A local area network (LAN) party is when people get together in a physical space to connect their computers or consoles to the same LAN network and play video games. LAN parties became popular in the 1990s when broadband internet was expensive and uncommon. LAN parties vary in size, from a get-together with a few friends to a major event involving hundreds of strangers.
LAN parties used to be the perfect way to play multiplayer games without relying on split-screen gameplay, often limiting the experience to a maximum of four players.
Common games at LAN parties were those that benefited most from the low-latency and high-reliability environment that a local network provided. First-person shooters (FPS) were particularly popular. Titles like “Counter-Strike,” “Quake,” and “Unreal Tournament” were staples of the LAN party scene.