These rankings are based on a direct vote put out to DualShockers’ 100+ contributors, writers, and editors, not our individual reviews.

Games are where we go to escape from the everyday realities of the world. Multiplayer games allow us to mix that escapism with a bit of comradery and competition. Multiplayer games help us connect with our communities, our friends, and even fellow gamers around the globe. They occupy a unique space and provide qualities that a single-player game just can’t.

Multiplayer games can entertain us for a bite-sized game session or carry over for months on end. Whether you play with friends or random players, multiplayer games add a human factor that’s hard to quantify. This is why we love multiplayer games, and why we’re here to celebrate the top ten multiplayer games of 2023.

10 Disney Illusion Island

A Mickey Metroidvania

Disney Illusion Island is a visual feast for old school Disney fans. However, this isn’t just a game for fans of the classics. With a lot of heart and humor, it feels like a modern take on the characters with a classic art style.

You can co-op with up to four players. If one of the players gets in trouble, there’s a hug button to help your teammate regain health. It’s a useful and cute mechanic that helps make the game forgiving in what can otherwise be a pretty difficult genre. Its sprawling world makes for a wonderful introduction to the metroidvania genre, practically making it a must-play for younger audiences and families alike. Our own Audrey Di Martino gave Disney Illusion Island an 8.5/10, saying, “Beautiful and imaginative, freewheeling and magical, Disney Illusion Island has all the makings of a modern classic.”

9 Mortal Kombat 1

Fun With Finishers

Mortal Kombat 1 is one of the best entries in the history of the franchise. While the solo content is great, the multiplayer is where the game really finds its groove. Whether you’re playing with a friend or in ranked mode, you can expect each fight to bring fury and, of course, gore.

Kameos add a lot to the strategy of Mortal Kombat 1 and give players something extra to think about when setting up a match. The ability to bring in assist characters to cover the weak points of your main fighter is a great move and a fun way to mix up the usual Mortal Kombat formula.

8 Party Animals

A Droppy Floppy Good Time

With three modes and nine maps, Party Animals provides plenty of variety as you throw floppy animals at each other in the hopes of knocking your opponents around. While the floppy nature of the animals can feel clunky at first, you quickly get the hang of things and learn the very intentional way the animals move around.

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It’s a true treat to play with up to seven other players. Sessions often end with raucous laughter and the suggestion that you should play another round. Since the rounds are only a few minutes long, it’s easy to keep rolling with the bite-sized content until you notice an hour or two has gone by. It’s a great time for anyone looking to toss around their friends.

7 EA Sports FC 24

It’s In The Game

Multiplayer takes center stage in EA Sports FC 24, and its multiplayer modes are there to provide hours and hours of fun for sports enthusiasts. Rewarding tutorials allow you to hone your game and practice your plays in a meaningful way. If you want to have a better experience in multiplayer, then spend a little time running through these helpful tutorials.

Multiple game modes allow you to keep things fun and fresh whether you’re playing with friends or having a go at random online matches. With so many teams and players available, the options feel limitless as you try to put together your perfect teams and clubs.

6 Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3

Load Up And Roll Out

The Call of Duty franchise lives and dies by its multiplayer. Whatever the single player mode may lack in Modern Warfare 3, the multiplayer mode makes up for with its addictive and rewarding gameplay. Whether you’re fighting against other players in Warzone or taking it to the zombies, this is a game where coordination and overwhelming firepower are a big part of the fun.

While it may not introduce any big, new ideas, this iteration is a lesson in refinement and expansion. It’s every bit as good as its predecessor, with the benefit of sharpening mechanics like slide-canceling and mantling. The maps are also a highlight that make Modern Warfare 3 a joy to play with friends or random players.

5 Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Family Fun In The Flower Kingdom

Nintendo knows how to make an incredible family game, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder is no exception. With settings that make it approachable for most ages, this is a great game for kids and adults alike. With Mario’s bright, flashy colors and trippy visuals, it’s sure to keep everyone’s attention for a long time to come.

