Discord made it possible to jump into a game with friends from almost anywhere, but there was a time when multiplayer meant something very different. Before voice channels, friend lists, and instant invites, gaming weekends involved hauling bulky CRT monitors across town, stringing Ethernet cables through basements, and squeezing folding tables into garages for marathon LAN parties.
Local PC cafés were packed with players shouting across the room instead of into a headset, and every victory came with a real high-five instead of an emoji reaction. These photos capture a slice of gaming culture that defined the late ’90s and early 2000s, when getting everyone in the same room was half the adventure.
1. The LAN Party Sleepover Champion
2. The Official Fuel of All-Nighters
3. Comfort Was Never the Goal
4. When the CRT Felt Brighter Than the Sun
5. New Year’s Eve Before Discord
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6. Ergonomics Hadn’t Entered the Chat Yet
7. The Biggest Discord Server Was a Room Full of PCs
8. Before Minimalist Gaming Setups
9. The Whole House Became a Discord Server
10. Before Gaming Setups Became Instagram-Worthy
11. The Original Voice Chat
12. Too Many PCs, Not Enough Electricity
13. Your Teammate Was One Chair Away
14. The Era of Beige PCs
15. A Sea of CRT Monitors
16. The Rival Was Just a Few Feet Away
17. When Old Games Drew the Biggest Crowds
18. The Round Table of PC Gamers
19. Cosplay Was Part of the Experience
20. The Gaming World Before Discord
Those marathon LAN parties weren’t just about the games. They were about the ritual of getting everyone together, turning an ordinary room into a temporary gaming world, and creating memories that lasted long after the PCs were packed away. Discord and online gaming have made it easier than ever to stay connected, but they also changed what “playing together” looks like.
Looking back at these photos raises an interesting question: should we bring some of that tradition back? Maybe not every weekend, and maybe not with 70-pound CRT monitors, but there was something special about spending an entire night gaming side by side, where your friend’s house became the server, the room became the voice chat, and every match was shared in the same place instead of across a screen. Would you still show up for a LAN party today?
