42 Online Co-Op Games To Make New Friends

One of the best features of gaming is the ability to make new friends while playing your favorite game. But if there are plenty of multiplayer games out there, most are competitive and pit you against one another. Not so great when it comes to making friends. To help you expand your friend list, here are 30 online co-op games great to make new friends. And at the end of this list, you will find three extra online co-op games worth checking out.

#42 Helldivers 2

Platform: PC PS5
Release Date: February 8, 2024

Steam | PlayStation

Let’s be honest here: when it comes to shooter titles, regardless of whether they’re first or third-person, you’re going to have options to play with friends and allies from across the globe. HellDivers 2 is no different. However, one thing that separates this game is that you’re encouraged to work together to do the most damage possible.

Sure, there’s a strategy element to the game, too. But do you really care about that? Or do you care about unleashing carnage on alien menaces? That’s what we thought.

The game is out now. So load up, get in your squads, and see if you can complete your missions!

#41 Roboquest

Platform: PC Xbox One XSX|S
Release Date: November 07, 2023

Steam | Xbox

If you’re after a run-and-gun experience with a friend, then check out Roboquest. This new FPS title is based around a future where humanity is on its last legs. Evil robots flood the area, and while hope seems lost, our protagonist, Max, uncovers an old guardian bot that can be reactivated. Now, the duo set off to take the fight back against these evil bots and start seeking answers as to what these evil bots are after. Players can go through this game as a two-player experience. This is a fast-paced, action-packed game where it’s all about blasting away at the enemy. You will also get a bit of customization options here, whether it’s building up upgrades to your character or choosing from a wide range of weapons. 

#40 Lords of the Fallen

Platform: PC PS5 XSX|S
Release Date: October 13, 2023

Steam | PlayStation | Xbox

Lords of the Fallen might sound familiar. A game with the same name was released in 2014, but now we have a sequel. It’s not necessarily a sequel to which you’ll need to go back and play the first game. Instead, this latest installment takes place over a thousand years later, so you’re in safe hands if you just want to dive into a new souls-like experience. With that said, the game does follow the events of a demonic lord named Adyr, who has broken through the world of the living. It’s your job to send him back. Sounds easy, right? Fortunately, if you need a hand, this game provides some co-op support. First, you’ll need to reach the first Vestige, which won’t take long. Once you get to that point, you can start a co-op session with a friend or a random player online.

#39 Demonologist

Platform: PC
Release Date: September 25, 2023

Steam

Why in the world would you take on terrifying threats on your own when you can call in backup to better your odds? That’s what we thought.

Demonologist will let you do a special 4-person co-op adventure where you can go to haunted places full of terrifying supernatural entities and attempt to flush them out with the equipment you’ve brought. Will they be ghosts? Will there be spirits? Or how about wraiths? You’ll need to dig deep into these places to find out.

Plus, every place will be randomized, so no two adventures will play out the same way! Are you ready for what lies within?

#38 Starship Troopers: Extermination

Platform: PC
Release Date: May 17, 2023

Steam

When you’re fighting an alien menace that threatens all of humanity, which is totally epic if you didn’t know, sometimes you’ll want to take them on with as many people as possible. Thankfully, Starship Troopers: Extermination will let you do just that!

The co-op first-person shooter will take you to a world where the Arachnids have beaten back the Mobile Infantry, and you must reclaim all you’ve lost. As you explore the world, you’ll not only face the bugs but have to rebuild bases so you can seize control of the area once again.

Given all the types of bugs that will be thrown at you, you and your co-op partner must always be on their toes!

#37 Baldur’s Gate 3

Platform: PC – August 3, 2023
Release Date: PS5 – September 6, 2023

Steam | Playstation

In today’s gaming age, most titles with an expansive world try to give you a co-op or multiplayer experience so that you can enjoy the game with friends. If you wish to do that in an RPG setting, Baldur’s Gate 3 is the title to try.

The best part here is that this won’t be a case of one person leading and the others following. You’ll be equal partners in this journey, and with four of you in one party, that means there are plenty of ways you can handle things.

You can coordinate to take down big bosses, go on separate quests, or screw each other over just because you can.

