Top 100: Best Co-Op Games in 2024

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is a spin-off of the legendary Borderlands series. However, this time the heroes won't be searching for Vaults and battling maniacs like Handsome Jack. In the storyline, they find themselves trapped in the lair of the crazy Tiny Tina, who offers to play a local version of Dungeons and Dragons, with herself taking on the role of the Dungeon Master.

Although the setting has changed, Wonderlands retains the hallmarks of the series. Heroes are divided into several unique classes, supernatural creatures like banshees and skeletons roam the whimsical locations, and monsters can be defeated with a myriad of original guns. Don't be surprised if you find yourself wielding a rifle that, upon reloading, launches a pistol with wings.

The fantastical setting has given the developers the freedom to fill the game with many memorable moments. Gamers will experience sadness after the unexpected deaths of key characters and plenty of laughs from jokes such as squabbles with the ocean. The villain is also quite interesting: he's aware that he's inside a board game and desperately tries to break out of his assigned role.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is fun to play even solo, but the game truly shines in cooperative mode. There's nothing cooler than gathering a group of four friends and diving into Tiny Tina's world.

LEGO games are often mistakenly considered just for kids. In reality, these brick-based character adventures can be a blast for adult gamers as well, and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is proof of that. It's no surprise since the game includes all nine episodes of the iconic saga, allowing players to control every known character from Anakin, Luke, and Darth Vader to The Mandalorian.

At first glance, the gameplay seems simple. Heroes run through recognizable locations like Tatooine and Coruscant, beat up enemies, search for blue bricks, transform heaps of cubes into elaborate structures, and so on. However, the process is incredibly engaging — slashing stormtroopers with a lightsaber and using the Force to toy with them is endlessly satisfying. Plus, the environment disintegrates into LEGO pieces so beautifully that it's hard to resist breaking everything in sight.

Ultimately, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga looks fantastic. The world may be built from blocks, but the artists have done such a fantastic job that you often want to stop and admire the scenery, like the calm waters of Naboo.

Playing the saga in local co-op is particularly enjoyable. For online play, it might require a bit of a setup, and we even have a guide on that topic.

Serious Sam: Tormental is an intriguing roguelike that can be enjoyed with a friend. The story follows Sam as he searches for Mental's weaknesses but ends up trapped in the enemy's mind. To escape the alien conqueror's psyche and figure out how to defeat him, the hero must run through numerous levels and annihilate an unprecedented number of creatures.

While Serious Sam: Tormental may not be the most outstanding roguelike, it's fun to play in co-op. Along the way, players encounter recognizable enemies and can dispatch them with signature weapons like cannonball guns. Players can control not only Sam but also other characters such as Netricsa, Bad Lamp, and a couple of others.

Overall, if you love roguelikes, cooperative play, and the coolness of Serious Sam, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better game.

For those who prefer first-person shooters, check out another spin-off about Sam. In Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem, our hero finds himself in the Siberian wilderness: snow-covered trees, dilapidated shacks with carpets on the walls, and majestic churches. The idyllic scene is only marred by an army of alien monsters. But not to worry, Sam now has a «Kalash» and a sniper crossbow «Perun», so the problem is manageable.

Siberian Mayhem was developed by Russian developers who previously worked on mods. Surprisingly, the newcomers managed to create an excellent game that is more entertaining than the fourth installment. The Siberian spin-off surpasses Serious Sam 4 in many ways: the picturesque locations, the setup of battles, the epicness of episodes like the mech battle, and so on.

Ultimately, the game even features a cool boss fight with a multi-phase boss. This is a significant improvement, considering that the fourth installment ended with a mediocre battle against a standard enemy, albeit a powered-up one.

It's great that Siberian Mayhem can be played in a company. In battles with paired bosses, this will significantly ease life, as each player can take on a creature.

In the fall of 2022, Grounded emerged from early access to gift players with another quality survival game that can captivate for dozens of hours. The main characters wake up in a strange place and discover they have been «shrunk». The lawn has become a vast forest to them, spiders have grown to the size of buses, and a small pond in the backyard has become a deep and dangerous lake.

Players must figure out the cause of their diminishment, survive in a world of insects, build a base, craft equipment, and ultimately, return to their original size. This can be done solo, but it's much more fun with three friends. The game also includes bosses, skill upgrades, and collectible items.

Overall, Grounded strives to be the quintessential survival game in an interesting setting, with plenty of content and unique mechanics. And it succeeds beautifully.

