What are the best local co-op PC games?

Genre:Action / Adventure / Beat 'em Up

Each level in the game has its own look and design. Needing to explore to discover what comes next keeps the gameplay varied. From desert to ice-filled settings, there is no level that looks the same. See More

Top Pro

Unique and distinctive level designs keeps the player guessing as to what may be next

Top Con

Hitboxes are questionable

You'll miss many times when you think you should be hitting someone. See More

DependableCoventina's Experience

funny, but long game and verry messy. gets boring See More

Top Pro

Nostalgic beat 'em up gameplay that appeals to those who enjoy classic arcade side scrollers

If you liked classic, side-scrolling, beat 'em up arcade games like Double Dragon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men, or Alien vs. Predator, you will thoroughly enjoy Castle Crashers as its gameplay is based around the classics listed above. See More

Top Con

Poor item ballancing

Some weapons are clearly better than the others. See More

EfficientKakia's Experience

it could be for ps3 controller See More

Top Pro

The sheer amount of unlockables and upgrades really make the local and online co-op shine by virtue of bragging rights

The most fun is to be had during local or online 4-player co-op play, as the unlockables and upgrades will keep you wanting to come back and play just a bit more with your friends in order to get that on unlock-able that they have yet to earn. See More

Top Con

Bugs that appeared in the original Xbox title were not fixed for the PC port

There are still bugs and glitches in the game that were in the original Xbox version. Even though some of these errors could be fixed fairly simply, neither the developers nor the publisher bothered to address them. See More

ConscientiousUaIldak's Experience

awesome See More

Top Pro

Easy to understand and play

You don't need to remember many combos or items and what does what. It's easy to pick up and start playing. See More

Top Con

Enemies have a ridiculous amount of health

PersistentJuthrbog's Experience

I grew up playing this game and will never forget the various experiences I had with my friends. I will say that the hardcore mode is plain repetitive, however the game play of this game is beyond fun. I heavily recommend this game, especially if you're playing with your friends See More

Top Pro

Successfully avoids becoming repetitive and boring

Each level in the game has its own look and design which can keep the gameplay varied thanks to creating a need to explore in order to see what comes next. Ranging from deserts to ice filler terrain, there is no level that looks the same. See More

Top Con

Fair amount of grinding

A good amount of grinding is required to advance past certain bosses. See More

Top Pro

The gameplay is very lighthearted and amusing

There are several jokes and silly moments throughout the game. All done without speaking any word. This keeps the game lighthearted and amusing thanks to the humor of the creators and how they infused it into the game itself. See More

Top Pro

Supports co-op up to 4 players

The most fun to be had with the game is during four player co-op play. The unlockables and upgrades also keep the player wanting to come back and play just a bit more with their friends. The co-op is available as local and online. See More

The overarching objective of Crawl is for the lone hero to enter a dungeon, find the boss, and strike it down. However, other players wish to take that glory as well, and will use all means possible to make themselves the heroes by striking the killing blow. Whoever plays as the hero must struggle through the dungeon, killing monsters and gaining money and experience to get new equipment and grow stronger. All the while, the other players take control of monsters and traps and attempt to kill the hero. Players controlling the monsters must work together, but they can’t get too comfortable because the act of killing the hero causes the roles to reverse. The player who was controlling the monster now has the chance to be the hero, and must prepare to defend against the monsters that were once allies. See More

Crawl

Top Pro

Unique gameplay that blends cooperation and betrayal into a fun mix

Top Con

No online multiplayer

While the game is designed around multiplayer play, there is sadly no online multiplayer support to date. See More

EnterprisingConcordia's Experience

Great multi-player dungeon crawler. Fun from 1 to 4 peeps. Super simple but genius concept, and great execution with old school graphics. Lots of cool loot and monsters. Good simple controls. Short or long sessions are lots of fun. See More

Specs

Co-Op:is

Genre:there

Controller Support:no

Crawl has built in support for local, asymmetric multiplayer for two to four players. Three of the four players control monsters and work together to take down the fourth. See More

Top Pro

Very interesting and unique local 2- to 4-player asymmetric multiplayer

DependableCoventina's Experience

verry messy game. big skill curve See More

Top Pro

Appealing retro graphics that offer plenty of detail

The art style of Crawl is reminiscent of the eight-bit games of yore, and yet still detailed enough to have very different designs for the monsters in the game. See More

