One of the great things about video games is that there is a variety to choose from. Whether you are itching for a great story in a role-playing game, looking for a rush by mowing down your enemies in a first-person shooter, or planning your next move in a strategy game, there is something for everyone.
The same goes for gamers who wish to play by themselves and tend to forego multiplayer titles and co-op games. However, there is something to be said about playing with friends, loved ones, or even random people on the internet (except for trolls and tryhards). Winning a match or completing a goal is an experience that becomes more enjoyable when shared with another player. Especially if the journey is a challenging one.
So we decided to come up with a list of modern games that will let you play with a friend or, since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, perhaps entice your significant other to sit down with you and watch your back when fighting a horde of zombies. Or help you scrounge for food so that both of you will not die from starvation. After all, isn’t there a saying that goes, “the couple that games together, stays together?”
As for the list, it is in no particular order and we didn’t include games from genres such as MMOs and MOBAs. We wanted to focus on games that can be played not only with a small amount of friends, but with your significant other. So light the candles, open up a bottle of Bond Estates Melbury Red wine from Napa (so long as you are 21 years and older), heat up some hot pockets, and treat your significant other to a fun evening.
What? I heard that red wine pairs perfectly with hot pockets. Right?
So if you are hoping to build, or ruin, a friendship or relationship here are the top 22 co-op games we recommend!
Don’t Starve Together
While we recommended Don’t Starve as a game to play during Halloween, that doesn’t mean it has to only be played during that time. When it was first released the original game was single-player but Klei Entertainment decided that trying to stay alive in this survival game is an experience that should be shared. The question is, are you willing to sacrifice your character so that your friend or significant other will survive when food becomes scarce?
Portal 2
The sequel to Portal builds upon the original first-person puzzler not only with more puzzles, a new story, and advanced physics but it also comes with a two-person co-op mode that has its own dedicated story and robotic characters named Atlas and P-Body. If you want to
have a fun time with a friend or significant other who enjoys puzzles, you can’t go wrong with Portal 2.
Torchlight 2
If you are looking for an action RPG to play with someone else, then Torchlight 2 might be what you are looking for. Developed by Runic Games, which consists of developers who worked on the Diablo franchise, Torchlight II is a polished game that features lovely visuals, good skill design, and pets. Especially pets. It really is all about the pets. Perhaps, for those couples who wish to have a pet in the house, you can use this as an opportunity to test how well you can take care of your pets?
Castle Crashers
Castle Crashers is a 2D side-scroller where one to four players will have to hack, slash, and smash their way to victory. Players will have to battle their way through hordes of enemies in order to retrieve a gem, rescue the king’s daughters, and bring the dark wizard behind it all to justice. It’s a fun game that also has the All You Can Quaff mini game where you and your opponents stuff your faces with food to see who can eat the fastest. With 25 unlockable characters and 40 weapons, there is plenty of content to keep everyone busy for a while.
Borderlands 2
When it comes to looting and shooting, you will get plenty of that in Borderlands 2. The FPS title features an interesting visual style and great humor with fun characters such as Tiny Tina, Claptrap, and Handsome Jack that you get to meet along the way. However, if you, your friend, or significant other happen to be hoarders, then you might not be able to progress too far with all the loot in this game.
Divinity: Original Sin
If you want to expose your friend or significant other to a classic-style RPG, then look no further. Divinity: Original Sin features two-player co-op and a turn-based combat system with skill and spell combinations that, when combined, will result in some interesting attacks. So see what your friend or significant other can come up with when fighting monsters. Perhaps douse an enemy in water and then throw some lightning at it for a shocking result or ignite a poison cloud for a devastating explosion. The sky’s the limit in this long, hundred-hour RPG.
SpeedRunners
Maybe your friend or significant other is a competitive person. If so, then we would suggest SpeedRunners. It’s a competitive racing game where you pick your superhero of choice and then race your friends in a city filled with other superheroes who are all racing towards a crime. Of course, simply running and avoiding obstacles would be rather boring so players are able to play dirty by using missiles, grappling hooks, and mines to slow down the opposition.
Orcs Must Die! 2
Is there anything better than slaying orcs to bring a couple together or strengthen the ties of friendship? While it can be played by yourself, Orcs Must Die! 2 also features two-player co-op for its story-based campaign along with a new Endless Mode. So it will be up to you and your partner to choose from a selection of traps, weapons, and guardians to fend off the hordes of orcs seeking to rend you limb from limb.
DayZ
What started off as an Arma II mod has turned into a standalone game that continues to impress us. However, if you want to play this game with your friends or significant other, it will be an experience just trying to rendezvous with each other. Let alone trying not to succumb to thirst, hunger, zombies, and other players. DayZ will test relationships when food and water are scarce while trying to fend off zombies and other people. But there are some nice locations in the game where you can just enjoy the scenery. Perhaps open a can of beans and have an impromptu picnic right then and there…
Dungeon Defenders
With its rich, vibrant colors and cell-shaded aesthetics, Dungeon Defenders is a fun tower defense action-RPG. Choose from one of four characters and level them up as you fight off waves of enemies while forging equipment and gathering loot to become stronger and save the land of Etheria.
