Best Co-Op Games On Steam

Thanks to the Steam platform, there are tons of amazing games for PC players to purchase, download, and enjoy. The Steam Greenlight program is even helping indie developers push their products, giving players even more choices, with tons of games released on the service each month. Steam also makes it incredibly easy for players to join one another in games, thanks to the handy friends list and invite features.

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This makes the platform the perfect place for players to hop online and enjoy cooperative adventures together. There are tons of great co-op games on Steam to choose from, ranging from AAA releases to Indie darlings. To better point out some of the memorable cooperative adventures floating around the service, here’s a look at some of the best co-op games on Steam and what players can expect from them.

Updated October 20th, 2023: There are some amazing co-op games on Steam that players can enjoy with their friends online. Those looking for the best co-op games on Steam will have tons of things to choose from, spanning a wide array of genres. It can be difficult to navigate the thousands of titles on Steam to find just what players are looking for. To better help gamers find the best co-op games on Steam, the following list has been updated to include a companion video.

Baldur’s Gate 3

A belated sequel to an all-time beloved RPG franchise created by a different developer who opted to change the core gameplay in a new direction, Baldur’s Gate 3 needed to be near-perfect to avoid backlash. Somehow, Larian accomplished just that. After spending a few years in early access, Baldur’s Gate 3 is finally out on Steam, and it has everything most people could potentially want in a CRPG. For one, the game’s character creator is deep and impacts the rest of the campaign, meaning the first few decisions players make have consequences. This foreshadows the rest of the experience since player choice is a huge part of this Dungeons and Dragons adventure.

Baldur’s Gate 3 will certainly go down as one of the best single-player RPGs of 2023, and the same can be said for co-op. Friends can jump into each other’s campaigns, and they are largely left to their own devices in how they interact with the world. While groups can decide to do everything as a unit, they can also spend considerable time apart as they focus on different things.

Sons Of The Forest

Endnight Games introduced its wildly popular horror survival game, The Forest, back in 2014. Now, almost ten years later, the studio is back with a new adventure in Sons of the Forest. This sequel features all the same gameplay elements that fans enjoyed in the first release with a handful of surprises thrown throughout. The title is currently in Early Access, but developers are adamant about adding tons of new content over the coming months, with countdown timers that outline subsequent patches and releases.

Although Sons of the Forest can be played solo, it’s an absolute blast to play with friends. Similar to the original game, players can build their own bases, traps, and defenses, and explore areas with friends.

Stardew Valley

One of the best Indie releases ever made, Stardew Valley actually has a pretty fun and robust cooperative mode. Up to four players can band together to build their own farm, though it is important to note that one player will be the “owner” and the others will work as farmhands. This means that players will be forced to wait for the owner to be online in order to continue their journey and their characters will be saved to that player’s specific world. Still, there are many unique features in multiplayer, like the ability for each player to marry their own NPC and the ability to build additional player housing (via cabins) onto the farm property. Players can even track and complete quests on their own.

For The King

Turn-based RPGs are a ton of fun, but they’re even more entertaining with friends as proven by For the King. This multiplayer cooperative (up to 3 players at the same time) story-driven adventure sees players choosing a class and then setting out to battle enemies, make decisions, and uncover lore. There are tons of areas to explore and battles to engage in, with each player taking their own turn in both the Overworld and during a fight. Players can unlock new abilities by swapping weapons and will have to make a series of dice-roll decisions that can strengthen or weaken their character over time.

Remnant 2

Gunfire Games has taken it open itself to bless the world with third-person shooter Soulslikes. While not the only developer to accept this worthy challenge, Gunfire is the most notable, with both Remnant: From the Ashes and its sequel garnering predominantly praise. Released in 2019, the former was a great proof of concept that is still worth playing all these years later; that said, Remnant 2 is bigger and better. The 2023 release offers way more (unlockable) classes and build options, superior and more nuanced combat, and far more diverse locations, all the while still incorporating procedurally generated elements like its predecessor.

Both games support 3-player co-op, and this is undoubtedly the best way to experience Remnant. Players are encouraged to create balanced teams from the available archetypes, all of which have unique strengths and weaknesses that allow them to slip into specific roles. While playable solo, the dungeons are designed to be tackled by a group of players, and they will need to work together well if they want to survive the game’s challenges, particularly on its highest difficulties.

Overcooked! 2

Players looking for a puzzle, strategy, and skill-based challenge should definitely check out Overcooked! 2. What starts out as a deceptively simple cooking game soon devolves into madness, and it takes quite a bit of teamwork to do well in the later levels. Players will need to work together, tossing each other ingredients and ensuring they use the right cooking stations in order to get meals out to hungry customers. Each level has a star-based system and players can earn more stars by performing better. It can be quite challenging and is a ton of fun, featuring up to four players racing around a wide variety of strange kitchen settings.

Phasmophobia

Those looking for something that will really scare their socks off should consider trying out Phasmophobia. In this Indie release, players must enter locations and gather paranormal evidence using a variety of tools. What starts out as a seemingly routine exploration soon turns to chaos as players realize that the spirits they are investigating are hostile. Phasmophobia is dark, gritty, and can be downright terrifying, especially when played in VR.