V Rising is a fantastic blend of RPG, slasher, and survival elements, seasoned with an intriguing setting. Add to that a strong start in early access, engaging mechanics, plus flexible server settings, and you get one of the most captivating projects of 2022. Of course, considering it's still in early access.

We play as a newly awakened vampire, but the local inhabitants are far from welcoming. You'll need to gather resources, build a vampire castle, and drink the blood of all who defy you — from ordinary foes to bosses who, along with their blood, share their unique abilities. Battles will ensue with peasants, vampire hunters, and rivals like dark wizards and necromancers.

The blood system deserves special attention. This life-giving fluid is vital for vampires, used for health regeneration and to gain powerful buffs. Every enemy in the game has their own type and quality of blood — ranging from zero to one hundred percent. Players will hunt for enemies with the purest and most potent blood to gain the best buffs. However, nothing stops you from catching a deer simply to quench your hunger.

Other positives include a large and detailed world, an interesting crafting and equipment system based on the «Power Level» of gear, a dynamic combat system, and the opportunity to embark on a journey with friends or to confront other vampires. The game doesn't boast a storyline, but it excellently maintains the gothic atmosphere of vampire realities. And flexible server settings will help avoid issues with grinding or lengthy crafting.

At the heart of SpiderHeck lies a few simple yet extremely addictive mechanics: the physics of the main characters and weapons, a «roguelike» system of bonuses and power-ups between rounds, as well as a variety of arsenals, maps, and opponents. And the ability to cling to walls and shoot webs — after all, we are spiders!

First and foremost, this is a game about player versus player combat: spawn on the map, grab a weapon, and destroy your opponents first. The main thing is not to accidentally knock yourself out with an awkward throw of a lightsaber or a grenade hit.

The cooperative mode is equally interesting, where players join forces against waves of monsters. Between waves, you can choose a power-up, such as more frequent weapon spawns, powerful jumps, or time slowing after killing mobs. Fast rounds, chaos on the screen, and shouts of «hey, who threw a sword at me?!» are guaranteed.

In many games, you can set up your own home, but in Hell is Others, this is one of the main mechanics, revealed from an unusual side. The main character, Adam Smithson, lives in an apartment high above the Century. His faithful companion — a bonsai, like everything in this city, feeds on blood. Therefore, we will have to descend into the dark streets time and again to replenish supplies.

Together with other players, we will explore the city, fight and gather supplies to furnish the apartment and plant new crops. The latter, in exchange for a generous watering of blood, will bear various types of ammunition, such as ricocheting or silent ones. Other interior items also endow Adam with new features and advantages.

Every descent into the city is a significant risk. Various monsters may appear around any corner, and other players will not miss the opportunity to profit from your loot. Staying in the city for too long is not an option, as there's a risk of being left behind, unable to find the elevator and return home.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge plays heavily on nostalgia, aiming to deliver the same feelings we got from games in the nineties and early aughts. The developers describe their project as «a tribute to the classic turtle games like Turtles in Time».

The gameplay is based on classic combat mechanics and perfected by the developers' efforts. We fight our way to victory through hordes of enemies, using combo attacks, special skills, and each character's unique fighting style.

The plot is classic — Bebop and Rocksteady decide to attack Channel 6 and steal nightmarish devices to bring Krang and Shredder's nefarious plans to life. We'll battle at many familiar locations, encounter enemies known from the cartoons and early projects, and enjoy pixel graphics and the atmosphere of the original ninja turtles in the company of up to 4 players.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human is the direct sequel to Dying Light, which has already been featured in our selection. Twenty years have passed since the events of the first part, almost the entire world has been destroyed by the virus, and the remnants of humanity huddle in semi-destroyed cities, fighting for life against zombies every day.

The main character is a Pilgrim named Aiden. People like him move between cities, delivering supplies and messages, risking their lives, making their way through hordes of the infected. This brave soul arrives in Villedor, the last major city, whose fate the player will decide, shaping its future and finding answers to many questions.

The developers have strived to address the shortcomings of the first part, remove vague elements, and enhance the mechanics that players liked. Parkour has become more interesting and varied, the new zombie damage system will appeal to all who love «gore», the world has become larger, and the vertical gameplay can truly be called vertical.

It is worth noting the ability to «upgrade» the city: by capturing various objects, we can hand them over to one of the factions, and this will affect which objects appear on the map and which bonuses the player will receive.