Top Pro

Tons of replay value thanks to the random and evolving dungeons

Over the course of the game, different monsters are unlocked and the dungeons change. Also, each playthrough has different bosses. This makes the game remain interesting as time goes on. Available items change each playthrough as well, so players will have to modify their play style to match the tools they have available. See More

Top Pro

Local (couch ) 2-4 asymmetric multiplayer

Crawl has built in support for local 2-4 player asymmetric multiplayer with 3 out of the 4 playing co-op against the main player. See More

Top Pro

Active developers

New features are being added to the game every few months, and the developers engage with the community. See More

Top Pro

Unique gameplay, blend of cooperation and betrayal

Crawl has one lone hero enter a dungeon with objective to find the dungeon boss and strike it down. However, other players wish to take that glory as well, and will use all means possible to take the soul and spot in the story of the hero for themselves. Whoever players the hero, must struggle trough the dungeon, killing monsters and gaining money and experience to get new equipment and grow stronger. All the while other players will take control of monsters and traps to kill the hero. Monsters will make attempts cooperate to get the hero, but to get the soul one must strike the last blow and prepare defend themselves when roles change, one cannot be too cooperative with the temporary allies. See More

Top Pro

Retro graphics

The art style of Crawl is reminiscent of 8bit games of yore and yet are still detailed enough to have very different designs for the different monsters in the game. See More

Up to two players run around levels solving puzzles together. See More

Portal 2

Top Pro

Great puzzles - Local Co-Op

Top Con

Can be difficult and boring for kids

If the puzzle is hard, then kids end up trying to figure it out and some of them get bored. If it takes them 15 minutes then they loose interest. This isn't terrible but some kids would get bored after a bit. See More

Steve's Experience

The co-op in Portal 2 was an enjoyable experience when I played it with a close friend. It was fun trying to figure out how to solve each puzzle and none of the puzzles felt overly difficult to solve. There was additional fun and challenge added in when trying to earn Steam achievements/PS3 trophies and finding new and funny ways to kill each other. See More

Specs

Co-Op:2 Player Online / 2 Player Couch / 2 Player LAN

Genre:FPS

Its a very pretty game. See More

Top Pro

Great graphics

Top Con

Main co-op campaign is short

The co-op campaign in Portal 2 is about 4 hours long for experienced players, meaning it could be beaten in a just a couple days. With almost zero replayability, this makes the game feel incredibly short. Luckily, hundreds of hours of user-generated content is available. See More

DependableCoventina's Experience

verry messy game. lots of things happening everywhere, makes it difficult to concentrate See More

Top Pro

Entertaining and well delivered voice acting

Voice acting for Wheatley the robot is done by Stephen Merchant (Extras, The Office UK, Life's Too Short) in humorous fashion. His delivery is well executed on all dialogue. On top of this specific experience, the rest of the voice acting of every other character in the game is performed just as well, in part due to the fact that the dialogue was written in a smart and entertaining fashion. This makes for a top quality listening experience that shows a lot of care was taken with the voice acting of the game. See More

Top Con

Late game single player can be quite difficult

While the single player learning curve is quite gradual, late game the puzzles can become quite difficult, sometimes leading to the player being stuck for long stretches of time. While not impossible to solve, some creative thinking will need to be done in order to finish. See More

Top Pro

Challenging, but doable with help

Worst case scenario you can't figure it out, then you can go to Youtube and watch how it's done. See More

Top Con

No replay value

Since it's a puzzle game, once you know the solution, there is no reason to play again. See More

Top Pro

Witty and funny character driven story

Four major characters drive the single player campaign, and they are amazing. Three of which have explosive personalities, bring humor, suspense, sadness, and empathy. The other being Chell, who doesn’t speak but her interactions with the rest of the cast make her all the more mysterious and interesting. Most of the time you don’t even see or directly interact with the characters, but that just shows how great they are. See More

Top Pro

Co-op does not punish when you want to goof off with or troll the other player

While Portal 2 requires focus and logic, it does not punish players for causing a bit of mischief. The instant respawn system means trolling your friend will affect almost nothing in the game, as there are no in-game setbacks when you die. Being able to stop at any point in the game to just goof around is great for releasing some steam, even when it is at the expense of your co-op partner. See More

Top Pro

Creates a sense of accomplishment through a high level of teamwork

Co-op multiplayer offers a completely different set of puzzles from the single-player campaign, which keeps things fresh for those that finished the single player campaign. Almost all co-op puzzles require a high level of teamwork, creating a great sense of accomplishment for the players working together. See More

