What are the best single-player MMOs? There’s a lot to like about MMOs: the humongous new worlds, the compulsive clicking, the leveling that never really ends. Everything but the people milling around in them, really. These are the best single-player MMOs to play if you want something massive and online without committing to the multiplayer part.
From the best MMOs like The Elder Scrolls Online, which promises the atmosphere of Skyrim with an internet connection, to a galaxy far, far away, the best single-player MMOs take many different forms – but don’t get them confused with the best single player games. Here are the loneliest MMOs out there, offering all the fun of a large shared digital world, without the need for having to interact with anyone – a win-win situation.
The best single-player MMOs are:
Neverwinter
If you love the world and lore from Dungeons and Dragons, Neverwinter is the single-player MMO for you. In traditional pen-and-paper fashion, you’ll be dining in a lot of taverns, fighting mythical creatures, and taking down barbarians in an immersive world teeming with quests. It also has a bunch of free expansions, never leaving players without things to do and new places to explore. Neverwinter is also quite a linear MMO, perfect for lone wolves looking to adventure into a story free from the shackles of burdensome companions.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Sporting a familiar setting, Star Wars: The Old Republic is perfect for Star Wars fans looking for more, and you’ll find plenty to chew on in this single-player MMO. Choosing from eight different classes spanning the Empire and Republic, The Old Republic nails the narrative from each class whether that’s an Imperial Agent defending the Empire or a Jedi Knight hellbent on bringing down the Sith. Thanks to each unique story, this story-driven MMO really doesn’t need any interference from other players, and if you run out of things to do, there are various expansions to keep the content fresh. If you’re partial to a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, take a look at the best games like Star Wars.
Secret World Legends
For more action in your single-player MMO, Secret World Legends brings myths and legends (mostly evil) to the modern world, posing the question: what would the world look like if these fictional horrors were real? Full of zombies, cults, ghosts, demons, and more, this unusual MMO demands more brain power from players to complete quests and is an overall more fulfilling experience for those looking for something more than just leveling up.
The Elder Scrolls Online
Elder Scrolls games are renowned for being some of the best RPG games around, so it’s no wonder an Elder Scrolls MMO exists to give us more story in its lavish and vibrant universe. This MMO takes place before Skyrim, Morrowind, and Oblivion, where players will start out in a Tamriel dungeon and – in true Elder Scrolls fashion – must escape as a prisoner. Of course, there are all the usual Elder Scrolls tropes: slaying monsters, crafting new weapons, and adventuring across Tamriel to discover hidden dungeons or unexplored areas. It also receives regular content updates, and the Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom release date is just a mere months away, promising a new class and storyline. The Elder Scrolls Online is one of the best single-player MMOs, and whether you choose to engage with other players or not, it’s easy to lose them in one of the largest Elder Scrolls games there is.
Eve Online
If you’re looking for some space from other players, then you’ll definitely find it in, well, space. Eve Online is a calculated game of plotting and taking down other players and when you’re not busy thinking up a way to achieve space domination, collecting and mining for resources is one of the more peaceful aspects of Eve Online. Sure, Eve Online may be famous for its thousand-player corporations and battles, but if you just want to haul cargo or complete odd jobs while everyone else is locked in an eternal power struggle, that’s fine too.
This single-player MMO is very much an every-man-for-himself operation, but our Eve Online beginner’s guide is sure to steer you right. If this all sounds a little too intense, our list of the best space games might help you find something more relaxing.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Although it didn’t quite make our list of the best old games, this classic RPG is still well worth the punt. Kingdoms of Amalur is the precursor to an MMO that was never released, so you definitely won’t find anyone roaming this offline world. Although not technically an MMO, it’s clear that Kingdoms of Amalur owes a lot to fantasy MMORPGs. It’s a game like Skyrim, in that you can build your character from scratch, but it also allows the freedom to swap skills in and out by dabbling with your skill tree.
It’s easy to see a lot of Skyrim in Kingdoms of Amalur’s vivid story-telling and intrepid universe, with Ken Rolsten paving the way for this epic tale, the mind behind Morrowind and Oblivion. It is old, yes, but its venerable design is endearing and you’ll find plenty of empty places to explore, especially as there’s no one around.
These are the best single-player MMOs if you’re looking for an excursion from the fraught idea of playing with others. There will still be people milling about, but you can learn to ignore them by either plotting against them from your spacecraft or delving into one of their expansions. If you’re looking for something with a low bar to entry, try our best free PC games list – there’s bound to be something on there that takes your fancy.