Everyone hates that feeling when you are just getting into the groove of a game then the credits roll, or you find yourself with nothing meaningful to do.
Multiplayer games are not exempt from these horrors, but fear not: this list has the best slow-burn multiplayer games, so you can have your fun without worrying about the end being nigh.
There is no set template for what makes a good, slow multiplayer game. Some of them have you adventure with your pals, and others have you set the autopilot at flight level 410 while enjoying the view of the Alps.
You also have some variety of company: some games here work better with friends, others make you a little guy in a world surrounded by randos. Nothing wrong with changing things up, right?
8 Terraria
The Pinnacle of Crafting
Terraria is where you go when Minecraft stops scratching that itch. The 2D wonders of Terraria have a sense of purpose and consequence that Mojang’s modern classic lacks, making multiplayer worlds matter so much more.
The only caveat with Terraria multiplayer is that running a world works best with friends who agree to play together. It is possible to run solo in a shared world, but that often ends up sucking for whoever cannot join at that time.
Terraria rewards exploration but does not skimp on the combat and progression systems. These systems offer a decent challenge even for experienced players without locking newbies out.
7 EVE Online
A Fun Job Outside Your Job
- Released
- May 6, 2003
- Developer(s)
- CCP Games
- Publisher(s)
- CCP Games , Atari , Simon and Schuster Interactive
- Engine
- unity
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Violence
If you somehow wake up craving the rhythm of a 9-to-5 job but in a gaming format, it does not get any better than EVE Online.
The game is an economic simulator dressed up as a space game, to the point that the developers produce monthly economic reports that are more detailed than some real-world financial documents.
On top of the intrinsically slow nature of space travel, what makes EVE Online stay fresh for long is the variety of jobs you can pick up, from mining to bounty hunting.
The risk/reward ratio varies greatly, so you can always change things if you are bored.
6 Fallout 76
Rebuilding America, One Side Quest At A Time
Bethesda’s multiplayer Fallout attempt had an awful start, but it has matured into a nice and chill open-world multiplayer game.
The main storyline in Fallout 76 takes less than 100 hours to finish, but there are no incentives to rush it when you could be having a chill time.
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What makes Fallout 76 relatively unique in this list is that you can play it like a single-player Fallout game or interact with players.
Some encounters do have that toxic MMO veneer, but most of the time, it is a fun time rebuilding America.
5 Microsoft Flight Simulator
From Airlines To Bush Flying
- Released
- August 18, 2020
- Engine
- ACE Engine
- ESRB
- E For Everyone
- How Long To Beat
- 37 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 129 GB (November 2023)
- Metascore
- 91
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The world is your oyster. Few games give you an accurate rendition of planet Earth with no limitations to play with, and Microsoft Flight Simulator bundles that with a bustling multiplayer environment and a huge aircraft line-up.
Flying online in Microsoft Flight Simulator has one limit: your free time. You can go bush flying in Alaska, or get on VATSIM and enjoy a full human ATC experience for that airline fix.
This is a dynamic and fun game that makes the joy of flight accessible without sacrificing fidelity, something that is incredibly hard to do.
4 Sea of Thieves
Ahoy, Matey!
Hitting all of the achievements in Sea of Thieves will take you over 1000 hours, but most players never stop there.
The game remains the prime pirate experience despite Ubisoft’s abortive attempts to supersede it with Skull & Bones.
What keeps Sea of Thieves fresh for so long is how the game is unlimited dumb fun, especially if you are playing with friends.
Player encounters are chaotic, the world is unpredictable, and even when nothing is happening, you have a good time sailing the seven seas.
3 Foxhole
Because War Is Fun With Friends
- Platform(s)
- Microsoft Windows
- Released
- August 4, 2016
- Developer
- Siege Camp
- Publisher
- Siege Camp, Clapfoot Inc
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- ESRB
- m
- How Long To Beat
- 15 hours
War is horrible, but Foxhole players make it feel like a party. This cooperative action-strategy game plays out live across a world map, where all players collaborate toward a common goal.
Unlike Helldivers 2 where everyone is on the same side, Foxhole pits Wardens and Colonials against each other in a grinding war inspired by the first half of the 20th century.
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You have lumbering tanks, artillery for days, players running supply missions, and a disdain for human life that would make Super Earth proud.
Wars in Foxhole can last over a month, and you get more personally attached to it with each passing day. Victory is sweet, and defeat is ever bitter, but it is all short-lived once a new war starts.
2 Final Fantasy XIV
Endless Magical Fun
- Released
- August 27, 2013
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Originally the Crystal Tools engine, but currently it’s a custom engine using parts of the Luminous Engine.
- ESRB
- T for Teen – Language, Mild Blood, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- How Long To Beat
- 99½ Hours
- PC Release Date
- August 27, 2013
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- March 21, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- May 25, 2021
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
- How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)
- 3347 Hours
The first fully online Final Fantasy experience is over 10 years old, but it remains a fresh and engaging game thanks to the love Square Enix pours into it.
A lot of franchise veterans are skeptical about the game initially, and that apprehension is normal. After all, how come a solo story-driven series works as an MMO? As it turns out, that makes it even better.
Most players who enjoy Final Fantasy XIV stick with it past the 1,000-hour mark, and you regularly find people close to or above 10,000.
Between DLCs, events, and base content, there is enough adventure here to keep you busy for years.
1 Old School RuneScape
Timeless Perfection
- Released
- January 4, 2001
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Engine
- runetek
- ESRB
- t
- How Long To Beat
- 1120 hours
We saved the best for last. When chasing slow-burn multiplayer games, you might as well go straight to the source.
Old School Runescape preserved the game’s old spirit but with enough improvements to keep it relevant, and it has been one of the leading MMOs in the world since the ripe year of 2001.
The only problem in RuneScape today compared to RuneScape twenty-something years ago is that most players do not have a full day to sink into it after coming home from school.
RuneScape is a pure affair. It is unpretentious fun that rewards your time and makes the grind worth it. It does not get any better than this.
Next
10 Best Slow Burn Single Player Games
The time you do spend playing these titles rewards you for every minute.
