Indie multiplayer games recommendations?

[dbdkmezz]

Does anyone have any recommendations for indie multiplayer games? Preferably free. Necessarily good with 4 players.

I've got a LAN party coming up and it feels like we've just played a few too many games of L4D2 and Total Annihilation by now so I'm looking for a change. One of the computers is a little slow (but the hardware is OK: it does run L4D2 fine), so bear that in mind.

I remember years ago I used to always be coming across free little multiplayer games, with crazy gameplay ideas. But now I just don't bump into them (and I don't seem to notice many on RPS). So, suggestions please!

(By the way, the only reason I'm asking for indie games is because I want something a little unique, and don't want to spend much money. But if there's a dirt cheap old AAA title which you'd recommend, then feel free to mention that too!)

Thanks!

[Bleekill]

For free, I can only think of Alienswarm at the moment but maybe that's because I've been rewatchign the Alien movies. I had some fun with Realm of the Mad God but haven't touched it in weeks. Terraria is another co-op game I always come back to but it's not free to play.

[alms]

free little multiplayer games, with crazy gameplay ideas. But now I just don't bump into them (and I don't seem to notice many on RPS).

The imperative has been for quite some time, you're a fool if you don't monetize. So most free games these days are either more or less developed prototypes or stuff you couldn't possibly "monetize".

If you've got some time to waste, this list might work as a starting point: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open_source_games

[cosmicolor]

Red Eclipse is worth trying if you're looking at open-source games. It's an FPS with some neat movement ideas as well as a bunch of different game modes and mutators. If you have a certain other FPS installed you can play maps from it in Red Eclipse's engine too.

[CMaster]

Plain Sight

[dbdkmezz]

@Bleekill Oooh, Alienswarm, I forgot all about that game! Thanks :) Terria's a good idea too, but I'll have to convince the others to buy it.

@cosmicolor Red Eclipse looks interesting, I'll give it a spin...

@CMaster Yeah, I remember Plain Sight, we /very/ nearly bought that for the last LAN party (at lease of us already owns it too). Hmmm


It sucks that there aren't more games where you only need to buy one copy to play on a LAN. Whatever happened to "multiplayer install"? That was so handy in this situation! I'm normally more than happy to throw money at a game which looks interesting, but with four of us having to buy, just to try it out, is much less appealing :(

[Malawi Frontier Guard]

Funny you say that. I don't know how other platforms handled it, but Plain Sight doesn't have any DRM on Steam. You can copy it between computers and run multiplayer just fine. It's a fun game for a LAN, but remember that it's been known to give some people motion sickness pretty fast.

[Voon]

+1 for Realm of the Mad God. Free and playable on a browser. It's sort of a mix between Diablo and a bullet hell. It's on Steam as well, if you want

[dbdkmezz]

@Malawi Frontier Guard Oooh, that is useful information :)

And Realm of the Mad God in a LAN party? Isn't it more of an MMO? (I've not played it, but I've seen a little of a video about it)

[Voon]

Yes, it is one but you can teleport to each other if you could manage it and make an unstoppable train of lasers. Four people are enough to make the train and more people can join in.

But, there's also Gang Garrison 2 to consider

[Equim]

Well.. One game I could recommend here would be Magicka since it's just a fantastic game and shouldn't be too hard on your computers (Though some people have had problems with it, but the majority seems to run it fine)
I'm not sure what you class as "expensive" but it goes for around 10 euro/dollarzz or something on steam, probably cheaper on Gamersgate.

[dbdkmezz]

@Equim Magicka, yes! Two of us already own it (good ol' steam sales :) ) so it's not too expensive. Also, I'd imagine 4 player co-op will be a truly wonderful experience! :)

[Equim]

@Equim Magicka, yes! Two of us already own it (good ol' steam sales :) ) so it's not too expensive. Also, I'd imagine 4 player co-op will be a truly wonderful experience! :)

Oh yes, Magicka is one of those games where the more people you are, the more chaotic it will get, and by that.. It will get more fun. Half the time you'll end up killing eachother because well... It's completely their fault if they don't move away from the giant boulder dashing across the screen.. No?

[lhzr]

Bionic Commando Rearmed - not indie, but.. indie-like. Both the coop campaign and the multiplayer deathmatch are great.

Armagetron - multiplayer Tron (the lightbikes part) with LAN

GlTron - same as above, but with much tighter gameplay(IMO) and no LAN

A bunch of games from Teknopants: (I think these are all just local multi)
0-Space: 2-4 player zero gravity deathmatch
Shoot First: coop action roguelike
Action Fist: coop jumpnrun shooter (think Metal Slug)
Uberleben: up to 7 player skydiving action .. game with lots of different modes and a scream-inducing ability to push others into obstacles

Rubber Ninjas: umm.. 2-player-rotating-and-hitting-by-using-inertia game (or fun-fun in layman's terms)

[FriendlyFire]

Sins of a Solar Empire specifically allows LAN play with the same serial; I think it was three computers per serial, as long as it's used just for LAN and not taking them back home after that obviously.

Not sure whether Rebellion will support this since it'll require Steam, though.

[Krikey!]

They're not free, and they're not indie titles, but if you're willing to shell out $3 or so, you can pick out one of the few really fun titles that GOG's offering for its weekend sale to play with.

http://www.gog.com/en/forum/general/...nterplay_blast

For LAN gaming, I highly recommend:

- Kingpin (it's pretty intense)
- Fallout Tactics
- Die by the Sword (I love this one)
- Descent 3 (FFA is good, chaotic fun)

I didn't recommend Sacrifice, because while it's a really good game, it's hard for beginners to pick up immediately.

[Bungle]

I'd say Altitude if it wasn't so expensive. I got it free during a Steam event or something. It's a fantastic little 2D multiplayer airplane soccer game. Not worth the asking price though.

[Splynter]

Liero Xtreme: Real-time Worms.

[victory]

Trine games are good for up to three players. Co-op on same screen <3

[Shane]

Ace of Spade. It's free.



This reminds me, why don't we have an Ace of Spades RPS group yet?