Alternative Games for League of Legends Diehards
Let’s be real here—League of Legends is life! But even as the most dedicated Summoner who enjoys the constant new content being offered, are you getting a craving to shake things up now and then? Maybe your squad’s offline or you’re just looking for something fresh that still scratches that LoL-shaped itch… have you thought of trying out an alternative game or two?
Before you make a swift exit, playing other games does not mean you need to abandon your first love! The beauty of today’s digital gaming landscape is that it’s a vast and hyper-connected place, packed with all manner of weird and wonderful games to dive into.
You might find a title that you enjoy just as much as LoL—yes, that’s entirely possible! Or, adding a couple of other games to your wheelhouse could end up broadening your skillset as well as your mind…
So what are the games worth your time as a League lifer looking for a side quest? Here are four top recommended games that will deliver in different, but equally intense ways.
Online Roulette
At first glance, online roulette might seem worlds apart from MOBAs. But look closer and you’ll soon get where we’re coming from. The core of what makes your favorite game so thrilling—we’re talking about timing, high-stakes risk, psychological warfare—is all present here too, just a bit more distilled.
Playing roulette well is all about making sharp and canny decisions under pressure. Do you chase a group of numbers consistently, or pivot at the last second? They’re not ideal choices to make; you’re calibrating instinct with probability, weighing up risk against potential outcome. Sound familiar? It’s that same mental wiring you need to read a timefight, just compressed into a few seconds.
Strategy aside, there are also parallels within the experience of gaming in these two very different worlds. As a core vertical in the iGaming sector, roulette has a global reach. You could be based in Europe and find yourself at the same table as a gamer playing online roulette in Canada, just as you might find yourself up against international players in a round of LoL! Furthermore, the fast-paced nature of this game echoes the thrills and spills of a LoL match, keeping you at the edge of your metaphorical seat every second.
Doing something a bit different can be a great way to give your brain a break and recharge – and online roulette certainly ticks that box while scratching many of the LoL itches.
Dota 2 (2013)
Could we be any more obvious?! Okay, okay, playing Dota 2 as a League gamer is a no-brainer, but bear with us. Valve’s powerhouse MOBA remains LoL’s fiercest rival. Featuring over 120 heroes, an ever-evolving meta, and a global competitive scene with a flagship tournament handing out record-breaking prize pots, it’s a complete ecosystem.
And playing it will really force you to break out of your comfort zone. LoL streamlines much of its mechanics to boost accessibility, but Dota 2 leans into granular control and punishing depth—it’s a bit like being thrown in the deep end while wearing chainmail boots.
However, it’s that volatile gameplay that’s the draw here, and a key reason to put Dota 2 on regular rotation. Yes, you’ll find familiar rhythm and structure (lanes, rotations, teamfights), but the game’s not going to give you a helping hand. Every positioning choice and item decision carries weight, and when things spiral—because they inevitably will—you’ll either have to adapt or face getting chewed up by the map.
Teamfight Tactics (2019)
Auto battlers might seem like a far cry from Summoner’s Rift, but TFT—developed by Riot themselves—shares LoL’s DNA, albeit at a gentler pace. You might not be brawling in any real-time clashes here, but make no mistake, the strategic demands are just as sharp.
TFT is one of those games that rewards calm thinking. No, you can’t click your way to victory. Rather, acing the gameplay involves getting your management down right—plan, execute, and adjust. Random elements introduce variables, not chaos, which is excellent for teaching you how to control the parts you can, but mitigate the rest.
Ultimately, though, Teamfight Tactics is an attractive game to play because of how deeply it ties into the League ecosystem. The champions and lore and even the visual cues all feel like home turf, albeit from a different angle.
Heroes of the Storm (2015)
Blizzard’s map-tastic take on the MOBA genre never quite reached LoL-level popularity, but it deserves a heck of a lot more credit than it gets. The fact that it flips the script and puts the focus on team synergy should make for a nice cycle-breaker between mammoth League sessions.
Shared team XP means you’ll succeed, or fail, as a unit. This shifts the emphasis from mere lane mechanics to how well you’re holding and controlling the map. It requires a different pace, too—how well can you manage the constant pressure to move, rotate, and respond?
What makes HotS worth loading up, though, is exactly what makes it feel so strange at first: it forces you out of that limited 1v1 mindset. If you’d appreciate some time to recalibrate and sharpen your macro instincts, you know what to do!