25+ Best Co-op Games to Play in 2024: Better With Friends

Whether it’s with your friends, family, or even strangers, gaming is always better when we play together. There tends to be a big focus on competitive games, but the best co-op games offer something special that you can’t find in a PvP experience.

Thanks to the power of the internet, we don’t have to limit ourselves to only the best couch co-op games anymore. We can team up with friends anywhere, anytime. The only barrier left is actually figuring out which are the top 25 best co-op games for your specific platform of choice.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. 25 Best Co-op Games to Play in 2024
3. More of the Best Co-op Games to Play in 2024
4. The Bottom Line
5. FAQs
6. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. 25 Best Co-op Games to Play in 2024
3. More of the Best Co-op Games to Play in 2024
Show Full Guide
4. The Bottom Line
5. FAQs
6. References

25 Best Co-op Games to Play in 2024

Grab your buddies and check out our definitive list of the best co-op games in 2024 that you should be playing. Whether that’s sitting with a friend or family member on the couch or over the internet, you’ll find something great to experience further down the page.

25. Dead by Daylight

What better place to start than with arguably the best co-op horror games? Dead by Daylight has stood the test of time thanks to its asymmetrical design in which four survivors are working together against one solo player attempting to hunt them down before they can complete a series of objectives and escape.

The real icing on the cake is all the iconic horror heroes and monsters that have been included, such as A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy and Sream’s Ghostface.

24. Helldivers 2

The simple shift from an isometric view to third-person rocketed Helldivers 2 to become one of 2024’s most popular titles. You and your team are nameless, faceless, and disposable soldiers sent on suicidal missions against unrelenting waves of bugs and bots.

While the enemies are the obvious danger, friendly fire makes your team an even bigger liability in the most hilarious ways. Without question, it’s one of the biggest and best co-op games on PS5.

23. Minecraft

Easily one of the best couch co-op games, but also available online, Minecraft is a phenomenon that can’t be ignored. Its simplicity is what makes it so universally appealing and addictive, especially when you have a friend along to help you build your dream home, go adventuring, or anything else your imagination can conjure up.

22. It Takes Two

Hazelight might be the only developer creating the best co-op games that actually require you to play them with someone else instead of simply being an option. It Takes Two has the mechanics and appearance of a cheerful platformer but a more tragic and mature story than you may expect.

Because it can’t be played alone, this game offers a Friend’s Pass to anyone who purchases it to give to a friend so they can play along without also having to buy the game.

21. Sea of Thieves

Who hasn’t dreamed of being a pirate, sailing the open seas for treasure with a crew of their best mates? Sea of Thieves lets you live out that fantasy in a persistent online experience where you can aid or betray other pirate crews in search of loot.

Unlike many live-service games, there’s no way to get a statistical advantage over anyone else, meaning skill and teamwork will always be the deciding factor in a skirmish. It’s one of the best co-op Xbox games and is only getting better, thanks to its steady stream of updates.

20. Stardew Valley

Sometimes it isn’t the action or blood-pumping adventure that makes the best co-op games, but rather the lack thereof. Stardew Valley is the ultimate chill/cozy game where you and your friends can take your time and enjoy the steady process of restoring an old farm.

Plant your crops, decorate your land, and get to know the charming villagers at your own pace. It’s up to you how you spend your days, but there’s always just one more thing you will want to do before you put the game down. It’s one of the best co-op games on Steam, but it will play great on consoles, too.

19. Baldur’s Gate 3

The list of the best co-op story games is short, but the only one you need to know about is Baldur’s Gate 3. Winner of dozens of Game of the Year awards, there’s little we can praise about this game that hasn’t already been said.

What we can say is that the hype is real and somehow even greater in co-op. It is the most accurate translation of playing Dungeons & Dragons with your friends around the table a video game has ever achieved.

18. Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2

Despite just being released, Space Marine 2 is one of the best co-op games for Xbox. Available on all platforms, you will play as a nigh-unkillable Space Marine brutally dismantling swarms of aliens across a bloody campaign.

Unlike Helldivers, there is a true story to progress in full co-op, as well as a second Operations mode where you can play as more classes, use new weapons, and gain upgrades in replayable missions. You can read more about the game in our full Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 review.

17. Destiny 2

The tale of Destiny has been a long and uneven one, but it has reached a point where it is easily safe to recommend as one of the best online co-op games. As long as you don’t mind either ignoring the story or using outside resources to understand the context, the tight shooting and great mission design will more than keep you invested.

If you get a dedicated fireteam to run through it with you, there’s a deeply rewarding end-game full of raids and rare loot to chase for hundreds of hours.

16. Diablo 4

Destiny 2, and essentially all loot-based games, all took inspiration from the Diablo series. Diablo 4 rights every wrong player had with the third game and doubles down on what we want from the franchise. Running dungeons and quests is fine alone, but this game begs you to play with friends using different classes to synergize and take on the more brutal challenges. It’s one of the best co-op RPG experiences you can have, regardless of what system you play it on.

15. Grounded

There are dozens of crafting games out there, but not all of them do enough to crack the list of best co-op survival games. Grounded makes our list for its charming setting of a group of kids shrunk down trying to survive in a backyard and for keeping its scope reasonable.

The yard is big, with plenty to do, find, fight, and craft, but not to an intimidating degree like other games. You can spend as long or short of time as you wish with your friends fighting bugs and building a base with grass and twigs before moving on.

14. Palworld

No, Palworld isn’t just “Pokemon with guns” as many claimed it was before release. This is a fully realized survival game that takes heavy inspiration from the monster collecting franchise but is mechanically very different. You and three friends can create your own base, manage your Pals to collect resources and go out hunting the more dangerous ones to try and add them to your collection. Despite its early access status, it’s one of the best co-op games on Steam.