Players can bring friends along to help cut through the fear and tension and many of the game mechanics offer up a great opportunity for cooperative play as players will need to work together and communicate to make it out of each location alive.

It Takes Two

Anyone looking for a fun and engrossing cooperative experience needs to put It Takes Two at the top of their list. This release, from the same studio that created A Way Out, is a masterpiece of cooperative gaming. Not only is the story engrossing, but the art style is also fantastic, and the gameplay is addictive. Players will have to support one another on their journey through It Takes Two‘s action-and-puzzle-filled chapters.

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No matter which character they pick, players will constantly switch back and forth between a leadership and support role, spending time in the limelight before helping to accentuate and elevate their partner. It’s a beautifully balanced release that shows how incredible a good cooperative multiplayer experience can be.

Crab Champions

Crab Champions is a third-person shooter featuring crabs. This description might make it sound like a joke game, but that would be a disservice to the quality on display here. In early access, Noisestorm has been updating the base game at a fairly consistent rate, releasing patches that either add new content or improve things like balancing. Consequently, Crab Champions will continue to improve over the following months and possibly years, which is exciting since the current version is already great.

Crab Champions absolutely nails its movement; in fact, an argument could be made that it is one of the most smooth and fluid third-person shooters on the market. While the gameplay loop gets repetitive after a while, the core mechanics are so enjoyable that they can carry the load. The game is a blast as a solo experience, and it is only enhanced when a few friends are brought along for the ride.

Terraria

Although many would consider Minecraft as the defacto building, crafting, and survival game, there are some who would argue that Terraria is just as, if not more, engaging. This release ditches the 3D blocky aesthetic in favor of a pixelated, 2D side-scrolling adventure. Like Minecraft, Terraria‘s worlds are procedurally generated, so no two playthroughs will ever feel the same. Those craving something a bit more difficult than a traditional Minecraft session can turn to Terraria for a much more in-depth combat system, as well as an array of difficult bosses that will have the player fighting, grinding, and exploring for better gear.

Terraria can be a blast alone, but it’s even better with friends. Players are free to tackle the entirety of Terraria as a coop pair or even in a group.

Left 4 Dead 2

Although Turtle Rock Studios recently released Back 4 Blood, a game influenced by its original Left 4 Dead release, there are still many players flocking to Left 4 Dead 2 to get their zombie-fighting fix. This is because Left 4 Dead 2 has been a phenomenal part of the cooperative scene ever since it hit store shelves back in 2009. It’s a bit of an upgrade from the original release while still maintaining all the core gameplay elements that made it such a fantastic experience. The end result is a sequel that is engaging, fast-paced, hectic, and immensely fun.

Left 4 Dead 2 can be experienced alone with AI partners, but it’s much more fun via cooperative play. With so much mod support and even custom campaigns, players who are just hopping into Left 4 Dead 2 will find tons of content to explore with their friends.

Valheim

Another difficult-yet-rewarding release, Valheim is an Indie smash-hit that has players taking over the role of a Viking. To survive, new adventurers will need to construct shelter, craft weapons, and collect materials to fasten armor and other tools. Similar to The Forest and its sequel, players will find themselves weak and helpless at the start, as they’re forced to avoid or tangle with some pretty difficult enemies.

Valheim is a bit more “Dark Souls-like” in its combat approach, and players will need to learn enemy attack patterns and behaviors in order to defeat most of them. There are even some imposing bosses to take down. The best part is that players can bring a friend along, to make the journey a bit easier.

Don’t Starve Together

Don’t Starve was another Indie release that took the gaming world by storm, quickly developing a cult following thanks to its punishing game world, seemingly unfair mechanics, and alluring storybook-like art style. Played from a top-down perspective, players will have to survive by foraging for food and other items while building shelters and avoiding an array of deadly monsters found in each procedurally generated playthrough.

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Don’t Starve Together lets players experience all the struggles found in the original release with a group, helping one another to survive by picking from a series of interesting characters, each with their own abilities and stats.

Payday 2

Those who enjoy heisting their way through Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA Online will find a lot to love with Payday 2. This release takes the heist concept and crafts an entire release around it, giving groups of players access to an array of missions, bank jobs, and other types of heists to complete. Players will need to keep a level head as they attempt to avoid guards, disable security cameras, take hostages, and perform other heist tasks while avoiding capture.

What makes Payday 2 so engaging is that players can complete missions in a variety of ways. Sometimes they’ll need to attack things from a stealthy perspective, and sometimes they can run in guns blazing. There are also an array of character types and special abilities that players can unlock as they play.

Payday 3 launched on September 21, 2023.

Killing Floor 2

Tripwire’s Killing Floor 2 has had a longer-than-most shelf life. While not quite as popular as Valve’s own zombie co-op shooter, the game has maintained a decent playerbase on Steam, and it is frequently on sale for dirt cheap. Technically, Killing Floor 2 can be played solo, but it is not recommended nor particularly enjoyable; as such, this is one title that should be played alongside a few other people. Wave-based levels are not unusual for the genre, but it is a tried and tested structure and formula that can provide accessible and constant thrills when executed well. Killing Floor 2 proves as much, and the game has more to offer than just an enjoyable loop.

