Co-Op Games Where Players Take On The Role Of The Villain

When we play cooperative games with friends, there’s often a shared understanding that we’re the heroes – working together to overcome a common threat. This could involve anything from a team of adventurers in a dungeon to survivors escaping a disaster, or even soldiers on a crucial mission.

Sometimes, a game will do something different and let you play as the villains instead of the heroes. These games turn the usual cooperative experience on its head, putting you and your friends on the opposing side.

In these worlds, you don’t play the hero – you’re the villain! It’s a different approach, definitely, but it can be just as enjoyable. And let’s be honest, everyone needs a little help causing trouble now and then.

I was feeling a little mischievous today, so let’s talk about some fun video games you can play with friends where you get to be the bad guy – or at least cause some trouble! Here are 8 cooperative games where you and your friends can embrace your villainous side.

8. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Kicking Superman’s Butt With Friends

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has been a bit of a rollercoaster, but at its heart, it offers a really fun idea: letting you and your friends play as the infamous Task Force X. We still appreciate the work Rocksteady put into it!

In this game, you get to play as the bad guy! Choose from a team of villains – including Harley Quinn, King Shark, Deathstroke, and Mrs. Freeze – and go after iconic superheroes like The Flash and Superman.

Although the game is playable solo, the real highlight is the four-player online co-op mode, which significantly improves the overall experience, especially considering the game’s initial reception.

The game isn’t really about complicated teamwork or competition, but it’s a lot of fun if you just enjoy it as a lighthearted action game to play with friends. It’s worth checking out for a few hours of chaotic good times.

7. Rampage World Tour

Total Destruction

It seems people are really fascinated by stories of huge monsters attacking cities, and Godzilla’s enduring success is a perfect example of this.

The Rampage games let you live out the fantasy of being a giant monster whose only goal is total destruction. Plus, you won’t have to cause chaos by yourself!

Let’s start with Rampage World Tour, which became popular on home consoles after its success in arcades. This was the first cooperative game I played where you got to be the monster, and it’s surprisingly satisfying to just switch off and destroy buildings with a friend.

You know, even though this game came out a while ago, it honestly holds up so well. It’s got that classic “couch co-op” feel that just brings back amazing memories – something I really miss in a lot of today’s games that focus only on online play.

6. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Family Bonding Through Bloodshed

Developer	Sumo Digital
Platform	PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X\|S, and PC
Genre	Multiplayer, Horror
Release Date	August 18, 2023

You might assume The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is all about scary, uneven gameplay, and you’d be right – it is an asymmetrical horror game. But surprisingly, the most fun comes from players working together.

The game pits two teams against each other: four players try to escape, and three players try to stop them – and they stop them for good.

Teamwork is key in this game! Whether you’re escaping or trying to survive after being caught, working with other players dramatically improves your chances of success.

Playing as the Slaughter family means relying on teamwork, because you’re facing opponents who outnumber you. By combining your special powers, you can effectively trap and defeat your enemies. It really shows that this ruthless family works best when they hunt together.

5. Among Us

The Art of the Double-Cross

Similar to other popular games, Among Us pits good players against bad. But here, the ‘bad guys’ are impostors secretly disguised as crewmates. Their job is to wreck the spaceship and get rid of the crew, all while avoiding detection.

When a body is found or the emergency button is pressed, players must discuss what they’ve witnessed to figure out who the impostors are before they’re all eliminated.

The game is fundamentally about deception, but it becomes much more intricate when you’re working with another impostor. Think of having a teammate who can back up your story, trap someone with you, or even help you eliminate two players at once to win immediately.

It really gets that feeling of having someone secretly help you, so every time you successfully deceive someone, it feels like you both win!

4. PAYDAY 2

Tackling High-Stakes Heists Together

The PAYDAY series lets you and your friends become professional criminals, pulling off exciting and difficult heists like robbing banks and hijacking armored cars. It’s all about teamwork and having a blast while doing it.

Honestly, as someone who’s played a ton of co-op games, PAYDAY 2 is still right up there with the best. What really keeps me coming back is how deep it is – there are so many different ways to play and skills to master. Plus, it really makes you work as a team, and every heist feels pretty unique because of it. It’s just a really solid experience, even now.

This game lets up to four players team up to pull off heists, stealing everything from money and jewelry to valuable artwork. You can choose how to approach each heist – try a sneaky, silent approach, or go in with guns blazing! Working with friends to plan the job, cover your tracks, and escape with the stolen goods is incredibly rewarding.

Even though a newer Payday game is available, Payday 2 remains the best way to play, offering more content and a more polished experience.

3. Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed

An Extraterrestrial Invasion for Two, Please

Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed successfully revives the beloved classic. It captures the original game’s chaotic enjoyment while updating the graphics and controls for today’s players, making it a perfect remake.

In this game, you play as the villain – you control an alien with a burning hatred for humans and a desire to wipe them out. You won’t be alone, though; you’ll have a companion to help you.

This updated version lets you play through the entire story and separate multiplayer modes with a friend. There’s a lot to do, and you’ll both be taking on the role of the villains!

The main drawback is that it doesn’t have online multiplayer – it’s limited to playing with someone locally, side-by-side. However, if you enjoy classic games, you might actually appreciate this as a charmingly old-school feature.

2. Untitled Goose Game

Double the Honk, Double the Trouble

Untitled Goose Game is a charming and popular indie game where you play as a naughty goose determined to disrupt the calm of a small village.

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The game involves completing a series of minor mischievous acts, such as stealing keys, locking someone in a phone booth, or stirring up trouble in the neighborhood.

The game was already brilliantly silly and mischievous, but it got even better when developers added a two-player mode. Now you can play with a friend as a second goose, and honestly, it’s twice the fun!

Honestly, helping my friend pull off a sneaky sandwich grab with a well-timed distraction, or getting into a silly ‘honking war’ with people just to playfully annoy them? That’s what it’s all about! It’s just lighthearted fun, genuinely funny, and the perfect way to embrace being a little mischievous bird. It’s the best!

1. Baldur’s Gate 3

Forging a Dark Legacy Together

Baldur’s Gate 3 is widely praised as a groundbreaking role-playing game, but its fantastic cooperative gameplay often gets overlooked.

Playing with friends feels like a digital Dungeons & Dragons game! Everyone controls their own character and shares the role of leading the story, fighting battles, and making decisions, which makes exploring the world and fighting even more exciting.

You don’t need to play the ‘good guy’ in this game. If you and your friends want to cause some chaos and make destructive choices – especially if you’re playing as the Dark Urge character – the game fully supports that. It’s entirely your decision how you want to play!

It might take more time to complete the game if you’re coordinating with friends, but playing a grand, immersive fantasy story with them is absolutely worth the extra effort.

2026-01-07 22:44