3311 Views
January 11, 2022
Cross-platform games are leading the transformation in the apps industry because users love the gaming experience they get while cross playing with their family and friends, regardless of the platform.
It’s not like every day that we come across cross-platform games that support cross-play features, i.e., enabling gamers to connect and play with each other, right?
So, for the gaming community, I exhaustively researched and streamlined a comprehensive list of all the cross-platform games that you should try in 2023 and beyond.
Do keep in mind that a Game Development Company tend to update their apps regularly to stay on par with the latest trends in the market or to ensure their game’s optimal performance.
Therefore, if your favorite game doesn’t have cross-platform functionality today, it may have it tomorrow.
This is why it’s always best to check in with the game developers to see if the game offers Cross-play.
Also, before directly getting onto the list of cross-platform games in this blog, let’s first run through some of the details.
I’ve also added revenues of the cross-platform games on this list.
Hence, if you’re an entrepreneur looking to build your cross-platform app, you’ll have a solid idea of the financial potential you can unlock for your business.
- Scale Your Cross-Platform App
- Cross-platform apps have surely outgrown their buzzword status. The technology is a norm now, and we’re fully capable of taking your cross-platform app development to a whole new level ensuring cross-play functionality and an omnichannel experience.
What Are Cross-Platform Games?
Cross-platform games are games that have online gaming features and cross-play functionality.
These aspects enable gamers to play games with other gamers regardless of the hardware or platform that they’re using.
Let’s say you’ve got a PS4, and your friend has an Xbox One; if your game has a cross-play feature, you can both play with each other.
Moreover, Cross-platform games are sometimes referred to as cross-play games, so they’re technically both the same today.
But this wasn’t always the case!
Back when Cross-play and cross-platform were in their infancy, they meant entirely different things.
Cross-platform during this time meant that your game would be accessible on different platforms.
In contrast, Cross-play was used to describe a multi-platform game that supported an online multiplayer option.
Cross-Platform Vs. Cross-play: Which One to Go For?
Both are technically the same.
Today, Cross-platform and Cross-play mean the same thing: you’ll get the feature of playing online regardless of the platform or hardware.
Whether it be Xbox, PC, Nintendo, or PlayStation, with Cross-Platform or Cross-play games, you can rest assured of a cross-platform experience.
However, if you dig deep into the terms, Cross-play is defined as a game offering a multiplayer experience on a different platform. In contrast, Cross-platform meant the game would be released on multiple platforms.
- Unlock the latest Information and Developer Perspective
- The Latest Statistics and insight about Cross-Platform Games and Apps, Emerging Trends & More…
With that out, let’s get onto the list you’ve been anxiously waiting for.
List of Cross-Platform Apps with Cross-play functionality
For this list, we’re focusing on the rapidly growing end-to-end, cross-platform feature offering games so, let’s get right into it.
Battleground: Android, iOS
Battleground (previously known as PUBG mobile India) is a cross-play feature offering action/shooter games designed by Krafton.
Initially released on Android, the game’s massive popularity bought it to iOS in August 2021.
The game takes place in a battle royale where the users have the option to either play solo or join a team of 2, 3, or 4 players.
The idea is survived till the end to win the game. Moreover, Battleground also has other gaming modes, such as the last man standing deathmatch.
Users: 284 million
Revenue: $704 Million (All time)
Rating: 4/5
Muffin Knight: Android, macOS, Windows
Muffin Knight is a fantasy-based action-packed game that keeps the users engaged through its addictive storyline, unique features, amazing visuals, and off-course, Cross-platform functionality.
The game was released in May 2014. The story follows a little boy’s journey into the magical world of Muffins.
The little boy is cursed, due to which he turns into a different creature every time he touches a Muffin. To break the curse, the boy has to get all of the Muffins back.
Users: –
Revenue: $22.3 (All time)
Rating: 4.2 (Google Play)
Minecraft: Android, macOS, Windows, Nintendo, Xbox…
Minecraft stands as one of the most popular cross-platform games on this list, with 140 million active users.
Developed by Mojang Studios in 2009, Minecraft is a Lego-based game that lets the users explore a virtual world full of terrains, objects, tools, items, and structures.
The game has different modes that the player can select, like fighting the computer-controlled mobs or competing with other players mode.
In addition to that, Minecraft also offers the ‘Survival mode’ in which the players have to acquire resources to build a world, maintain health, followed by a creative mode where players get unlimited resources to battle.
Lastly, with over 238 million copies sold, Minecraft has been considered by several platforms as the best-selling video game of all time.
