Wizard101 is an MMORPG released in 2008 by KingsIsle Entertainment. It is a card-based multiplayer strategy game but plays like an MMO. However, with time, the game has started to show its age.
The graphics are old, and the magic system could be more appealing. Maybe you are a new player who wants to start playing wizard 101 or an old player looking for games just like wizard 101. In this article, we will be discussing whether it is worth playing wizard101 in 2024. If not, then what are some other games like wizard101 to play?
Is wizard 101 dead? Do people still play it?
Yes, people still play it, and the game is playable on the server side, but the player population is relatively low. On average, the game gets 300 or so players every month and is at around 600 at its peak. These are all the player base that has stuck with the game all this time and continues to do so.
If you want to play with them there will be a huge skill gap. If you have some nostalgic memory of the game and are deadest on playing wizard101 then there is some population. With the game being free, to play, there is no cost to try the game out.
However, because of its free to play nature, it has plagued the game with a pay to win model and if you want to get into the game long time then you will have to invest money into the game, especially when you are playing for long time players who have played and invested in the game for so long.
If you are a new player, then you may not want to play wizard101, especially in 2024 when there are multiple great games like wizard101.
Today in this list we will be seeing such 10 games that are more modern and have a bigger player base
List Of The Games Like Wizard101
1 Final Fantasy XIV
Developed by Square Enix, Final Fantasy XIV is one of the most popular MMORPGs available. It shines the brightest among the competition due to its class system in which you can level each character to as many classes as you want to.
The game follows a monthly subscription method that is available to keep the game free from pay to win scenarios and the developers keep it fresh with constant updates for the game. Heavensward expansion is the best part of the MMO.
If you don’t want to buy a subscription but want to try the game for yourself first then there is a free trial that is free until you reach level 60 and up to Heavensward expansion which is considered by some, the best part of the game.
The game is available on steam but if you want the free trial then you have to use the square Enix launcher, which overall is a better experience. FF14 is able to merge the fantastical environment of the FF series into an MMO world and is fun to play solo or in a group.
2. Elder scroll online
Based on the hugely popular elder scroll franchise by Bethesda, Elder scroll online is in an MMO based around the Elder Scroll lore and setting. The game is 6 years old but has a great player base because of its vast exploration elements.
The game tells some great stories and features praise-worthy player customization. What Elder scroll online shines at most is its flawless combat system which is quite varied and changes depending on the class you play. If you’ve ever played an Elder Scrolls game, you’ll be acquainted with the combat system in a jiffy.
A nice community backs the game, something that you can’t say about many other online games. For people either coming in new or veterans of the game, there are dungeons and trials that are able to keep the game interesting and fun to play for a long time.
The game also has decent PVP and PVE content so depending upon your taste, so you can either fight the computer or be in a battle with another player. The game pushes for socializing better with the other players.
Something criticized about the game is its lack of end game content once you are done with everything the game has to offer, given that it will take hundreds of hours to finish, but when done there’s not much to be done.
You can either keep redoing the same tasks again or wait for the developers to add new content, which is done fairly often. However, since Bethesda announced Elder Scrolls 6, the updates for Elder Scrolls Online have become increasingly scarce.
3. Warframe
If what you are looking for is truly free to play the game, no subscription no pay to win structure then this is a game for you. Warframe can be categorized as a looter shooter which means you will be doing a lot of the same tasks again and again but the more you do them the better your equipment gets and the better it feels.
War frame is one of those rare games that is not afraid to make you overpowered after investing a lot of time in it and when that happens that’s where the real fun begins. Feeling like a legend in-game is a great feeling and the game is built in such a way that it supports your progression.
The game maybe 7 years old, but it is given free updates by the developer who are one of the most open development teams around the world. And the best part is the player community is pretty nice and supportive of new players, unlike most of the MMORPGs where veterans are salty against the newbies.
4. World of Warcraft
The king of MMORPG for over a decade, you may feel a game this old will be dead or dying but this game is here until blizzard stops updating the content. And given the game’s success, the updates aren’t stopping any time soon.
