Objective: Immerse yourself in the lived experience of different forms of multiplayer gaming.
Use material from Chapter 6: The Why of Multiplayer
QUEST: Challenge yourself to experience different forms of multiplayer gaming: ranked play, massively multiplayer online gaming, the tutorial of a sandbox-style user-generated content driven game, a party game with friends and family, and a cooperative game.
Deeply and actively engage in different forms of multiplayer gaming.
Experience 5 different archetypes of multiplayer gameplay.
This is a time-consuming challenge, but each of these examples is fundamentally different and touches on different human motivators and social dynamics. If you don’t have time for all of them, start with those closest to the games you work on, or those that resonate most with your friends and family. Suggestions are in the Tools section.
- Play 2-3 rounds of ranked play in a competitive game of your choice
- Play 2-3 days worth of a massively multiplayer online game
- Play a party game with your friends and family
- Play the tutorial of a user-generated content driven sandbox multiplayer game*
- Play a cooperative game
For each multiplayer game you engage in, answer these questions:
Accessibility
- How easy was it to find gaming partners?
- Did you play with acquaintances, strangers, or both?
- How was the connectivity and latency? Were there gaps or disconnections in gameplay?
Social dynamics
- How did you feel during gameplay when interacting with others?
- How did the actions of others impact your gameplay?
- Did you ever feel sad, frustrated, or upset? Why?
- Did you ever feel joyful, surprised, or happy? Why?
Skill and gameplay
- What was the outcome of the game?
- Did you do well or poorly?
- Did you do better because of your friends or teammates?
- What would have improved your gameplay experience?
- Did anything feel unfair or overpowered?
After completing more than one multiplayer experience:
Comparison
- What was fundamentally different about the experiences?
- Where did you experience the most frustration?
- Where did you experience the most joy?
- What was easiest to organize and play?
Preference
- Which experience did you enjoy the most?
- Would you do any of these things again?
- Were any of these a definite no? Why?
- Do you prefer multiplayer or single player gaming? Why?
Bonus Tool: Recommended Multiplayer Games
These recommendations are not sponsored; rather, they are based on the fact that these games provide a chance to experience multiple multiplayer archetypes at once in relatively safe atmospheres. While it’s valuable to eventually expose yourself to more core gamer environments like PUBG or League of Legends, these are good places to start.
Sky: Children of the Light
This unique mobile massively multiplayer online game is also entirely cooperative, helping you check two of the boxes on this list at once. This title is referenced multiple times in The Game Development Strategy Guide.
SPACETEAM
A cooperative party “shouting” game, Spaceteam forces all participants to be in constant communication, creating uniquely raucous atmospheres as players shout out instructions to each other to try and triage a failing spaceship’s many failing control panels.
Fortnite
Fortnite is wildly popular and hits multiple boxes: massively multiplayer, cooperative (Squad mode only), and user-generated content. While it offers ranked play, it’s only available after satisfying very specific conditions, so you’ll still likely need another game to experience that mechanic.
Other games to consider
Ranked Competitive Games
Many of these games will ask you to complete tutorials or hit a minimum level before heading into ranked play.
Console
- Overwatch 2
- PUBG
- DOTA 2
- Call of Duty
PC
- Pokemon TCG Live
- Teamfight Tactics
- League of Legends
- VALORANT
Mobile
- Marvel SNAP
- Pokemon Pocket
- League of Legends: Wild Rift
- Clash Royale
Massively Multiplayer Games
Apple’s Mythic Quest documents the trials and tribulations of a team building a massively multiplayer online game. You’ll likely want a free-to-play massively multiplayer game if you’re only playing for a few days. A few to try:
Warframe: Third person action shooter, 80 million players. Available on PC and mobile.
Guild Wars 2: RPG, 20 million players
Final Fantasy XIV: RPG. Not fully free to play, but the free trial is extended through Level 70. Available on PC and most modern consoles.
Party Games
Jackbox Games: Any of the Jackbox Party Packs come with a variety of party games. You may be able to experience these without purchasing one by looking for a streamer online who is actively streaming and looking for players.
Mario Party: A classic line of family-oriented party games now available on Switch and Switch 2. The most recent entries have some pretty chaotic self-expression and random chance mechanics.
UGC Sandbox Games
*Please note that all user-generated content carries risks, and no player under the age of 13 should be playing UGC sandbox games without parental approval and supervision.
- Minecraft
- Roblox
- VRChat
Cooperative Games
Cooperative mechanics vary in depth – some games are deeply cooperative, and some offer it as a bolt-on to single player. Try to focus on the former.
- Split Fiction (2 player)
- Overcooked! (2-4 players)
Looking for a community to game with? You can start with my Discord community the MagicMafia – but we have strict no-tolerance policies for abuse of any kind. Please be respectful. We’ve been together for 9 years rallied around my weekly Twitch broadcasts and are a low key group of nerds. You probably won’t find highly competitive matchmaking partners there.
