Try online chess, we're all fools over there already.
this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2025
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https://lichess.org/ FOSS run by a nonprofit with tons of players and game modes if anyone is looking to get into it
It's crazy good, or you can use the slightly less good chesscom for $49.99 (first month then $69.99).
I love the puzzles on lichess, they are taken from played matchs where a mistake were made and there are literally millions of them of all kind of difficulties and types 💖
Fighting games are great for this. Street Fighter 6 is great (and the biggest). But there are others (Tekken, Mortal Kombat, Guilty Gear, Super Smash Bros, loads more and more upcoming new ones). Fighting games have usually have local clubs/events where you can play casual matches. They'll also do local tournaments, and there will be bigger regional and national competitions to find. But it's a great starting experience to go to a local tournament and lose £5 entry fee by losing 2 back to back best of 3's.
as an addenum, if you live by a major university, most universities have a weekly tounament for various games. if you arent up to snuff yet, there will likely also be casual setup, or better, bring your own setup to play casuals on with others. (e.g low effort one would be a pc version of a game running on a laptop for a mobile setup)
dont be intimidated and think you also have to register for the tournament if you arent experienced yet.
Im curious if its possible to enter a game competition or something as a casual player?
Yes.
want to someday atleast try one but im not sure what game to get better at or what sites to use to enter some without making myself look like a fool?
The game to get better at is the game you enjoy most, and what sites depends on the game. You can ask again here after you decide on a game and I'm sure you'll get a good number of suggestions.
No one cares if you lose. Really. Everyone loses at some point, and if you happen to run into a dick who makes a big deal out of beating you, just say ggs and move on. It's not worth it to take the bait.
In my experience, most people are nice as long as you are, and they'll even give you advice if you ask.
I also dont want to pay because thats sort of like gambling at the start.
I think about 90% of online tournaments are free, so don't worry.
The game to get better at is the game you enjoy most, and what sites depends on the game.
This is spot on, though keep in mind that, depending on the game, you might play it so much you'll grow to hate it. You'll also find yourself looking at videos and guides on how to get better, effectively upping you from a casual
Small time or local competitions/tournaments are likely to only have one mr. motherfucker that will utterly destroy you. They tend to show up a lot more in fighting games, though some strategy games, like Starcraft 1/2, also have a significant number of them. If you want to avoid feeling humiliated, racing games (Gran Turismo, Forza, Project CARS) are the ones you'll want to go for. Sports games (football, 'murican football, basketball) also have really damn good players, though it's unlikely you'll get humiliating losses in them after a bit of training.
As someone else mentioned, speedrunning is also an option, though it's a lot less about direct confrontation and more about grinding the same game over and over. It's also the easiest one to "get into", especially if you aim at less known games. Events like AGDQ can hold head-to-head competition of 2 or more runners in the spot.
Keep in mind that some games need teamwork as much as individual skill - Marvel Rivals, Overwatch 2, League of Legends, etc.
Search "online tournament X" where X is the name of the game you want to play. Tampa Never Sleeps does tournaments for the likes of Street Fighter 6 and Guilty Gear Strive every week, for instance. They're all free.
Same as anything else, really. Find local tournaments or player hosted events that are smaller. Find out what the actual competition is like, and practice to rise above them.
This isn't a reply to your question directly but I'll suggest getting into a community league instead and test some waters.
I play Dota 2 mainly which has no pay to win mechanics and all characters are free but the game is difficult to get into. That being said there are many communities who host local tournaments/in-house league which are rank locked and you can make friends and find players to play with.
Most games have something similar on discord servers and then you can get into an actual competitive stage eventually!
Easiest to try I think, you can try speed run any game.
Go to https://www.speedrun.com/games
Watch speed runs on youtube and try to repeat it yourself to see if you even like it.
If you want a shooter i suggest marvel rivals, it has in-game tournaments that you can access after you reach a high enough rank in ladder.
If you want a moba league of legends should have something similar in the client although i don't know too much about it.
If you want a fighting game then you have hundreds of options. Tekken 8, street fighter 6 and guilty gear strive are the more popular ones with weekly tournaments online. (Most of these should be on sale because of the EVO which is the biggest tournament in the community)
Even mario kart wii (and the newer ones) have regular tournaments with very competitive scenes. Ultimately it's about what you like to play and how good you are at it.
Hop in a game’s Discord. They usually do tournaments and such. You can make a name for yourself there.
Hey there! I work a side-gig as an eSports Producer. There's lots happening depending on the types of games you like. Breakout does a ton with fighting games, there are lots of smaller shooter leagues and a community for just about every game.
If you have a specific game you like I'd be happy to try and help point you in the right direction.
If you like RTS you could join the beyond all reason fight nights. They have a ton of newer players and are hosted most weekedns
Yeah, it's definitely possible. Online brackets are free sometimes, but don't expect to never pay anything. Most events have a nominal fee to create a prize pool.
First thing first, figure out what you want to compete in. You probably already have a list in mind of some games you like to play casually or spectate, right?
Then, you need to find the community for the game(s) you're interested in. I think it's usually going to be found in a Discord server these days. For example, if you're looking to get into a fighting game, this page might be a good start: https://wiki.supercombo.gg/w/SuperCombo_Wiki:Community_portal/Discords One you find community, they can help find events to enter, give advice, share resources to learn from, and of course practice with and/or against you.
For some games, even better if you can find an online community that's specific to both your game and your region. You can start from the general community, ask around there, and hopefully drill down to something closer.
Another note on paying: you can find opponets or groups online to play serious matches with for free, before you enter anything.
But paying an entry fee is not gambling at all - you will lose that money 100%, if you're not already experienced playing against serious competitors. Think of it more like buying a movie ticket than a lottery ticket.
Personally I love Counter-Strike 2 or Rocket League, both have the simplest way to play competitively - You simply play Comp and then get ranked.
Cs2 you could use Faceit or Leetify to create a team and join tournaments, though I think some cost money with a prize pool.
RL is awesome though, you get like 5 - 6 mini tournaments a day hosted by RL themselves. Similar to CS2 you get ranked and then join a tourney with skill-alike players. Very fun, very easy to set down, always feel like you can play "competitively" no matter the time available or skill.
Both games have a very quick learning curve, and then as you play and practice you slowly get better (hopefully)
Don't play competitive games. They'll make you miserable. Play single player and be happy.
Meet me in the middle and join a nice incestual MMO cult/guild.