Top Pro

Challenging puzzles that require creative thinking

The game challenges your brain to use portals, cubes and other mechanics in order to solve simple and complex puzzles in interesting ways. Trying to figure out the best placement of entrance and exit portals in order to gain access to (perceived) inaccessible places takes a lot of thought, especially in the later game. See More

Top Pro

Huge selection of user-generated content that should appeal to any use-case

The game has more than 60,000 co-op puzzles created by users through the Steam Workshop and through mods. Because it is user-generated content, the quality and size of these puzzles vary widely, including everything from simple, one-off chambers to full-fledged expansions with high-quality stories, voice-overs, and new gameplay elements (for example, Mel). By having such a selection of content, there should be something that appeals to just about anything someone is looking for. See More

Top Pro

Cross-platform co-op

As long as both players have a Steam account, the co-op is able to be played even if one user is playing on the PS3 while the other is on a PC. See More

Top Pro

Well implemented tools that improve teamwork

In a game that requires perfect timing and teamwork, Portal 2 features many tools to facilitate said teamwork. One of the most helpful tools is a 3-second countdown timer that players can use to coordinate their actions – e.g., to ensure that you launch a portal or jump at the perfect time. There is also a marker that you can place on certain objects for your teammate to see, as well as a setting that shows your partner's view superimposed on the corner of your screen. See More

Winning battles in D:OS2 is equal amounts of preparation and tactics. When preparing for battle, you need to consider your group setup, your formation as you enter the battle, and even what equipment you bring with you. For example, during one battle you fight against an ice dragon that constantly freezes the ground. Any character that steps on the frozen ground will slip. To avoid this, you can equip spiked shoes on your characters before the battle, allowing them to retain footing. During combat, you always need to keep in mind things like turn order, positioning, height, and how various magical effects interact with the environment and characters. For example, standing on a cliff increases your range and visibility, using a lightning spell on a puddle electrocutes all characters standing in it. Fast characters will get a turn first, so a group of fast characters could end a battle without letting enemies retaliate. As a result, the combat has enough depth and variety to satisfy any RPG fan and even entice newcomers of the genre. See More

Divinity Original Sin 2

Top Pro

Very deep turn-based combat

Top Con

Slight learning curve

Very few game worlds have the same interactivity as D:OS2. Because of this, it can be easy to forget that using fire near an oil barrel will cause it to blow up in your character's face, or if a fire is blocking your way, you can just douse it with water. As a result, it might take a while until you get fully used to the interactivity. See More

Specs

Co-Op:2-4 Players

Genre:Turn-based RPG

Controller Support:Yes

Even though you choose a class when creating your character, it only affects your starting equipment. You can create a character build with any skills you like without class or archetype constraints. This includes a fire mage that wears heavy armor while wielding a shield and a hammer, an archer that can use teleportation magic to always keep the distance, and countless more. You even get to build your companion characters from the ground up, allowing for hundreds of party combinations. As an added bonus, once you complete Act 1 of the game, you can respec your build whenever you want, free of charge. Because of this, you don't have to worry about messing up your build, allowing you to freely try out any skill combination/setup. See More

Top Pro

Complete freedom when building your character(s)

Top Pro

Huge amounts of content and choices

The main campaign has a staggering amount of content. The maps you'll explore are massive with various routes, containing numerous quests, battles, secrets, and even ambushes along the way. Even if you rush through the story, a single playthrough will last you about 50 hours. D:OS2's greatest strength, however, is the ability to choose. This includes choosing your character, your companions, what builds to use for them, what route to take when exploring the map, how to solve various encounters and quests, and many more. Every single choice affects how the story progresses, and a bad decision early on can come back to haunt you later. As a result, there's enough variety to keep multiple playthroughs new and exciting from start to finish. See More

Top Pro

Amazing story

Solid 100hrs+ of gameplay (for Definitive Edition Campaign), and that is WITHOUT finishing all of the side-quests and scrupulous exploring. Some of the best writing you can find. Unfolds nicely, TONS on "Easter Eggs" and LOADED with humour and content for pre-made starting characters you can choose from. See More

