Life can be lonely sometimes. But even if you are totally alone wherever you are, there are always plenty of online games you can play to hang out with your friends virtually or even make new ones. All you need to do is jump onto your platform of choice, even if that's a free game.

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As long as you have an open heart, you can meet people in the most unlikely places. Whether you are meeting new people in online matchups or online communities, these games are perfect for anyone looking to connect with others that have like-minded interests.

Updated on August 9, 2023, by Gabrielle Huston: Gaming is mostly an indoor, at-home kind of hobby these days. It used to be that gamers had to go to arcades, or still could, to get their fix, and they were bound to meet other like-minded people there. Now, you might find that you're the only gamer you know. If you want to find other people who enjoy playing video games, we recommend these titles.

13 Among Us

Among us crew mates floating in space

Among Us is an extremely popular game with very short rounds. It's pretty uncommon for a match to go for longer than five minutes. So if you were playing Among Us all night, you could potentially meet hundreds of other gamers.

One of the key features of Among Us is communication. If you don’t talk to your teammates, how will you ever find out who the imposter is? This really gets you talking with the people you are playing with, and death is always a good icebreaker. If you find you are connecting with someone in a game of Among Us, you can add them as a friend to keep playing together and building your friendship in the future.

12 Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2 - Asura female on left, Sylvari male on right

Guild Wars 2 is a fantasy MMORPG set in the world of Tyria, where five major species dominate the land. Some are familiar, like humans and norn, but the sylvari are literally just walking plants. Fans affectionately call them "salads."

While Guild Wars 2 isn't the most active RPG of all time, it has a dedicated fanbase of players who you can rely on to be around several times a week (if not almost every day). It's easy to be recruited into a guild, where you'll find more experienced players who are willing to show you the ropes.

Plus, there's a free version! You can buy the expansions if you find yourself enjoying it, which add mounts, gliding, and new regions to Tyria.

11 Elden Ring

Elden Ring logo and the Tarnished crouched over a sword suck in the ground

Elden Ring is an experience, to say the least. It is known for its brutal difficulty. But thankfully, Elden Ring has a couple of online features, so you can help others out on their adventures. If you play Elden Ring online, you can leave little notes on the ground to warn other players of upcoming danger or maybe tip them off about a secret that’s nearby.

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You can also summon other players to help you out if you are taking on a particularly difficult boss. Two people taking on a hideous and deadly beast is definitely better than one. And once you slay an Elden Ring boss with someone, you are bonded for life.

10 Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Villagers outside Nook's Cranny in Animal Crossing New Horizons.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a cult classic at this point. It has an incredibly massive and dedicated community that you can interact with in online forums or within the game itself. Animal Crossing allows you to interact with others in several ways.

You can share things like clothing or path designs with people to spice up each other’s islands. You can also invite people to your island by opening your gates to anyone you would like. You can even visit other people's islands in a dream to take a tour and gather new ideas for your own decor.

9 Final Fantasy 14

Official artwork of the main cast of Final Fantasy 14 standing with weapons primed.

An MMORPG is possibly one of the best ways to make friends online, and Final Fantasy 14 is a perfect example. It allows you to go about your adventure however you would like. You can choose to go it alone, or if you would like to make friends — which is definitely recommended — it is extremely easy to do so.

You can simply go to a bar or tavern, sit down, and start talking with a stranger at any point. The game itself can be quite difficult, but finding help isn’t. Final Fantasy 14 has an incredibly kind and helpful community, and its structure makes it one of the easiest games to make friends.

8 The Sims 4

A female Sim stands behind another female Sim giving directions on how to play the piano in The Sims 4

If you've ever met a fan of The Sims, you know how intense they are. Players of first-person shooters or MMOs sometimes make fun of those who buy an expensive gaming computer just to play The Sims 4, but they should try running a game of such immense size, with all the various worlds and characters they've created, plus the custom mods, on some rinky-dink laptop!

At its core, The Sims games are simulation games (hence the name). You manage your characters' jobs, home lives, hobbies, styles, decorations, and so much more!

The Sims 4 became free to play not long ago, since it's been around for a while and they can make enough income off of DLC purchases to support it. This gives you the perfect excuse to try it out! Though there's no multiplayer functionality, you'll quickly find that - like other games on this list - the online community for the game is expansive, readily available, and welcoming!

