Virtual nightclub games: where to party online in 3D

A video call is not a night out. A virtual nightclub gets closer: a room with a stage, a door to get through, music and other people moving around you. If you want to party online in 3D with friends who live far away, here are our picks, honestly described, with what each one costs and what you need to install. Every club here is a virtual club inside a game or platform, not a real venue.

What to look for in a virtual nightclub game

• Install or browser? Some run in a web page; others need a download or a VR headset. If your friends are on phones, this decides it.
• Who is there? A world full of other real people feels alive. One you visit alone feels like a museum.
• Music. Live sets and events, or a playlist in the background?
• Cost. Free to enter, and what the optional extras cost.
• Adults. Who the platform is for, and what it does about age.

Our picks

1. AJ Cities: a Lagos club in your browser

Full disclosure: this is our game. AJ Cities is a free open-world browser game set on the edge of Ajegunle, Lagos. Its party mode is a live estate party, and the centre of it is Prizm, a virtual club at No. 1145 June 12 Street. To be clear: Prizm is a club inside the game, with no real venue, date or ticket.

• Platform: any modern browser, on a phone or a computer. Nothing to download, built for phones first.
• Cost: free. Most nights about four in five guests who ask the gate police are let in free, and the club’s bouncers sometimes wave guests in. Optional 24-hour tickets run from ₦250 (which opens the club’s ground floor) to ₦60,000 for top-tier VIP.
• The club: a ground floor with a stage where the artist Joe-Izzy plays every night from 9 pm to 1 am Lagos time, and, for VIP tickets, a pool deck, a rooftop garden and backstage.
• People: up to 60 real players per estate, with chat. Pick the same world (always day, always night or real Lagos time) and you usually join your friends.
• Also: a beach party, an estate radio that plays the same song at the same moment for every player, and a free salon and clothes shop at the gate.
• Adults: 18+. You sign in with your email and must be 18 or over.
• Good for: a group across countries, on phones, who want a Lagos night without installing anything. Less good for: anyone who wants VR, or to build their own club. You cannot.

2. VRChat: club nights in social VR

VRChat is a free social platform where users build their own worlds and meet as avatars. It is known for its club scene: collectives build nightclub worlds and run online dance music events, some streamed on Twitch, and the platform has hosted virtual concerts.

• Platform: download only. Windows PC (desktop or a SteamVR headset), standalone Meta Quest and Pico headsets, and iOS and Android. A VR headset is not required.
• Cost: free; an optional VRChat Plus subscription adds extras.
• People: multiplayer, with a large events system and groups.
• Adults: creators can tag adult content, which is blocked by default for users who say they are under 18, and VRChat Plus subscribers can verify their age and limit an instance to verified adults.
• Good for: a big, user-built club scene, especially in VR. Less good for: a quick night with friends who will not install an app.

3. Second Life: the long-running virtual world

Second Life launched in 2003 and has been running ever since. Users build much of what is in it, and its communities include music clubs and live music.

• Platform: a downloadable viewer for Windows and macOS; mobile versions are in beta.
• Cost: a basic account is free. Premium membership is optional and paid.
• People: a long-established community, with music clubs among its many groups.
• Adults: the platform is intended for users 16 and over.
• Good for: people who want to settle in, build and come back for years. Less good for: a group who want to be dancing in five minutes; there is a learning curve.

At a glance

Which one should you pick?

These are our picks, not a ranking. If your friends are on phones and you want to be inside a club in a couple of minutes, try AJ Cities. If you have VR headsets or a gaming PC and want a user-built club scene, VRChat. If you want a whole second world to live in, Second Life.

Tips for a good virtual club night

1. Agree a place and a time, and send one link. In AJ Cities, that means agreeing a world as well.
2. Dress up. It sounds silly. It is not. Changing your look is half the fun of going out.
3. Use the door. Arriving through a queue, not a menu, makes it feel like going somewhere.
4. Keep it to a few hours, as you would a real night. Our guide to hosting a virtual party has more.

Want to see the Lagos one first? Take the tour of Prizm.

What is a virtual nightclub game?

A game or platform with a 3D club you enter as an avatar, with music and other real people. The club exists only inside the game.

Are there free virtual nightclub games?

Yes. AJ Cities, VRChat and Second Life (with a basic account) are all free to join; each has optional paid extras.

Can I go to a virtual club in my browser with no download?

AJ Cities runs in the browser on a phone or a computer. VRChat and Second Life need a download.

Do I need a VR headset?

No. VRChat supports VR but does not require it, and AJ Cities and Second Life are played on a screen.