Top Pro

Outstanding multiplayer mode that allows for endless content

D:OS2 features a Game Master mode, which lets you create custom multiplayer campaigns for up to 4 players, with the 5th player assuming the role of a Game Master. When creating a campaign, you can use any asset within the game, such as characters, items, etc, and import new, user-made assets as well. You can even create new quests, levels, and alter any of the existing assets, allowing you to go as far as creating a sci-fi campaign if you have the patience. Additionally, because there is a game master, you can create various role-playing events not possible in a normal campaign. For example, you can designate one of the playable characters as a kleptomaniac, so whenever they're near an object that can be stolen, you'll have to roll a dice to determine if that character resists the urge to steal or not. On top of that, the game master can control NPCs, add quests, and make rule adjustments on the fly. There's enough creative freedom to create any campaign/story you want, keeping you interested in D:OS2 long after you've finished the main campaign. Even if you don't want to create a campaign on your own, you can just download a campaign made by another user. See More

Top Pro

Excellent and thorough voice acting

Every single dialogue line in D:OS2 has a voice-over. From the prattling of an overzealous city guard, to the lines a sketchy shopkeeper feeds you, to even the conversations you have with forest animals. You even get a narrator to read out long walls of text for you. On top of that, each and every voice actor's performance is superb, providing depth and nuances even to obscure side-characters, which is hardly ever experienced in games. See More

Top Pro

Great soundtrack

D:OS2 has an expertly composed soundtrack, giving the world a great amount of color and atmosphere. From the mellow flute permeated with ambience and a divine chorus when you travel down a road, to the upbeat strumming of string instruments as you ransack a tavern, to even a ominous orchestra during a confrontation with a dragon. Wherever you are in the game, the soundtrack is a joy to listen to. See More

There is a modified co-op campaign that requires players to coordinate their actions to succeed. This makes it a fun couch co-op game due to the importance of communication (as well as how fun it is to grief your teammate in person). See More

BattleBlock Theater

Top Pro

Co-op adds a completely new element to the gameplay

Top Con

Competitive play feels lackluster

Competitive play is not as enjoyable as the co-op modes due to stiff combat. The mechanics of this wear out pretty quickly. See More

Specs

Co-Op:2 Player Online / 4 Player Couch

Genre:Platformer / Indie

The difficulty curve for Battle Block Theater is so evenly programmed that the player will barely notice things are getting harder. It really does an impressive job of training the player to handle any challenge the game throws at them. See More

Top Pro

Well-balanced difficulty curve

Top Pro

Local and online co-op

BattleBlock Theatre features online and local co-op modes. See More

Top Pro

Well-thought-out presentation

The witty humor, enjoyable songs, and cutscenes all demonstrate the high level of care and consideration that went into BattleBlock’s design. These things all add up to a game with polish that still stay unique enough to stand out. See More

Top Pro

Thousands of user-created levels

The game has a built-in level editor, and levels (or level packs) can be shared through the Steam Workshop. See More

With a few exceptions, the gameplay and strategy is the same for the entire game. There is very little progression and very few new abilities. The game also seems to gets easier rather than harder, although the new Colosseum mode adds some challenge to the end game. See More

Gauntlet

Top Con

Very repetitive gameplay

Top Pro

You can easily play the PC game on a sofa with the included full controller support

Gauntlet offers full controller support that actually works extremely well for an action RPG. This makes for a good game to play on a Steam Machine or living room gaming PC. See More

ModestKuninotokotachi's Experience

Love this game See More

Specs

Genre:Dungeon Crawler RPG, Hack n' Slash

The camera is locked in a single position. This creates confusion while playing in a busy area, as the camera does not stay focused on the player’s character. While a locked camera made sense in the arcade or on home consoles, where only one screen was needed, it really doesn’t make much sense for online multiplayer. See More

Top Con

Locked camera

Top Pro

Bosses offer good bit of diversity to the gameplay thanks to requiring different strategy over the base gameplay

Different bosses require different tactics to defeat them. This creates a good change of pace from the regular hack and slash gameplay as differing tactics will need to be used. See More

Top Con

Can be rather difficult

The difficulty level is way too high especially when playing with kids. See More

Top Pro

Good co-op options no matter if you want to play locally or online

Gauntlet has support for local and online 4 player co-op. Making for a game that works well for small groups. See More

Top Con

Requires controllers with XInput

You cannot play Gauntlet with PS controllers. See More

Top Con

Wizard is complicated to use

The wizard character is complicated to use. He has nine spells that can be cast using a number of hard-to-remember button combinations. This results in very few people wanting to play as the character. For online matches, this means there are quite a few three-player games as no one wants to take the role of the fourth character: the wizard. See More

