games, and the developers even encourage solo play.

4

Deep Rock Galactic

You’re Never Alone With Rock And Stone

Have you ever played a beloved high fantasy game and felt inspired to play as a dwarf miner digging up precious resources and fighting off scary creatures lurking in the dark places? What if that dwarf was in space? Deep Rock Galactic has your oddly specific tastes covered, and it wants you to bring friends.

Luckily, while this quite literal looter-shooter encourages teamwork with its synergies system, you can absolutely play on your own thanks to Bosco, a little robot buddy that handles anything that human teammates would otherwise need to take care of. So you’re free to rock and stone solo.

3

Star Wars: The Old Republic

In A Galaxy Far, Far Away From Other Players

It’s kind of wild how Star Wars: The Old Republic has managed to maintain some serious longevity over the years. Though considering how it effectively serves as the follow-up to the seriously beloved Knights of the Old Republic games, maybe it’s not that surprising.

It also probably helps that you’re able to explore the galaxy of that time with your friends. But don’t let that scare your solo-loving self off. You can play through all of the story content on your own, and it’s really good. It’s like Mass Effect but Star Wars, sprinkled with a healthy dose of World of Warcraft that’s almost entirely optional.

2

Destiny 2

No Peter Dinklage To Keep You Company

You’ve probably heard some friends gushing about Destiny 2 at some point, and they’ve got a point. This online sci-fi FPS is frankly gorgeous to look at and features snappy gameplay to string together its genuinely engaging story and characters. It’s also free-to-play, which should convince you if nothing else did.

Yes, it’s online. No, you don’t need to team up. Everything story-related is absolutely doable solo, so you don’t have to worry about missing out. Some raids and dungeons are a bit too tough to do alone, but why bother with them when you can quietly pine over Cayde-6?

1

Final Fantasy 14

The Only Company You Need Is Your Tail

The journey of Final Fantasy 14 from universally panned rush job to fan-favorite juggernaut has been documented time and time again. But it’s still mind-blowing how an online game with a painfully botched launch became arguably the most beloved entry in the largely single-player Final Fantasy series.

Those single-player roots are still there, even given Final Fantasy 14’s online components. While this game very much carries all the visual indicators of a typical MMORPG, you’ll quickly find that you can take in its incredibly robust and gripping story on your own. No party required, but even so, there’s something electric about seeing all the other players around.