Gaming
Games
Top 10 cross-play games to play with friends and family remotely
Many of us have turned to our games in this time of being stuck at home. Here are a few of our favourites
Right now we need our friends and family more than ever and multiplayer games are the perfect fit. Finding a game that suits everybody can be a bit difficult so, to help ease the process along, here are our top games that you can play with your friends on different platforms.
1. Rocket League: Cross-play on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Rocket League
© gamestop
When it comes to pure unadulterated fun and accessibility, Rocket League is the king of the hill. At launch, Rocket league allowed for crossplay between PC and PS4 but eventually branched out to include players from Xbox and Nintendo Switch.
2. Hearthstone: Cross-play on PC and Mobile
Blizzard Entertainment’s Hearthstone sees the warcraft universe thrive in this delitfully whimsical tactical turn based card game. If your new lockdown gaming group is low on consoles, then this is the perfect title for you. Heartstone as a mobile experience allows for any friend or family member with a phone to take part.
3. Fortnite: Cross-play on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC and Mobile
Epic Game’ battle royale game takes the genre to new places with base building and crafting mechanics. This shooter shot to overnight fame boasting some of gaming’s highest concurrent numbers to date and is currently the most streamed game. Fortnite is really easy to learn and is optimized for new players to catch on quickly. Console players are able to cross-play with their friends on PS4, Xbox One as well as PC. If you’re extended non-gamer friends and family want to get in on the action, Fortnite Mobile is available for Android and IOS and enjoys the same cross-play functionality.
4. Call of Duty Modern Warfare: Cross-play on Xbox One, PS4 and PC
Can’t get away from it; can’t get enough of it – Call of Duty Modern Warfare, 2019 sees a return to form for the series with a focus on ground type infantry combat. COD Modern Warfare brought players on PC, XboX and PS4 together making it the largest COD community for a single game to date. With the newly released Warzone bringing battle royale into the mix and Call of Duty Mobile rising in the ranks, this title is fit for any gaming group looking for a good old fashioned bullet storm.
5. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds: Cross-play on PS4 and Xbox One
PUBG Mobile update
© tencent games
With the Battle Royale hype reaching fever pitch towards the end of 2019, much of its success is owed to the lesser known, Play Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) which is arguably the godfather of the battle royale genre. The game that sets a far more realistic tone than some of its more arcade counterparts. It throws a hundred players into a Hunger Games scenario, reducing the area size over time, until there is only one player left standing. PUBG only allows cross-play between console players due to the competitive advantage that PC players might have in an online scenario.
6. SMITE: Cross-play on XboX One, Switch, PC and PS4
This devishly fun free-to-play multiplayer online battle area (MOBA) was one of the first of the genre to embrace true cross-play for consoles and PC players. MOBAs can have a steap learning curve and are sometimes not the most forgiving for new players, but if you have a group of MOBA verteran friends looking for a game to stack over this lockdown period, give SMITE a go.
7. Minecraft: Cross-play on Xbox One, Switch, PC and Mobile
Minecraft hits the Switch
© Nintendo
Who doesn’t like a bit of Minecraft? This is fun that the whole family can get in on, with creative structure building and crafting in a vast creative sand box, Minecraft also boasts a really stong mobile port in Minecraft Pocket. Create a private server for your family and friends to join and build your dream apocalypse bunker together.
8. Ark Survival Evolved: Xbox One and PC
A game where you can spend hundreds of hours scraping together scraps of materials scattered across a hostile prehistoric wilderness so that you can build a fortress with lasers and ride a Tyranosaurous battle mount? Sign me up! Ark Survival Evolved is a bit of an oddball, but the possibilities are endless, and with cross-play between Xbox one and PC, you can start your very own post-apocalyptic survival tribe.
9. Street Fighter V: Cross-play on PC and PS4
This wouldn’t be a good list without a good fighting game, and Capcom’s Street Fighter V is one of the most accessible, allowing players to cross play between Ps4 and PC. With a 40 plus character roster size, the game has come a long way both in content and in integrating its online communities.
10. Dauntless: Cross-play on PS4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch
Dauntless
© Venturebeat
Feeling low on the dough? Dauntless is a free online action RPG that leans into the Monster Hunter formula of slaying large enemies and crafting new gear from your trophies. This may not be a top pick for casuals, but lovers of the D&D formula of character building, and high risk tactical combat will feel right at home. Dauntless is one of the few online action RPGs that offer true cross-play across all current generation consoles as well as PC.