Next to impossible playing this alone. Need a minimum of 2 people. See More

Overcooked

Top Pro

Requires close co-operation

Top Con

Very difficult single player

IndependentIxtlilton's Experience

Tense cooking experience for up to 4 players! See More

Specs

Co-Op:4 Player Local

Genre:Cooking / Simulation

Top Pro

Play happens on a single screen

Everything in Overcooked happens on a single screen, meaning you won't have to deal with annoying split-screen modes where your view is limited. See More

Top Con

Controls can be really annoying

Picking items up are really difficult sometimes. See More

ExceptionalSeonangsin's Experience

super laggy See More

Top Pro

Local co-op

Top Con

Way too hard for smaller kids

For smaller kids, who have played games and even understand the game controller and the instructions, the game is too difficult. The timer and thinking of the next thing can be too much for them. See More

WittyLyssa's Experience

Stress See More

Top Pro

Simple controls

Allows easily picked up game play. See More

Top Con

No online co-op

Local multiplayer only. Can't play with friends online. See More

Top Pro

Frenetic, appropriately challenging gameplay

Fast paced, crazy levels with just the right difficulty to make you feel great about eventually mastering them. See More

Top Con

The game is short

The whole game can be finished in a few hours. See More

Top Pro

Lots of scenarios that require different strategies

Some levels in Overcooked are dynamic and greatly adapt the way you have to play in order to successfully complete a level. For example, at one point you and your partner(s) will be split up across multiple moving trucks and it requires quite some strategy to create meals together. See More

Top Con

Too laggy

Top Pro

Very fun game for 2 and up to 4 players

This is really fun when played with a friend and you might not stop laughing while playing. See More

Top Con

No single player

Need friends to play. See More

Top Pro

Can be so dramatic and challenging

Play with friends, will be a great time. See More

Top Pro

Simple to pick up and learn

Overcooked is easy to figure out right from the get-go. The recipes for each dish are familiar even if you're not much of a chef, so you can remember which raw ingredients you need as you make your way around the kitchen and work with your co-op partner(s). Once you play a few rounds, you should have a good handle on things, helping you focus on getting everything done as quickly as possible from there on out. See More

Top Pro

Requires close cooperation

There is a lot of task handoff and delegation so it's not just multiple players doing the same thing, but requires actual strategizing, communication, and cooperation. See More

Top Pro

Fast and frantic cooking action

Overcooked is really fast-paced and keeps you on your toes. You play as a chef in a crazy kitchen with a ton of things going on all at once, with you mixing, preparing, and cooking in between the chaos of moving platforms and environmental obstacles. There's a time limit constantly ticking down at the bottom of the screen; finishing your tasks on time or ahead of schedule earns you a better score in the end. It's such a manic yet well-done mix of many different genres and ideas that all come together in the best ways. See More

Get the ball in the net, soccer at it's simplest. This game is physics driven, using different cars as players, making it a fast-paced and exciting game with a basic underlying objective. Being easy to understand, just about anyone can get the hang of the game after a single play session. See More

Rocket League

Top Pro

Clear objectives that anyone can pick up on

Top Con

Matchmaking can be slow at times

Especially if you're a higher tier player it can take a while to find a suitable opponent. See More

Specs

Genre:Sports / Racing / Soccer

Each game has a time limit of 5 minutes, paused only when one team scores and the ball is reset to mid-field. See More

Top Pro

The short matches are great for those looking for quick play sessions

Top Con

Minimal in features

Other than the main gameplay mode there is little in options for the game. While there may be DLC with time currently the game is pretty bare bones for modes of play. See More

Top Pro

Exaggerated, but exciting physics dimension allows for many "over-the-top" acrobatics

The physics element of the game slightly bends reality, making way for a more thrilling experience where everything seems to be behaving as though there is less gravity. This means that cars can somewhat fly around if they hit one another or go up ramps. See More

Top Pro

Clear objectives keeps the focus on the gameplay

Get the ball in the net, soccer at it's simplest. This game is physics driven, using different cars as players, making it a fast-paced and exciting game with a basic underlying objective. Being easy to understand, just about anyone can get the hang of the game after a single play session. See More

Top Pro

Simple controls

Whether you use a controller or keyboard and mouse, the controls are fairly simple. You are driving a car pushing a ball around, with forward, reverse, boost, power-slide and jump as your only real abilities to learn. The difficulty comes in learning to use them at the right times. Doing this will allow you to perform in-air and off the wall maneuvers, making for breath-taking and unexpected plays. See More

