Neverwinter Nights lends itself well to a variety of different play styles. The following are a few of the more common ones.
- Persistent world - Where the game server is "always on" and players come and go at will.
- Single-player - Game client and server run on the same computer. Only one player and no DM.
- VPnP - Small-group, session-based play. Usually a single party with a single DM.
- Arena - Party vs. party combat in one area with two bases.