Gaming
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7 essential Xbox One party games
Multiplayer fun is guaranteed with these Xbox One party hits to keep any crowd amused
Despite the common misconception that suggests otherwise, gamers can be a friendly bunch, and never is that truer than when there's a chance to be sociable and play video games at the same time.
Given how tricky it is to get people together in one place, it's up to you to make sure that the games you serve up are worthy of your time and efforts. Here's a list of the best games to get the party started on Xbox One.
Nidhogg 2
Nidhogg 2 is good, gory, fun
© Messhof Games
Like most good party games, Nidhogg had a deceptively simple premise: two players are duelling in an attempt to get to the opposite side of the map. But rather than just being a footrace, players are required to, well, kill each other. This leads to hilariously scrappy brawling and tactical stalemates in equal measure.
In Nidhogg 2 the core gameplay remains the same, but there are loads more variables thrown into the mix, such as new weapons like bows and throwing knives, plus a better variety of stages.
Though this is technically a two-player game, the contests themselves never take more than a few minutes which leads to the perfect winner-stays-on scenario where controllers can be easily passed around a group. And even when you aren’t playing, Nidhogg 2’s designer Mark Essen said that it was built from the ground up to be a spectator game and it’s easy to get caught up in the frenetic action from the sidelines.
FIFA 20
Timing is key for defending well in FIFA 20
© EA
Speaking of winner-stays-on, there are few games that quite encapsulate this like the FIFA series. Naturally, there is the traditional way of playing with typical 11 v 11 matches, but FIFA 19 upped the party factor with the introduction of its ‘house rules’. These ranged from Survival Mode – where you lose a random player if you score – to Headers & Volleys – where, as the title would suggest, goals count only when scored with a volley or a header.
FIFA 20 continued this with even more wacky rules. King of the Hill adds even more strategy to play, where goals only count after a player has held the ball in a particular zone for a few seconds, and multiple zone controls can stack up to a maximum of three goals for scoring only one. In Mystery Ball, every time the ball goes out of play, it comes back with a new modifier for the attacking team – enhanced dribbling, sprint speed, passing or shooting – and a goal multiplier. All of these modes make for wild and unpredictable games that level the playing field between experienced pros and total novices to make it perfect for a party.
The latest entry in the series also introduced Volta Football: quick bursts of small-scale street football with each team only having a handful of players. It’s not quite the skills-fest of FIFA Street, but it does bring back some of that nostalgia and is another fun party addition.
And let’s not forget those infamous FIFA apology rules…
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Hail to the (Master) Chief
© Microsoft
Okay, so Halo might not be the first game to come to mind when you're thinking of the light-and-breezy party games. But let's face it – there’s nothing better than getting a bunch of mates on the sofa for a bout of Blood Gulch (here called Bloodline) or capture the flag.
Compiling the first four mainline Halo games along with Reach and Halo 3: ODST, Halo: The Master Chief Collection has a frankly absurd amount of content for both solo and group play. The ability to set custom rules is also here, meaning that you can come up with as many weird and stupid stipulations as you can think of. Want to play the floor is lava or turn your favourite map into a racetrack? Have at it. There’s even a spreadsheet to help you get started with some of the wackiest rulesets players have come up with.
If you run out of things to do, there’s even the Forge mode for creating your own maps – and a party is an ideal environment for their debut, right?
Just Dance 2020
Throw your cares to the wind and boogie down in front of your friends
© Ubisoft
Remember Kinect? If you were an early adopter of the Xbox One, chances are that you still have one of these camera accessories gathering dust in a drawer. And though the Kinect has fallen on hard times, that hasn’t stopped developers from still cranking out games for it. Enter: Just Dance 2020.
You don’t need a manual to tell you what this game is about – it’s right there in the title. What do you do? You Just Dance.
Just Dance is one of the last series that still makes use of Kinect (though it’s no surprise when you consider they even released this on the Wii), and has the potential to be a lot of fun, regardless of your level of sobriety. The Kinect-deprived need not fret though, as there’s an Android and iOS app users can download to get involved, too.
Mileage will vary depending on your musical tastes, but if you’re not down for ‘Old Town Road’ or Frozen II mega-hit ‘Into The Unknown’ then why are you looking for party games in the first place? For mega fans, Ubisoft offers the Just Dance Unlimited subscription which brings every song from the decade’s worth of titles that preceded it.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
Man of Medan is great for a pass-the-pad spooktacular
© BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment
Made by the studio behind the excellent Until Dawn, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan comes with a similar flair for suspense but, unlike its predecessor, it was designed from the ground up to be experienced with others. Not for the faint-hearted, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan is a terrifying – and stressful – psychological horror that seeks to sow doubt in the relationship you have with your buddies.
The setup is relatively straightforward: a group of colourful characters go on a diving excursion in pursuit of sunken treasure. But come nightfall, their ship is boarded by pirates and supernatural chaos takes over. What ensues is 4-5 hours of thrilling tension and tight decision making.
One person will have the controller, but there's a mode specifically crafted for party-play that lets you pass it around the group so everyone can have a go. More a movie than a game, it's excellent for co-op buddies seeking dark, intriguing stories about things that go bump in the night, and it's simple button prompts and dialogue choices make it the perfect choice for inexperienced gamers, too.
Overcooked 2
No friendship or relationship survives Overcooked 2 unscathed
© Team 17
Everyone has heard of Overcooked, the high-stress cook 'em up that forces you and up to three other players to serve an increasingly complicated series of meals while overcoming restaurant challenges like conveyor belts, rats, and serving food across two boats as they bomb down rapids...
Overcooked 2 is a refinement of everything that made the first game so great, and also adds in the ability to toss ingredients around the kitchen, making your superstar cooks equal parts chef and quarterback. Add this to the game's tight controls, and a great sense of humour, and it's a must-play. Be warned, though; this is one of the only games on the list that could ensure you and the people you play it with refuse to talk to each other ever again.
Jackbox Party Pack 6
5 new games to make you giggle in Jackbox Party Pack 6
© Jackbox Games
No best party game list is complete without an offering from Jackbox Party. The latest iteration, Jackbox Party Pack 6, cleverly combines your Xbox with your smart devices to permit a whole gaggle of your pals to get together for some seriously silly shenanigans.
Pack 6 contains a selection of mini-games, including the absurd deathmatch Trivia Murder Party 2, weird word circus Dictionarium, and Push the Button, a hidden identity game. Up to ten players can play at once, but a staggering 10,000 people can spectate, too, so it's a great choice if you have a lot of friends or family or vying to get involved!