Top Pro

Customization of cars is a creative and fun distraction

With DLC there are quite a few cars to choose from, including the Delorean from Back to the Future. The player can create a customized car with countless possibilities, ranging from choice of paint scheme, color, paint type (gloss/flat, etc.), wheels, boost color, hat, and antenna toppers. See More

Top Pro

Great for quick play sessions

Each game has a time limit of 5 minutes, paused only when a team scores to reset the ball to mid-field. By keeping each session short, the game works well for people wanting to play a quick game without getting drawn into a long play session. See More

Top Pro

Tons of fun for players looking to team up with friends

Rocket League is perfect for when you want to play with friends for some couch co-op or online play. Matches are fast-paced and quick, with a bunch of back-and-forth between which team has the ball and which team has chances to intercept and get the ball on their side of the field. Coordinating with your team can open up some awesome plays where you manage to outscore the other players or get some exciting last-minute intercepts. Plus, playing with a pre-set team helps you avoid the randomness of getting matched up with strangers who may or may not want to be team players. See More

Top Pro

Easy-to-use and intuitive controls allows the game to be very accessible

Whether you use a controller or keyboard and mouse, the controls are fairly simple. You are driving a car pushing a ball around, with forward, reverse, boost, power-slide and jump as the primary motions at the player's disposal. The more challenging aspect comes in the form of learning how to best use these motions when performing off-the-wall maneuvers and in the air, making way for breath-taking replays. See More

The game can be played cooperatively with each player taking control of one of the three characters - thief, wizard and warrior. See More

Trine 2

Top Pro

Fun 3-player local and online co-op

Top Con

Somewhat simplistic puzzles

The game includes mostly physics based puzzles, but they're not particularly challenging. See More

Nikita Basule's Experience

Most of local co op games has either split screen or an aerial view.So far, I think this the only best local co op which I found. The graphics are good with creative characters and story line. Must play game. I wish we can have more like this local multi player games for couples. Suggested for friends, couples. Seriously waiting for more like this type of games. See More

Specs

Genre:Puzzle / Adventure / Platformer

Co-Op:Local / Online

Each playable character has their own abilities and features that you must use in order to solve puzzles, platform, and battle to beat each level. You will be switching back and forth throughout the game in order to progress, which can be fun when trying to figure out how to utilize each characters skills. See More

Top Pro

Fun puzzle solving

PreciseAnu's Experience

amazing coop. See More

Top Pro

Gorgeous art style

Trine has a very fairytale-esque art style. They are 3d rendered with vibrant colors. They utilize pleasing cartoon-like graphics, which give a real sense of the fantasy world they are meant to illustrate. Everything about the design of the characters and world stand out as highly polished and breathtaking. See More

Top Pro

Local co-op with no split screen or aerial view mode

This game does not have not split screen or aerial view mode, which makes it more interesting specifically for this type of adventure game. Multiplayer in one screen with three different characters to play with. See More

Top Pro

Fun with your mates

Top Pro

Great soundtrack

Broforce features 4-player local and online co-op modes. The gameplay is pretty much built around this type of play, much as it was in arcades, so having the ability to team up locally or online makes for a versatile multiplayer mode. Each additional player will increase the hilariously frantic nature of the game by a significant margin. See More

Broforce

Top Pro

Excels at co-op thanks to being designed around old-school arcade co-op gameplay

Top Con

Poor character balancing

Some characters are obviously better than the others, or are highly situational. See More

EmpatheticDecima's Experience

One of the greatest co-op games of all-time. See More

Specs

Genre:Action / Indie / Platformer

Many objects in the levels can be destroyed by large explosions, keeping the gameplay frantic. This effect will multiply depending on the number of players, making very hectic gaming sessions possible. See More

Top Pro

Gameplay can get pretty frantic and exciting with all of the destruction that happens on the screen

Top Con

Lack of things to do, while your character is dead

The action breaks up heavily if you're playing co-op, and poor players will spend more time looking at other people play, rather than playing themselves. See More

DependableCoventina's Experience

At the end it gets very difficult and we get stuck. See More

Top Pro

Extremely fun gameplay

Destructible environments, large explosions, dirt and blood flying everywhere, scaling a wall with just your knife, shooting rockets larger than the body of a man, and many more over-the-top gameplay elements. Broforce is just a blast to play. See More

