Best Open-World Co-op Games With Great Player Customization

One of the best things about games like Dungeons & Dragons is the incredible freedom they offer – players can team up with diverse characters and play however they like. Many video games, especially role-playing games (RPGs) and massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), have tried to capture this feeling, often with intricate character customization options that can be both fun and overwhelming.

It’s great to have diverse character builds, particularly in co-op games where players explore a shared open world. This allows for well-rounded teams where one player can focus on healing and support, another on controlling enemies and absorbing damage, and a third on dealing high damage – even if they’re a bit fragile. The games below really shine in this area, offering extensive customization that dramatically changes how each player approaches combat and the overall experience.

Warframe

Your Frame Determines Your Playstyle

In Warframe, the Warframe you choose largely determines your abilities and how you’ll play the game. However, the game still offers a lot of freedom to customize your Warframe to match your preferred style. With 60 different Warframes to pick from, there are endless possibilities for creative builds.

Man, every Warframe feels totally unique. Like, I love playing Ash – it’s all about being a sneaky ninja with shurikens and going invisible. Then you’ve got frames like Kullervo, who’s a beast in melee combat. Or Protea, who sets up defenses with turrets and shields and keeps the team alive with her Dispensary. Because they’re all so different, you almost always end up with a really varied squad when you play with friends in Warframe.

Enshrouded

A Flexible Customization System Inspired By Classic RPG Classes

Enshrouded features a skill tree with three familiar RPG classes – agile rangers and assassins, powerful magic users and healers, and sturdy barbarians and tanks. However, the game lets you freely combine skills and equipment from any class to create a playstyle that suits you.

You don’t need to master every skill to be effective – you can still use a wand, for example. Building a focused character is helpful, allowing you to optimize your strengths. Choosing the right equipment is also important, as some gear is better for close-combat fighters, while other gear suits spellcasters. With so many skills and options available, it’s easy to create a team where each player has a unique role.

Outward

No Classes, But Skills Greatly Influence Your Role And Affect Survival

Outward blends survival elements with role-playing gameplay. While there aren’t traditional classes, the skills you choose will define your role and strengths when playing with others. Because the game emphasizes survival in a harsh world – death is common, much like in Kenshi – having the right skills and using them effectively is crucial.

The best way to learn new skills is by talking to teachers and trainers, though you can also earn them by completing quests. The game features a variety of skill options, similar to classic RPGs, for different playstyles – like magic users (Rune Sage), close-combat fighters (Warrior Monk), and everything in between. With a huge selection of weapons, from bows to pistols, everyone in a co-op group can find something that suits their preferred way of playing.

The Elder Scrolls Online

Race, Class, Armor, Weapons, and Guilds All Define Your Role In A Group

Many games let you customize your character with things like skills, traits, and equipment. However, The Elder Scrolls Online takes this further by encouraging players to specialize as either tanks, damage dealers, or healers. Your chosen race, class, and character build will give you advantages suited to one of these roles.

Redguards begin with a boost to their stamina, making them great for physical builds, while High Elves are naturally gifted for magic. Your chosen race and class – like Sorcerer, Templar, or Necromancer – will work together. As you level up and earn points to improve your abilities, building your character becomes more detailed, with new skills unlocked through gameplay and quests. This allows for diverse groups of four players, each with a unique playstyle that enhances the team.

Dying Light

Robust Skill Trees Determine Each Kyle’s Specialty

You can play almost everything in Dying Light with friends, including exploring the huge open world, the main story, and all the side quests. The game also has a lot of skills to unlock, organized into categories like Power, Agility, and Survivor. If you have the downloadable content, you’ll find even more options with the Legend and Driver skill trees.

Your chosen skills will heavily influence how you play and define your strengths – will you be a demolition expert, a master crafter, a fearsome close-combat fighter, or an incredibly agile survivor who can outrun any infected? While some skills are broadly helpful for staying alive, there are also fun and unique options, like vaulting over enemies to stun them. This means that when playing with friends, you’ll quickly find everyone developing their own distinct playstyle.

Valheim

How Each Person Plays Determines Their Skills

In the game Valheim, everyone plays as a Viking, but players often specialize in different areas. You improve your skills by doing related activities. For instance, if you enjoy fishing, your fishing skill will increase, letting you reel in catches faster and with less effort.

You’ll have a variety of weapons to choose from, like swords, axes, knives, crossbows, clubs, and bows. Magic is also an option, including types like Blood Magic and Elemental Magic. No matter what you select, you can improve your skills, giving you a lot of freedom to create a unique character class and playstyle.

Diablo 4

Different Classes, Different Builds, Different Gameplay

In Diablo 4, you can explore the game’s world and complete the story and seasonal challenges with friends in a cooperative group. Everyone can play the game their own way, thanks to the variety of classes – like the Barbarian and Sorcerer – each with distinct strengths, weaknesses, and unique gameplay. Plus, even within a single class, players can create vastly different builds, leading to diverse playstyles.

With so many different skills – Passive, Active, and Legendary – and a wide variety of gear, players can develop very unique playstyles, even within the same character class. Take Sorcerers, for example – they can be built in many different ways depending on which element they specialize in.

Elden Ring

Classes And Specialization Greatly Influence How You Traverse The Lands Between

You can play Elden Ring with friends either through the game itself or by using a mod called Seamless Co-op. The game offers a lot of freedom in how you create your character and develop their skills, and it all begins with your initial class and stats. While you can change things later, planning a build from the start can make the game’s challenges feel more manageable.

Elden Ring forces players to make tough choices about how to build their characters, as no build can be perfect in every way. For example, characters focused on close-combat strength and durability will excel at fighting up close, while magic users will be powerful but fragile, relying on ranged attacks. Some players even create hybrid builds, mixing different styles for unique combinations. This, combined with excellent cooperative play, means every player can experience the game differently thanks to varied weapons, skills, and stat distributions.

2025-12-19 08:35