Best Video Games for co-op experience

co-op experience Decision Dashboard

Best for co-op experience

Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition

5.0 attribute score

Highest scored product for this attribute based on supporting review evidence.

Safest pick

It Takes Two

5.0 attribute score

Balances the attribute score, supporting reviews, and overall product strength.

Most evidence

Orbitals

46 supporting reviews

Has the broadest review evidence for this attribute.

Best overall product

Valheim

4.5 overall score

Strongest overall product among items with scored evidence for this attribute.

#1 EA Sports FC 27
5.0

Playing The Grounds with friends is repeatedly positioned as the mode’s best use case, and one hands-on account finds the group experience particularly appealing. Solo value is much less certain.

Pros: gameplay mechanics, progression system

Cons: open-world design, AI behavior

#2 Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition
5.0

The one reviewer who directly tested co-op reported smooth back-and-forth summoning and found fighting bosses with a friend highly enjoyable.

Pros: performance optimization, frame rate stability

Cons: controller ergonomics, platform-specific feature support

#3 Order of the Sinking Star
5.0

Thinking through puzzles with a partner can create memorable shared breakthroughs. This praise concerns informal collaboration around a single-player game.

Pros: overall quality, puzzle design

Cons: narrative quality, difficulty balance

#4 WWE 2K26
5.0

Local team play can be excellent; the mystery-superstar sofa session in particular turned into a standout shared experience.

Pros: fun factor, gameplay mechanics

Cons: grind level, value for money

#5 It Takes Two
5.0

Co-op experience is the clearest strength, with every review praising how essential, joyful, collaborative, or unusually strong the cooperative play feels.

Pros: co-op experience, fun factor

Cons: narrative quality, dialogue quality

#6 Valheim
4.9

Co-op is one of Valheim's biggest strengths, turning resource work, exploration, disasters, and boss preparation into memorable shared stories.

Pros: town-building system, exploration quality

Cons: grind level, fast travel convenience

#7 Split Fiction
4.8

Co-op experience was the strongest consensus point, repeatedly described as excellent, accessible, communicative, and central to the fun.

Pros: co-op experience, content variety

Cons: writing quality, narrative quality

#8 Dynasty Warriors 3 Complete Edition Remastered
4.8

Co-op is a standout: dividing battlefield duties with another player makes campaigns more manageable and much more entertaining.

Pros: remake/remaster quality, graphics quality

Cons: difficulty balance, voice acting

#9 Arc Raiders
4.7

Co-op was repeatedly praised as a major strength, especially with friends or impromptu allies, though team play also makes raids more aggressive.

Pros: sound design, combat system

Cons: voice acting, menu usability

#10 BlazBlue Entropy Effect X
4.7

Co-op impressions are positive when tested, with online/local play described as working well and creating a balanced trade-off.

Pros: combat system, character roster

Cons: narrative quality, learning curve

#11 Halloween: The Game
4.6

The game is at its best with friends: coordination, proximity chat, rescues, and improvised chaos create many of its most memorable moments.

Pros: fun factor, multiplayer design

Cons: bug frequency, AI behavior

#12 Battlefield REDSEC
4.6

REDSEC is at its best with coordinated friends. Team planning, revives, class synergy, and shared panic make squad play one of the strongest reasons to choose it.

Pros: fun factor, battle mode quality

Cons: multiplayer design, replay value

#13 Bus Simulator 27
4.5

Four-player co-op is one of the better extras, letting friends coordinate routes and run a company together; disconnects and crashes can still get in the way.

Pros: open-world design, fun factor

Cons: AI behavior, polish

#14 Anno 117: Pax Romana
4.5

Sharing cities, resources, research, and workload makes co-op a natural fit for Anno 117’s sprawling management demands.

Pros: fun factor, graphics quality

Cons: learning curve, bug frequency

#15 Capcom Fighting Collection 2
4.5

Co-op earns positive notes from Power Stone 2’s cooperative arcade mode and boss fights.

