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25 online multiplayer iPhone games you can play right now (2008)

Laying waste to the competition over the air

25 online multiplayer iPhone games you can play right now (2008)
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The next big trend in iPhone gaming could be online multiplayer. Several notable games have introduced the feature, using 3G or wi-fi to let you play against people around the world.

We've been combing the App Store, and have turned up 25 games offering online multiplayer (note, that's as in 'play against people in real-time' rather than just connected high-score tables, which many more games support).

Fancy getting your iPhone game on against the world? Pick up some of these titles. We've supplied direct links to the App Store, naturally…

THE BIG GUNS

We'll kick off with some of the more high-profile multiplayer iPhone games, and then get into some specific genres.

Starting with racing game Raging Thunder(£2.99 - link), whose most recent update added online multiplayer. We were already impressed with the single-player version, which offers slinky 3D visuals and blindingly-fast speed. Developer Polarbit is stressing that the online mode is in beta, but it's well worth a look.

Gameloft has launched two online-playable iPhone games so far. TV Show King Online (£2.99 - link) lets you show off your trivia skills against players from around the world, in a Buzz!-style quizzer. We loved it.

Meanwhile, UNO (£4.99 - link) is a version of the classic card game of the same name, again with an online mode bundled in.

One of the earliest iPhone games was Galcon (£2.99 - link), a space-based strategy game where you send fleets of ships to conquer planets with a flick of your finger. We were impressed, but more so since a recent update introduced live multiplayer.

Finally in this intro section, how about some turn-based strategic battling in the vein of Advance Wars? You'll be wanting Reign of Swords (£4.99 - link) the iPhone conversion of Punch Entertainment's ace mobile game of the same name. The online mode is the core of the game, once you've trained up on the solo missions.

ONLINE POKER GAMES

No, you can't play poker on your iPhone for real money yet – stringent US laws prohibiting remote gambling mean Steve Jobs would risk a visit from the feds (maybe) if the App Store allowed it.

However, there are an increasing number of multiplayer poker games available for iPhone that let you play for fun-money, with two of them tying in with web-based social networks.

Zynga's Live Poker 40K (£5.99 - link) launched last week, and is the social gaming company's first iPhone title. It makes it possible for you play against those on Facebook and MySpace – an established user base of more than 1.4 million people. There's also a freebie version available on the App Store.

However, it wasn't the first multiplayer poker game for iPhone. That accolade goes to Real Dice's Multiplayer Championship Poker (£5.99 - link), which came out earlier this year. It too ties in with an established community on Facebook, as well as a desktop PC game.

Assuming you don't go for the free version of Live Poker, the cheaper multiplayer poker option is Adrenaline Poker Online (£2.99 - link), which came out earlier this month. There's no Facebook tie-in, and it looks a little less glossy, but may please bargain-hunters.

SPORTY ACTION GAMES

There's a couple of online multiplayer sports games available for iPhone so far, although we sense that this genre is more likely to see wi-fi multiplayer titles in the near future.

Following on neatly from the last game in this feature, we have Adrenaline Pool Online (£2.99 - link). The basic game has plenty of options for pool sharks, but it's the online multiplayer that's the real selling point – not least because it claims to work over EDGE and 3G, as well as wi-fi.

Fancy a spot of tennis instead? No problem – check out the same company's Ace Tennis Online (£0.59 - link). It's a simple-looking tennis sim that promises quick online match-ups, although the user ratings on iTunes are a bit so-so. Considering the price, it might be worth a look.

CHESS, CHESS, CHESS AND BOARDGAMES

Chess makes far more sense as a multiplayer game than as a solo game, if you ask us. So it's no surprise to see several titles exploring online chess for iPhone.

The one we're most intrigued by is Chess With Friends (£2.99 - link), because it follows the Facebook model of letting you play a bunch of games at the same time, logging in to make your moves whenever you want. This kind of asynchronous multiplayer has bags of potential for iPhone, so we're pleased to see it debuting here.

Want more traditional multiplayer chess (and have some time on your hands)? Have a look at Chess Online Expert (£2.99 - link) and Cyber Chess Ultimate Online (£2.39 - link). Both look polished and professional, although which is best will depend on how many players there are to play against.

Prefer Checkers? Or Draughts, as we Europeans say it. You'll be wanting to pick up Checkers Online (£1.79 - link) to indulge in a spot of diagonal jumping action. At least, we think that's how the grandmasters describe it.

If you're more cerebral and prefer Backgammon, there's one title available that'll satiate your need for human competition. It's called Backgammon Online (£2.99 - link), and promises to make it quick and easy to find people to play against.

Finally, we're not sure if Reversi counts as a boardgame or not, but we think it does, so there. iReversi (free - link) won't cost you a penny, but matches you up against random opponents, and even shows you their location. This game's so multiplayer, there isn't even a solo mode. Heaven knows what the business model is behind it.

CARD GAMES FOR FRENCH PEOPLE

It's fair to say that 'French card games that you can play online' are a bit of a niche on iPhone, but nevertheless, there are two available.

Belote is apparently hugely popular in the French-speaking world, so Belote Expert Online (£4.99 - link) should have plenty of people to play against. The iTunes blurb says it includes La vache, which we know is 'The cow', but experienced Belote players will probably know what it means.

French Tarot Online (£3.99 - link) offers a similar look and feel, but for French Tarot. There's sadly no mention of farmyard animals in the blurb though.

PUZZLES AND OTHER STUFF

It's the home straight now – there's just a few more games to round up that have online multiplayer features on iPhone. Sudoku might be a solo game by definition, but Dojo Sudoku (£2.39 - link) lets you race against friends over the internet to see who can solve puzzles fastest.

Quick Draw (£3.49 - link) is also scribbly, but takes more of a Pictionary vibe, with you having to 'draw' words and guess those of other players. It's a neat idea that makes the most of iPhone's touchscreen. You can even accuse people of cheating.

Scramboni (free - link) is the second free game in this list, and it's a word game where you have to unscramble letters against the clock, scoring bonus points for doing it faster than other players. One for Countdown fans.

We weren't sure whether to include Quartz 2 Deluxe (£0.59 - link) in this feature or not. It does offer multiplayer, but via TCP/IP – meaning that anyone whose face registers a blank at those acronyms may be put off trying its multiplayer feature. The game itself is a fun block-matching puzzler, though, so it's worth investigating.

Loot Wars (£1.19 - link) is a pretty interesting idea. It's like an RPG-lite where the focus is on the loot you collect, except with an online multiplayer mode where you get to trade with (or steal from) other players. Any game that lets you stuff an Ebony Battle Axe into a duffel bag is fine by us!

Finally, there's two simple puzzle games from developer FlipSide5. Touch4 (£1.19 - link) is essentially Connect 4 with a multiplayer mode, while Tic-Tac-Touch (£0.59 - link) does the same thing for noughts and crosses. Simple, but elegant.

And that's yer lot! At least until another 25 games come along in the next few months, of course, when we'll run some kind of follow-up. Have fun.

Stuart Dredge
Stuart Dredge
Stuart is a freelance journalist and blogger who's been getting paid to write stuff since 1998. In that time, he's focused on topics ranging from Sega's Dreamcast console to robots. That's what you call versatility. (Or a short attention span.)