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What's better than playing a game? Playing a fun game with friends and family! Cooperative, or co-op, games are games where two or more people must work together to achieve common goals. They can be a great way for people of all types of personalities to connect. Co-op can include either online co-op or local "couch" co-op.
We've searched and found 10 co-op games for PC that reviewers love. Our favorite is Stardew Valley by ConcernedApe since it's a heartwarming, relaxing life sim with a variety of activities to do in the game itself. For more of our favorites, please read on. Also, take a look at our buying guide for suggestions on how to choose the right co-op game for you.
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Table of Contents
There’s nothing like spending quality time playing a co-op game with friends. Before you go play, here are some suggestions on how to find the right co-op game for you.
Like films and books, co-op games come in a variety of genres and subgenres. In fact, your movie or book genre preferences may also correlate to what you like in video games. For example, if you enjoy horror movies, you may also enjoy horror video games.
Subgenres matter as well. A horror simulation is drastically different than a comedy simulation. If you or your friends already have games they like, try searching for games like those. If anyone has a Steam account, Steam also has a detailed search engine that groups similar games together.
Co-op games can vary in how much time and effort a single session can take. It can range from a five-minute round or endless open-world gameplay. If you want a game that can end in under an hour, you can try co-op games that are easy to learn, have simple goals, or are competitive.
There are also co-op games that are open-ended or have elaborate stories that last days. However, co-op games that have many hours of gameplay can usually be paused and picked back up right where you left off.
Co-op games also vary in difficulty and effort. A group of experienced gamers can try games that take more skills, such as games that are tactical, combative, or grindy and involve repetition. Otherwise, you should play games that suit people of all sorts of skill levels, such as games that are casual, social, for parties, story-based, or creative.
Gameplay videos are to video games like food samples are to entrees. They give you a taste of what to expect from the full package.
If you or your friends are unsure about a game, try searching for the game online and watching a brief video of someone playing the game (known as “Let’s Plays.”) You can also go through a playlist of recent popular games for more ideas.
Although most PC games will have online co-op, only some of them may have local co-op or both. This might be important if you want to switch between playing from separate devices to having multiple people play on the same device.
Some co-op games may also need more players than the number of people you have, but online co-ops can cover for that.
If every player has a Steam account, most local co-op games can also be played together through Steam’s feature called “remote play.” It allows one player to stream the game from their computer to another computer, allowing someone else to play from the other computer.
If there are any teenagers or children playing, you should make sure that the game is appropriate for their age. At best, playing a game meant for an older audience will be confusing or overwhelming. At worst, it can be traumatizing. Luckily, many games made for children are just as engaging for adults.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Price | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ConcernedApe Stardew Valley | $14.99 Low Mid | A Heartwarming and Relaxing Pixel Game | ||
2 | Mojang Studios Minecraft Java Edition | $26.95 High Mid | A Game to Create Anything You Can Imagine | ||
3 | Kinetic Games Phasmophobia | $13.99 Low Mid | A Game That's Scary Without Cheap Jump-Scares | ||
4 | Steel Crate Games Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes | $14.99 Low Mid | An Intense Game of Active Communication | ||
5 | Ghost Town Games Team17 Overcooked! 2 | $24.99 High Mid | An Action-Packed Chaotic Cooking Management Game | ||
6 | Hazelight A Way Out | $29.99 High Mid | An Interactive-Movie Prison Break Game | ||
7 | Kiei Entertainment Don't Starve Together | $14.99 Low Mid | A 2.5D Wilderness Survival Co-op Game | ||
8 | No Brakes Games Human: Fall Flat | $14.99 Low Mid | A Vibrant and Light-Hearted 3D Platformer Game | ||
9 | House House Untitled Goose Game | $19.99 High Mid | A Silly Slapstick Game Where You Play as a Goose | ||
10 | NEXT Studios Biped | $14.99 Low Mid | A Funny Adventure Puzzle Platformer Game |
It's no surprise that this is one of the most beloved co-op games. When you inherit your grandfather's old farm plot in Stardew Valley, you move there to begin your new life. With a little hard work, you can turn your overgrown field into a thriving farm and become a part of your community.
The only complaints seem to be about the saving function, which only allows saves after each day, and the social mechanic where characters are won over by gifts. Some people also thought the fishing mechanic was too difficult.
But many reviewers praise this game for being relaxing but having plenty of activities to do such as farming, crafting, or even falling in love.
Minecraft is a game of exploration and creation. It's a 3D block world where players must collect resources to build, fight, and survive. In fact, Minecraft teaches skills like collaboration, creativity, and problem solving so well that many schools have incorporated the game into their curriculum.
Minecraft might be popular, but it's only available through its original company and cannot be bought on other platforms like Steam. Also, Minecraft Java Edition is not cross-platform, but the Windows 10 version is cross-platform between PC and consoles.
