Nothing beats a great gaming session with friends, and it’s always rewarding to accomplish a goal as a team. Fortunately, there are hundreds of incredible co-op games to pick from, including just about any genre you can think of.
Many of these titles thrust players into intense situations where the entire team will crumble if you have a weak link in the squad. If you’d rather relax with your pals and avoid games that might ruin friendships, here’s a selection of brilliant low-stress co-op titles to explore.
10 Deep Rock Galactic
Rock And Stone!
Deep Rock Galactic is a phenomenal co-op adventure game where your team of dwarfs command mining operations in deep space.
Teamwork is at the core of everything you do in DRG. Each dwarf has unique abilities, and everyone has a pivotal role to fill. You can play with up to four players in the team, and there’s a satisfying progression system to keep you hooked.
Deep Rock Galactic kicks off this list as while it’s not stressful at the start, it can become very tense later on. Deep Dives (end-game content) will humble new players, and you can potentially lose a lot of progress to a team wipe.
That said, the camaraderie and team-building interactions are sublime. The DRG community is as wholesome as it gets, and if you don’t mind taking a few losses on the chin, any stress will be replaced with smiles.
9 No Man’s Sky
Explore Space At Your Own Pace
No Man’s Sky is a deep space-exploration game with a mysterious overarching objective you can tackle at your own pace.
Space games are well known for being complicated and unforgiving. No Man’s Sky has dozens of mechanics, but Hello Games has had an admirable crack at making the genre as approachable as possible.
Exploring as a group is addictive, and you can spend dozens of hours crafting the perfect settlement among the stars. There is some combat, but the penalty for dying is low, and there’s even a ‘creative’ mode if you want to remove it entirely.
The only downside to No Man’s Sky co-op is that you must complete some activities twice if you’re in a group.
You can also run into issues if you end up in separate ‘instances’ of the same place. Ultimately, these are minor issues, but it’s clear that co-op was added after launch.
8 Cat Quest II
A Pocket-Sized Pawsome RPG
Cat Quest 2 is a brilliant action RPG with a light-hearted tone and an almost overwhelming number of cat puns.
Most of Cat Quest 2 is played on a gorgeous world map. Combat is straightforward, and RPG elements are intuitive. You never have to worry about getting lost, and the story is suitable for everyone, including casual and younger players.
RPGs often require grinding and have lengthy completion times, but you can conquer Cat Quest 2 in under 8 hours. That said, it will take much longer if you want to beat every side activity.
The Cat Quest games are all fun and worth your time, but only 2 and 3 have co-op. Fortunately, you don’t have to play the original to understand the sequels.
7 Raft
Sea Water Is Bad For You
- Released
- June 20, 2022
- Developer(s)
- Redbeet Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Axolot Games
- Engine
- Unity
- ESRB
- t
- How Long To Beat
- 31 Hours
- Steam User Rating
- 93% (October 25, 2023)
Raft is an impressive sandbox adventure game set in a world overtaken by the sea.
There’s a surprisingly rich story weaving everything together in Raft, but it’s ultimately optional. You can spend dozens of hours crafting a pimped-out penthouse on the waves or become the designated angler, so your buddies don’t die of hunger.
The sea is shark-infested, but you will find islands to explore on your journey, and you’re never ‘forced’ to do anything.
Raft may be unsuitable if you find survival mechanics like food meters stressful. If that’s not a problem, you will enjoy your time in this exceptional story-driven sandbox.
6 Viscera Cleanup Detail
I Hope You Have A Strong Stomach
- Released
- October 23, 2015
- Developer(s)
- RuneStorm
- Publisher(s)
- RuneStorm
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- ESRB
- Not Rated
Viscera Cleanup Detail is a unique title where you and your friends must clean up a crime scene so it looks like no grizzly crimes ever took place.
Each map in Viscera is littered with blood spatters, body parts, and bullet casings. You’re the cleanup crew, and armed with your trusty mop, you must restore each area to its former glory.
