Summary
Playing with friends or even strangers should be a fun thing to do. What’s the point of video games if players don’t have fun? For some, the adrenaline rush of a challenging game is the best part of any video game despite the many offers to buy upgrades, level boosts, or loot boxes to make things easier.
Whether it is for its fast-paced environments likeCall of Duty: Warzone,horrendous scripting issues likeMaddenUltimate Team mode, or perplexing tactics like those used inDota 2, mastering these games can be frustrating. These are some of the hardest multiplayer games when it’s time to break some controllers.
Updated June 17, 2025 by Kristy Ambrose:First-person shooters, adventure games, and RPGs are just some examples of the many forms that multiplayer games can take. Sharing a virtual space even when it comes to old-school online or local multiplayer activities opens up some interesting possibilities for video games, especially with recent trends in virtual reality and greater availability of satellite internet.
The difficulty level of a game is always a matter of opinion, with the controversy raging about “story mode” and other opportunities to turn down the difficulty level of certain games, but these are some of the hardest multiplayer gamesto learn and master.
21Club Penguin
Requires Organization And Dedication
It might soundlaughable to include Disney’sClub Penguin, but it was a hard massive-multiplayer game to master for a beginner. Although it’s designed for children,Club Penguinrequired a certain amount of dedication to purchase more giant igloos, which served as players' penguin bases.
Unfortunately, as of this writing,Club Penguinwas already shut down in 2017. Many fans duplicate the game onto another website, but most of them have been taken down by the DMCA. However, there’s an updated version calledNew Club Penguin, a fan-made game that still appears to be standing.
20Overcooked 2
Focused On Teamwork And Kitchen Design
The originalOvercookedhad both single-player and multiplayer modes, and its popularity inspired a sequel that takes the teamwork factor and design to the next level. The second game also added some impressive new settings and clever transitions between levels but still tends to overwhelm inexperienced players.
Overcooked 2is one of the hardest multiplayer games at more advanced levels, with more obstacles and challenges that the players have to work together to surmount. Gamers can join their friends to make a group or use an online matching service to find teams.
19Apex Legends
Battle Royale With Intense Teamwork and Planning
Any FPS game is going to require some teamwork and planning, which add a layer of difficulty to a game that’s also multiplayer, online, and role-playing. When the game was first released, it focused on groups of three players, but since then single and two-player modes have also been added.
The main draw is the battle-royale environment and the inclusion of elements from fantasy, science fiction, and a variety of other genres. That’s part of the appeal ofApex Legendsfor groups that want to game, interact, and create unique characters. Other advantages include free-to-play status, although there are a variety of microtransactions from which to choose, and cross-platform play capabilities.
18TemTem
A High Learning Curve In A Complex Setting
It looks likePokemonand was inspired by the game, butTemTemwas designed and developed by a Spanish company named Crema for the PlayStation 5. What setsTemtemapart is the higher learning curve, making this game more for adults and those with some previous experience with the fighting pet genre.
The game is classified as an MMORPG, with players exploring an area, raising and training magical animals, and using them to battle against both NPS and their fellow players. Like any proper MMO, the setting is creative and complex, made up of a series of diverse islands known as the Airborne Archipelago.
17Madden NFL 23
Regular And Competitive Versions
Like many of the games in this franchise,Madden NFL 23has both a single and multiplayer mode, but this installment is noted for several basic quality-of-life improvements, like better trading and free-agency abilities. There were other cosmetic changes related to details in stadiums and better animation for action scenes on the field.
All of this made the game easier to play but more difficult to master. The new Field Pass system was implemented with this installment that included a Competitive version for those more dedicated gamers who want to spend extra time in multiplayer mode.
16Call Of Duty: Warzone
Complex Controls That Originated With A Console-Friendly Design
Especially at the later stage of a difficult multiplayer game, playingCall of Duty: Warzonecan be a burden for beginners. This complex game has already seen its fifth season and continues to impress players with its sophisticated controls and customization options.
Many top players have spent a considerable amount of real-life money to polish their in-game characters, so new characters have a hard time competing. On top of that, aiming and shooting using a DualShock 4 controller is harder than aiming with a gaming mouse. The only alternative to it is to connect a mouse to the console.
15League Of Legends
An RTS Game With An Isometric Layout
League of Legendsis a multiplayer online game, but not an MMO in the sense that the focus is on the gameplay as opposed to an explorable open world. This game can be difficult or easy depending on the player’s experience with real-time strategy games or an isometric layout.
The game will look familiar to those who playedWarcraft 3back in the day, and that’s not a coincidence. The layout was inspired by a custom map from the classic game,Defense of the Ancients,and players choose and build hero characters that are based on famous characters fromWarcraftlore.
14Elder Scrolls Online
An RPG System With Virtually Limitless Build Options
An online game based on the vastElder Scrollsuniverse,ESOuses an RPG and leveling system based on TTGs likeHarnmasteras opposed toDungeons & Dragons.That means that anyone can use magic, use any weapon, or wear any armor. It doesn’t have to be a complicated multiplayer game but it has that potential, and that’s why most players are here.
The variety of builds available can accommodate any group, no matter how diverse when it comes to experience level or personal preference. Create characters and even a guild, form a party, and start a life of adventure in Tamriel.
13Slither.io
Simple But Complex And Very Competitive
Slither.ioisa browser and smartphone-basedgame. It’s pretty simple to play because it’s highly similar to the classic ‘Snake’ arcade games, but don’t underestimate how much Slither fans take this game seriously. It takes a severe amount of time to eat all the pellets and get the best score possible if players are lucky enough not to encounter any snake twice their size.
Upon its release,Slither.iohas seen a massive amount of popularity, mostly coming from let’s-play YouTubers like PewDiePie. It’s easy to learn, difficult to master, and very habit-forming.
12PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
A Savage Battle Royale With Little Or No Safe Space
Playing the game formerly known asPlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds(PUBG) is fun on mobile, but its PlayStation 4 version is something else. PUBG is a nightmare for a newbie jumping off a plane with a bunch of strangers. Chance is that players either land in a well-known territory and meet twice or three times more skilled players or get overrun by the decreasing safe zone.
On top of that, microtransactions have somewhat ruined the game among the fans. In the case ofFIFAandMadden NFLUltimate Team mode, it’s almost impossible to get jobs done on the game without either dedicating a big amount of time or spending a big bank of money.
