Spending 10 years as a gamer is no joke. After all, we’ve become witnesses to companies and teams rising and falling over controversies and interesting trends in the market. However, now that 2020 is upon us, a lot of us gamers might actually feel a bit overwhelmed. After all, we’re already done with the decade??? It’s like we haven’t played enough games yet!
And if you’re the type of gamer who wants to make the most out of your time, you might want to try out some of the best games out there. And if you’re the multiplayer enthusiast, here are some of the best online games you can try out in the market in the past decade:
- RuneScape will always prove that a passion project will last a lifetime. Players of RuneScape will remember the classic login theme, back when Java was the norm and all we had was that set of runes, the sword, and the word “RuneScape” welcoming players. And after signing up and customizing a character, players are thrust into a fully-3D open world where classes don’t exist, where quests can go from full medieval to full crazy, and where players can slay monsters for a living or participate in the game’s in-game economy. Or bake and cook and fish, whichever is their fancy. RuneScape has gone through two major updates and appearance changes (we already have RuneScape 3), the game remains free to play with a browser launcher.
- RuneScape fans will love not just the lore and the funny hijinks of the characters, but also the game mechanics. After the tutorial, fans are thrust into the town of Lumbridge, and they can explore the game world as they wish. They can level up their skills via constant use, and there’s no recommended method of player progression. Meaning players can be the typical warrior, mage, or archer. Or they can be bakers, miners, smiths, and even cooks.
- Fans of RuneScape will definitely see the hard work the team has put to help the game grow – especially having started with characters and environments with small polygons, up to having environments that fully utilize their 3D engine without demanding too much from modern PCs. This dedication to providing quality gameplay for free (more or less) is really a hook for fans.
- RuneScape is a freemium game, meaning you can majorly play the game for free but you have to pay for a subscription to access a lot of the hidden content. Being a member has a ton of perks, though! These include access to more skills, more armor, and even more quests.
- AdventureQuest gives you awesome anime-like point and click RPG action! If you’re looking for a more browser-friendly online game, you can rely on AdventureQuest to give you a great experience. It’s an RPG similar to RuneScape, but this time it’s 2D and things are point-and-click. You click objects and people to interact with them, and battling monsters rely on clicking commands on the screen. This seems too simple a game to enjoy… until you realize this Flash-reliant game (yes, just Flash) has a crazy and over-the-top fun lore. Not only that, you can freely switch classes mid-combat, become a vampire or a werewolf, wield and wear an assortment of awesome weapons and armor, and so much more oddities!
- AQ plays with your browser – meaning if you have the necessary graphics (which are pretty low), you can load the game almost right away. It has anime style graphics, which is a plus if you’re looking for an entertaining game. After the tutorial, the game immediately throws you into the main town of Battleon where you can choose whether to play through the game’s main story, or explore other towns for quests and other shenanigans.
- What perhaps appeals most of AQ players – aside from the lore – is the battle system. The game allows players to have access to spells and weapons that they can interchange throughout the course of the battle. Perhaps even more amazing is the fact that players can change classes while fighting, giving them access to more class-exclusive spells (plus awesome-looking armor!).
- Dungeons & Dragons: Neverwinter is a realistic and real-time take on the hit tabletop roleplaying game. And whereas other D&D-related games (Baldur’s Gate, for one) relied more on random dice mechanics and turn-based strategy, Neverwinter takes classic D&D roleplaying and blends it with real-time action. As a result, both new and old fans get an authentic Dungeons & Dragons setting with fast-paced and realistic combat. Clerics don’t necessarily have to stay behind the front lines to heal as they have offensive spells, for instance. The instanced nature of dungeons may remind players of games like Dragon Nest. However, Neverwinter gets its main appeal by being a free game with premium options.
- Both D&D fans, tabletop RPG enthusiasts, and even gamers in general appreciate Neverwinter for its action-based gameplay. Compared to the more WoW-esque DDO (Dungeons and Dragons Online), Neverwinter is more action-centric. Regardless of the class you choose, your player has access to combat spells and skills they can use in real time. This makes for more intense and gripping action sequences.
- True to its D&D roots, Neverwinter takes most of its lore from the Forgotten Realms D&D setting, meaning fans of D&D will love how deeply-entrenched and faithful Neverwinter is to its RPG origins. Likewise, people interested to know more about D&D will likely see Neverwinter as a “video game version” of things that usually happen in the tabletop RPG.
- Neverwinter is a freemium game, meaning you can play it with most of its features for free but with premium gaming options. These include extra character slots, new classes, and other perks.
- Free online games still have a place in the hearts of casuals. If you don’t want to spend too much time playing immersive RPGs, let’s not forget the everlasting appeal of free online games. These games, as their names suggest, are free to play and span a multitude of genres. There are car games, puzzle games, adventure games, and even action games for players to enjoy. It’s hard to think of the “best” free online game across this wide span of games, as there’s too much to cover. Here are some highlights, though:
- A lot of websites actually exist with free online games across multiple genres, including car games and multiplayer games. All of these games come in an assortment of varieties and types, including 2D, 2.5D, and even fully 3D. If you’re a casual gamer, you’ll find a lot of these websites entertaining and worthy of checking out.
- Aside from casual games, there are a lot of point-and-click strategy and role playing games out there. These games usually happen all in a single website, and relies on text-based roleplay for players to enjoy. You can click on a variety of options to interact with the environment, and even participate in forums. These are usually browser-based.
2010s in Online Games: What Are They?
It’s been quite a while ride towards the 2020s, and this entire decade has been riddled with awesome games with awesome concepts, titles that still need a bit of practice, and even ideas and controversies that helped pave the way for an interesting decade for gaming. In terms of video games that actually exist in the market, you might want to try the above online games in order to add a bit of a twist to your gaming life.
And if you’re wondering what sorts of great games people actually enjoyed back then, you might want to read through this article. If you have any comments, feel free to share your thoughts!
John Salazar is a certified techie-at-heart, but he shares a love for all things science and technology, health and wellness, and even a bit of music on the side. As a creative writer, John makes sure to write both informative and entertaining pieces. He loves writing, and he plays the guitar when he has free time.