#36 Remnant 2

Platform: PC PS5 XSX|S
Release Date: July 25, 2023

Steam | Playstation | Xbox

When you’re tasked with saving a world and saving the very existence you live in, it’d be nice not to have to do it alone. In Remnant II, you have the power to save reality on your own, or you can bring in a friend to help tag team things.

As you explore the game’s many worlds, you’ll find yourselves going up against bosses that few can beat on their own. In these times, call upon other players and work together to vanquish them.

To ensure you’re a team player, go and upgrade your character and blend classes together to unlock new abilities and potential.

#35 The Outlast Trials

Platform: PC
Release Date: May 18, 2023

Steam

Horror games can be best had with friends that are not even necessarily on your team. If you’re a fan of horror games, then chances are you are aware of The Outlast franchise. While before we get a third mainline installment, the developers brought out a multiplayer experience with The Outlast Trials. The Outlast Trials is set years before the first two games, during the Cold War, when the Murkoff Corporation imprisons you. Forced to undergo a variety of unethical experiments, the only means of escape is completing a series of challenges. However, between you and these objectives are a variety of hostile enemies. Just like in previous games, there’s no means of attacking enemies. Instead, some items further buff your character up to quickly reach a new area or slow an enemy down. However, your greatest means of help is with friends. This game offers cooperative multiplayer support where you and some friends can try to complete these objectives together or potentially throw each other under the bus.

#34 Diablo IV

Platform: PC PS4 Xbox One PS5 XSX|S
Release Date: June 06, 2023

PC | Playstation | Xbox

As a game once said, “It’s too dangerous to go alone,” so why not take on monstrous hordes with friends? Diablo IV will let you do that!

While many hail Blizzard’s series for its single-player customization and gameplay, you can take things to the co-op and multiplayer level by making a party and traveling around the realm above and below. Whether you lead the part or are one of its key members, you’ll have to work together to defy the hordes of Lilith and other forces.

Will you be able to level up together and become an unstoppable force? Or will you all be beaten back until you “git gud”? Dive in and find out!

#33 Dead Island 2

Platform: PC PS4 Xbox One PS5 XSX|S
Release Date: April 21, 2023

Epicgames | Playstation | Xbox

It took years and multiple development studios to bring a sequel to Dead Island. Fortunately, the wait has ended, and you can dive right into Dead Island 2. The game takes place several years after the first installment, where we’re now dealing with a zombie plague outbreak in California. You’re just one of the unlucky few stuck in Los Angeles and on a journey to find an escape. Soon into the game, your protagonist will discover they are immune to the disease, and their blood could be the cure, but it’s a long way to reach an extraction point. Gameplay is similar to the first installment, focusing on melee combat. Fortunately, you can play this game online with friends. Currently, at the time of writing this description, Dead Island 2 supports up to three players online. All you need to do is reach about thirty minutes into the campaign before the cooperative mode opens up. From there, you and your friends can go through the storyline with progression carrying over to each player.

#32 Sons Of The Forest

Platform: PC
Release Date: February 23, 2023

Steam

If you’re stranded on an island full of mutants and monsters that want to devour you, it’d be nice to have some backup to take care of them, wouldn’t you agree?

Thankfully, Sons Of The Forest will let you play with friends as you explore the island looking for a billionaire and trying to get off it alive!

Your allies will be vital as you build shelter and craft various items to help you fight off the monsters lurking around every corner.

How will you work together to survive? Or will your friendship fail when the mutants attack? Jump in and find out!

#31 Evil West

Developer: Flying Wild Hog
Publisher: Focus Entertainment
Release date: November 22, 2022
Platform: PC PS4 PS5 Xbox One XSX|S

What if the world had real monsters in it? What if the age of the Wild West was even wilder because vampires roamed around in it? Who would be able to rise to challenge them and ensure the safety of the living?

That would be you and your co-op partner, obviously. In Evil West, you’ll be members of an institute that was trained to take down these supernatural entities. You’ll wield everything from guns with special bullets to gauntlets that can harness lightning and more to take down the fanged menace.

Work together with your partner to mow them down. Just make sure they don’t get back up.