7 Sky: Children Of The Light

Sky Children of the Light title image showing main character flying through a meadow.

Sky: Children of the Light is the perfect game to make friends if you’re shy. And it's also free, which is another bonus. Your friendships are entirely anonymous, as there is no way to add someone as a friend or even talk to them.

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Your friendships in Sky: Children of the Light are entirely in-the-moment. You can simply run around and experience things together for as much or as little time as you want. There is something about these happenstance friendships that make those connections very special.

6 Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 agents gathered around Winston

If you are looking for a little more action, Overwatch 2 provides yet another way to make friends. Overwatch 2 selects a team of players from all over the world to create teams that you will then ride the waves of victory with, hopefully anyway.

Overwatch 2 also has voice chat. Voice chat can bring a whole new element to building friendships in video games. Talking directly with someone is much more personal than seeing their name appear on a screen and watching their avatar run around, for better or for worse. If you enjoy playing with someone, you can choose to continue on to the next round together and even add them as a friend if you really start to feel a connection.

5 Valorant

Astra from Valorant looking to the left, with other characters in the background

If Overwatch 2 isn’t really your style, Valorant is another similar option you could try. It has all the hallmarks of a great online game that you can use to forge friendships. Quick matches allow you to meet a huge variety of people from all over the world, voice chat lets you get to know each other on a more personal level, and you also have the ability to add those friends to hang out with them later.

Valorant is extremely popular, so you won't have a problem finding an online match-up. It's also great fun, so even if you don’t meet that special someone you can make a long-lasting friendship with, you will still have a good time regardless.

4 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

A screenshot showing a player firing a rifle in Counter-Strike:Global Offensive

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (colloquially known as CS:GO) came out all the way back in 2012. As of this writing, Steam Charts places it as the #1 game (meaning, it's being played by the most people right now of all the games on Steam). In July 2023, it averaged 881,691 players, and its peak was 1,222,913 players.

So, needless to say, this online tactical first-person shooter is still a great place to meet like-minded gamers. You'll be paired up in teams to play, and communication is key to winning here. The emphasis is really on the tactical part of tactical first-person shooter. A good trigger finger will only get you so far if you don't have a plan and/or can't execute it effectively in a team.

3 Fall Guys

Fall Guys characters jumping towards the screen in various costumes

Sometimes first-person shooters can require a high skill level, and voice chat can become toxic if players feel like one of their teammates isn’t as experienced as the rest. This is inexcusable, and rather than creating a safe space to meet people and make new friends, it can become quite detrimental.

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Fall Guys is still a competitive game with voice chat, but you don’t always play in teams. So if you’re worried about getting called out for not being the best player in the world, it could be a more comfortable place to make friends. Fall Guys is also fun and silly in nature, so players are less likely to be so highly strung when they’re playing. As a bonus, it's free!

2 Stardew Valley

A character on a horse outside a barn in Stardew Valley, with logo.

Stardew Valley is an incredibly calming and relaxing game that has a huge community of kindhearted people. Maybe the chill vibes of Stardew Valley rub off on its players because any Stardew Valley forum is almost guaranteed to be a safe space, especially for newcomers.

If first-person shooters aren’t really your jam, and you’re into more relaxing games, Stardew Valley is a great option. It’s also highly creative, so playing multiplayer with someone can be a great way to get new ideas on how to optimize your own farm layout. There are tons of online forums and communities to get involved with, even though you don't really interact with other players in the game.

1 Sea Of Thieves

Sea of thieves title screen showing two ships and a myriad of characters in the background

Everyone loves pirates. And if you just so happen to have been searching for the perfect crew to sail the Seven Seas with, Sea of Thieves is probably where you will find them. It is an MMORPG where you can do almost anything you can imagine a pirate would do, including finding the perfect crew mates.

Interacting with people in Sea of Thieves is as simple as approaching them. You could even attack other crews' ships at sea in order to meet new people, but you probably wouldn’t receive a very warm reception. Sea of Thieves supports voice chat, so you can properly work together to man the ship and become the most fearsome crew of swashbuckling pirates the seas have ever seen.

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