The Internet has revolutionised gaming, and it now plays a seminal role in all levels of game design and the way gamers play.
Twenty years ago, the emphasis on game designs revolved around creating compelling, long story modes.
However, in the early 2010s, this started to pivot instead toward games with an emphasis on online competition and interactivity.
If you’re a gamer in the UK, you’ll have no issues finding new and exciting gaming titles online—so we’re going to fire off our top five.
5 Online Games for UK Gamers
#1 Online Poker
Casino gaming is an interesting angle of online gaming; it’s an industry that continues to exceed economic expectations and grow both in the UK and across the pond.
Poker is a game that involves skill and strategy.
While the initial emergence of online poker was met with some scepticism from online casino gamers, it’s proven to be just as popular and opened up the game to a whole new type of player.
Digital casino gaming, in general, has a significant crossover with online gaming titles.
Although online casinos have more to offer than poker, the reason we’d recommend trying it is that it is a game where you can learn strategy and bankroll management.
Online casinos often offer free welcome promotions and bonuses for new customers, and you can also check out strategies and tips before playing the game for real.
Who knows, maybe you could even host a poker night with your friends once you’ve developed your poker skills!
#2 Wordle
Unless you lived under a rock in 2022, you’ll understand how the Wordle phenomenon took over the UK.
While it might have died down considerably since then, with many believing the original designer sold his creation at the perfect moment, millions of people still play the word game.
Wordle is unique as it has managed to channel the love of word games, which developed long before the Internet, with Scrabble and crosswords and remodelled it to create a game that is played in over 100 different countries.
We imagine that if you’re a gamer, you’ve probably checked it out at some point, but if you did miss all that hysteria in 2022, we’d recommend trying it out and getting a taste of what the fun was all about.
#3 Chess
Sticking to the strategy front, if you’re a fan of first-person shooters, clue-solving, or cryptic games, chess could be the game for you.
As a bonus, it’s free. You can play against a computer online or against somebody else in the world. One of the downsides for new chess players can be how hard it is to learn when you first pick it up.
Many people are surprised by how quickly they can pick up chess once they have played a dozen games and gained some experience, but the learning curve is steep.
The Internet is awash with tutorials and guides, whether you’re looking for recipes, how to fix a punctured wheel, or how to reduce IT business costs.
You can find many tutorials online, and there are some excellent pointers and tips on playing chess if you’re interested in trying it and taking it up as a new gaming hobby.
#4 GTA V Online
It might seem odd to recommend the world’s most popular game as one to try, but many gamers believe GTA is the greatest gaming franchise of all time.
If you prefer sports or strategy games, now could be a good time to check out Rockstar’s landmark franchise.
Given that the world was rocked by the announcement of GTA6 toward the end of 2023, acquainting yourself with one of the most recognisable and distinguished online games could be worth a try—especially if you’re one of the very few who haven’t tried it before.
#5 Forza Motorsport
Motorsports is big business, with F1 lighting up cities and circuits in every corner of the globe. Forza Motorsport has a longstanding and esteemed name in motorsports video gaming.
If you own the latest generation of a PlayStation or Xbox, and you haven’t played Forza Motorsport, we’d recommend checking it out.
The sophistication of the graphics, gameplay, and quality of the online competition all make it an enthralling ride.
If motorsports games don’t usually appeal to you, but you’re looking to try something new, this could be the game for you to check out.
Final Thoughts
It feels restrictive to select only five online games; hundreds of award-winning games are available online. As this landscape continues evolving, there are also an increasing number of elite games you can play for free.
UK gamers can sample the best of what the market has to offer, with many of the top gaming companies operating out of the UK¾and the UK gaming industry being worth billions of pounds.
If you’re a gamer, broadening your horizons has never been easier—you can now check out a vast, eclectic mix of online and mobile-based games without ever having to leave the comfort of your home.
As more generations who grew up with gaming enter the market, many analysts believe that this market will continue to grow, even in the face of economic uncertainty.
