Meta: Have you ever wondered what games gamers play in their downtime? We have the answers, and it’s not what you would expect.
The Best Games for Gamers
These are the top most popular online video games for anyone who loves gaming and pro gamers taking a break from their gaming career, starting with Warhammer 40k: Eternal Crusade.
#1 – Warhammer 40k: Eternal Crusade
Warhammer 40k: Eternal Crusade is an upcoming MMO third-person shooter, developed by Behaviour Interactive and published by Games Workshop.
It’s based on the popular tabletop wargame franchise Warhammer 40,000 and features a persistent world campaign that blends PvE with PvP.
The game will feature four classes at launch, all sharing a common skill tree but having unique abilities and different load-outs including customize equipment load-outs. In addition, there will be armored rhinos for transportation, and gunships players can call in for fire support from orbit.
The game will live stream on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It’s free-to-play with micro-transactions for both cosmetics as well as weapons. The game uses Steamworks for matchmaking and features global chat channels moderated by Games Workshop employees who keep the community clean of trolls.
Photo by JC Gellidon on Unsplash
#2 – Everquest Next
Everquest Next is an upcoming action role-playing game set in a fantasy world currently under development by Daybreak Game Company (formerly Sony Online Entertainment) using the Forgelight engine previously used for Landmark. It’s a sequel to the original Everquest and features a new voxel-based lighting system that reacts realistically with shadows from foliage.
The game will feature four classes at launch, all of which can be customized in appearance using a unique “crown” system that allows players to adjust ethnic characteristics such as hair color and height using wearable items.
An open-world design has been released with ten factions, each belonging to one of the three spheres of the lore: Fighters – The Guardsmen of Norrath, Tacticians – The Mages, and the Scientists – The Alchemists of Mechanus.
#3 – Age Of Empires: World Domination
Age of Empires: World Domination is a 3D strategy game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft. It’s an online version of the classic PC series loosely set in ancient times, featuring historical battlefields like Troy, Iwo Jima, and Rorke’s Drift.
The idea is to build up your army with six basic units then strategically place them onto the battlefield to protect your base while taking out enemy buildings and units. The battle plays out in real-time, but you can pause the action at any time to issue commands.
#4 – Xcom 2: (WOTC) War Of The Chosen
Xcom 2: WOTC is a turn-based tactics video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K Games. It’s a standalone expansion pack to the reboot of the X-COM series, taking place 20 years after the last alien war.
It features two new enemy archetypes: The Chosen, nine unique commanders who can invade and upgrade territories and perform special attacks and abilities. The commanders are accompanied by the Advent, an army of religious fanatics featuring three related units and a unique mechanic known as “neurotoxin.”
This cloud will cause soldiers to panic and suffer morale penalties under its influence or be captured if they become too frightened.
#5 – Warhammer Age Of Sigmar Champions
Warhammer Age of Sigmar Champions is a card-based online strategy game set in the fantasy world of Warhammer. It’s published by PlayFusion and released on PC, iOS, and Android. The game features a blend of traditional collectible card play with board-game style elements such as tile laying to build a map and a hero system featuring over 24 heroes, each with their leveling mechanics and unique abilities.
#6 – Hearthstone: Heroes Of Warcraft
Blizzard Entertainment released Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft in 2014 for Windows, macOS, iOS devices, including iPhones and iPads, Android Phones, and tablets, along with the Apple Watch.
It’s a strategy card game set in the Warcraft universe where players can unlock new cards from booster packs or craft them using dust from unwanted cards, winning matches to gain experience to increase a level and make gold to buy new cards.
#7 – GWENT: The Witcher Card Game
GWENT is a standalone version of the previously browser-based Collectible card game Gwent, initially designed by CD Projekt RED as part of their video game series based on Mike Sapkowski’s The Witcher franchise.
It features updated visuals and other minor gameplay tweaks from the original title. Still, it will continue to be updated as a separate entity rather than integrating into the mainline of video games again.
Photo by#8 – For Honor
For Honor is a third-person action hack and slash set in a fantasy universe featuring Vikings, Knights, and Samurai, which gamers can play competitively or cooperatively against AI-controlled enemies or with other players in offline and online battles.
Ubisoft Montreal developed the game, which Ubisoft published for Windows, Playstation 4, and Xbox—released in 2017 to high acclaim. The game features a Faction War mechanic where players choose a faction at the beginning, which is constantly contested between all three sections to gain rewards, such as unique heroes equipped with special weapons and armor sets.
#9 – Headlander
Headlander is a retro-futuristic action video game with Metroidvania elements set in a world inspired by 1970s science fiction aesthetics released for PS4 and Steam in 2016, published and designed by Double Fine Productions.
Gamers take on the part of an intergalactic hero who has lost his body but saved his head, gaining special powers. The head must explore his surroundings to reclaim his body while fighting ” Headmaster the evil computer.” It’s a completely crazy concept but fantastic fun.
#10 – Atlas Reactor
Atlas Reactor is an online tactical turn-based game published by Trion Worlds and designed by Jake Kazdal, indie studio 17-Bit. Players form teams of four freelancers, each with their unique abilities, which become available once they’ve taken enough turns within the round.
An additional mechanic known as Overdrive requires players to decide whether or not to give up more turns in exchange for overcharged attacks, higher defenses, or other perks. Inactive characters earn a small amount of charge, which gamers can expend at any time for benefits such as area healing.
These games may not be the top-selling games to consumers, but they are games that pro gamers love to play during their downtime.