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While it’s fun to make your way through the main levels, it’s even more fun to replay those levels in an attempt to find every secret. This may not be a very long title, clocking in at around twelve hours start to finish, but that’s part of what makes it a fun family experience. Everyone who picks up a controller is bound to have fun playing as their favorite Mario character and enjoying the game’s imaginative power-ups.

4 Street Fighter 6

Gonna Take You For A Ride

With six new World Warriors and twelve returning ones, Street Fighter 6 boasts an impressive roster of eighteen characters to choose from. Crossplay means you don’t have to worry about your platform getting in the way of a good time. The tutorials in Street Fighter 6 are some of the best in any fighting game. The game teaches you new fighters in a way that is approachable without holding your hand too much.

Whether you’re playing with a friend or random player, rematches are practically instantaneous, which means you don’t have to wait around long if you’re in a grudge match with someone. Street Fighter 6 is a feature-packed fighter that manages to amaze whether you’re playing with friends or jumping into ranked mode. It’s fast, it’s addictive, and it just might be the best the franchise has ever been. Our own Audry Di Martino gave Street Fighter 6 a 9.2/10, saying, “The Street Fighter franchise might have been out for the count last generation, but Street Fighter 6 puts it back on its feet and back into the ring in style; it’s a series comeback if ever I’ve seen one.”

3 Remnant 2

Big Guns And A Lot Of Fun

After a brief tutorial, Remnant 2 opens up to be one of the most rewarding multiplayer experiences of the year. The ability to mix two classes together, customize all of your weapons, and even have a dog companion means that your party can have a wild amount of versatility. Whether you’re playing in a small group or a larger one, traveling between worlds and gunning down threats has never been more fun. Procedural generation even makes it a rewarding experience to visit the worlds of other players.

While Remnant 2 has a good story, the gameplay loop is really the star of the show. Taking down bosses and crafting new items from their rare materials is a rewarding experience that never gets old. Hunting down new classes to unlock means that you can find new ways to play many hours into your time with the game, but it’s all part of the fun. Our own Robert Webb gave this game an 8.5/10. Remnant 2 takes our third spot on this list with a great 20% of the vote.

2 Diablo 4

A Mother Of A Good Time

The Diablo franchise has been a multiplayer juggernaut for many years, but Diablo 4 refines the formula into an artform. If you own a copy of Diablo 4, you can play with your friends. Platform is no longer a hurdle for players who wish to group together. If you want to play the story from start to finish, you don’t even have to play the tutorial on your own. Diablo 4 was built from the ground up with multiplayer as a focus, and it is only made better by its seasonal content.

If playing with friends isn’t quite enough for you, other players will appear in the overworld. You can choose to interact or not, but the whole experience feels like a living world. Our own Emma Ward gave the game an 8.5/10, saying, “Whether you are a diehard fan, or this is your first Diablo experience, you are bound to enjoy your visit to Sanctuary.” Diablo 4 takes our second spot with a sizable 25% of the vote.

1 Baldur’s Gate 3

Rolling Dice Has Never Felt Better

Part of the magic of Baldur’s Gate 3 is that, when setting out on a multiplayer adventure, it feels like sitting down at a D&D table. The story unfolds with major beats, but there are an incredible number of choices you can make both in and out of combat. It genuinely feels like Larian Studios has captured the essence of group storytelling within a fantasy world.

Because of the well written and compelling companions, Baldur’s Gate 3 manages to be a rewarding multiplayer experience even if you don’t have a full party of players. Our own Jack Coleman gave this game a 10/10, calling Baldur’s Gate 3 “…a masterfully crafted RPG that improves on every aspect of Larian’s past work.” Baldur’s Gate 3 takes the top spot with a stunning 55% of the vote. I guess it’s a pretty popular game or something.

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