Day 4 — 10 Local Multiplayer Video Games to Enjoy at Home
Stuck at home? Why not enjoy a quick gaming session with your family/roommates/partner/pets?
The games in the following listicle were chosen by me to be accessible for quick local multiplayer gaming sessions. I’ve also tried to pick games with simpler graphics that do not require a beefy computer and could be played on notebooks or older machines alike. Most of the games are free or have low prices, so you have no excuses to not try them out.
So, plug in your joysticks, hop on the couch, and let’s get started!
EGGNOGG+
Players: 2
Available for: Windows, macOS, Linux
EGGNOGG+ is a funky 2-player indie game. It may look like a regular fighting game, but the main objective of each player is to reach its end of the map (think Nidhogg, rugby or even rope war).
This gives rise to some interesting mechanics of dodging and evading. All coupled up with funky tunes, responsive controls and lots of revenge matches. The game has a “pick your own price” model and you can also download it for free.
KeyCars
Players: 1 to 10+
Available for: Windows, Linux
KeyCars is a funny little game where each player controls a car to try to beat the others. What sets it apart is that each player controls their car using a single key!
With that, the game allows for having as many players as you have keys on your keyboard. However in practice, most computer keyboards cannot recognize multiple keys pressed at once, so it’s advisable to play with 6 or fewer players. KeyCars is free to download and play.
LF2
Players: 1 to 4
Available for: Windows
A classic freeware from the golden age of the Internet, LF2 (Little Fighter 2) remains as fresh as ever: with multiple characters to choose from, a versus mode, and a challenging “adventure” mode for co-op gaming. The game also has an active modding community and new content is made up to this day by the players themselves!
Super Mario War
Players: 1 to 4
Available for: Many platforms
Super Mario War is a Mario-inspired multiplayer noncommercial fangame developed in the early 2000s. Consider it a beefed-up version of the ancient Jump ‘n Bump.
This game is packed with content: from different gameplay modes and skins to tons of levels. As a bonus point, it is open-source, and the game was ported to pretty much every OS and console system under the sun.
Mari0
Players: 1 to 4
Available for: Windows, macOS, Linux
Yes, another Mario-inspired noncommercial fangame. If you like 2D-platformers and Portal, look no further than Mari0.
Put it simply, Mari0 reimplements the original Mario game, but with 4-player simultaneous co-op, portal guns, and new levels. As if that was not enough, game modifiers and downloadable user-made content such as map-packs are also available. The portal-themed co-op puzzle levels can be quite challenging!
Micro Mages
Players: 1 to 4
Available for: Any platform that can emulate a NES (or a NES itself)
Micro Mages belongs to a special category of games: new games made for classic consoles. Even though the NES was discontinued in 1995, Micro Mages was released in 2019, as a cartridge and ROM.
Despite fitting into only 40 Kilobytes, it supports 4 simultaneous players and contains 26 levels. It has an authentic nostalgic feeling while also being super fun to play in multiplayer sessions.
Superfighters
Players: 1 to 2
Available for: Windows, flash
Superfighters is another fun little game from the flash era. Even though it has a simple concept, some multiplayer matches turn out cinematically hilarious in a way that is hard to explain. You can also try the sequel for up to 4 players!
Samurai Gunn
Players: 1 to 4
Available for: Windows, macOS
A fast-paced Bushido brawler, Samurai Gunn is a brilliant demonstration of how games can be fun and stylish even with “lower-end” graphics.
Versus mode is the main attraction of the game, but cooperating against waves of enemies is also an option!
Death Squared
Players: 1 to 4
Available for: Many platforms
Death Squared is a co-op puzzle game for up to 4 players. The gameplay focuses more on planning, communication, and cooperation instead of speed and reflexes, which makes it an excellent choice for casual/social gamers.
Overcooked 2
Players: 1 to 4
Available for: Many platforms
Overcooked 2 needs no introduction: it was already popular since its release, thanks to the success of its predecessor. It is a frantic, cooperative cooking video game with many extra DLCs. Even though it is not as lightweight as the other games in this list, it definitely does not require a high-end machine. It is also a superb couch co-op game and I couldn’t help but include it.
That’s it, I hope you can take a few games for a spin and enjoy yourself.
What other lightweight/bang-for-buck multiplayer games would you suggest? Feel free to comment below!
This article is part of the HENNGE Advent Calendar 2020. An Advent calendar is a special calendar used for counting down the days till Christmas. HENNGE Advent Calendar 2020 presents one article by one HENNGE member per day for 25 days until Christmas, 2020.