13. Lethal Company

Easily among the best co-op games for PC, Lethal Company was a surprise indie hit that took the internet by storm. While it is still technically in early access and has very simple graphics and animation, the execution of collecting scrap on various maps filled with monsters has led to some of the most terrifying and hilarious moments we’ve had. Teamwork is essential, but also stressful as you need to make your quota…or else.

12. Rocket League

You might not immediately think of a sports game when coming up with a list of the best free co-op games, but Rocket League isn’t your average sports game. Mixing the basic rules of soccer but replacing the players with rocket-powered cars, the result is an easy to play, hard to master experience. Because games are so quick and exciting, and the game is free, it’s a perfect little game to jump in for a few matches.

11. Monster Hunter Rise

While we’re waiting for the next Monster Hunter, Rise is still going strong as the best co-op RPG game on the market. Thankfully this is no longer Switch exclusive, looking and running even better on all platforms. Gathering your friends, eating a hearty meal, and then going out on an epic hunt is an experience only Monster Hunter can give you.

10. Overcooked! All You Can Eat

If you don’t think being a team of chefs can be one of the most stressful and exciting co-op experiences, Overcooked! All You Can Eat will change your mind after one round. This is one of the best 4-player co-op games because of how deceptively simple it is.

You can only move, interact, and throw, but the game makes the most of those mechanics in its level design. Each stage is intentionally designed to force your team to either work as an efficient unit or have just as much time arguing as you fail.

9. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

If you enjoy a good escape room, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes will be right up your alley. It’s best played with VR if possible, but it’s not required to still be one of the best couch co-op games.

Here, one player is looking at a complex bomb that the other players can’t see. Those other players have the physical manual to defuse the bomb, so one player needs to describe what they see and get instructions on how to defuse it before time runs out.

8. Portal 2

We wish we could put Portal 3 on this list, but sadly, Valve refuses to give us the sequel to one of the best co-op games for PC. The story of Portal 2 is a masterpiece, but not enough praise is given to the co-op mode, where you and a friend control a pair of plucky robots going through completely new test chambers designed for two sets of portals to solve.

Working out where each person needs to put their portals, when to time button presses or jumps, and coordinating to both reach the end is some of the most satisfying puzzle-solving you can get even over a decade after release.

7. Borderlands 3

Even though Borderlands 4 is on the way, there’s never been a better time to jump into the latest game in the looter-shooter franchise. There’s a strong argument to be made that previous games, especially Borderlands 2, has a better plot; however, Borderlands 3 easily feels the best to play in co-op.

Not only are there more guns than ever to hunt with the new classes, but the dynamic scaling means that you can play with friends no matter what level they are without the game either being way too easy or crushing. It’s one of the best co-op FPS games for good reason, and well worth experiencing ahead of the sequel.

6. Terraria

Terraria looks a lot like Minecraft if it were in 2D, and that isn’t a bad way to describe it, but it doesn’t do the game justice. It has a surprising amount of depth despite existing on a flat plane, particularly in its progression, bosses, and secrets.

Just like in Minecraft, there’s no wrong answer to how to play, but all roads are better walked with friends. In fact, co-op is encouraged to the point where you can buy a four-pack of the game at a discount to gift to your friends. It’s one of the best co-op games on Steam to this day, but it plays well on consoles, too.

5. Valheim

Valheim stands out for two major reasons: Its setting and art style. As you could probably glean from the title, this is a Viking-inspired survival game that is as brutal as you would imagine. It’s one of the best co-op games on Game Pass for good reason.

Visually, the game has a much softer look that helps the moments when you’re building your base and crafting more calming. When you’re ready to take on the mythical bosses, you’ll be glad to have friends backing you up. Equally good on console, be ready to take up arms and raid the night away.

4. Payday 3

We’ve all planned out the perfect robbery in our minds. Of course, we’d never really act on them, but we can at least pretend to with Payday 3. You and your fellow criminals take on various heists in a range of locations and scenarios that can be completed in multiple ways.

If you’re coordinated and careful, most can be done without anyone knowing you were there. Or, go in guns blazing and make it out with the loot by the skin of your teeth. While it may be lacking the content of its predecessors, the implementation of superior gunplay and graphics make it an ideal co-op FPS game to play with friends.

3. Left 4 Dead 2

Yet another Valve game that refuses to fall off the list of best co-op games list. Other games have tried to replicate the endlessly replayable formula of four survivors traveling through zombie-infested maps, but none succeeded. Because the AI director always pushing you at just the right (or wrong) times, even your 100th time playing the same campaign will feel intense.

2. Halo: The Master Chief Collection

The Bungie-developed games that were packaged together in the Master Chief Collection could individually make up the bulk of the best co-op games on Xbox and PC. As a bundle, though, it almost isn’t fair.

You and a friend can experience Master Chief’s greatest adventures in one seamless experience with updated graphics, controls, and Achievements. These games helped define the early Xbox generation, and it is the best way to relive them or share them with someone for the first time.

1. Warframe

If you like the idea of Destiny 2 but would rather play a third-person shooter, Warframe is your answer, and then some. Having started over 10 years ago, this has proven to be the best online co-op game on the market just by lasting that long.

The basic loop is all about grinding missions with friends to get better materials, but the number of options you have to customize your build is unparalleled. If you need a game that can make your weekends disappear in a flash, bring some friends into Warframe.

More of the Best Co-op Games to Play in 2024

The Bottom Line

Regardless of what platform you play on, the best co-op games span many different genres whether that’s online or sat side-by-side on the couch. We’re confident you’ll find a new favorite to play with a friend or family member that will entertain you for many hours to come. New co-op games are released all the time, so we’ll be updating our list to keep you informed.

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