Users: 140 million
Revenue: $2.8 Billion (All time)
Rating: 4.5 (Google Play)
Fortnite: Android, iOS, Xbox One
Fortnite is a cross-platform game that was released in 2017 by Epic Games. The game offers three distinct modes along with general game-play.
The 1st, Fortnite: Save the world, is a tower-defense shooting game in which four players team up to defend the tower from Zombies.
The 2nd, a battle royale mode in which 100 players go against each other, and the last man standing wins the game.
And the 3rd, Fortnite Creative, where the users are given complete freedom to create worlds, build arenas and compete with each other.
All of the different modes mentioned above were released on different dates. ‘Save the world’ and ‘Battle royale’ were released in 2017, whereas ‘Creative’ was released in 2018.
Talking about the overwhelming success of Fortnite, the game gained traction in the year it was released, drawing more than 125 million users in less than a year while earning thousands of dollars monthly.
Users: 230 million
Revenue: $26 billion (All time)
Rating: 4.3 (Google Play)
Vainglory: Android, iOS, macOS
Vainglory is a multiplayer cross-platform app similar to the super-popular game Dota 2. Released on iOS back on November 16, 2014, the game managed to bust the charts, quickly becoming a fan favorite.
Belonging to the strategy genre, Vainglory delivers one hell of an experience to the users by enabling them to build two opposing teams that are bound to fight each other for control over the paths that connect their bases and destroy the enemy base while defending their own.
Observing the immense success of Vainglory, developers released an Android version of the app on July 2, 2015.
This cross-platform feature of the app further added more value in terms of enabling players from different platforms to join the battle to back their teammates.
Users: 10k+
Revenue: $50 Million (All time)
Rating: 3.6 (Google Play)
RuneScape: Android, iOS, macOS
RuneScape is yet another massively popular cross-platform app developed by Jagex. This online multiplayer game has a user base of over 200 million. In addition to that, RuneScape is also recognized by Guinness World Records.
First released in January 2001 as a browser game based on Java, and after 15 long years, the game transitioned into a standalone C++ coded client in 2016.
From a game-play standpoint, RuneScape takes the users into the world of Gielinor, a medieval fantasy realm in which different kingdoms, regions, and even cities exist.
Players can travel throughout the realm on foot with magical spells or ships. With each region offering a different kind of challenge in the form of quests, resources, and monsters, the game is home to an endless loop of thrill and adventure that mobile gamers just can’t seem to resist.
Users: 1.7 million
Revenue: $1.6 billion
Rating: 3.7 (Sitejabber)
Arcane Legends: Android, iOS
Next up is Arcane legends. This free-to-play, hack, and slash cross-platform multiplayer game gets you enthralled right from the get-go.
The game throws you into the world of warriors, monsters, magic, and more, enabling you to enjoy a mystical experience on your smartphone.
Originally launched back in 2012 by Spacetime Studios, the game can be accessed on multiple platforms such as Windows, iOS, Android, and Google Chrome.
Users: 29.9k
Revenue: $9.8 Million (All time)
Rating: 4.3 (Google Play)
Among Us: Android, iOS, PC, Nintendo Switch
Released in 2018, the super-addictive Among Us is a cross-play game developed by the studio Innersloth. The game literally needs no introduction because, during the pandemic, the entire world was playing Among Us.
The idea of the game was inspired by the party game Mafia. When released back in 2018, the game received little to no mainstream attention – it was during the pandemic that the user-base of Among Us skyrocketed.
The main reason due to which Among Us gained immense popularity is because several famous YouTubers and Twitch streamers started playing the game during the lockdown.
Now from the game-play standpoint, the game is super simple. There are three different stages in the game that can hold up to 10 players simultaneously that are set by the host.
Players of different platforms, i.e., iOS or Android, can join the stage. The objective? Out of the 10 players, one is the traitor whose mission is to kill other players. You have to identify the traitor before he/she kills you.
Users: 59.1 million
Revenue: $86 million (2021)
Rating: 3.8 (Google Play)
Call of Duty: Android, iOS, Windows
Call of Duty is an action-packed shooter game that needs no introduction, and the revenue model is based on in-app purchases makes the game free-to-play. COD offers different gaming modes, i.e., survival, team deathmatch, free-for-all, among many others.
Developed by Timi Studio Group and published by Activision, the game was released on October 1, 2019, on both iOS and Android, platforms and it started getting traction by mobile gamers instantly and managed to achieve 270 million downloads within a year.
Fast forward today, Call of Duty has become a well-known name in the mobile gaming domain globally, with more than 100 million monthly active users generating over $480 million.
