Whether it is real life or a video game, people have an innate desire to party. Even those amongst you who argue that they are introvert and don’t really like huge crowds, you are just a party-animal waiting to happen. Thanks to their photorealistic graphics and riveting gameplay, many console and PC games featuring a nightlife and partying narrative turn out to be the perfect outlet for your pent-up desire to just let loose for once and have some fun. 

A video game has the added benefit of letting you embarrass yourself just about as much as you would love to without suffering the social consequences of your antics. Today, we take a look at what we consider to be the best five games that feature nightlife elements for a truly worthwhile blast throughout town, albeit a made-believe one.

Sims 2 Nightlife 

The Sims 2 life simulation game has been both loved and hated. The game allows players to manipulate the lives of the inhabitants of a house, and in the newer versions, many different venues. As the industry has advanced, these simulations have become more real, and while, in the past, some people were inclined to push their treatment of the inhabitants of this made-up world a little too much, today, the realistic look of the game invites the creators to be more forgiving.

Yet, the game did get an update a year after release with a Windows expansion arriving. Sims 2 Nightlife focused on the breezy experiences young adults often have in the metropolises. Only, to participate in this one, you don’t have to spend a small fortune while, some argue, you can still enjoy yourself through the realistic gameplay.

And, just like with any Sims game, it’s not just about pointless manipulation of the game environment. You have aspirations, and in this expansion, a new objective is added, i.e. Pleasure. The goal of the game is simple and as you strive to make everyone happy, you get a glimpse of the nightlife of the simulated world you are very much a god in.

Grand Theft Auto 

One game has pushed the boundaries of the experience. If Grand Theft Auto used to be about a rather linear narrative, the current version of the game is a perpetually evolving ecosystem of avatars which thrives based on its own rules. While previous versions had it easy and were finite, the latest iterations of Grand Theft Auto have completely upped the ante offering a rare insight into a world that is in a ceaseless state of flux. 

And, if participating in a nightlife is definitely on your to-do list, you will be able to pursue various objectives with the fall of the night. Players can explore different scenarios and live their experience throughout the night. Whether you want to run a criminal ring or be a private investigator, or perhaps visit the famed Diamond Casino, which offers players the opportunity to use their GTA buck to play slots, blackjack and poker, you have options.

In fact, the Diamond Casino is deemed one of the best online casinos ever to make an appearance in a video game, and to be perfectly honest, it may even change how traditional casinos in places like Las Vegas try to cater to consumers. GTA is definitely a game that offers a lot of entertainment value and the opportunity to enjoy yourself as much as you possibly could. 

Mass Effect 2 Afterlife 

Now, this is not the traditional nightlife story you probably expected. Mass Effect 2 is, after all, a work of science fiction, offering a keen insight into a future where things are always edging towards a conflict of galactic proportions. Thankfully, though, there are islets of respite where your avatar can just walk into and wind down from the pending calamity.

Mass Effect 2 does welcome you to a few joints where nightlife blasts at full roar. And, while others have to wait all queued up to get admitted, your avatar runs straight to the front entrance undisturbed by guards who have very little interest in being hurt over who gets into the club. 

The interior of the clubs in Mass Effect is, as you can expect, dusky, with neon lights piercing the neon hazes and casting an eerie overall outlook on the entire place. Yet, you may not linger for too long, because there are lives at stake.

Club Hell, The Matrix

With a name like Club Hell, you probably don’t expect much of a party, and you probably shouldn’t. The Matrix one of the most memorable franchises in both the movie and video game industry, and now, a fourth movie is underway. While the game was constructed as a tribute to the original movie series, the Club Hell scene is definitely one that has been properly rendered into the game.

Now, while there is a clear nightlife dynamic to it, you won’t have too much time to sip on good drinks, as the game will quickly ask you to confront the terrifying Twins. 

All Walls Must Fall

All Walls Must Fall isn’t your typical nightclubbing game. With a clear tech-noir vibe, you get to party across the night clubs of Berlin, enjoying an almost surrealist experience, overlooking your avatar from bird’s view and finding new ways to interact with your peers.

There is a gritty realism to the night clubs featured in the game that, assuming you were a little shier about approaching people in real life, might just rub off on you in the game. The conversations are lively, yet a rejection feels just as soul-crushing as it does to bet shot down at a bar by an attractive member of the opposite, or perhaps even same sex. 

In any event, All Walls Must Fall is a great indie noir game that you definitely must feature on your list of games to try, particularly if you are looking for an opportunity to loosen up a bit and not worry too much about sobriety.