Plenty of MMOs are designed around the desire to interact with others. However, there are a few that have been created in a way that benefits online introverts. The games below offer you a solo-play experience, where you can consider everyone else an NPC.
The Elder Scrolls Online is surprisingly fulfilling as a solo game, despite being an expansive massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG). There are plenty of other players around, but it still has the solitary exploration and questing of its single-player predecessors, like Oblivion and Skyrim. There is a big world that you can get lost in, and it’s been expanded upon greatly over the game’s lifespan.
The biggest issue is that there’s a lot of grind to deal with when playing alone. The dungeons feel like they’re made for multiple people, and if you’re playing alone, you’re going to need a lot of potions or healing spells. However, it’s up to you to decide how you want to level up your character, craft gear, and develop your skills.
This is one of the more grindy games to play by yourself, but it’s still possible. If you fell in love with the grind in Bethesda’s other RPGs, you’ll get along just fine.
2 Lost Ark
Lost Ark is one of those clones that helped create the games we love today. This specifically, is a Diablo clone. While well-known for its challenging raids and party mechanics, the sheer volume of content accessible without interacting with anyone is staggering. The expansive world of Arkesia has hundreds of hours of engaging story quests, exploring diverse landscapes and hidden collectibles.
Features like stronghold management, crafting, and the vast array of horizontal progression systems help to satisfy long-term solo goals. I played about 200 hours by myself, and there was a lot more I could have done. Unfortunately, the narrative is very dull and feels really tacked on the longer you play.
Thankfully there’s enough there for the progression systems and gameplay to really hook you. I actually never needed to interact with another person in my entire playthrough.
3 Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars: The Old Republic is a very underrated game, and those who love Knights of the Old Republic should give it a try. It feels like a single-player game that also happens to work in multiplayer. You are a hero who goes through a narrative that changes based on the class you pick. Your character appears in cutscenes and even makes dialogue choices that change the way that enemies react.
This feels like a sequel to Knights of the Old Republic 2, though the story eventually goes much further than the first two games timeline-wise. The “Group” content is not essential to enjoying the core game, and none of the missions require more than one person. However, some areas can be pretty difficult, so you will need to grind more than someone who goes in with parties.
4 Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XIV has a remarkably robust solo experience even though it’s a huge MMO. It has a critically acclaimed main story that spans multiple expansions and can be enjoyed almost entirely alone. While the first iteration wasn’t good, playing Final Fantasy XIV offers a much-improved experience since Square Enix fixed the game.
While party and group content exists, FFXIV offers plenty of solo-friendly dungeons, duties, and raids scaled specifically for single-player progression. This lets players experience the game’s more challenging content and earn powerful gear without relying on others.
There are the deep crafting and gathering systems that you expect from Final Fantasy games, and these bear more than a passing resemblance to Lost Ark. But FFXIV feels much more like a living, breathing world, even if you are going it alone.
5 MapleStory
MapleStory has been around for a long time but has seen many revamps over the years. Leveling may seem like a grind but, thankfully, you can level up really fast. On top of this, the grind is pretty simple. Unlike some other games on this list, the combat is not turn-based or anything similar. You are able to move around the area to fight, and this usually means taking out multiple monsters per encounter.
None of the main story content requires other players, and you’ll feel pretty powerful very quickly. The art style is chibi but incredibly unique, and if you haven’t tried it recently, you’ll be surprised by how much the game has changed since first being introduced.
6 New World
Amazon Game Studios’ New World is a surprisingly good solo game. There’s no doubt that it’s an MMO, but its combat is much better than many of its contemporaries. It feels a lot like playing The Witcher 3 but with other people. Due to this, its content is perfectly suited to those who want to play alone. It’s got a sense of solitary exploration that is reminiscent of classic single-player RPGs like Gothic 2.
It’s got crafting and gathering mechanics that are more detailed than they first seem, and its gameplay loops are satisfying enough to keep you engaged (even on your own). Amazon put a lot of work into the game, and there’s no longer a huge wait to play, so it’s one of the best MMOs to play alone.
7 Old School RuneScape
Old School RuneScape is one of the oldest MMOs around, but because of that, it has a large wealth of single-player content. Also, there’s the benefit of the grand exchange, which doesn’t require talking to anyone; you can use it like a single-player market. The vast majority of content, from questing and skilling to bossing and clue scrolls, is done entirely solo.
You’re the hero of your story, setting your own pace and objectives without pressure from group dynamics. While social interaction is available, it’s entirely optional. It is a sanctuary for anyone wanting to play a single-player game inside a living world.
Multiplayer isn’t the be-all and end-all of modern gaming. If you’re struggling to play single-player games due to being “spoiled” by multiplayer worlds, these MMOs might be perfect for you since you won’t need to co-ordinate with friends to get your fix.