#30 Hero Siege

• Developer: Panic Art Studios
• Publisher: Panic Art Studios
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Android, iOS
• Release Date: January 29, 2014

Hero Siege is a hack and slash with RPG and roguelite elements. It supports online co-op with up to four players. The goal is to slash hordes of enemies in a randomly generated world. The game features 7 acts, each with 5 levels and an end boss. Killing enemies grants experience to unlock a talent tree, as well as loot to gear your hero. In the multiplayer mode, each player selects one of the 17 unique classes of the game. At the end of each level, not only can you compare your score to your friends, but also to a leaderboard specific to each class.

#29 Magicka

• Developer: Arrowhead Game Studios
• Publisher: Paradox Interactive
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360
• Release Date: January 25, 2011

Magicka is an action-adventure game based on Norse mythology. With up to four other players, you play as mages of a sacred order whose mission is to stop an evil sorcerer and his monsters. But if you are not a fan of fantasy settings, the expansions of Magicka make you travel to war in Vietnam as well as a Lovecraftian universe with Cthulhu. Unlike most RPGs, there are no classes in Magicka. Anyone can cast all the spells, without any restriction or mana bar. There is no limit on how you can smash your enemies, to the despair of the goblins you can meet during your adventures.

#28 Syndicate

• Developer: Starbreeze Studios
• Publisher: Electronic Arts
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
• Release Date: February 21, 2012

In 2012, Starbreeze Studios rebooted its popular cyberpunk FPS series, Syndicate. The game is set in the year 2069 and follows the story of the agent of a corporation set to eliminate rivals. But in the process, he discovers his employer isn’t as nice as it seems. The co-op mode doesn’t follow this campaign but offers a nine-mission story based on the original Syndicate game. Four players team up to defeat enemies with increasing difficulty. The game offers four classes: Medic, Spec Ops, Assault, and Generic, each with different abilities. On top of these special powers, players can count on futuristic weapons and hacks to complete their mission. 

#27 Grim Dawn

• Developer: Crate Entertainment
• Publisher: Crate Entertainment
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Xbox One
• Release Date: February 25, 2016

Grim Dawn is an ARPG set in an apocalyptic fantasy world. Humanity is on the brink of extinction, and it is up to you and your friends to help rebuild the world. Grim Dawn includes most features you can expect from an RPG: lots of different classes, quests with choices and consequences, hundreds of items to collect, rogue-like dungeons, and items to craft. The game supports four-player multiplayer so you can make new friends while destroying the various enemies and bosses of Grim Dawn.

#26 Animal Crossing: New Horizons

• Developer: Nintendo
• Publisher: Nintendo
• Platform: Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: March 20, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the game that let many of us escape reality during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The game is set on a tropical island, where you have your own little house. You become the mayor of this island and it’s up to you to customize it as you wish. New NPCs neighbors will roam around and talk to you. You can also visit your friends’ islands and hang out there for as long as you want. Whether you want to run around with your friends, catch fish together or watch the shooting stars, you can do many activities in Animal Crossing: New Horizons that you couldn’t do in real life – unless you already own a private tropical island.

#25 Portal 2

• Developer: Valve Corporation
• Publisher: Valve Corporation
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Classic Mac OS, Linux, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: April 18, 2011

Portal 2 is a puzzle-platform game where you have to solve various puzzles by placing portals and teleporting between them. You can also use tractor beams, lasers, light bridges or paint-like gels to place your portals wherever you want. In the co-op mode of Portal 2, two players can solve these puzzles together. The story of the co-op mode takes place after the solo campaign, but you can play them in any order. In the co-op mode, each player picks either Atlas or P-Body, two robots tasked with testing the chambers and the portal guns. The co-op relies on coordination and communication. If it is way harder than the solo mode, it is also funnier to solve puzzles with friends.

#24 Gears 5

• Developer: The Coalition
• Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Release Date: September 6, 2019

Just like all previous entries in the Gears series, Gears 5 is a third-person shooter. In addition to the campaign and the single-player gameplay, the game supports three-player local split-screen or online co-op for the main quests. The Horde mode has room for five players, who will need to fight together against 50 waves of enemies and a total of 5 bosses. There is also a three-player co-op mode called Escape, where players need to escape the Swarm and reach an extraction point. Finally, Gears 5 features several competitive multiplayer modes, like Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill, and Escalation. 

