Top 5 best real-time online multiplayer games for iPhone and iPad (iOS)
How to stay competitive on the move
Updated: Original list by Jon Mundy, Updated by Jupiter Hadley on March 19th, 2021.
It's good to play together. The thing is, as we all get busier and more spread apart from our friends, it gets more and more challenging to simply sit in the same room and play games.
If you're a PC or console gamer, it's long been normal to get online and indulge in some high-quality multiplayer competition.
Things are a little less well developed on mobile, for obvious reasons, but that's not to say there are no good online multiplayer options.
And just to reiterate, we're not talking about asynchronous mobile-friendly games here. We're talking full-on live competition.
There are plenty of examples of live online multiplayer games on iPhone and iPad, but these five represent the different styles and genres that are out there. As such, we reckon there's something to tempt every iOS gamer online here.
1
Sky: Children of the Light
Sky: Children of the Light is a really beautiful multiplayer where you can't directly talk to the other people in the game. Instead you see them moving around, solving puzzles, and going to various places - you can watch and tag along if you'd like. Your character (and all of these others) are trying to restore the light to the sky. It's a lovely game to get sucked into.
2
Trigger Fist
Trigger Fist is a big dumb online multiplayer shooter that doesn't take itself too seriously. That's important.
But more important here is the fact that the developers have thought long and hard about getting the genre to work well on touchscreen devices. Their solution: a panned-back third person view and simple controls that ditch the Y axis completely.
3
Super Stickman Golf 2
Golf isn't typically a live multiplayer experience, but Super Stickman Golf 2 thwacks convention away like Rory McIlroy teeing off at The Open.
The key here is Race Mode, which tasks up to three players with racing to the hole on each colourful course. It's a frantic delight every time.
4
Sonic Racing
Sonic Racing allows you to play as one of the 15 different characters you may recognise from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, learning their various skills and abilities to better beat your friends around the track. You can create an entire team if you'd like, as well as take on your friends in a bunch of different tracks to see who is the fastest out there.
5
Among Us
Among Us has you spending some time on a ship, either playing as a crew mate or the impostor. The crew members need to solve various tasks around the ship to get it to it's destination, where as the imposter does not. Their job is to kill off all of the crew mates and not get ejected for acting suspicious. It's a really fun game to play!