Users: 90 million
Revenue: $30 billion (All time)
Rating: 4.3 (Google Play)
ARK: Survival Evolved; Android, iOS, Xbox One
Developed by Studio Wildcard and released on June 2, 2015, the action-adventure and survival experience of ARK: Survival Evolved propelled the game into stardom.
The innovative idea of being stranded on an island filled with prehistoric animals and hostile human players is something that gamers crave for and ARK: Survival Evolved brings this experience to the palm of the users.
Moreover, the cross-play feature of ARK enables users of different platforms to join the game and survive in the open-world environment with a dynamic day-night cycle.
With weapons, construction material, and starting a fire, players literally have to learn how to survive in the wild, also taming training animals on the island.
Users: 4.3 million
Revenue: $270 million
Rating: 3.7 (Google Play)
Clash Royale: iOS, Android
If you’re all about strategies, tactics, and planning, then Clash Royale is one hell of a mobile game that you must give a try. The free-to-play game demands strategic moves to ensure that the players excel in the game.
In a nutshell, the game is a combo of collectible card games, tower defense, and multiplayer battle arena – all things that keep the users coming back for more.
Developed and released globally on March 2, 2016, by SuperCell, the game instantly derived revolutionary results by reaching $1 billion in revenue within a year and a user-base of 1 million.
Users: 1 million
Revenue: $4 billion
Rating: 4.2 (Google Play)
Pocket Legends: iOS, Android
The Role-Playing cross-platform game developed by Spacetime Studios is yet another massively popular multiplayer online game available on both iOS and Android.
The game-play of the cross-platform app revolves around quests, challenges, missions that the users have to complete throughout the game with fellow users.
Set in the fantasy world of Alterra, the environment, design, and background story of the game are super enticing.
Multiplayer functionality of the game comes into the fray by enabling players to host joinable games that other players can enter and complete the mission according to the stipulations of the game.
Users: 70 million
Revenue: –
Rating: 4.2 (Google Play)
Ludo King: iOS, Android, MacOS
Ludo King is yet another free-to-play cross-platform app developed by Indian Studio. Powered by the Unity game engine, the game delivers a seamless and speedy experience on multiple mobile devices irrespective of the platform.
Available on iOS, Android, Windows, and even Kindle, the game delivers an omnichannel yet uniform experience to the users.
From the gaming standpoint, the game takes the players back into the days when traditional board games were a solid solution for boredom, only this time – the board game has become digital.
Furthermore, the game was first released on February 20, 2016, on iOS and Android platforms and took the #1 spot in the store by storm. The game was featured for a significantly long time in the Top Free Games section in the App Store and Google Play Store.
Fast forward today, the game has a staggering download count of 500 million; it is played in 30 countries and is available in 14 languages.
Users: 500 million Downloads
Revenue: $20 million (2020)
Rating: 4.3
Ingress Prime: iOS, Android
Here’s a free-to-play game that will surely redefine gaming in the future.
The augmented reality functionality is perhaps the most interesting part about the game that is pushing this game to disruptive heights.
Ingress Prime was released on December 14, 2013, on Android devices and July 14, 2014, on iOS devices by Niantic.
In the game, the players are given a map that they can follow to unlock mysteries within the game, and this is where the augmented reality functionality plays its part.
When the users see the destination where they were told to arrive through their smartphone’s camera, they see otherworldly rays, aura, objects, keys, and other resources, all while exploring the strange world of Ingress.
Users: 1 million
Revenue: 100K (All time)
Rating: 3.6 (Google Play)
Badland: iOS, Android, Windows
Frogmind Games went all out when developing Badland. The game was first released on iOS and Android platforms in 2013 and later on Windows in June 2014.
To define the game in an instant, I would say that Badlands is a blend of Angry Birds and Clash Royale.
Throughout the game, the players have to keep tapping the screen to make the main character fly super-efficiently, avoiding all the challenges like windmills, terrains, and other objects.
With beautiful design, comforting music, engaging game-play that is as smooth silk, and artistic design, the game is one hell of a combination of flying and surviving games.
Users: 100+ million
Revenue: $1 – $10 million
Rating: 4.5 (Google Play)
World of Tanks Blitz: iOS, Android
The action-packed and thrilling experience of the World of Tanks Blitz will surely pivot the game to new heights on both Android and iOS platforms.
Multiplayer cross-platform app enables the users to experience what it was like during World War II by bringing back tanks from that time to the modern age that you can control easily with your fingertips.
Your objective is similar to the objective that was given to the soldiers of World War II which is, to destroy enemies before they destroy you.
Now, these enemies are other players from different devices, and you’re actually competing against human players in the game.
Game-play is pretty similar to the game-play of the PC version, with the only value addition on the mobile version being the cross-platform feature of the game.
