Is there a game where you can make your own superhero?
Yes. Champions Online, DC Universe Online, City of Heroes on the Homecoming servers, and LEGO Marvel Super Heroes all let you make your own hero. LifeSim lets you describe a hero in your own words and live their everyday life in a real city.
The first three are online games where you fight and team up with other players. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is a story game with Marvel heroes and a hero maker. LifeSim is a life sim, so the focus is the person behind the mask.
One note: this is the LifeSim blog. We tell you when another game is the better pick.
What is the best superhero creator game?
Champions Online
A comic book style online role-playing game. Its Steam page says you design your hero and costume from thousands of costume pieces. You can also make your own rival, with a name, a look, and powers. It is free to play, on Windows.
City of Heroes: Homecoming
City of Heroes is an online superhero game from 2004. Homecoming is a community-run server for it, and it runs under license. Its newcomer guide walks you through making a hero: you pick an origin, a class, and two power sets, and then you design the costume.
Can you make your own hero in a DC or Marvel game?
DC Universe Online
A free to play online action game. You pick the hero or villain side and customize your character. It is on Windows, with cross-platform play.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
You play a LEGO story with Marvel heroes like Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Hulk. Its Steam page says you can also create unique super heroes with customizable characters. It is a paid game on Windows.
Is there a game where you live a superhero's secret life?
Yes. In LifeSim, you are a hero with a normal life too. You have neighbors, friends, and maybe a crush who does not know your secret. Read play as a superhero for ideas.
You make your hero by writing one text box. For example: "Nova, 24, a shy barista in Chicago, USA, who can fly at night." The game reads the name, age, look, job, and city, and draws a portrait.
The city is real. You start on a 3D map of Earth, with real places and weather. The people there have jobs, homes, and routines. You talk to them in your own words, and they remember what you said. So if you keep slipping away from a friend, they may notice.
How do superhero games compare?
| Game | How you make a hero | What you do | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champions Online | Thousands of costume pieces | Fight online with others | Free to play |
| DC Universe Online | Customize a hero or villain | Fight online with others | Free to play |
| LEGO Marvel Super Heroes | Customizable characters | A story with Marvel heroes | Paid |
| LifeSim | Describe them in text | Live their life in a real city | Free. No paid items. |
Prices change, so check the store page before you buy.
Can you play as Spider-Man or the Avengers in LifeSim?
The home page has about 20 ready-made lives you can start from. Two of them are superhero lives: Spider-Man in New York and the Avengers. You can also write your own version of any hero.
What can't you do as a superhero in LifeSim?
LifeSim is not an action game. There is no combat system. Your powers are part of the story you write, and people react to them. You play alone, and the game is in English only.
If you want to fight with friends, Champions Online or DC Universe Online is the better pick. If you want the secret life, try LifeSim. Stuck for an idea? Use the random life generator.
Questions
Is there a free game where you can make your own superhero?
Yes. Champions Online and DC Universe Online are free to play. LifeSim is free with no paid items.
Can you make your own superhero on your phone?
LifeSim runs in the browser on your phone. You describe your hero in text, with no download.
Can you give your superhero a secret identity?
In LifeSim, yes. Write it into your character, and keep it from the people you meet.
Can you make a supervillain instead?
DC Universe Online lets you pick the villain side. Champions Online lets you make your own rival.