Social games are online games that allow social interactions between a network of players, usually on a platform. They are the opposite of games played in solitude by a single player. The online community calls this social gaming. Some good examples are board games, card games, multiplayer video games, social network games, alternate reality games, miniature wargaming, and role-playing games. These types of games have a few things in common. First, they all involve multiplayer mode. These players may be at the same location (board games) or scattered across the world (social-network games). Secondly, they allow interaction between all players. Finally, all players see the moves other making in real-time.
Players in most of the social games take turns playing. Either against each other or a common foe. In recent games, certain multiplayer games on the internet gained a lot of popularity with gamers. Some of these are Minecraft, Overwatch, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Fortnite Battle Royale, and Grand Theft Auto V. On the other hand; role-playing games allow the different participants to play the roles of various characters according to the narrative of the fictional setting. An excellent example of such a social game is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
In social games, the latest introduction is the alternate reality game. These are interactive narrative in nature and use the player’s surrounding world as a platform. It uses transmedia storytelling, and players are capable of changing the cause of the storyline based on their choices, actions, and ideas during gameplay. Hence, the game evolves along with every decision the player makes. Subsequently, the game’s designers maintain control over the characters of the game. This is unlike the case of console or computer video games, where characters control depends on artificial intelligence.