Evil West is a game that can be described with three words: Wild West, Tesla-punk, and vampires. In this shooter, we take on the role of defenders of the United States, armed with revolvers, a Tesla-powered gauntlet, and other gadgets to hunt down the undead across America. We'll explore various locations, upgrade weapons and gear, unlock new abilities, and thwart the vampires' plans.

Evil West is a project that understands its role and doesn't try to punch above its weight. It's just you, an arsenal of weapons, and hordes of vampires. And this approach works — in the early 2010s, this game could have been a contender for game of the year.

With decent graphics, dynamic «hack-and-slash» gameplay, and two-player co-op, the game can be completed over a few evenings. It knows exactly when to end, to avoid becoming tedious and to provide a quality, rich gaming experience.

In Ready or Not, gamers will take on the role of special forces operatives responding to the most dangerous calls. Whether it's a bomb threat or a hostage situation, we're the ones who'll handle it. But don't expect to burst into a room and shoot everyone up like in Call of Duty. This is a realistic game where a single terrorist can take out the entire squad.

To complete the mission, the team must act with utmost caution: control the space, watch their backs, and attack terrorists unexpectedly. Tactical prowess is the only way to victory.

See a lot of doors? Block a couple to prevent anyone from sneaking up from behind. Is there a room ahead filled with enemies? Throw in a smoke grenade. Caught in a shootout? Take cover behind a shield. However, it's almost impossible to account for everything, so be sure: the special forces will often fall bravely in battle.

Moreover, Ready or Not frequently throws in surprises. The squad might open a door only to be blown up — turns out it was booby-trapped. Or they might stumble upon a criminal who seems to be surrendering, only to suddenly pull out a gun and start shooting. Or approach a locked door and get shot by a terrorist standing on the other side who heard a suspicious noise.

In Thunder Tier One, gamers once again step into the boots of special forces operatives. This time, however, the camera has moved closer to the sky, and the events unfold in a fictional post-Soviet country where terrorists feel like they own the world. A team of four brave soldiers must figure out their plans, deal with the leaders, and save the world from disaster. It's no easy feat.

Thunder Tier One can be played Rambo-style: immediately engaging in shootouts, not hiding from anyone, and using grenades to open doors. However, if such an approach is viable in the starting missions, by mid-game it will likely lead to failure.

A more sensible strategy would be to act stealthily. Avoiding crowds, synchronously taking down villains with silenced guns, scouting the terrain with drones, peeking into openings with cameras, and so on. Tactics often help to come out on top.

The developers deserve special praise for the environmental design. Despite the top-down view, the locations are set up as if it's a military designer simulator. There are even documents on the tables that can be read in replay mode.

The Ascent unfolds in a distant future where humanity has long been traversing different planets and living side by side with aliens. Power has slipped from the hands of states and transitioned to corporations. For instance, the Ascent Group is so influential that it controls entire planets. However, one day it unexpectedly collapses, throwing society into chaos. What happened and how to live now? It's up to the hero to answer these questions!

Ultimately, a team of gamers will race across the planet Veles, gunning down hordes of villains and fulfilling complex assignments. They will be hindered by powerful aliens, massive robots, and deadly corporates — all deserving a burst from an automatic gun, a couple of shots from a rocket launcher, or a hydraulic smash that turns flesh into dust. In short, there's a plethora of weapons and abilities in The Ascent, so everyone can build their character to their liking.

The developers have succeeded in creating a fun brawler that holds attention right up to the final credits. Plus, they've crafted an unrealistically beautiful and detailed world that perfectly fits the cyberpunk motto «high tech, low life». The result is an excellent project that all co-op lovers should take note of.

It Takes Two is a quintessential co-op game that is bound to impress even the most discerning gamer. The project is praised for its excellent graphics, touching story, solid humor, and a multitude of interesting mechanics: players can engage in platforming, shoot at enemies and bosses, solve puzzles, fly planes, participate in mini-games, and even become the hero of a proper fighting game — and that's just in the first few chapters. It's hard to find another game that can compete with the creation of Hazelight Studios in terms of the variety of activities.

Josef Fares wasn't kidding when he promised a thousand dollars to anyone who would get tired of It Takes Two — it's simply impossible to grow weary of its gameplay. Moreover, the game manages to maintain a lively pace for a full 15 hours.

