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How do I play old games online? Programs for playing on LAN and Internet

Greetings to all!

Playing with a computer, of course, is exciting, but it is much more interesting to resist not a bot, but a real person! It is possible that he will make some mistake, not a standard step, or surprise with something. In addition, many experienced gamers play much more interesting and better than bots ...

But if with many modern network games there are no special problems with connection (WOW, Tanks, GTA, etc.), then with games a little older, many users have difficulties.

Actually, in this article I will give different options and methods of how you can play games on a local network and the Internet with real people (even those games in which this is not provided and there is nothing but the LAN mode (i.e. games only on "lokalka")). So, I recommend to bookmark this note to all game lovers!

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Ways to play online

Option number 1: using the functions of the game itself

Many games provide a network mode in one way or another (another thing is that it is not so easy to make the game "see" another PC on the local network or the Internet).

In the most innocuous case, it is enough:

  1. so that one of the players (as a rule, the one with a more powerful PC and a more stable Internet) create a game (he will be a server);
  2. while others joined him by entering his IP address (instructions on how to find out your IP).
  3. Important: if the game does not connect, you may need to forward ports in the router (the server needs to forward ports, i.e. the one who created the game).

Civilization 4 - joining the game by IP address

A very common option is also a LAN game, i.e. over a local network (found in many games). Moreover, often in games there is only this only option, which leads to the impossibility of a network game without specials. solutions *.

And the problem is that those who want to play are not always in this very same local network, and therefore, the created game will simply not be visible (as in the screenshot below) ...

local area network (LAN) play

To get out of this situation, you need to use special applications:

  • GameRanger;
  • Hamachi;
  • LanGame, etc.

A few words about them below ...

Option # 2: GameRanger

Official website: //www.gameranger.com/

GameRanger main window

In my humble opinion, this is one of the best programs for playing a lot of old (and not so) games on the network. Why:

  • excellent connection between players from different countries (lags are possible, but you can see in advance who has which connection with the program: the quality of the connection is displayed in the form of "green" bars);
  • support for hundreds of various games (FIFA series, Heroes, Cossacks, Age of Empires, Civilization, etc.);
  • the ability to add friends to your "favorites", carry on correspondence with them, create your own "rooms" (chats);
  • huge community of players: thousands of fans from all over the world!
  • automatic start of the game and connection with all players (you don't need to enter any IP anywhere! You don't need to start the game separately either! The utility will do everything);
  • low requirements, little advertising. The program is executed in the style of minimalism, which is good news.

To start the game: join one of the rooms in the list of games (GameRanger will "see" all your installed games in the system, and will display only those that you have installed in the list of created rooms). When the server starts the game, you will find yourself in the multiplayer menu along with all your colleagues in the "workshop" ...

Option number 3: LanGame

Developer site: //langamepp.com/

LanGame - main program window

A very simple program so that people on different local networks (subnets) can play network games. It helps a lot when there is no other mode to play in the game itself, except on LAN.

Using the utility is very simple: it is enough for both players to install it, then add each other's IP addresses to the utility and, in fact, you can start the game.For the game now, you will be as if on the same local network.

Note: the program does not require Internet access to work!

Option # 4: Hamachi

Website: //www.vpn.net/

Hamachi - main program window

Well, in general, Hamachi (originally) was not intended specifically for network games. Its main task is to unite users into one local network, even if they are from different parts of the world. As you can imagine, this is often required to perform various office work (for example).

But in terms of games, the program is great - almost the same LanGame, only more advanced. After downloading, installing and registering (the free version has a limit on the number of users connected to your network), you get your IP address. By passing it on to your friends, you can create games, connect to them, create your rooms, chats, etc. The program is very multifunctional!

Option number 5: Garena

Official website: //www.garena.sg/

Garena - main program window

Garena is free software for computer games. Allows, based on VPN technology, to play popular games such as League of Legends, FIFA Online 3, Point Blank (and others).

The program is very popular in Asian countries and some regions of the CIS. There are about 90 million users worldwide!

Among the disadvantages: not so extensive support for games, a small Russian-speaking population, and an abundance of advertising.

By the way, Garena is a partner of many well-known game developers (for example, Electronic Arts, Riot Games, Grinding Gear Games, S2 Games).

PS

I also wanted to include Tunngle in the article, but judging by the latest news, due to the new European rule for the protection of general data, the service is closed (there are not enough funds to meet all the requirements prescribed by law). On the one hand, it's a pity, because after all, over the past 11 years, Tungle has been used by about 10 million users around the world!

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For the addition on the topic - thank you separately in advance!

Good game!

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