How to Beat Your Friends at Video Games

Last Updated: July 17, 2021

Tired of getting your butt kicked by your friends at every game you play? Much like a raging alcoholic, you must first admit you have a problem. While it may not lead to cirrhosis of the liver, not being able to provide a challenge can be embarrassing. Chances are it is not the amazing skill of your opponents, but rather your lack of proper technique that is resulting in you losing. This wikiHow will teach you how to earn your spot in the winners circle and put your buddies to shame.

Steps

1
Realize that the basic idea behind every multiplayer video game is basically the same. Whether you are shooting Nazis or scoring touchdowns, you need to be able to see everything that is going on around you. Learning maps helps with this, but the best way to maximize your view of the field of play is to have "shifty eyes". You don't need to keep looking at your character; trust me, they will be there when you look back at them. Look around. Watch for people sneaking up behind you or trying to move around to the side.
2
Learn the game. Take a few hours to learn all the power-ups, the location of items, and how to do special moves and combos. Being able to do even one complicated move could be the difference between victory and button-mashing defeat.

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3
Learn the rules. There lots of clearly stated, observable, or calculable rules that have a bearing on play. A good example is weapon balance in Halo games. It takes exactly 8 Battle Rifle shots to the body to kill an opponent with depleted shields and full armor in Halo 2. These little nuances are the most important part of building a strategy quickly in the middle of a game.
4
Learn the system you are playing the game on. Memorize where buttons are on the controllers; pressing the wrong button often leads to defeat.
5
Learn to balance offense and defense. Only attacking an opponent will leave you vulnerable. Likewise, only defending will prevent you from ever defeating anyone. Sometimes, it is good to hide or run away, even though it might be more fun to try to pull off that amazingly difficult winning move.
6
Find your groove. Chances are you and your friends won't all like the same characters, teams, weapons, et cetera. Find the one that works for you. Most games have enough choices that you will be able to find one that fits you perfectly.
7
Be tricky. If the "expected" thing to do would be to run right in the front gate, then do the unexpected, try finding a side entrance or laying a trap, unless the unexpected is expected, then you do the expected and walk through the front gate!
8
Pick your targets. Don't make a move at every opportunity; the best players are hunters, not waiters.
9
Crunch the numbers. Learn how much damage you do with each hit in a set amount of time, and how many hits you can get off safely whether it be ammo in your gun or punches from your fighter. Learning your DPS (damage per second) is crucial when you want to get good with a game. It is the difference between playing more defensively when you're weaker or full out aggression when you can "Tank n' Spank" your way to victory.
10
Pay attention to damage efficiency. Have that really strong attack that takes a couple seconds to pull off? While that single attack might be impressive and flashy it isn't the optimal way to play. Weaker but quicker attacks may not be flashy on their own, but they will be a lot easier to chain together. The look on your enemies face will be worth it when you have them "Perma-stunned".
11
Learn the mechanics. Just learning what the mechanics are isn't all of it. You need to learn every single detail of the game. Have an attack that missed your opponent, but it seemed like it hit? He might have learned that he has some invulnerability frames during that time, or you might not realize that FPS you're playing is "hit-scan" rather than projectile based. Mastering these under the hood mechanics will surprise your friends and make every game you play an entirely different experience.
12
Take breaks. No one can play a game for five hours straight and maintain a continuous level of focus and skill, especially when you are training on your own. Make a sandwich. Write a poem. Just do something that does not require you to look at a screen at least a few minutes every hour.
13
Handicap yourself for practice. Try to beat the hardest boss on the hardest settings only using your worst weapon. When playing multiplayer games where you are part of a team, volunteer to join the team that has the highest chance of losing. Eventually, your friends won't be much of a challenge at all.
14
Don't camp or repeatedly use "unfair" advantages, such as vehicles. While you might end up with the highest score at the end of the round, it takes no skill to get in a tank and blast away; it does not make you a GOOD player, just a lame one. Camping just leads to annoyed friends and less invitations to play.
15
Lastly, don't be afraid to ask for tips from your fellow gamers. Most players are more than willing to share their strategies. Read strategy guides online. There are several free websites with plenty of good advice.

Community Q&A

Question

When playing FPS games, is it a good tactic to hide around corners and wait until I hear footsteps?

Community Answer

If the game is in third person, then maybe, because in third person you can see around corners. If it is in first person, then no.
Question

How do I beat this person on "Plague Inc."? They always use fungus and I don't have it.

Jackson Quesinberry

Community Answer

Play single player and unlock it.

Warnings

Don't get too upset or angry. It's alright to throw a few expressions of disappointment when you miss something, but don't get verbally or physically abusive with yourself or your friends. Believe it or not, people do throw punches over stuff like that, and no one wants to end a game with a bloody nose.

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Adding on to the above comment, if someone beats you and your team badly, you can't call them Hackers, noobs, no-lifers... Because you don't know them, they could be really skilled, or may have a really annoying strategy, if so, play without that person.

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However, playing games using Xbox LIVE, System Link, Nintendo Network or PlayStation Network may be used in such tournaments.

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Screen-watching (viewing the corners of other gamers to find their location) is cheating and is illegal in most tournaments. If you must, never tell anyone that you are doing so, like "I know exactly where you are". It could get you kicked out.

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Don't let games get in the way of your real life obligations. Video game addiction is a serious problem and ruins relationships, educational opportunities, and jobs. Remember to take breaks and prioritize.

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If you are playing an FPS (First Person Shooter) game, like Halo or Call of Duty, remember that there are people that don't leave the house or their gaming system a lot, so watch out for these people, but don't call them No-Lifers, as they have played the game longer than you have.

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Mind games can be very very tricky. I will use rock, paper, and scissors as an example. Let us say rock is the obvious choice here. So the first layer is player A which is you is going to use rock, so your friend knowing that this is the obvious choice counters with paper. Let's take our previous situation and add a new layer. Friend thinks you are going to use rock so he counters with paper, right? But now you predict that your friend will try to counter the obvious rock solution with paper. You could use scissors and completely destroy him. Now throwing the third layer in the mix, say your friend predicted that you were going to counter his paper with your scissors, so he goes back to the first and obvious choice of rock, which beats you. Mind games happen a lot in video games, so make sure you pick correctly.

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Those who have a history of seizures or epilepsy should not play video games for extended periods of time. It is recommended that they sit farther away from the television and turn the brightness settings on the screen down.

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