8 Games With Local & Online Co-Op You Can Play With Friends (Ranked!)

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Summary

  • Couch co-op games offer a unique social gaming experience, prioritizing fun with friends over overall game quality.
  • Co-op games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario 3D World, and Castle Crashers provide chaotic, addictive group play.
  • Divinity Original Sin 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3 offer extensive, engaging co-op campaigns for RPG fans seeking immersive experiences.

People are social creatures who crave interaction with others. While an exceptional single-player game could captivate players, nothing quite matches the joy of teaming up with friends for a shared gaming experience – hopefully ending in victory! Regrettably, local cooperative play (couch co-op) has diminished in popularity lately, overtaken by the convenience of online cooperative sessions.

Instead of using split-screen local co-op due to problems like lag and other technical issues, some developers decide to prioritize online connectivity instead. However, there are certain games that manage to deliver both experiences seamlessly. By focusing on the quality of the cooperative play rather than just the overall gameplay reception, these titles can be considered as the top choices for games offering concurrent couch and online co-op.

8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Friendship-Testing Staple

As a devoted fan, I must admit that Mario Kart is an intriguing series in many ways. It undeniably offers an exceptional multiplayer experience, but it pushes the boundaries of what we consider cooperative gameplay. Instead, players often find themselves intensely focused on hindering their friends rather than working together. However, despite this competitive spirit, Mario Kart does offer two team modes, particularly its battle mode, which makes for an unparalleled gaming experience with friends that’s hard to beat!

The Nintendo-developed game, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, stands out as the superior installment in the series due to Nintendo’s ongoing commitment to update and enhance it, offering an unrivaled assortment of tracks, playable characters, and vehicle customization options that surpass any previous game in the franchise.

7. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

Chaos Physics

Avoid continually criticizing Nintendo’s iconic character, it should be noted that “Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury” stands out as an exceptional platformer. This game offers the complete campaign with numerous multiplayer options to choose from. Much like other Mario games, this title maintains a high standard of quality and provides both a challenging and user-friendly experience for fans of platforming games.

In the cooperative game, there are a few issues related to how the actions of player characters affect each other closely. This can often result in friends unintentionally getting in each other’s way, especially during the quicker-moving late stages or when playing with all four players. To make matters worse, moving, shooting, and even picking up or tossing other players are all assigned to the same button, which leads to a lot of confusion and chaos.

6. Castle Crashers

Cartoonish Beat ‘Em Up

Man, I can’t believe how timeless the fun of Castle Crashers has remained! With its seemingly simple concept and battle mechanics, it’s still an amazing way to pass a few hours with friends. For those who haven’t played, Castle Crashers is a side-scrolling beat ’em up in 2D that’s packed with eccentric characters and animations.

A timeless genre that’s scarcely found in contemporary gaming is the one that “Castle Crashers” belongs to. Unlike many of its peers, “Castle Crashers” isn’t solely reliant on nostalgia. Instead, it boasts a roguelike level-up system that invites players to explore its worlds repeatedly and cause some trouble.

5. The Escapists 2

Prison Break Sandbox

In “The Escapists 2”, you’re tasked with escaping from various sandbox-style prisons by following daily routines, creating helpful tools, and discovering secret passageways that lead to several possible escape routes in each facility.

Collaborative efforts are often the key in dealing with most penitentiaries. This means that individuals can divide responsibilities, thereby moving faster and leaving fewer traces behind. Some institutions, in fact, are specifically designed for cooperation, where multiple players must work together to successfully accomplish their objectives.

4. Sackboy: A Big Adventure

True To Its Platformer Roots

The “LittleBigPlanet” series initially set itself apart from other games by emphasizing community, creating and sharing levels, and incorporating cooperative play directly into its level design. Now that those servers are sadly no longer active, fans can take comfort in the fact that Sackboy: A Big Adventure carries on this tradition with combined co-op options.

In contrast to certain other platform games I’ve come across, Sackboy: A Big Adventure was specifically designed with cooperative play in focus. This means that it seamlessly supports multiple players right from the start, and there are plenty of co-op focused stages and hidden surprises throughout the entire journey.

3. Overcooked! All You Can Eat

Order Up!

This game, named “Overcooked,” tests the concept of teamwork. It’s a humorous multiplayer game where you and your friends strive to serve dishes as quickly as possible in an array of chaotic kitchen settings that seem bizarrely designed. Despite its focus on friendship, players often collide while dashing through narrow passageways to extinguish fires or clean up dishes.

When players manage to synchronize their actions effectively in teamwork, they’ll uncover the best strategies for amassing impressive scores amidst an exhilarating and busy ordeal. Overcooked: All You Can Eat encapsulates all content from the series up to this point – a comprehensive offering for newcomers eager to dive in.

2. Divinity: Original Sin 2

Build Your Party

For devoted enthusiasts, Divinity Original Sin 2 stands as the epitome of digital games emulating the essence of Dungeons & Dragons. Although another contender might have emerged to challenge its status as a role-playing icon, Divinity Original Sin 2 continues to offer a rich gameplay system and an immersive experience for a band of friends, remaining unrivaled in many aspects.

This game functions optimally when played with others, similar to Dungeons & Dragons. To maximize your chances of success, it’s essential that players form a well-balanced team. Teamwork, therefore, is vital. With over 75 hours of content in a single playthrough, it boasts one of the largest cooperative campaigns offered to gamers.

1. Baldur’s Gate 3

The Ultimate Quest

Larian Studios surpassed their masterpiece, Divinity: Original Sin 2, by launching Baldur’s Gate 3, a game that redefined its genre and claimed the top position among Dungeons & Dragons enthusiasts. This title also made it onto our list as an exceptional cooperative experience. The expansive nature of Baldur’s Gate 3 is almost indescribable, representing a remarkable blend of technical prowess and storytelling artistry that swept the gaming awards in 2023.

For RPG enthusiasts, the experience of crafting a harmonious team and embarking on a sequence of missions, an activity that thrives when enjoyed together with companions, is something deeply recognized. Larian Studios designed Baldur’s Gate 3 specifically with this audience in focus, aiming to excel in every aspect it intended. In essence, it delivers exceptionally well on its promises.

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2025-01-18 06:08