6 best co-op video games you can play with your friends today

Looking at the industry right now, developers appear to have finally finally realised that shared experiences lead to more engaging gameplay than any solo campaign ever could. And when we say shared experiences we don’t mean tacked-on multiplayer modes.

No, studios are actually baking mechanics into games that fundamentally require a partner to function. All this means that it’s perhaps the best time to be a co-op game fan. So, here are the top 6 games you can play.

1. It Takes Two

This is an action-adventure title with elements from platform games. You play as Cody and May, a bickering couple turned into dolls, who are forced by a very loud relationship book to fix their marriage.

What makes this special is how it refuses to settle on one genre. One minute you are piloting a plane made of boxer shorts and the next you are dungeon crawling. The mechanics are constantly changed by the developers to match the story beats. Just when you master a hammer and nail ability, that is swapped for something entirely fresh. It’s a chaotic, heartfelt romp that never lets you get bored.

2. Fall Guys

Most battle royales want you to be a tactical genius, but this just wants you to be a clumsy bean. Up to 32 players are dropped into these candy land-style, extremely colourful obstacle courses. You run, jump, and dive your way through spinning hammers and slime slides.

While you can play solo, the real magic happens in Squads mode where victory is shared by the whole team. Then there are “Creative” tools that have been used by the community to build endless custom rounds, meaning there is always something weird to try.

3. Phogs!

If you ever wanted to know what life is like as a two-headed sausage dog with no legs, this is your chance. You and a partner control one end of the dog each. The goal is to stretch, bark, and bite your way through puzzle-filled worlds themed around food, sleep, and play.

Coordination is required to solve physics-based challenges, like biting a water spout to spray water out of the other player’s mouth. It sounds cute, and it is, but moving a long, noodly body through tight spaces can get surprisingly tricky. Tension is alleviated by the sheer absurdity of the premise.

4. Helldivers 2

Managed democracy isn’t going to spread itself. This third-person shooter drops you and three friends onto hostile planets to fight endless hordes of bugs and robots. You are given overpowered weapons and orbital strikes called Stratagems, but you are also hilariously fragile.

The catch is that friendly fire is always on. You will accidentally blow up your teammates with an airstrike, and that is just a part of what makes this game unique.

5. Baldur’s Gate 3

While this massive RPG is a masterpiece when played alone, bringing friends along turns it into a chaotic improv session. Based on Dungeons & Dragons rules, every decision – from attacking a goblin to lying to a guard – is determined by a dice roll.

When you play cooperatively, you aren’t just watching a story unfold. You are actively interfering with it. Your friend might pick a fight with a boss while you are trying to talk your way out of it.

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The turn-based combat (where everyone takes their turn one by one) demands actual strategy, but the social chaos between battles is where the real memories are made.

6. Split Fiction

Hazelight has done it again. Released earlier this year, this title cements Josef Fares as the director to beat in the genre. You play as two writers, Zoe and Mio, who get trapped inside a machine that mashes their fantasy and sci-fi stories together. The screen is always split, forcing you to collaborate.

One minute you are shapeshifting to flip switches, and the next you are fighting a boss that turns the game into a giant pinball table. The story explores why we create art, but honestly, the sheer variety of gameplay is the main hook here.