Online games with MMO or co-op mode are best played with friends or even a partner. However, some games require special skills or have rather hindering mechanics that can put a friendship or relationship to the test.
How did we select? The games shown here are all designed with mechanics that can quickly lead to disputes and frustration among players.
The criteria were primarily that the games are playable online and either require special abilities from all players or have particularly annoying and frustrating mechanics that can test a relationship. The order of the games is random and not based on a rating.
DotA 2 – MOBA with low error tolerance
Genre: MOBA | Release: 09.07.2013 | Platform: PC | Developer: Valve | Model: Free-To-Play
What kind of game is this? DotA 2 is still a very popular classic in the MOBA genre. It evolved from a popular mod for Warcraft 3. In DotA 2, you choose one of dozens of heroes before the match. Each character has unique abilities and stats. Some heroes can take a lot of damage, others support their team, and others deal significant damage.
With your heroes, you form a five-player team and compete against an opposing team on a map with several paths (lanes). The goal is to destroy the enemy’s “Ancient”, a well-protected object in the enemy base. However, you must first fight your way through defenses.
You can only destroy defenses by escorting regularly spawning minion NPCs there while preventing the enemy players’ interference and advances.
Your heroes also level up when they defeat opponents. This, in turn, provides better stats and skills. Additionally, you need to collect gold to buy essential items. Only by doing so can you ultimately destroy the enemy Ancient and win after fierce fighting.
Why is this game dangerous for relationships? The crux of DotA 2 is that the gameplay is very complex and deep. It is not for nothing that DotA 2 is among the top eSports games. To achieve success here, you need to invest a lot of time and energy in mastering a variety of tactics and methods.
If you play casually, you can make many mistakes. And that is a big problem if you want to play DotA 2 with your partner. If there is a significant difference in skill and game knowledge, there will necessarily be problems in gameplay.
Since DotA 2 forgives very few errors, many rounds will likely be lost if you play with an inexperienced teammate. Since rounds in DotA 2 can last 45 minutes or longer, this can quickly lead to frustration and anger.
After a joint evening of numerous failed rounds in DotA, where the ignorance of essential DotA tactics like “Last Hitting” was the clear culprit, it’s likely that the evening will not end harmoniously.
What should be considered? Games like DotA 2 or the slightly less complex LoL should only be played together if both players have roughly the same skill level and each player knows what they are doing.
If you’re looking for an easier entry into the genre and a smoother experience with your partner, you should play simpler MOBAs like Heroes of the Storm or the mobile version of LoL called Wild Rift.
