Summary
- Multiplayer games are often immediately fun & get better with time.
- Games like Terraria offer diverse gameplay & scaling difficulty.
- Titles like Dune: Spice Wars may have steep learning curves but offer deep strategic experiences.
It's often easier to find fun in games when playing with friends. A slow start can often be elevated when there's someone to share the experience with. As a result, multiplayer games can often be more immediately fun. However, some multiplayer games, even those that aren't as slow-burning, get better with time.
Some titles, such as Dune: Spice Wars, feature difficult onboarding processes and steep learning curves that slow the experience down. Others, such as Terraria, simply get more satisfying, more diverse as time goes on.
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8 Terraria
Scaling Difficulty & Late-Game Bosses
Terraria
- Released
- May 16, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
Terraria is a co-operative survival-craft game that can be both a relaxing and engaging experience. This is thanks to its combination of creative base-building and challenging boss battles, offering players a dynamic ebb and flow of gameplay.
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As players progress, Terraria opens up new areas, offers new items, and provides new challenges. Furthermore, the game's difficulty also scales as players progress, resulting in an experience that gets better as players advance. Furthermore, players naturally have access to better tools and a greater diversity of resources later in the game, granting them more freedom when base-building.
7 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
A Diverse Tactical Shooter
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
- Released
- December 1, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is a competitive tactical FPS that excels with its emphasis on teamwork, snappy gunplay, and a variety of classes. However, while the diverse abilities of its playable characters add variety to the experience, it can also make the game even more difficult for newcomers.
Knowing what each of the game's operators is capable of can be essential in reading any given situation, resulting in a less frustrating experience as players gain a better understanding of the roster. Map knowledge is also integral to success, making it easier for players to position themselves tactically and know where to look for potential targets.
6 Payday 2
Action & Stealth That Rewards Patience
Payday 2
- Released
- August 13, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Payday 2 is a first-person shooter and stealth game that tasks players with pulling off dangerous, often high-stakes heists. By giving players freedom in how to approach each of its myriad missions, Payday 2 is able to provide a dynamic experience.
However, inexperienced and/or low-level players may not have much choice; attempting to complete a heist without breaking into a full-on gunfight can be a frustrating experience for those with little knowledge of the game. As a result, Payday 2 only gets better as players gain a better understanding of its missions and the possibilities within.
5 Streets Of Rogue
An Increasing Selection Of Unique Characters
Streets of Rogue
- Released
- March 10, 2017
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Matt Dabrowski
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Streets of Rogue is an action-packed roguelite that tasks players with completing objectives in miniature sandbox environments. The game's immersive-sim influences add a great deal of freedom to the gameplay, facilitating creative problem-solving via myriad items and, most importantly, playable characters.
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However, these playable characters must be unlocked. As a result, Streets Of Rogue becomes a more diverse and replayable experience as time goes on. Unlocking these characters is particularly rewarding as they are incredibly unique, each encouraging their own distinctive play-styles. Furthermore, the individuality of these characters ensures players can fulfill unique roles when playing in co-op.
4 Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
A Slew Of Zany Unlockable Characters
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
- Released
- February 23, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Animated Blood, Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is a lighthearted third-person shooter that excels with its vibrant visuals and, most notably, its diverse ensemble of playable characters. Featuring asymmetric PvP multiplayer, Garden Warfare 2 allows players to battle foes as one of many unique classes on both sides.
The diversity of these classes is somewhat locked off to newcomers, as players are tasked with slowly unlocking new class variants as they progress. As a result, Garden Warfare 2 gets better with time, allowing players to enjoy a more diverse experience.
3 Ravenswatch
Dynamic Action & Strategic Exploration
Ravenswatch
- Released
- September 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Ravenswatch is an action roguelike that's clearly designed with co-op in mind, offering dynamic combat encounters and a diverse array of playable characters. However, this variety of playable characters is relatively limited at the start, resulting in a game that gets better as players progress.
Furthermore, the default difficulty setting in Ravenswatch is dramatically easier than its more challenging modes. With little challenge to begin with, Ravenswatch can be somewhat trivial early on, with decisions having little meaning. However, once players have unlocked harder difficulties and more characters, Ravenswatch becomes an intensely engaging experience. Players gain a greater diversity of choices after leveling up individual characters, resulting in a more strategic experience over time.
2 Dune: Spice Wars
A Slow-Burning Strategy Game
Dune: Spice Wars
- Released
- September 14, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Teen // Fantasy Violence, Drug Reference
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy
Dune: Spice Wars combines the deep strategy of 4X titles with the expressive control and time pressure of real-time strategy games to great effect. What results is an experience that's slow-burning and yet urgent, offering a strategic sandbox of warfare, espionage, and politics.
Unfortunately, the abundance of unique resources and mechanics can make Dune: Spice Wars a difficult game to learn. As it's often overwhelming, newcomers may find little fun initially. However, those who take the time to learn the value of each resource, the intricacies of each faction, and the flow of an average skirmish are more likely to enjoy this title's melange of spicy mechanics.
1 StarCraft 2
Competitive Strategy That Requires Practice
StarCraft 2
- Released
- July 27, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy
Although StarCraft 2 features a single-player narrative to play through, more competitive players may find value in its versus mode. However, competing against players in StarCraft 2's multiplayer mode can be a challenging and often demanding experience that takes time and practice to succeed in.
This is thanks in large part to the speed and knowledge required; players need not only learn the units, buildings, and intricacies of each faction but the tried-and-true rules of engagement, the set standard that has developed over years of competitive play. As with any competitive game, StarCraft 2 requires practice and patience, but as players improve, the game becomes more expressive, allowing for creative thinking and clever strategies.
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