Pros: content variety, value for money

Cons: cross-play support, competitive balance

#16 Directive 8020
4.5

Co-op was praised as a fun group experience, both for command-shouting play and improved Movie Night support.

Pros: horror tension, gameplay mechanics

Cons: AI behavior, polish

#17 Donkey Kong Bananza
4.5

Co-op experience was framed as a light helper-style mode, strongest for a parent and child rather than equal adult play.

Pros: fun factor, world interactivity

Cons: frame rate stability, boss design

#19 Tales of Xillia Remastered
4.5

One reviewer highlights the game's co-op capability as a meaningful way to share battles with other players.

Pros: combat system, remake/remaster quality

Cons: animation quality, environmental detail

#20 Tom Clancy’s The Division Resurgence
4.4

Shared-world encounters and easy drop-in teaming make cooperation one of the strongest parts of the game, especially for harder activities.

Pros: content variety, controls responsiveness

Cons: narrative quality, menu usability

#21 Lego Voyagers
4.4

Co-op was the central strength overall, with reviewers praising teamwork, shared problem-solving, Friend Pass access, and two-player bonding.

Pros: co-op experience, puzzle design

Cons: controls responsiveness, replay value

#22 Absolum
4.4

Co-op was usually praised as fun and easy to access, though reviewers wanted more than two players and noted balance limits.

Pros: combat system, replay value

Cons: narrative quality, grind level

#23 Crimson Moon
4.4

Two-player co-op is widely viewed as one of the game’s best fits, adding energy, shared decision-making, and more fun to repeated runs. Technical issues can still get in the way.

Pros: value for money, combat system

Cons: camera behavior, content variety

#24 Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
4.4

Co-op was viewed positively overall, with split-screen and two-player play considered smooth or valid despite 30 fps and pauses.

Pros: combat system, character roster

Cons: level design, mission design

#25 Elden Ring Nightreign
4.3

Co-op experience was the clearest strength when played with friends, but reviewers repeatedly warned that it declines with randoms or solo play.

Pros: co-op experience, fun factor

Cons: difficulty balance, social features

#26 Sniper Elite: Resistance
4.3

Co-op is frequently a favorite way to play, with one sniper providing cover while the other infiltrates or handles objectives. Partners with compatible playstyles get the most out of the...

Pros: overall quality, level design

Cons: innovation, mission design

#27 Borderlands 4
4.3

Co-op experience is generally praised as fun and central, though one review warns that bugs and progression issues can undermine group play.

Pros: movement feel, loot system

Cons: performance optimization, narrative quality

#28 Marathon
4.3

Marathon is at its best with a coordinated group that communicates and combines shell abilities. Friends make risky gear choices and intense fights more manageable, while silent random squads can...

Pros: fun factor, loot system

Cons: difficulty balance, quest design

#29 Diablo IV
4.3

Co-op evidence was positive, with reviewers praising group formation, level scaling, and the extra fun of playing with others.

Pros: narrative quality, endgame content

Cons: monetization fairness, quest design

#30 Battlefield 6
4.3

co-op and squad play were praised when teams communicated, revived, and coordinated roles.

Pros: multiplayer design, sound design

Cons: narrative quality, map and navigation design

#31 Gears of War: E-Day
4.3

Co-op fits the campaign naturally and makes combat, exploration, and revives more enjoyable. It is also an effective workaround for occasional companion-AI problems.

Pros: combat system, graphics quality

Cons: exploration quality, mission design

#32 Pokémon Pokopia
4.3

Co-op impressions were positive overall, especially GameShare and relaxed building, though some review evidence came from previews or limited sessions.

Pros: core gameplay loop, content variety

Cons: pacing, menu usability

#33 Minecraft Dungeons II
4.2

Playing together turns loot hunts and boss battles into shared triumphs, and accessible mechanics help bridge experience gaps. Online faults and crowded-screen chaos can reduce that enjoyment.

