A lot of things are better when you do them with another person, like eating, drinking, travelling and many other things… Gaming is one of them.
When we want to play with another person, the easiest way is to play one of the hundreds of free-to-play games available.
But if you want to play with someone in the same house and don’t want to use more devices? Or maybe you just want the pleasurable feeling of sharing the same screen.
Local multiplayer/coop games are the answer. Unfortunately, the number of new local multiplayer/coop games is decreasing every year. According to steamDB, the relative number of local multiplayer/coop games compared to new releases is dropping.
Just some numbers:
- In 2014, the number of games released was 1715, games with the steam tag “Local Co-op” were 79 and with the tag “Local Multiplayer” were 61. 4.61% and 3.56% respectively.
- Today, 2024, the data is partial, but since the 1st of January to the 25th of June, the number of games released is 8495, “Local Co-op” 192 (2.26%) and “Local Multiplayer” 295 (3.47%).
- The only year where these numbers increase was 2020, with 3.47% for local co-op and 4.95% for local multiplayer.
We understand that couch games are less profitable than online multiplayer, but they offer players moments that cannot be compared. Sharing victory, arguing over defeat, eating and drinking together are all moments in couch games. Moments that make players happy.
Here is a list of some of the games we personally own. The list is a work in progress and many more games will be added. Feel free to suggest a local coop/multiplayer game you like that isn’t listed yet.
This Means Warp
🎮🎮🎮🎮Up to 4 players.
This Means Warp is a rougelite game where you have to take care of a spaceship. Like Faster Than Light you explore a piece of space and make random encounters with pirates and Norg, the antagonist.
The game can be played solo or in local co-op. Like Overcooked you and your buddies will need a lot of coordination to outrun the Norg and protect your spaceships.
We played it on Xbox, but is also available on Steam, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation. If you want read our review.
Speed Crew
🎮🎮🎮🎮Up to 4 players.
If you like the smell of burnt tyres, the hot asphalt, the sound of big blocks, the thrill of pit stops and the softness of moustaches, then Speed Crew is the game for you.
Speed Crew is an Overcooked-style game set in a racing paddock. Our job is to change tyres, refuel and repair cars. Our team is in constant competition with the crew of Dominion Torrento.
This is a fast-paced game where you have to be very focused on your tasks and you have to be very clear and coordinated with your friend, because any mistake can ruin your game.
The game is available on Steam, Playstation, Nintendo Switch and Xbox. We have played and reviewed the Xbox version, if you want you can read our review.
Overcooked series
🎮🎮🎮🎮Up to 4 players.
Now it is time to talk about the Overcooked series. This franchise has inspired many other games, including Speed Crew and This Means Warp. This makes the Overcooked series a milestone in gaming and one of the best couch games ever made.
Overcooked has a fast-paced environment full of random events in a chaotic setting that tests the player’s nerves and their relationship.
You can love it or you can even hate it, but you will know that you have to play it to get your dose of dopamine when you see that your run has been perfect.
You can find it on Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG.com, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox.
Cook, Serve, Delicious! Series
🎮🎮 Up to 2 players.
I love cooking and eating, so the Cook, Serve, Delicious! series is one of my favourite local co-op games. Me and the co-founder of OneUpNerd.com often play Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?!, we enjoy playing it so much.
Like Overcooked, this is a fast-paced game, but you only have to concentrate on preparing the food. So you don’t have to put out fires, wash dishes, jump over cracks in the floor, or deal with the rearrangement of rooms.
All you have is your food truck with your preparation station and your goal is to satisfy your customers by serving them a well-prepared meal.
There are plenty of recipes. Unfortunately, there is also pineapple pizza, but nothing is perfect.
You can find it on Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG.com, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and Xbox.
For The King series
🎮🎮🎮 Up to 3 players. (For The King)
🎮🎮🎮🎮 Up to 4 players. (For The King II)
The For The King series brings a role-playing tabletop game to the screens. This series takes us to the realm of Fahrul, a place where fairies, goblins and other magical creatures live.
In the series we have to control our heroes in their quest to save the realm from evil magical entity. The gameplay is turn-based and like board games, all actions, such as hitting an enemy, are influenced by the case, like a roll of the dice.
We played both games in the series and we loved them both, maybe more the first chapter, but if you and your friends want to get into a challenging epic adventure, a game from the For The King franchise is the best. If you want you can read the review of For The King II on OneUpNerd.
For The King available on Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch. For The King II is only available on Steam.
BROK the InvestiGator
🎮🎮🎮🎮 Up to 4 players.
BROK the InvestiGator is an atypical point-and-click game, because it’s not only a point-and-click game, but also a fighting game, in fact it’s also described as a Punch & Click game. But what makes it so atypical is the presence of a local co-op mode in a point and click game.
In this game, all secondary players fight as in a normal beat-em-up game and act as a ghost in the point-and-click sections. They can pick up hidden bonus objects and help the first player by interacting with the scene, but they can’t leave the scene or talk to other characters.
The inclusion of other players in this game is well orchestrated and doesn’t ruin the gameplay or make other players useless, as in Super Mario Galaxy, for example.
We like it a lot, you can read our review if you want.
BROK the InvestiGator is available on Steam, GOG.com, Epic Games Store, Itch.io, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Google Play Store and Apple Store.
It Takes Two
❤❤ Up to 2 players.
It Takes Two is a game that is meant to be played by a matched pair. The plot of the game is focused on the problems of a married couple. As a result of the couple’s decision to divorce, their daughter disappears in a strange way.
In an attempt to find their daughter, they have been miniaturised and transformed into rag dolls with powerful ability. In a world full of strange things, they must work together to save their child and return to reality.
It Takes Two is a story that focuses on communication and empathy, it teaches us to comprend and listen to our partner.
It is suitable for two players only. As for the characters in the game, as for the players, communication is essential to the game’s progression. This game may help you to get to know your partner in a better way.
Next games
All the games listed have actually been played by us. As you can see, some of them are a bit outdated or not very popular, so we would like to point out that this list should not be considered a ranking.
In the near future we will be talking about other games that you can see in the list below. All of the games listed allow for at least two players.
- Doomsday Paradise
- Extremely Powerful Capybaras
- Borderlands series (Xbox)
- As Dusk Fall
- Battletoads
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
- Fueled Up
- Spacelines from the Far Out
- Gears of War series
- Inkulinati
- Vampire Survivors
- Guns, Gore & Cannoli
- Portal 2
- Serious Sam 3: BFE
- Trine series
- Unravel Two
- A Way Out
- Civilization IV and Civilization V
- Kingdoms Two Crowns
- How To Survive series
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