GameRanger

GameRanger is an on-line multi-player matchmaking program. The target 'audience' is the older gamer whose original matchmaking services and servers have been taken down or are otherwise non-functional, including the Gamespy shut-down that occurred in 2014. GameRanger acts as a host that connects all players to a game without requiring the user to set up VPN tunnels or opening ports manually, which is both convenient and less risky for the users.

The software itself is free, and GameRanger offers a free 'Bronze' account, which provides all basic functionality with some advertisements. The ads are reasonably placed, do not cover buttons or features, and are immediately close-able, so they are not too obtrusive. There are also two paid account types with varying features that are not directly related to gameplay (removal of ads, integrated voice chat support, etc.). The value of these features would depend entirely on the desires of the user; only a Bronze account is required to enjoy matchmaking features. At the time of installation, the installer did not contain any bundled crapware/bloatware.

GameRanger's library consists of over 700 titles, with many tried-and-true hits and cult favourites. From Baldur's Gate to SiN, almost every genre and taste is represented. Real-time strategy games seem to be most popular, with numerous games running at many times throughout the day, so finding a game is rarely difficult. If a room isn't available, creating and hosting a game is as simple as a few clicks. Inviting friends is painless, too. Once ready, GameRanger launches the game's executable and, at least for the games tested, takes the host directly into the game's native lobby screen, where the typical settings can be managed. Games as old as 20 years can be launched within minutes. Of course, each person's experience may vary based on game compatibility and individual system specifications.

In addition to the appeal of playing the classics with friends, GameRanger also offers support for more recent titles, such as Borderlands 2 and Terraria. This is mainly useful for players on different platforms (say you're on Steam and your friend isn't) or operating systems (Mac or Windows) to be able to play together without issue, although not every single title currently supports Mac-to-Windows connections.

Another note for Mac OS users: Recent versions of the OS after OS X Mavericks (2013) are not compatible with GameRanger. The developer cites a lack of support from Apple for backwards compatibility, in addition to the greater focus on the Windows version, but a fix is still officially forthcoming. Mac users wishing to use GameRanger will need to stay on an older version of OS X to maintain compatibility for the foreseeable future.

Mac issues aside, the software's only significant missing feature is a form of anti-cheat; free from oversight or enforcement, many games are prone to hacks or other forms of cheating. However, this would likely be a large undertaking to implement for the one-man development team, and generally most players do not abuse the system. For the time being, keeping a list of known cheaters or only playing with people one already knows are the best workarounds for this issue.

GameRanger is a generally painless way to relive the multi-player experiences of older games without the headaches of dealing with manual network settings or dead servers.

Keep all of the information about your multiplayer games in one place so that they are easy to find.

This is a program that offers many benefits if you play a lot of games with other people. There are files that can be used to store all of the information that you have from each game along with the people who you normally play with so that you know who to look for while you're online.

While using the program, you'll find that there are many social aspects that make it fun to use. There are chat rooms that allow you to talk to the people online while you're playing games. This can sometimes get in the way of playing the games, especially if you're talking to a lot of people at once. However, it's also a benefit because you can create strategies and find out how other people are doing in the game, getting ideas as to what you can do next while playing.

Another aspect of the program is that you can participate in video chats. This helps if you like looking at other people while you're playing a game and sometimes takes away the distraction that a simple chat room offers. It's a program that can allow you to meet new people who share the same interest in gaming that you have.

One of the things to keep in mind is that you can't cross networks. It slows the program down, and you might find that you can't play certain games at once, if you're on two or more networks at once. There are various levels of the program that you can have, one that lets you keep 50 friends in a chat room and another that allows you to have up to 500.