There’s no time limit or threat, and there are just enough tools to keep the gameplay loop interesting.
The best part about Viscera is the varied locations. You will visit everything from Yakuza penthouses to a space station that looks suspiciously like the Event Horizon.
Each map has a distinct flavor, and while the title is a little rough around the edges, it’s a blast with friends.
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5 Diablo IV
An Approachable ARPG
With Path of Exile 2 being the talk of the town, there’s plenty of buzz surrounding ARPGs. If you’re looking for an accessible title to ease into the genre, Diablo IV may be for you.
Compared to many other similar games, Diablo IV is a straightforward title with seamless co-op and low stakes. The world of Sanctuary is as bleak and morbid as they come, but the gameplay is simple and intuitive. There’s little penalty for dying, and loot grinding is immensely satisfying.
Diablo IV is much more challenging on higher difficulty levels, but you can try them at your own pace and change them back if you don’t enjoy the experience. You can play the entire campaign with a friend, and the cutscenes will blow your mind with their cinematic quality.
Before the Diablo IV diehards come at me, there is plenty of room to min-max and lots of challenging content at higher Torment levels, but this is something casual players can avoid entirely if they wish.
4 Vampire Survivors
Now You Can Survive Together
Vampire Survivors is an immensely popular game that kickstarted an entire genre! The game also had robust co-op features added post-launch, with hundreds of hours of content waiting to be enjoyed.
The gameplay loop is simple. Try to survive a never-ending onslaught of monsters using creative characters and items. Hundreds of weapons are in the game, and you can combine many of them to create an even more deadly arsenal.
There is a ton of meta-progression, including new survivors and equipment, so you’re always working toward your next upgrade.
It will take many runs to beat the game for the first time, but there are low stakes, and it feels wonderfully rewarding when you start to pop off.
3 Powerwash Simulator
I Wish It Were This Fun In Real Life
I’m always baffled by the high quality of many « simulator » games on the market, and Powerwash Simulator is easily one of the best.
Much like Viscera from earlier, you must meticulously clean locations in Powerwash Simulator. The big difference between the two titles is Powerwash is grounded in reality with an addictive progression system where you can unlock new tools.
The developers at Futurlab managed to make cleaning satisfying. The sound of water jets hitting tiles and vehicles is perfect, and it’s a great low-stakes game to play with friends.
The DLC offerings are also ridiculous, and you can even clean Shrek’s swamp if you’re not afraid of big, smelly ogres.
2 LEGO Fortnite
You’ve Never Seen A LEGO Game Like This
LEGO Fortnite is an impressive addition to the ever-growing list of experiences under the Fortnite umbrella.
The LEGO game mode puts players on a massive open-world map with light survival mechanics and base building.
There are options to make LEGO Fortnite pretty challenging, but the vanilla experience is accessible, and there’s no real penalty for dying.
There’s plenty to explore, and the vehicle building is surprisingly deep. There are some master builders in the community, but you can do just fine with four wheels stuck to a rectangle and an engine!
Best of all, LEGO Fortnite is free to play, so you have nothing to lose by trying it out. Friends can also access the same shared world without a ‘host’ online, so it’s ideal for groups with different schedules.
1 Stardew Valley
The Perfect Farm Life Simulator
Stardew Valley should need no introduction. It’s arguably the best ‘farming’ game on the market and is fantastic whether alone or in a group.
The best part of Stardew Valley is that objectives are ultimately optional. Sure, you can go out battling monsters in the mines, but you can also stay home and make the best farm the valley has ever seen. Missions are plentiful, but you can tackle them when you’re ready.
There are rich co-op elements, and a group of you can divide farming duties among each other.
You could argue that some objectives tied to the calendar could make some aspects of the game a little stressful. The best part is, if you miss an activity, there’s always next year!
Stardew Valley offers a cozy experience like no other, and it’s no wonder that the game has fostered a passionate fanbase with a rich modding scene.
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