Outriders emerged as one of the main surprises this spring, amassing over 100,000 gamers playing concurrently at release — and that's just on Steam. The success can be attributed not only to a scarcity of new game releases and the solid portfolio of People Can Fly, the developers behind Painkiller and Bulletstorm, but also to the quality of the project itself. Outriders offers an intriguing story of pioneers landing on a new planet, a variety of classes and abilities, hordes of enemies, and dynamic gameplay. All of this can be enjoyed in the company of up to three friends.

At launch, the game resembled more of a server connection simulator than a stellar action title, but today all those issues are behind. You can learn more about the merits of Outriders in our review or by evaluating the free demo version on your own.

Did many hear about Valheim before its release? Probably not. But that didn't stop the game from storming the Steam charts immediately after release and winning the hearts of millions of gamers. Now, Iron Gate's creation is the talk of the town, and its popularity is well-deserved. In this survival game, players find themselves in a dangerous world where they must build a home, arrange for their livelihood, craft cool gear, and challenge mighty bosses — and it's best to do all this in good company.

It's worth noting that the world of Valheim is vast, the visuals are pleasing, and the combat system is engaging enough — it's no wonder so many gamers have been captivated for hundreds of hours.

Returnal could be called the only AAA «roguelike» game. In this third-person shooter, we play as Selene — a woman who has crash-landed on a constantly changing planet. Each death sends the heroine back to the beginning, and the planet around her changes. The player is tasked with helping Selene recover her memories and find answers.

The shooter element in Returnal is more pronounced than the «roguelike» aspect. With diverse enemies, a variety of weapons, and the need to constantly dodge incoming projectiles, it all somewhat resembles Doom or Metroid Prime. The «roguelike» elements are focused around the bosses — defeating them yields rare items necessary for progressing through the story, as well as around the procedural generation of the map and bonuses for the main character.

The PC edition includes all the content that was released for PlayStation 5 — additions, various graphical fixes, and additional game modes (like the Tower of Sisyphus). Co-op is also available — you can set up runs with a friend or a random player. Unfortunately, cross-play is not available.

In Travellers Rest, players become innkeepers in a fantasy world. Starting with a dilapidated establishment that even rats would fear to enter, patience and hard work will transform the dive into a lovely retreat.

However, an innkeeper's job is never done. They must cultivate ingredients in the fields, maintain the cleanliness of the tavern, prevent patrons from bickering about politics, and hire bartenders and cleaners. Managing everything becomes easier if you jump into the game in co-op mode and share some of the responsibilities with a companion.

Travellers Rest will particularly appeal to gamers with older computers. Even if you and your friend have ancient laptops with just 500 MB of RAM and any sort of graphics card that supports shaders, the game will run.

When the pandemic forced gamers to stay at home, Animal Crossing: New Horizons became a true salvation. This Nintendo exclusive sent players to warm islands, motivated them to grow turnips, and engage in other adorable activities. While other games might offer more dynamic gameplay and picturesque locations, Animal Crossing does something far greater: it provides a world where you can comfortably hide away from any worries with your friends.

New Horizons has become one of the main time-killers of recent years: perhaps it will captivate your group of friends as well.

No one expected that Square Enix would struggle with such a powerful money-making machine as the Avengers. Marvel's Avengers turned out to be a controversial action game with many strange decisions, but it still provided an excellent opportunity to play as your favorite superheroes. No matter how much the project is criticized, becoming Hulk or Thor and beating up a crowd of enemies isn't the worst idea.

Plus, you can enter the battlefield not alone, but with friends: although the story campaign doesn't support co-op, the «Avengers Initiative» mode allows you to team up and collectively challenge evil. Moreover, the developers haven't abandoned Marvel's Avengers; they are diligently filling it with new heroes and content.

Streets of Rage 4 is a delight for gamers who look back fondly on the bygone days of the gaming industry — this beat 'em up is sure to squeeze a nostalgic tear from such an audience. Some might find the gameplay too simplistic and the visuals outdated, but that's not the case. The combat system in Streets of Rage 4 is well-crafted, and the graphics are drawn with soul.

Firing up this beat 'em up after a hard day, picking your favorite fighter, and hitting the streets to clean up the riff-raff is a great idea. And soon, the game will also receive a major expansion.

GTA has many clones, and the Saints Row series is considered one of the most original imitators. While some projects unsuccessfully leech off their similarity to Rockstar Games' title, Saints Row brings something new to the genre: for instance, a high degree of madness that millions of gamers have come to love the franchise for. Many consider the third installment to be the best, which is why the developers released its remaster in 2020.