Some had trouble with the code on Amazon and recommend buying it directly from Mojang. Most players find that this game is great for inspiring creativity. Many reviewers find that it's fun for kids and adults alike. Some of them compare it to being "virtual Legos."
You and your team members are ghost hunters. The goal is to visit haunted locations and collect as much evidence of the paranormal as you can. But if you stay in the dark too long, your sanity will drop and the ghost may kill you. Can you identify the ghost before it's too late?
For many reviewers, an obvious con of this game is that the players' default movement speed is much slower than most games. This can be especially annoying in the larger maps. They also dislike how if you die, there's nothing to do until the current game ends.
Despite these issues, most reviewers like how players get to speak directly to the ghosts with their own voices through their mics. They find that this is one of the most immersive and interactive horror games with amazing spatial sound design.
You're trapped alone in a room with a ticking time bomb and your friends, the "Experts," have the manual needed to diffuse it. However, your friends cannot see the bomb, so they must communicate the instructions to you before time runs out and you die!
Since this game consists of fast-paced short games, some reviewers warn that this game gets repetitive after the first day of playing. They recommend this game as more of a local co-op game. A few reviewers also say the visual Morse code puzzles are annoyingly difficult.
Regardless of the complaints, many reviewers praise this game for being a very engaging co-op party game. They like that bombs don't repeat so each game is different and that this game can be played with an unlimited amount of players.
You and your team of chefs must stave off the hunger of The Unbread. The goal is to travel and save the world through cooking! Every level is a new location and theme with new recipes that cater to many tastes, including sushi, pizza, cakes, and more.
A few reviewers complain that there's no way to customize key bindings. They also dislike how multiplayer games only let the host progress in the story mode, rather than every player there. Some people also state that there can be connection issues when playing online instead of local.
Aside from these complaints, most reviewers love this game. It's challenging but can be played by players of all skill levels and ages. They say it's like a simulator of being in Hell's Kitchen.
Leo and Vincent are two strangers that have ended up in prison for different reasons. Leo is more about action whereas Vincent would rather use his words, but they must learn to work together if they wish to escape and survive.
Some reviewers argue that there's an "illusion of choice" since Vincent's routes usually have more successful results. Interacting with the world also doesn't change what's going to happen next. They state that these issues can make interactions meaningless, also known as "choices don't matter." Cutscenes are also unskippable.
Despite the issues, most reviewers praise this game for its well-written emotional story, superb voice acting, and excellent characters. They like how even when there's a cutscene, the players are still allowed to interact with the environment. They also enjoyed many of the mini-games.
Don't Starve Together is easy to pick up, but hard to master. You and your friends choose characters and enter an unexplored world full of strange creatures. Each character has unique abilities and you must gather resources and craft things to continue to survive.
Although this is a survival game with permanent death, some reviewers dislike how dying resets all their progress. They state that it makes the game too repetitive and grindy. There's also no way to pause. They recommend this game for more experienced gamers.
Other than that, most reviewers actually like that this game is a highly-replayable, challenging, "trial-and-error" experience. The game may have come out years ago, but the developers are still actively releasing new content. There are also tons of player-created mods for a variety of playstyles.
Set in a world of "floating dreamscapes," Human: Fall Flat is a game where you and your group must work together to solve puzzles across uniquely-themed maps. Even if players fall off the map, they will fall back into the "dream" and respawn, ready to try again.
In this game, the characters have wobbly movements. Some reviewers had issues with the movements making the camera too wobbly, which caused them motion sickness.
Aside from that, most reviewers love how this game is visually simple and suitable for a variety of player skill levels. They also like how the characters have many customizable options.
There's a town of people just trying to get on with their day and you are a horrible goose. Your goal is to cause mayhem in the town and clear off a checklist of evil goose tasks. Tasks include setting up pranks, stealing items, honking at people, and more!
Some reviewers complain that for the price, the game is too short and lacks content. They recommend getting the game when it's on discount. They also warn that the local co-op function requires either one keyboard and one controller or two separate controllers.
Other than that, most reviewers find this game playful, hilarious, and great for people of all ages. They love the minimalist art style and the details of the animations and controls.
Aku and Sila are two little bipedal robots who embark on a fun bonding journey. They must communicate and coordinate to conquer challenges in a variety of colorful and mysterious environments, such as forests, waterfalls, icy mountains, and more.
The main complaint about this game is that it is quite short. It only has eight levels in total for about three hours of total game time. Aside from that, most reviewers still had a lot of fun with each level. They like that this game is very cute, has fun puzzles, and has a unique way of controlling your character's movements.
Besides co-op games, there are plenty of other games for everyone to enjoy. Check out some of our other articles for more ideas!
No. 1: ConcernedApe|Stardew Valley
No. 2: Mojang Studios|Minecraft Java Edition
No. 3: Kinetic Games|Phasmophobia
No. 4: Steel Crate Games|Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
No. 5: Ghost Town Games Team17|Overcooked! 2
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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