Cooperative gaming has been a thing pretty much since the technology behind running games could support two players simultaneously. With more and more people getting into gaming and families starting to play together, people are looking for more titles offering such a feature.
These games are all great, but you should only play them when you are with someone who really knows what they are doing. Some of them offer cushions for less experienced players, but for the most part, newcomers will just end up frustrated if you try to play it with them. These titles are for experienced players who want something that pushes back.
10 Resident Evil 5
This fifth mainline game took Resident Evil 4’s gameplay, further upped the action, and added cooperative play to the campaign. Even with several difficulty modes, the controls are hard to understand for anyone who is not familiar with the series. While Resident Evil 5 polarized fans, it remains one of the finest linear co-op campaigns. If you are playing with someone inexperienced, we recommend going with Resident Evil: Revelations 2, which gives the second player simpler tasks not based on combat.
9 Army Of Two
The first two Army of Two games are generally considered lackluster. The third game is not topping any top 10 lists, but it is still a fun, mindless shooter. Best of all, it retains the co-op focus of the first two games. If you enjoy shooters, this should at least occupy you and a friend for a little while. Just be sure your friend is well-versed in cover shooters, otherwise they will have a bad time.
8 Rayman Origins/Legends
These two Rayman games are often considered two of the best platformers of all time. They are also quite difficult, but playing through it with a friend helps makes things a little easier. If one player dies, the other has a chance to save them. This is at least a small crutch, but you still should find easier platformers if your friend is a newcomer. LittleBigPlanet 3, for example, is a little more forgiving.
7 Left 4 Dead
Even though this game came out over a decade ago, it still has a strong community. There is also space for a whole group, since four people can play at one time. The sequel includes a lot of content to enjoy. Fans of the series are currently excited for Back 4 Blood, a spiritual successor coming from Turtle Rock Studios, the developer of Left 4 Dead. Since Valve does not know how to count to three, this is the closest we are getting to Left 4 Dead 3.
6 New Super Mario Bros Wii.
As cool as it is for this game to include co-op, it can be an absolute nightmare in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The game plays in 2D like the older Super Mario Bros titles and it is too easy to bop other players on the head while jumping, causing death for everyone.
Even for experienced players this is extremely frustrating. Super Mario 3D World remedies this issue with the 3D gameplay and even has a more welcoming learning curve.
5 Divinity: Original Sin
Multiplayer is a rarity for narrative-driven RPGs, but some have managed to pull it off well. Divinity: Original Sin in particular has a deep multiplayer system. Two players can control different characters of the party and even split up to different parts of the map. Much like the main game, multiplayer is complicated and unforgiving, so it is only recommended to play with people who know what they are doing and have time to commit.
4 Demon’s Souls
Like everything in a Souls-like, activating multiplayer in Demon’s Souls is not as simple as picking it from a menu. Players have to summon a friend using an item. It also should go without saying, but Demon’s Souls is extremely unforgiving and punishes players for every mistake. Going through this PS5 remake and launch title with a friend helps alleviate the challenge a little bit, but it still won’t save you from failure if you do not have the skill to best the game’s challenges.
3 Halo
Bungie changed first-person shooters and gaming forever with the release of Halo: Combat Evolved. While competitive multiplayer is the star, almost every mainline entry in the series lets players go through the campaign cooperatively with a friend locally.
Most of the entries in this legendary FPS franchise are over a decade old, so it lacks a lot of the cushions co-op games have for less experienced players. Still, it is immensely fun to play with a friend on the couch.
2 Borderlands
While Borderlands is accessible and does not punish death too harshly, there are a lot of decisions you have to make when playing regarding equipment and weapons. Anybody unfamiliar with RPG mechanics will have a hard time understanding these, even if they are light compared to other dungeon-crawlers and looter shooters. We would recommend something a little more arcade-like without character progression so newcomers do not feel overwhelmed.
1 Wasteland 3
Wasteland 3’s co-op works similarly to Divinity: Original Sin. You and your friend can either travel together or go to completely different parts of the map and even do different quests at the same time. The game even does its best to account for this in the writing and the way the world reacts to players. The game is extremely long and the combat can be punishing, so inexperienced players will likely become frustrated quickly. Despite its difficulty, it is still more accessible than the first two games in the series.