#23 Risk of Rain

• Developer: Hopoo Games
• Publisher: Chucklefish
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
• Release Date: November 8, 2013

Risk of Rain is a platformer where players have to survive on an alien planet. Their space freighter crashed on a strange planet filled with monsters. The difficulty of the game increases with time, so you will have to choose wisely between spending time collecting items to boost your statistics or leveling quickly to get stronger before your enemies defeat you. Risk of Rain supports local multiplayer for two players, but you can make way more friends online as the game supports up to ten players at the same time. Together, you will need to complete various objectives, kill aliens, and make sure to keep an eye on the time so you don’t get overwhelmed.

#22 Warhammer: Vermintide 2

• Developer: Fatshark
• Publisher: Fatshark
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S 
• Release Date: March 8, 2018

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is the sequel to Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide. Just like its predecessor, the game is set in the Warhammer Fantasy universe during the early days of the End Times. This first-person melee action game is violent and bloody. You can share this rush of adrenaline with friends, as Warhammer: Vermintide 2 features four-player co-op multiplayer. You can pick a hero between five different characters, each with three branching careers. There are 15 different talent trees and over 50 weapon types, so everyone should be able to find gameplay they like. Once everyone is ready, you can go on and behead hordes of enemies through the war-ravaged lands of Warhammer.

#21 Monster Hunter: World

• Developer: Capcom
• Publisher: Capcom
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
• Release Date: January 26, 2018

Monster Hunter: World is the fifth mainline installment in this popular action RPG series. Just like in the previous games, the goal is to hunt various monsters. Each enemy brings its own share of surprises, and defeating a monster gives material to upgrade the hunter’s gear. And as hunting monsters is funnier with friends, Monster Hunter: World features a co-op mode. To join someone else, you must first complete the introduction quest of the game, Jagras of the Ancient Forest. After that, you can either join a friend on Steam or create a Squad to play with other hunters across the world.

#20 Killing Floor 2 

• Developer: Tripwire Interactive
• Publisher: Tripwire Interactive
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
• Release Date: November 18, 2016

Killing Floor 2 is an FPS that lets you shoot up zombie-like creatures with up to six players. The game follows the events of the original Killing Floor, where a biotech company created military clones. Things didn’t go as planned and a researcher unleashed the clones across the UK. One month later, these creatures are all over Europe. In Killing Floor 2, you and your teammates have to fight against waves of these zombies and a final boss that changes at every run. There is also a PvP mode where you can play as a zombie chasing other players, but that won’t help you make new friends.

#19 Strange Brigade

• Developer: Rebellion Developments
• Publisher: Rebellion Developments
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: August 28, 2018

Strange Brigade is set in the 1930s. An archaeologist opened an old tomb in the Sahara and released an evil spirit. The Strange Brigade, a team of four Secret Service agents sent by the British colonial government, come to contain this threat. Each player can select one of the agents. All characters are customizable and have their own weapon and abilities. The Strange Brigade will have to fight against various enemies, from mummies to giant scorpions, and minotaurs. 

#18 Far Cry 6

• Developer: Ubisoft
• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Amazon Luna, Google Stadia
• Release Date: October 6, 2021

Far Cry 6 is the latest installment in the Far Cry series. The game takes place in the fictional Caribbean state of Yara. This paradise island is under the control of a dictator guiding his son to succeed him. If Far Cry 6 is mainly a solo game, it also features a co-op mode. However, the co-op mode is not available at the beginning of the game. Each player must own a copy of Far Cry 6 and complete the “Du or Die” mission. Luckily, it doesn’t take more than a couple of hours to complete this. Two players can then continue the main scenario together, whether friends or randoms on the internet. A good way to make new friends while exploring an open-world tropical island.