The title’s classes are arguably the game’s highlight, as the Perks all bring something fresh to the plate. Testing different team configurations adds a great deal of replayability, and each class can be leveled up to expand its abilities. Killing Floor 2 implements these light RPG elements well, and their inclusion elevates what could have otherwise been a fun but forgettable shooter.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Games like Dead by Daylight offer a different co-op experience than most other titles since players will, for the most part, be operating on their own; however, they are still working with a few other people, at least if they are survivors. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is cut from the same cloth, but it shifts the structure from 4v1 to 4v3. Consequently, teamwork and communication are important for both sides, which makes the project a more fully-rounded co-op option.

Inspired by the iconic horror franchise, the game pits victims against the Slaughter family, with the former needing to quietly escape from the latter’s clutches. At the moment, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is performing well enough on Steam, although it is unlikely to have the same staying power as Dead by Daylight​​​​​​.

Sea Of Thieves

When it set sail in 2018, Rare’s high-seas project hit immediate rough waters; however, the game managed to weather that storm to come out on the other side. Now, more than 5 years later, Sea of Thieves is firmly established as a cornerstone of the online scene that can satisfy both co-op and PvP fans, along with the occasional lone pirate. While not devoid of direction, Rare designed the game to encourage players to seek out their own adventures, which is generally easier to do when part of a crew.

Even if it is not narratively dense, Sea of Thieves is still stuffed with content and objectives. There are missions, tall tales, factions, treasure hunts, and timed events to keep players engaged; more importantly, a crew can simply spend their days exploring the sandbox and embracing whatever comes their way, be it a Kraken or another pirate ship.

Barotrauma

After a few years in Early Access, Barotrauma finally made its full debut in March 2023. The survival game drops players in a submarine that is exploring the depths of an alien ocean, one crawling with entities far scarier than a Great White Shark. Along with a campaign catering to solo players, Barotrauma has two modes designed specifically with co-op in mind, and they arguably showcase the game at its peak.

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In the latter options, Barotrauma players take charge of individual roles in the submarine, each of which has a crucial part to play in a mission’s success and the crew’s general survival. Even when surrounded by friends, the game manages to still be excruciatingly stressful, in the best possible way.

Risk Of Rain 2

After creating something special with 2013’s Risk of Rain, Hopoo Games repeated the feat with its sequel. A third-person shooter, Risk of Rain 2 is more ambitious and bigger than its predecessor, but they are undoubtedly cut from the same cloth. After picking a class, players are dropped in fairly open levels where they must work their way toward an escape point, a process that involves blasting armies of enemies and collecting all sorts of loot. The latter is Risk of Rain 2‘s main focus, as the game loves to deck players out in all sorts of empowering gear that will make them feel like they could take on the world without breaking a sweat (although, they will eventually break out in hives as they meet enemies beyond their capabilities).

As a single-player experience, Risk of Rain 2 is an absolute blast and well worth a recommendation. As a co-op roguelike, the game ranks among the best on Steam. Risk of Rain 2‘s class system adds an element of strategy to multiplayer since players are incentivized to work as a unit rather than four individuals who just happen to be in proximity of each other. It should be noted that players need to unlock the different classes, but that process is entertaining in its own right.

Portal 2

Pairs of players looking for a great puzzle game should put Portal 2 at the top of their list. Although this release has a great single-player campaign, it also features a robust cooperative storyline that stands as its own adventure. Players will control one of two bots and be subject to a variety of GLaDOS’ seemingly sinister portal-based tests. This is a fantastic puzzle game and a great use of Portal’s unique gameplay mechanics. The cooperative play is well-thought-out and will force players to work together to escape each room.

Portal 2 is a game that all players should check out at least once and the cooperative experience makes it even better.

Deep Rock Galactic

Deep Rock Galactic puts players in the shoes of a resource collection team as they’re sent off on an array of missions to collect minerals and other valuable items. In this futuristic and campy first-person shooter, players will need to band together as one of four different classes in order to ensure that each mission goes off without a hitch, checking certain tasks off their to-do list like collecting a specific amount of resources, defending a specific area, or subduing certain threats.

Deep Rock Galactic is a great FPS, offering a challenge at higher levels while simultaneously promoting a fun and funny environment.

Zombie Army 4: Dead War

A zombie co-op game on Steam is always going to live in Left 4 Dead‘s shadow, but Zombie Army 4 does enough to differentiate itself from Valve’s eternal masterpiece. For one, Rebellion’s project is a third-person shooter, which might not sound like a big deal but, in actuality, provides a fairly different feel.

The unapologetically silly campaign keeps things moving at a blistering pace, ensuring hordes of the undead are always right around the corner. This mode is fairly lengthy as well, and while not packed with surprises, the story constantly shakes up its locations to keep things interesting.

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