What are the Most Popular Types of Online Gaming?

Online gaming is all the rage now as gaming itself has become a social experience, rather than just the simple pastime it used to be for most people. Lightning-fast internet speeds, tremendous leaps in computing power, and the rise of powerful smartphones have created a world where almost anyone can play, compete and win in online games. In fact, as we discuss the most popular genres next, even non-gamers may find some of these games to be of interest to them.

Competitive Shooters

Go through any stat-based list of the most played online video games of all time and you will find that Player Unknown’s BattleGrounds (PUBG) is still leading the charts with an active player base that has surpassed the one billion mark. In fact, several of the most popular online games that have millions of regular players are also competitive shooters. Some of the other examples include:

CrossFire (1 billion)
Fortnite Battle Royale (350 million)
Counter-Strike Global Offensive (46 million)
Call of Duty: Warzone (100 million)
Apex Legends (100 million)

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Online Casino Games

Countless millions play casino games every single day, all around the world. Aside from the classics such as blackjack and video poker, online slots are extremely popular as well. The popularity of the slots stems primarily from their variety and potential prize value, but players need to be careful with their choice of both the slots and the online casinos they play at. While reading this BonusFinder US: Golden Nugget Online Casino review, we found that they have a collection of over 850 authentic slots, with plenty of new player bonuses to try them all out first. It’s a good strategy to always use the new player bonuses and free spins to get a feel of the slots and casino interfaces before betting real money.

Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA)

It wasn’t until the late 90s and the early 2000s that the MOBA genre started to carve its way out of RTS games like StarCraft (1998) and Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (2002). Inspired by one of the very first player-created MOBA named Defense of the Ancients (DotA), Riot Games’ League of Legends (LoL) came out six years later in 2009. It quickly became the biggest eSport game ever. Despite being so old, LoL continues to lead the MOBA genre in popularity, thanks to a monthly player base of around 115 million players. Other popular multiplayer online battle arena games include hits like:

Dota 2
Heroes of the Storm
Smite
Awesomenauts
Paladins

Party Games

Games like the Mario Party series and the Super Monkey Ball series were extremely popular as couch multiplayer party games, decades before any of today’s hits came out. However, Among Us, Overcooked 1 & 2, and Animal Crossing have added so many new dimensions to the genre. While the Mario Party games never really stopped coming out or became less popular, the newer ones have surpassed Nintendo’s offerings by a significant margin. For example, Among Us has an active player base of 500 million, while The Sims Social is played by roughly 100 million people every month.

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG)

From super popular Asian MMORPGs such as Dungeon Fighter Online and Fantasy Westward Journey to more global names like RuneScape, Elder Scrolls Online, Guild Wars 2, and Final Fantasy 14, they continue to be among the most played video games in 2021. Some of the new ones have almost transcended the limits of an open world MMO, and almost entered the realms of fantasy simulation. You build your own reputation, kingdom, allies, and enemies in these massive, ever-expanding open maps. Sometimes, you may also go raiding with your friends and online allies to fight off huge monsters as well!

Sandbox/Builder Games

There are two main games in this category today, although several others like them are certainly there. These two would be Roblox, and of course, Minecraft. Minecraft is not only one of the most played online games in the world, with an active 600 million strong player base that keeps on growing, but also the highest-selling video game ever developed. If you have not played Minecraft yet, then you are missing out on the most creative, yet simple sandbox game ever developed. As for Roblox, it isn’t as much a video game as it is a video game creation system. Several popular online games like Adopt Me! (MMORG), Break-In (Survival Horror), and MeepCity (MMORPG) were actually created and made available within the Roblox universe of user-created content.

As a bit of isolation was never more preferable than it is today, we should be thankful that there’s enough on the internet besides social media to keep our minds active and engaged. Whichever online game genre(s) you might find yourself being attracted to the most, rest assured that there’s plenty for you to choose from.