World of Warcraft is the most populated MMO game in the world. The game follows a subscription model in which a month of subscription gives you access to all the playable content worth thousands of hours of play.
This game is pretty intricate, and it is hard to explain it in a few words. The game is so complex that even veterans are not sure about what some of the systems do. Though it could be hard for a brand new player to get on par with the veterans and pros, the new shadowland expansion patch gives you a better ‘new player’ tutorial.
Believe it or not, but the previous new player tutorial was over 15 years old and it was starting to show its age as it did not explain all the newer elements that were added in the years to follow.
5. RuneScape
If these new games are not cutting it for you and you want a game that looks like wizard101 then RuneScape is the game for you. There are two versions of RuneScape, RS3 or OSRS.
In an objective sense, RS3 and OSRS are pretty much the same game. RS3 just offers faster methods for achieving goals and handles combat in a more involved manner. If you are looking for a more active combat and epic situations, play RS3.
If you are a fan of simplicity and grinding, then the OSRS version is the one for you. They are both great options, it just depends on what you have time and interest.
Recently RuneScape has got a popularity boom with a player average of 173,000 in both RS3 and OSRS. This game is available on basically everything including android and iOS.
6. Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 is a free to play game that thrives on players to make a purchase on their in-game store. Basically, it’s a pay to win model where buying items greatly speeds up your progress. It’s not necessary to buy anything for playing the game as long as you’re fine with the grind.
The game focusses on PvE content and has some great features that make the game worth playing. The game has dynamic combat generation which means the game detects the player count in a given area an generates the enemies based on that.
The game has some of the most unique combat mechanics available in any game which makes the game quite fun and to top all that the game’s story is very personal and one of the better ones for an MMO.
7. Phantasy Star Online 2
If you’re an Anime Otaku and looking for an MMO, then this game is the one for you. Basically, this is an anime-inspired MMORPG and has an anime like the storyline to go with the art style.
The character creator in the game is quite expansive and with all that this game is free to play with no player level caps or locked content. This one also focusses more on the PvE aspect but has some great player to player socializing methods like group raids and dungeon, you can also take part in PvP fights but there’s much reason do them.
8. Darkfall: rise of agon
If you are looking for a game with a great PvP element than dark fall is the game for you. The game has a full-blown PvP system in place everywhere so you can be attacked any time, there are no safe zones for you to hide. The game is distributed through free to play model and the game is supported through in-game purchase shop.
The economy is player-driven. In-game traders and merchants hawk items to thrive in the economy. You can make a fortune by setting up your own store or simply trading, without ever heading out to fight other players.
One thing to note is that the game is very old and unlike other games on this list, this game has not received much modernization in terms of graphics of the game. The game averages around 2300 players every day.
9. Star Wars the Old Republic
Star Wars the old republic is a Star Wars inspired MMO developed by Bioware. Despite years after its release, the Old Republic is hailed as one of the best Star Wars games. In classic Bioware fashion, the game follows one of the best single player story-driven narratives with MMO features sprinkled on top of it.
The game is free to play but has a subscription if you want extra cosmetics. Several expansions over the past decade have put more content in storytelling, offering a rich and enjoyable experience
One thing to note is that the game is an okay MMO, not the worst but certainly not the best. It has a great single-player and some MMO elements to go with it.
10. Path of Exile
If what you want is a diablo like MMO experience, then Paths of Exile is the game for you. The game has a top-down perspective, and it is free to play without any pay to win system. That being said, you have the option to progress faster if you put some money into the game.
The game is very complex and with each update, the developer keeps introducing new features and increasing the complexity even more. What Paths of Exile does best is player creation choice, there are a lot of skills in the games skill tree so that each player can create the character they want to create.
Conclusion
So there’s a list of multiple MMORPG games that are just like wizard101 in one way or another. Most of these games have some sort of free trial or are free to play altogether so be sure to play all the game in the list and find the game the best suits you need and you have most fun laying. The thing that matters the most is having fun. Do note that no game can be a perfect replica of wizard101 as it is still a somewhat active game and no developer would just steal the ideas and make their game.