#17 World War Z: Aftermath

• Developer: Saber Interactive
• Publisher: Saber Interactive
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Google Stadia, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 
• Release Date: September 21, 2021

In 2013, Brad Pitt faced hordes of zombies swarming Philadelphia in the World War Z movie. The video game adaptation goes one step further, bringing the flesh-eating monsters all over the world. In World War Z Aftermath, up to four players can shoot zombies from Vatican City to Russia’s snowbound Kamchatka peninsula. On top of the story missions, the Horde Mode XL game mode brings new challenges to players. With your brand new friends, you will need to face endless waves of zombies, each wave being harder to defeat than the previous one.

#16 Monster Hunter Rise

• Developer: Capcom
• Publisher: Capcom
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: March 26, 2021

Monster Hunter Rise is the sixth and latest installment in the main Monster Hunter series. It introduces a new animal companion, the Palamute, a kind of dog that you can ride across the map and will fight with you. As its name suggests, Monster Hunter Rise also brings a new feature, allowing you to discover the world both horizontally and vertically. Wirebugs are used to climb around and even mount and ride some monsters. The game features both local and online multiplayer modes for up to four hunters. If you can play with both a Palico and a Palamute in the solo mode, you will have to choose only one of them to play with other hunters.

#15 PAYDAY 2

• Developer: Overkill Software
• Publisher: 505 Games
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Linux, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: August 13, 2013

Have you ever dreamed of robbing a bank? Stealing jewelry? Becoming a criminal mastermind? That is the whole promise of PAYDAY 2. This four-player co-op shooter is packed with action, with music blasting in rhythm with your heists. You can select a mission from a central hub, from bank robberies to the production and distribution of narcotics. Even if you can complete these missions solo, playing with others is better. Especially when there are hostages to control while the police are storming the place. Each successful heist grants you money you can invest to buy new weapons or place in an off-shore account.

#14 Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands

• Developer: Ubisoft
• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Google Stadia, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
• Release Date: February 3, 2017

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands is a third-person shooter set in an open world in Bolivia. The country is ruled by drug cartels that turned Bolivia into the world’s largest producer of cocaine. The co-op mode of the game lets you play with three other players. You all are members of an elite special operations unit sent by the United States Army to stop the cartels. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands also features a competitive multiplayer mode where teams of four players fight against each other. Players can level up in multiplayer mode to unlock new abilities and improve their character.

#13 Gauntlet Slayer Edition

• Developer: Arrowhead Game Studios
• Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4
• Release Date:  September 23, 2014

Gauntlet is a hack and slash dungeon crawler where up to four players have to make their way through hordes of enemies. Each player can pick one of the available heroes: Thor the Warrior, Thyra the Valkyrie, Merlin the Wizard, or Questor the Elf. Gauntlet supports both online and local co-op, with the ability to play with four players on the same screen. If the game is cooperative, you can still compete against your friends to claim the most kills and the most gold at the end of the game.

#12 Borderlands 3

• Developer: Gearbox Software
• Publisher: 2K Games
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Stadia, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Release Date: September 13, 2019

Borderlands 3 is an action RPG shooter known for its cartoonish graphic style and sense of humor. You can play either solo or with up to three other players. Each player takes one of the four unique classes of Vault Hunters. Your goal is to stop two twins and their cult followers from pillaging alien treasure and technology across the galaxy. The previous protagonists of the game are now NPCs, so if you are familiar with Borderlands 2 you may recognize some faces. Borderlands is a funny game to play with friends, packed with action, and full of surprises.

#11 Dying Light

• Developer: Techland
• Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: January 27, 2015

Dying Light is a survival horror video game where you have to make your way in a world filled with zombies. The game follows the story of an undercover agent sent to infiltrate a quarantine zone in the Middle East. Of course, the zone is full of flesh-eating mutants. To escape the zombies, players can count on their parkour abilities and a useful grappling hook. If the zombies are slow and apathetic during the day, they are much more dangerous at night. Dying Light features a four-player cooperative multiplayer mode. Players can either continue the main campaign together or complete challenges, like killing as many zombies as possible. There is also a multiplayer mode allowing you to play as a powerful zombie and invade someone else’s server, but that won’t help you make new friends.

