Searching for engaging LAN game options.
Searching for engaging LAN game options.
Hi everyone. We're organizing a LAN party with around nine friends in three days, and we're in an area without any internet access. We're having trouble finding suitable LAN games to play together. Previously, we've played online games, but this time we need options that work well over local networks. Most current titles don't support LAN, so we're mainly limited to older games. I'm open to hearing any recommendations, regardless of age. Right now our list includes: Rocket League (with Rocket Launcher mod), Team Fortress 2, Counter Strike: Source/Global Offensive, Warcraft III: Frozen Throne, Garry's Mod, Dota 2 DiRT 3 Complete Edition, Borderlands 2 (if LAN is possible), Half-Life 2 + Synergy, OpenLieroX, Minecraft, Terraria, Tremulous, and OpenTTD. Thoughts? EDIT: I thought we'd have fewer options, but it's a great list! Added December 2, 2016 by Crashbash111
It sounds enjoyable. I’d skip TF2 since it doesn’t feel great without many players. 6v6 seems like the bare minimum. Synergy breaks often (usually just for the host), and a few sections won’t load properly, so you might need to bypass them. Otherwise, it’s fine.
We're planning this with about ten people, and honestly there aren't that many other options, so it might be a good idea to give it a try.
It seems like some people might have access to faster hardware and can manage Linux servers effectively. Running a virtual machine could help achieve quicker restarts. A 20-second recovery time with just five participants feels quite challenging, even in competitive settings.
Quake 3 arena Unreal Tournament vv – unclear if internet is needed for co-op or local play. Might be necessary to connect online just to start Steam and launch the games, then run them locally on LAN. Dead by Daylight (4vs1 co-op) could be enjoyable if it doesn’t depend on the internet for teamwork. Trine 1 and 2 might offer fun as 3-player co-op, though I’m not certain about their internet requirements. Worms Reloaded may work if you’re patient with waiting your turn, but it’s uncertain without a stable connection. Borderland and Borderland 2 have multiplayer options; Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl offers some multiplayer modes, though it’s an older title and can be unstable on certain systems (may crash occasionally). Serious Sam appeals if you enjoy turn-based strategy games – Heroes of Might and Magic 3 and/or 4 could work with at least four players per map. Heroes 3 seems internet-free. For building or simulation titles, OpenTTD is a solid choice. You can set up a dedicated server on one machine and host it for many players on the same large map. In the past, I played Carmageddon locally via LAN (Windows 98), though the old IPX protocol no longer supports modern games. I also tried Delta something with voxel graphics – not very appealing today. Make sure you have internet access; consider using a friend’s phone to run Steam and verify requirements. A small amount of traffic (a few hundred KB) might be enough, and Steam’s LAN mode has a tag system for local multiplayer options: [Local Multiplayer](http://store.steampowered.com/tag/browse/#global_7368) and [Local Co-op](http://store.steampowered.com/tag/browse/#global_3841).
Offers similar experiences to Terraria, such as sidescrolling and survival titles like H1Z1 or Rust.
I've been thinking about using my phone's hotspot as a backup when things go wrong. That sounds like a smart idea! I recall playing that game a while back—it was quite popular. Appreciate the reminder! Do you know if Rust supports LAN connections? I wasn't sure about it... I'll look into it. Thanks for all the tips! I'll see what you find and check how many actually offer solid LAN functionality.
You haven't tested it yet, but you can set up a server with a LAN feature in Goldeneye: Source. http://www.moddb.com/mods/goldeneye-source