Additionally, the game is a mix of strategies, tactics, shooting, team-playing, and all you have to do is kill as many enemies as possible to win rounds and raise your tier, reaching a gold status which, by the way, is super difficult to reach.
Users: 1 million
Revenue: 4 million
Rating: 4.1 (Google Play)
Total War Battles: Kingdom; Android, macOS, Windows
Here’s another battle game that features war, strategy, building armies, protecting forts, and much more, a norm for mobile gamers.
The game takes the users back to the 10th century where the world started to emerge from the dark ages and wars began to erupt to take control over the evolution.
The game is available on both iOS and Android, and players from both platforms have the facility of playing against each other in the game.
Moreover, Total War Battles: Kingdom is a game that epitomizes strategic game-play as a whole. You get to build and manage entire medieval empires and command armies.
You even get to construct your own empire, boost your economy by building farms, houses, guard stations, and more.
Conquer and capture lands to achieve higher status in the kingdom and achieve amazing feats. The opposing armies that you compete with are commanded by other online players of the game.
This multiplayer feature is supported by the cross-play feature of the app, and the epic battles you start are with actual humans, and the only way to win is by intelligently planning your moves throughout the game.
Users: –
Revenue: $63 million
Rating: 3.8 (Google Play)
Vendetta Online: iOS, Android, Windows, MacOS
The super omnichannel game developed by Guild Software is available on literally any platform you can think of. It can be played on Linux, Android, macOS, Android, and Windows.
Based on the novel NAOS game engine to offer a first-person and third-person shooting experience. Plus, the game gives you a realistic flight model and a combat system that you can operate to shoot other air-crafts down.
You can either opt for player Vs. player or player V.s environment battle in the game. This also massively drops gamers’ dependability on an internet connection because the game also offers offline gaming functionality along with a cross-play.
Other than all the conventional features that I just told you about earlier, the most revolutionary aspect of Vendetta Online is its compatibility with Oculus Rift virtual reality, which allows games to interact in a single galaxy.
Users: –
Revenue: $5 million
Rating: 4 (Google Play)
Genshin Impact: Android, iOS, PC, PS4
If role-playing is your thing, then Genshin Impact is one hell of a game that you should download.
Developed and published by miHoYo, the game is available on multiple platforms, i.e., Windows, Play Station, Android, and iOS, and this ticks the cross-platform app check metric, which is one the #1 priority of this list.
The game features an anime-style open-world environment in which battles take place. You can control four interchangeable characters in the game and instantly switch between characters during the impact.
With a combo of skills, attacks, tactics, and battle strategies, there’s no telling to what extent you can reach in the game.
Furthermore, the beautiful visuals of the anime world, seamless controls, and more are just some of the reasons why this game is super popular among the gaming community.
Users: 64 million
Revenue: $4 billion
Rating: 4.1 (Google Play)
Hearthstone: PC, Mac, iOS, Android
A turn-based collectible card cross-platform game that gives users magical capabilities is the best way to describe Hearthstone.
The game was developed by Blizzard Entertainment and was previously known as Heroes of Warcraft.
The game uses similar elements, characters, and relics from the Warcraft series while letting global users compete with each other regardless of the platform.
Originally, Hearthstone was released on Windows and macOS, and later that year, it was available on iOS and Android.
Both the players are given 30 cards along with a selected hero that has unique capabilities.
The idea is simple, you have to destroy the opponent’s hero by summoning minions, using various powers of your character, and while you’re doing so, you can also complete quests to earn digital gold, rewards in the form of cards, and unlock new challenges.
Users: 5.8 million
Revenue: $20.8 million
Rating: 4 (Google Play)
Game On: Navigating the Cross-Platform Revolution with TekRevol
That was one long list of cross-platform apps that we just went through, and the list is a testament to the fact that cross-platform app development is an emerging market that is about to change how applications are built.
Because all of the apps mentioned on this list and their success are games, I’m more interested in exploring what the future holds for the mobile gaming industry because things are going cross-platform at an exhilarating pace.
It is safe to say that you will surely see countless cross-platform games offering Cross-play to the users, and many existing games will adapt to this method, ensuring high accessibility and multi-platform support.
As a Game app development company, TekRevol knows how to put disruption in full gear towards building innovative cross-platform gaming apps that are all set to redefine the cross-platform market even when it’s emerging.
Let’s Disrupt the Cross-Platform Domain
If you’re interested in talking through the future of cross-platform apps, reach out to us, and our growth consultant will guide you on how you can innovate the cross-platform market with your very own cross-platform mobile app or game.
- Ready to Launch Your Cross-Platform Game?
- Join Forces with TekRevol's Top-notch Development Services!