Pros: open-world design, graphics quality

Cons: narrative quality, endgame content

#34 Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve
4.2

Co-op modes stand out as one of the online suite’s strongest ideas, rewarding coordination while preserving the fast, score-driven structure of the campaign.

Pros: narrative quality, fun factor

Cons: dialogue quality, difficulty balance

#35 Nioh 3
4.2

Co-op was generally praised as smooth, strong, and helpful, with only some stability caveats.

Pros: combat system, open-world design

Cons: narrative quality, performance optimization

#36 Forza Horizon 5
4.2

Co-op experience is mostly positive through Horizon Arcade and Tours, though one reviewer found longer co-op events can become a slog.

Pros: graphics quality, accessibility options

Cons: AI behavior, difficulty balance

#37 Orbitals
4.1

Cooperation is the heart of the game: asymmetric roles, shared problem-solving, and constant coordination make it especially rewarding with a compatible partner.

Pros: fun factor, puzzle design

Cons: difficulty balance, narrative quality

#39 Reanimal
4.0

Co-op is strongly discussed and mixed-positive: many value local and online play, but some say it can dilute tension or lacks deep mechanics.

Pros: narrative quality, atmosphere

Cons: puzzle design, fun factor

#40 Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia
4.0

Local co-op is broadly fun and often one of the best ways to play, especially for families. Its main drawback is that some levels and bosses feel designed around solo...

Pros: replay value, difficulty balance

Cons: game length, boss design

#41 Aniimo
4.0

Co-op can be excellent when content makes players genuinely cooperate, but story progression does not carry cleanly with friends and remains a major frustration.

Pros: fun factor, gameplay mechanics

Cons: monetization fairness, menu usability

#42 Rhythm Heaven Groove
4.0

Co-op is generally well liked for adding camaraderie, elaborate team patterns, and shared challenge, even when it is described as less chaotic than competitive play.

Pros: fun factor, difficulty balance

Cons: value for money

#43 Mario Tennis Fever
4.0

Doubles can be genuinely satisfying when partners coordinate positioning, lobs, and net play. Local co-op is especially strong, while online cooperative options are somewhat more constrained.

Pros: fun factor, gameplay mechanics

Cons: tutorial quality, onboarding experience

#44 John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando
4.0

Co-op is the game at its best. Coordinating classes, vehicles, defenses, and huge hordes with friends repeatedly turns the straightforward shooting into memorable chaotic teamwork.

Pros: fun factor, combat system

Cons: mission variety, progression system

#45 Serious Sam: Shatterverse
3.9

Co-op is one of the clearest strengths, especially with a full group combining ultimates and sharing the chaos. Matchmaking, scaling, and solo balance can still make it hard to reach...

Pros: co-op experience, soundtrack quality

Cons: upgrade system, faithfulness to franchise

#46 NBA 2K27
3.9

Running Mate co-op is a welcome addition and can make MyCareer more enjoyable with a friend. The second player’s limited customization keeps it from feeling like a fully shared career.

Pros: gameplay mechanics, fun factor

Cons: microtransaction impact, animation quality

#47 Tales of Berseria Remastered
3.8

Local battle multiplayer is welcomed as a useful extra, though it is described as serviceable rather than essential.

Pros: narrative quality, combat system

Cons: remake/remaster quality, value for money

#48 Highguard
3.8

Highguard is at its best with coordinated friends. Team communication elevates the raids, while solo play can become frustrating or miserable.

Pros: fun factor, combat system

Cons: originality, battle mode quality

#49 Monster Hunter Wilds
3.8

Co-op was enjoyable overall, but reviewers noted story restrictions, unclear early setup, and uneven friction around playing together.

Pros: combat system, narrative quality

Cons: difficulty balance, endgame content

#50 Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted
3.6

Co-op is one of the most consistently praised additions, turning familiar stages into a more social strategy game. Communication and shared resources are fun, though several reviewers ran into bugs...

Pros: fun factor, remake/remaster quality

Cons: graphics quality, soundtrack quality