Co-op mode adds even more insanity to Saints Row: The Third Remastered: together with a friend, you can go through the story campaign or just wander around the city, creating a local apocalypse. After all, the «Saints» know how to have fun.

Zombie Army 4: Dead War is one of those games that doesn't aim for high artistic value but is designed with a simple goal in mind — to thoroughly entertain a group of gamers. Rebellion's brainchild accomplishes this brilliantly: assembling a group of four people to commit genocide on zombie Nazis, culminating in shooting a mutant Hitler, is an amusing experience.

The fun is aided by a variety of weapons and skills, bloody X-Ray finishing moves, and nods to classic horrors — it's no wonder that players have warmly received Zombie Army 4: Dead War.

Conceptually, Police Stories is somewhat reminiscent of Ready or Not — only here the camera is isometric, and there are only two cops in the team. The partners arrive at missions where villains have planted a bomb or taken hostages and must deal with the problem.

Kicking down a door and rushing into a room full of thugs isn't advisable — it's better to throw in a flashbang first. And if there are civilians in the room, you need to plan your actions so that the innocents don't get hurt. Not every criminal needs to be shot — some may surrender. In short, cops have plenty of concerns, and there's no room for relaxation.

The developers have managed to create an excellent cooperative game that, despite its retro graphics, quickly becomes engaging and impresses with its tactical mechanics.

The Borderlands series has always been known for its insane characters, countless weapons, and exhilarating gameplay — all of which are preserved in Borderlands 3. Each of the four heroes has their own style, enemies attack in hordes, and quests are filled with madness — though the villains might lack the charisma of Handsome Jack, the strong points of the project compensate for this shortcoming.

The game can be played solo, but the most vivid experience will be had by gamers who team up as a group of four courageous Vault Hunters — in such a case, the confrontation with the evil streamer twins can captivate them for hundreds of hours.

Gears 5 is a high-budget, colorful, and engaging game that continues the glorious traditions of the series while introducing innovations. This time around, The Coalition has added a semi-open world with side missions and co-op for up to three people. However, one of the gamers will have to become a drone.

If you and your friends are looking for an epic blockbuster that will provide countless unforgettable experiences, there's no better game than Gears 5 — gamers have rated it highly for a reason.

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince is a very intriguing cooperative game. The colorful platformer is often praised for its clever puzzles, each of which can only be solved by utilizing the strengths of the heroes. Variety in gameplay is provided by battles with enemies, some of which will be truly massive. In some fights, teamwork is essential: for example, the wizard can ignite the archer's arrow to help make a deadly shot.

Trine 4 will captivate a group of four for dozens of hours and charm them with its ease and extraordinary puzzles. If you enjoy the game, it's worth checking out the previous installments as well.

At launch, Ghost Recon Breakpoint was deservedly pelted with rotten tomatoes: there was no end to the technical problems, the in-game store seemed overly intrusive, and the developers had seemingly forgotten about many of their promises. Fortunately, Ubisoft didn't abandon the project but instead got it into shape. Today, Breakpoint is a fun cooperative shooter that provides pleasant emotions.

The game is enjoyable to shoot in, travel around on vehicles, and complete missions. And ganging up on Jon Bernthal, known for his role as The Punisher in the Netflix series, is a pleasure unlike any other. Of course, Ubisoft's brainchild is still not perfect, but it has plenty of merits.

Even though corporations like Sony are paying attention to the roguelike genre, there are still not many well-executed roguelikes, and even fewer that offer cooperative gameplay. Risk of Rain 2 is one such game.

The game features a large, diverse world, an interesting combat system, and plenty of formidable enemies — it's no wonder that the project sold a million copies within the first month of early access. The full version of Risk of Rain 2 was released a year ago and has earned «overwhelmingly positive» reviews on Steam. If you missed the release, gather your company and set off. But be warned, it won't be easy.

Luigi's Mansion 3 continues the story of Mario's humble brother, who was unlucky enough to find himself in a huge mansion filled with ghosts. Unfortunately, all of Luigi's friends have been trapped in paintings, and he can only rely on his courage, wits, and... a gooey doppelgänger. Well, no matter what kind of partner you have, it's less scary to fight ghosts together.

Luigi's Mansion 3 pleases gamers with solid graphics, excellent puzzles, and meticulous attention to detail. For such an exclusive, it's indeed worth purchasing a Nintendo Switch.