Broforce
Broforce is a side-scrolling run and gun video game where you take control of a hero-style commando fighting terrorists and rescuing teammates and prisoners of war. It’s an over-the-top game that parodies action heroes such as John Rambo, Ellen Ripley, Chuck Norris, and the T-800. It is also a perfect excuse to get your friends or significant other to watch the movies that those names are associated with. Which means none of those romantic comedies this Valentine’s Day if you are crafty enough to take advantage of this opportunity.
Dark Souls 2
If you read our review, then you’ll know that while we enjoyed Dark Souls 2, we were not completely enamored with the PC port. Despite that, it is still an enjoyable game that is very punishing and difficult. However, the game becomes much more enjoyable when playing with friends to fight the mobs and defeat the various bosses throughout the game. After all, challenges are what brings us all together, right?
Monaco
Up until now, we have provided you a list of games where you play the good guy. But with Monaco, you play a thief and can assemble a team to case a joint and pull off a heist. There are eight different characters to choose from in this top-down, action-adventure game. Question is, will your friends or significant other want to be criminals with you?
Left 4 Dead 2
As one of the best Source Engine games around, Left 4 Dead 2 built upon its predecessor. With a larger assortment of weapons, which includes melee weapons, there are new survivors, a larger campaign, and a better AI Director, the game is a lot of fun to play with friends and mow down hordes of zombies as you try to escape. But if you are tired of working together to survive, you’ll also be able to fight against each other in Versus mode which allows you to play as the zombies.
Gauntlet
This is another game that reaches back into the past so that a new generation of gamers can experience what older gamers grew up playing. The new Gauntlet, like its 1985 arcade predecessor, is a fantasy-themed hack-and-slash title played from a top-down perspective. It features four-player co-op, with four characters to choose from, that you will be able to guide through both uniquely built and randomly generated levels while fighting hordes of enemies in order to gain treasure and glory.
Trine 2
If you want to impress your friends or significant other with a beautiful game, then show them Trine 2. With its beautiful art style and vibrant colors, this side-scrolling platformer is a feast for the eyes and a lot of fun to play. There are three different characters, each with a different combat style that you or a friend can control as you embark on an adventure in a lovely fairytale setting.
Lego Marvel Super Heroes
Perhaps your friends or significant other may not know anything about video games. But unless they have been living under a rock for the past few years, they should have heard about Marvel and its string of movies. So why not introduce them to Lego Marvel Super Heroes? It lets you play an assortment of characters while being fun and easy to learn a little about the heroes. After all, you have to stop Doctor Doom from using his Doomray of Doom!
Diablo 3
If you are looking for a game with a darker tone and atmosphere, then introduce your friends to the latest title in the Diablo franchise. Diablo 3 has gone through some growing pains but the game available today is different from the game that was released back in 2012. So choose from six classes and, once more, hunt down Diablo.
Minecraft
What is there to say about Minecraft that hasn’t been said already? This open-world, sandbox game continues to grow with no end in sight and for good reason. It is easy to play, fuels a person’s imagination, and there is no limit to what you can do. So whether you decide on a group project with your friends, or building a house with your significant other, Minecraft is one title you should definitely check out.
Payday 2
While Monaco lets you take on the role of a thief from a top-down perspective, Payday 2 puts you in first-person mode. You’ll get a real buzz when you successfully pull off a job either by stealth or in a massive gunfight with the law. However, playing with friends makes the game even more fun when you tackle the bigger heists. That, and what says “I love you” more than stealing a bar of gold or an expensive tiara for your significant other? So mask up! It’s time to make some money.
Sid Meier’s Civilization V
We have spent a lot of time playing the Civilization franchise by ourselves. But when you play it with even one friend, things get more exciting. Problem is, you might have an understanding when your civilization is in its infancy, but sooner or later, you might start eyeing your friend as a competitor and soon take steps to ensure that your civilization is the best in this turn-based strategy game. Warning: Civilization V can destroy a relationship, so beware.
Evolve
The game just came out and already it is a game we would recommend for playing with your friends. Developed by Turtle Rock Studios, you get to play one of four hunters that will have to track down and kill a player-controlled monster. Each hunter in the group serves in a unique capacity. Whether it is trapping the monster, dealing damage, slowing it down, or healing your teammate, Evolve is an FPS game designed with teamplay in mind. Except if you are playing as the monster. But whether you are the monster or the hunters, who is really the one being hunted?
Author’s Note: Originally posted 02/2015 for Maximum PC
This was another requested feature I received from Maximum PC with the specified parameters that the games recommended be new or released over the past either five or 10 years. The original list I submitted didn’t include Evolve or Diablo 3 which, if you are a fan of my work, know that I would never have recommended Diablo 3 because of the anti-consumer direction the developer was going which prompted me to write an editorial talking about why gamers should boycott the game and why it was a threat to PC gaming.
Evolve was more tricky because, while the game had the potential to be a great game, the developer had decided to hamper that potential by locking Hunters and monsters behind a levelling system/paywall. My review for Evolve, on another site I was writing for at the same time as Maximum PC, explained my reasons why this game wasn’t great and that it still needed to “evolve.” But because the game was new, my editor wanted me to add it to the list, otherwise I would not have put it on there. However, it’s what the client wanted and what they got. It’s one of those times where I didn’t feel comfortable doing something like this and especially attaching my name to it. Luckily, I didn’t have to remove anything from my original list and simply changed the title from “Top 20” to “Top 22.”
Yet bills had to be paid and this is one of the reasons why I would prefer to run my own website. For those interested, I was paid $150 for this article.
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