#10 Left 4 Dead 2

• Developer: Valve
• Publisher: Valve
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Xbox 360
• Release Date: November 17, 2009

Left 4 Dead 2 is one of the most iconic co-op zombie games ever created. The game features two different modes, for both PvE and PvP lovers. The PvE mode features 5 campaigns, each with 3 to 5 smaller levels. Four survivors need to reach a Safe Zone without dying from the many zombies filling the levels. The PvP mode pits two teams of four players. One plays as the survivors, the other as zombies. The two teams swap sides after a stage, and the team with the best score at the end wins the game. No matter if you play the PvE or PvP mode, cooperation is key in Left 4 Dead 2.

#9 Don’t Starve Together

• Developer: Klei Entertainment
• Publisher: Klei Entertainment
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
• Release Date: April 21, 2016

Don’t Starve Together is the co-op version of the survival game Don’t Starve. And this expansion cannot be played solo: you even get a free copy of the game to gift to a friend when you purchase Don’t Starve Together. This action-adventure game is set in a randomly generated open world. You have to find resources, like wood and food, to survive in these dangerous lands. If everything seems peaceful during the day, monsters come out at night to try and kill you. You must find a light source before night comes if you want to survive. And don’t forget to eat, otherwise, you will starve together. 

#8 Deep Rock Galactic

• Developer: Ghost Ship Games
• Publisher: Coffee Stain Publishing
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
• Release Date: February 28, 2018

Have you ever dreamt of being a space dwarf? You can now fulfill this fantasy with Deep Rock Galactic, a co-op FPS for up to 4 players. Everyone must work together to eliminate aliens in procedurally generated caves. The environment is destructible and the goal of Deep Rock Galactic is to complete various objectives, such as mining specific minerals, stealing alien eggs, or killing enemies. The game features 4 classes: the Engineer, the Gunner, the Driller, and the Scout. Each of these classes has its own advantage, and everyone is needed to explore these alien caves filled with insect-like enemies.

#7 Divinity Original Sin 2

• Developer: Larian Studios
• Publisher: Larian Studios
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: September 14, 2017

Divinity Original Sin 2 is an RPG for up to four players. The game takes place in the fantasy world of Rivellon, centuries after Divinity: Original Sin. If some characters are common to both games, you don’t need to play the original Divinity to play the sequel. The characters of Divinity Original Sin 2 have supernatural powers and are hunted by an organization called the Divine Order. Your mission is to escape from the Divine Order’s control and discover your true destiny – the reason behind your powers, and what you can accomplish with them.

#6 The Forest

• Developer: Endnight Games
• Publisher: Endnight Games
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4
• Release Date: April 30, 2018

The Forest is a co-op survival game set in a mysterious forest. You end up here after a plane crash, but soon realize you are not the only one in this forest. Besides your teammates, a threat looms in the dark: cannibalistic mutants. Your goal is to build a shelter and protect yourself against these blood-thirsty monsters who you like to have you for breakfast. Cooperation is key because you cannot just stay hidden, hoping the cannibals won’t find you. You need to survive by scavenging food and materials in the forest. A sequel to the game, called The Forest 2, is currently under development.

#5 Broforce

• Developer: Free Lives
• Publisher: Devolver Digital
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: April 7, 2014

Broforce is the ultimate game to have fun with other bros – whether bros you already know or new bros. The goal is simple: kill everyone you see. Broforce is an exaggeration of all hypermasculine movies where the hero saves everyone, kills the terrorists, and waives an American flag. The main character is a bro whose mission is to kill the bad guys and to save his fellow bros from captivity. Broforce is full of action and filled with references to some of the most popular bros of pop culture. The bros are all parodies of action heroes, like Chuck Norris, Terminator, Rambo, or John McClane. And to spice things up, you cannot choose which bro you play: the character is randomly assigned at the beginning of the game. 

#4 Back 4 Blood

• Developer: Turtle Rock Studios
• Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Release Date: October 12, 2021

Back 4 Blood is the spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead and its sequel, Left 4 Dead 2. In this game, teams of four players have to complete a series of objectives while fighting against zombies. Back 4 Blood also features a 4v4 PvP mode, where a team plays as survivors while the other plays as zombies. Compared to Left 4 Dead 2, Back 4 Blood introduces a new key mechanic: cards. At the beginning of each game, players can select cards that will influence their gameplay. These cards can increase damage, ammo, or stamina. But players are not the only ones drawing cards. An AI picks a Corruption Card, which will make the game harder. As every card is picked randomly, all games are different.

