Single-Player or Multiplayer?
Some games are at their best when you can settle in, play at your own pace, and make decisions without negotiating every next step. Others come alive once you add friends and family, because the fun is in coordination, chaos, and the strategies you create together. Ready to grab your controller or console? Here are the 10 best games to play solo, and 10 that are better enjoyed with company.
1. Baldur’s Gate 3
If you want a long, choice-driven RPG where your decisions genuinely reshape quests and relationships, Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the strongest modern picks. Solo play works especially well because you can take your time reading dialogue, experimenting with builds, and managing a full party without feeling like you’re slowing anyone down. It also supports features like cross-play and cross-save services through a Larian account, which is handy if you bounce between setups.
Miguel Discart & Kiri Karma on Wikimedia
2. Elden Ring
Elden Ring is ideal when you’re in the mood for exploration that rewards curiosity, patience, and careful combat decision-making. Playing alone keeps the focus on learning enemy patterns, refining your approach, and discovering routes through the Lands Between at your own pace. It’s also designed as an action RPG that can be played solo or with online support, so you can keep it pure or selectively lean on co-op when you feel like it.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
It’s hard to beat when you want an open-ended adventure where you can choose your own objectives and wander without pressure. The core appeal is the freedom to explore Hyrule’s land and skies, solve puzzles, and approach encounters in the order that feels right to you. Playing solo matters here because so much of the satisfaction comes from experimenting and refining your own solutions.
4. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is built for slow, thoughtful play where you can fully engage with its dialogue, choices, and roleplaying flexibility. It’s more rewarding when you can pause to weigh how you want your detective to respond rather than rushing to keep a group moving.
5. Hades
When you want something fast, repeatable, and satisfying in short sessions, Hades is the kind of game that fits around real life without feeling watered down. The loop is built around repeated escape attempts that gradually unlock new tools and story beats, so your solo progress always feels meaningful even when a run goes sideways. It’s also explicitly a single-player roguelike action RPG, which helps it keep a tight, personal rhythm.
6. Persona 5 Royal
This is a great solo pick if you enjoy a long-form RPG where day-to-day planning, relationships, and combat all feed into each other. Because so much of the game is about choosing how to spend limited time, solo play lets you be deliberate about your priorities.
7. Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is perfect when you want a calmer game that still offers depth through farming, exploration, crafting, and long-term planning. Solo play makes it easier to set your own goals, whether that’s optimizing your farm layout, finishing bundles, or just enjoying seasonal routines. It’s also the kind of game you can return to repeatedly as you refine how you play.
8. Slay the Spire
If you like strategy that rewards careful reading and incremental improvement, Slay the Spire is one of the cleanest deck-building games to sink into. The best runs come from learning probabilities, building around synergies, and adjusting on the fly when the game offers you imperfect options.
9. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is what you want to play when you want a focused, demanding action game that expects you to improve rather than out-level problems. Solo play fits because the combat is built around timing, positioning, and mastery, and you’ll probably want space to practice without commentary or distraction.
10. Outer Wilds
If you enjoy discovery-driven games, Outer Wilds stands out because it’s structured around learning how the solar system works rather than grinding stats. It’s also repeatedly described as an open-world mystery in a time loop, which is a great summary of what you’ll be getting yourself into.
But what if you're up for playing with friends? Let's jump into the games that are best enjoyed when you're in a group.
Alex Beachum, creator of Outer Wilds on Wikimedia
1. It Takes Two
It Takes Two should be played with friends because, well... it takes two to play. The game has no single-player option, as the whole premise is set up like a digital couples therapy session, so buckle up if you're playing with your partner. (Don't worry; you'll have fun.)
2. Helldivers 2
It’s fun to play solo in a pinch, but Helldivers 2 is far better when you’ve got a squad because the game’s chaos and objectives are built around teamwork. Coordinating loadouts, calling in support, and keeping each other alive turns missions into an action-packed exercise.
3. Lethal Company
The premise of Lethal Company is simple—scavenge scrap on abandoned moons to meet quotas—but splitting roles like scouting, hauling, and monitoring threats makes it dramatically more playable and memorable. The horror game first gained popularity on Steam, where players could get early access.
4. Minecraft
Minecraft can be a relaxing solo sandbox, but multiplayer is where it becomes a long-running shared project instead of a personal routine. A server or realm makes it easy to build communal spaces, collaborate on big structures, or just drop in and see what your friends changed since last time.
Oberon Copeland @veryinformed.com on Unsplash
5. Fortnite
Even if you’re not chasing wins, Fortnite is more enjoyable with friends because it’s built around shared activities across multiple modes. Squadding up makes it easier to coordinate movement, share resources, and keep the match engaging even when things don’t go your way.
6. Among Us
Among Us is better with friends because the game depends on discussion, trust, and the way your group talks through accusations. With people you know, meetings get more strategic, and you’ll start noticing patterns in how specific friends bluff, betray, or defend themselves.
7. The Jackbox Party Packs
These shine with friends because the fun comes from reacting to each other’s answers, drawings, and decisions in real time. They’re structured as bundles of party games designed to be played in groups, which makes them easy to fit into a casual game night without heavy setup.
8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Racing games are already competitive, but Mario Kart hits differently when you’re laughing at last-second trip-ups and arguing about who got robbed of first place. Local multiplayer makes the pace snappy, and it’s easy for mixed-skill groups because assists like Smart Steering can help newer players stay in the race.
9. Overcooked! 2
This is a co-op stress test in the best way, because you’ll only succeed if you communicate clearly and adjust quickly. Dividing tasks—chopping, cooking, plating, washing—sounds simple until the kitchens start changing and the orders stack up, and then you’ll be talking nonstop through the chaos.
10. Destiny 2
You can play portions alone, but Destiny 2 really opens up when you’re grouping for tougher activities, coordinating roles, and chasing rewards together. Plus, it's free to play if you want to try it out first, though you might eventually want to end up getting the full version.
