More and more multiplayer online games are pushing onto the market and onto Steam. But which MMOs on Steam are really worth it? We take a look at the 19 best MMOs on Steam – as of 2017!
- How did we find the 19 games on the list?
The following list was created based on the Steam games with the most players over the past weeks, as well as the best-selling titles. Assuming that the game was labeled “MMO” by the developer regarding the genre.
- How did we determine the order of the games?
The ranking from 19 to 1 is based on the players’ ratings of each game.
A brief overview of the latest reviews should help place the game in context.
Rank 19: Infestation: The New Z
| Steam Hub | Infestation on Steam |
| Total User Reviews (recent) | 47% (51% in the last 30 days) |
| Genre | Zombie Survival Shooter |
| Release on Steam | November 22, 2016 |
Infestation is a free alternative to H1Z1: King of the Kill and a rework of “The War Z”. The game is an open-world shooter with additions like battle royale modes and PvP servers.
What the players say: Infestation is generally quite well received in the community, provided some bugs can be overlooked. However, many players are bothered by the unusually high number of hack users. The performance is often criticized as well.
Rank 18: Dark and Light
| Steam Hub | Dark and Light on Steam |
| Total User Reviews (recent) | 54% (48% in the last 30 days) |
| Genre | Sandbox Survival |
| Release on Steam | July 20, 2017 (Early Access) |
Dark and Light is a survival game with magic and fantasy. Dark and Light focuses on PvE, where dragons can be tamed and ridden. There is also the need to fend off invasions. The fantastic world can be largely explored peacefully.
What the players say: Similar to Ark: Survival Evolved, the game scores with an open world where you can tame creatures and build houses. It’s often criticized that you are not safe after logging out (similar to Rust), and everything that has been built can be quickly destroyed. Additionally, enemies are said to be relatively tough and lags numerous.
Rank 17: Tree of Savior (English Ver.)
| Steam Hub | Tree of Savior on Steam |
| Total User Reviews (recent) | 60% (57% in the last 30 days) |
| Genre | RPG |
| Release on Steam | March 28, 2016 |
Tree of Savior is an isometric RPG from the makers of Ragnarok Online. With 4 basic classes (“jobs”) and 56 advanced classes, the game offers many options for players to explore the world and defeat monsters in their own way.
What the players say: Tree of Savior exhibits nearly all the pros and cons that its spiritual predecessor Ragnarok Online had: loving design, an interesting story, and innovative mechanics, but significant issues with hackers, server instability, phasing (only a limited number of players per map), and time restrictions (cooldowns for dungeons, long wait times for crafting, etc.).
Rank 16: Conan Exiles
| Steam Hub | Conan Exiles on Steam |
| Total User Reviews (recent) | 62% (39% in the last 30 days) |
| Genre | Survival Adventure RPG |
| Release on Steam | January 31, 2017 (Early Access) |
Funcom’s Early Access survival game in the barbarian setting of Conan. In Conan Exiles, players fight as exiles to survive in the burning desert, icy mountains, and other biomes, while defending against the aggressive wildlife and defeating or enslaving other exiles.
What the players say: Despite the strongly negative rating over the last 30 days, many reviews from the past 4 days are positive. Especially players with more than 50 hours generally rate the game better. Positive aspects include the design of the game world and the constant development. The biggest negative point is the instability, which became particularly noticeable after the last update. At many points on the map, players get kicked from the game.
Rank 15: H1Z1: King of the Kill
| Steam Hub | H1Z1 on Steam |
| Total User Reviews (recent) | 62% (54% in the last 30 days) |
| Genre | Battle Royale Shooter |
| Release on Steam | November 22, 2016 |
H1Z1: King of the Kill is one of the pioneers of the battle royale genre. Fleeing from an ever-approaching plague, 150 players fight each other, parachuting into a small area until the last one survives.
What the players say: What exactly the fascination is, seems to be something that nobody can articulate very well. However, many write that each round feels different and triggers the same thrill. Likewise, negative reviews act similarly: those who dislike it simply find it bad.
More on this: H1Z1 King of the Kill: Like McDonald’s – Bad Reviews, Much Success
Rank 14: Citadel: Forged with Fire
| Steam Hub | Citadel on Steam |
| Total User Reviews (recent) | 71% (61% in the last 30 days) |
| Genre | Sandbox Action RPG |
| Release on Steam | July 20, 2017 (Early Access) |
A different approach is taken by the action-adventure MMO Citadel: Forged with Fire. In a mix of Life is Feudal and The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, players build the world – and then destroy it, using magic and power.
What the players say: For most players, the mix of magic and open world is a reason to recommend the game. Those who dislike it often complain about the dwindling player base – which is not the case according to Steamcharts. Prognosis: Mixed.
Rank 13: ARK: Survival Evolved
| Steam Hub | ARK on Steam |
| Total User Reviews (recent) | 71% (61% in the last 30 days) |
| Genre | Sandbox |
| Release on Steam | August 29, 2017 |
In the wake of Jurassic Park World, the early access version of ARK: Survival Evolved was released in 2015. In the fight for survival, players build huts, fight through the jungle, find allies, and tame dozens of different dinosaurs.
What the players say: Despite the “mostly positive” rating, the negative arguments prevail. What bothers players the most is that a significant time investment is required for everything. Even taming the dinosaurs, which are intended to speed things up, takes a long time (under standard settings). The argument often cited for the game is: “Dinosaurs.” The teamwork, the diversity in the game, and the fact that there is always something happening are praised.
However, ARK: Survival Evolved is currently the best-selling MMO on Steam.
Rank 12: Warface: Blackout
| Steam Hub | Warface on Steam |
| Total User Reviews (recent) | 70% (63% in the last 30 days) |
| Genre | Sandbox MMORPG |
| Release on Steam | July 1, 2014 |
Warface: Blackout is a free-to-play shooter from Crytek. An action game featuring classic modes like “Team Deathmatch”, “Free for All”, and “Plant the Bomb”, etc. The specialty is the co-op and multiplayer missions, which are often lacking in related games.
What the players say: In general, Crytek shooters are always recommended. Most players see it that way, enjoying a largely fluid gameplay and exciting matches. However, criticism has arisen since the publisher change regarding server instability and accusations of pay-to-win.
Rank 11: Black Desert Online
| Steam Hub | Black Desert on Steam |
| Total User Reviews (recent) | 71% (61% in the last 30 days) |
| Genre | Sandbox MMORPG |
| Release on Steam | May 24, 2017 |
Black Desert is an open-world game as it should be. Players have enormous freedoms. The focus is on group play, where players utilize their individual skills to overcome monsters, bosses, and sieges.
What the players say: Beautiful graphics, good gameplay, and combat system impress most players, but tedious grinding and increasing content that often ignores old issues frequently cause frustration.