#3 It Takes Two

• Developer: Hazelight Studios
• Publisher: Electronic Arts
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Release Date: March 26, 2021

As its name suggests, It Takes Two is a game that can only be completed by two players. This action-adventure game was designed for split-screen multiplayer cooperation, whether local or online. Players don’t always have the same powers, so cooperation is key to completing the various levels of the game. It Takes Two was one of the most popular games of 2021, even winning Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021 and the 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. Television and film adaptations of the game are also on the way. It Takes Two is a safe bet when you are looking for a co-op game to make new friends or share a special moment with existing ones.

#2 7 Days to Die

• Developer: The Fun Pimps
• Publisher: The Fun Pimps
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
• Release Date: December 13, 2013

7 Days to Die is a survival horror game where you have to survive in a world filled with zombies. If the undead are pretty slow during the day, they turn into blood-thirsty monsters at night and will chase you down until they can eat you alive. Your mission is to build a shelter and prepare defenses so you can survive the night. And every seven days, a red moon lights up the sky, unleashing waves of zombies. These special zombies are way stronger than regular ones and will destroy your shelter to reach you. Luckily, you don’t have to survive alone. You can host a game for four players, or join a server with a maximum of eight players.

#1 A Way Out

• Developer: Hazelight Studios
• Publisher: Electronic Arts
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
• Release Date: March 23, 2018

A Way Out is one of the best two-player co-op games of the past few years. The game follows the story of two inmates wanting to escape prison. A Way Out cannot be played solo – you have to play with someone else to complete the game. The game supports both local and online co-op. No matter the kind of co-op, the screen is always split in two. Sometimes, the action will follow one of the characters more than the other. Other times, the screen will merge the two parts when both characters take part in the same action. A Way Out does a great job of making you feel like you depend on someone else, and that you cannot survive on your own.

Bonus – Resident Evil 5

• Developer: Capcom
• Publisher: Capcom
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Nvidia Shield TV, Android, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: March 5, 2009

When it comes to shooting zombies, there are few games as popular as Resident Evil. If these games were all meant for solo players, Resident Evil 5 is the first entry in the series to include two-player co-op gameplay. One player controls Chris Redfield, a former STARS agent, and the other controls Sheva, Chris’ new partner. On top of killing zombies together, the two players are the only ones able to revive their partner if things go south. They can also trade loot, although weapons cannot be traded online. At certain points, the two characters are separated to complete objectives on their own. Overall, Resident Evil 5 is a good game for those who want to share their Resident Evil story with a friend.

Bonus – Stardew Valley

• Developer: Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone
• Publisher: Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, iOS, Android, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
• Release Date: February 26, 2016

Stardew Valley is a relaxing simulation RPG developed by a single person, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone. The goal of this game is to restore your deceased grandfather’s farm, grow crops, and befriend your neighbors. You could even end up marrying one of them. If Stardew Valley is mainly known as a solo game, it also features a multiplayer mode for up to 4 players. While this multiplayer mode is available on PC and consoles, you cannot play with others on mobile and PlayStation Vita. In multiplayer mode, one player is the host and the others are farmhands. Everyone can have their own cabin and plot of land to farm.

Bonus – ELDEN RING

• Developer: FromSoftware Inc.
• Publisher: Bandai Namco
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 
• Release Date: February 25, 2022

Elden Ring came out in late February and is already a contestant for Game of the Year 2022. This action RPG, combining the universe of Dark Souls games and lore signed by George R. R. Martin, is one of the most popular games of the year. You play as a Tarnished, a warrior whose mission is to find the Elden Ring and get its powers. If Elden Ring is mainly known as a solo game, you can also play with others. And that cooperation goes way beyond a simple note saying “try finger but hole.” You can summon other players by placing a summon sign on the ground. Once another Tarnished joins your game, you can defeat the hardest foes of the Lands Between together.