Top Con

Can be pretty difficult

You can be killed by just one bullet, which creates a trial and error type of gameplay where you have to perfectly memorize all enemy locations and/or movement patterns. This gets multiplied by a hundred during boss battles, so after dying a lot of times you might start feeling frustrated. See More

SophisticatedAverruncus's Experience

Great game! Low requirements and fun gameplay See More

Top Pro

Great references to the 80s action movies

The playable characters are the members of an underfunded, under equipped military organization that somehow outguns everyone else. Their bullets seem to have the magical property to explode everything they come in contact with. There's also an insane amount of explosions and blood everywhere. Even their names are references such as Brobocop (Robocop), Bro Lee (Bruce Lee), or Brominator (Terminator). See More

Top Con

Extreme over-the-top difficulty without any settings

The game feels like a puzzle platformer most of the time, rather than an action game, since even one bullet can kill you. See More

RespectfulGaleru's Experience

me and my friends love playing this game See More

Top Pro

Exaggerated action makes for a fun setting of over the top destruction and violence

Much like an 80s action movie, the violence, destruction, and plot are all overly exaggerated. Players can blow apart their enemies with bullets as well as blow up whole sections of the game environment with explosives. There will be blood everywhere and explosions all around. See More

Top Con

Single player not as fun as multiplayer co-op

The single-player mode becomes boring pretty quickly. In this mode, the game is more of a puzzle platformer than a multiplayer co-op frag fest. See More

InterestingMedusa's Experience

Not to play with unexperiences players, they won't enjoy this game See More

Top Pro

Unlockable characters add to the replay value

Unlocking and playing with all the different characters adds to the game’s replayability and is fun in and of itself. With more than 10 "bros" to play as currently – and more being added sporadically – there are plenty of different characters to mess around with. See More

Top Con

Large amount of repetition

Enemies are repeated often, and the environments do not have a great deal of variation either. The majority of the game takes place in a jungle, with a few urban or tunnel environments thrown into the mix. Enemies both look and act the same; the only substantive difference is how many there are. The level of "sameness" with this game may tire some people out. See More

Top Pro

It's all a joke

Top Con

Incredibly buggy

Online co-operative play often falls apart due to bugs. Prepare to be extremely frustrated if you play co-op over the network. Multiplayer on the same machine works better but still very buggy. See More

You and your friends handle/control different parts of a spaceship in order to accomplish mission targets and not getting destroyed. See More

Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime

Top Pro

Great co-op experience up to 4 players

Top Con

Has an error in which if you want to go back to a previous level, you will lose your upgrades and the game will not warn you

ElatedBaalat's Experience

Its chaotic, challenging and fun. The weapon enhancement system makes the game brilliantly diverse. The music its well paired with the game, as well as the graphics, making it a really enjoyable experience. You can select the difficulty, but anyone you choose, will give you a raising experience, always testing you making it hard to get you bored. Great game to play with your SO or a good friend. See More

Specs

Genre:Shooter, Platformer

Co-Op:4 Player Local

Keeps it the right amount of challenging for any age or gender. See More

Top Pro

Fun for 2 and 3 players too, with plenty of difficulty options available

Top Con

Co-op is local only

Unfortunately, online co-op is not an option. However, forcing the players to be side by side aids in coordination and makes for a more personal experience. See More

DreamerZemyna's Experience

Really fun and hectic, nice spin on both standard platformer and space shmup. Requires a lot of coordination betweenn players. See More

Top Pro

Gameplay focuses on relying on the other player

Much like a good marriage the game focuses on having each player rely on the other in ties of need. This makes for an experience that when executed properly shows how much of a team two people can be. See More

Top Con

May seem a little immature

Graphics and art style seem to be more appropriate for a younger audience. See More

SensibleManat's Experience

tons of fun, it is a shame thant we were able to go trough the whole game in one long day. See More

Top Pro

Adorable aesthetic

Both the story and art style are beautiful and playful, encouraging a fun atmosphere even in difficult or complicated scenarios. The soundtrack carries you along with a light but fast-paced beat to maintain the balance between fun and focus. See More

Shane Welbourn's Experience

One of the best gaming experiences ever as a family. See More

Top Pro

Catchy techno soundtrack

Lovers has a very interesting and catchy soundtrack that goes great with its retro, neon-based aesthetic. See More

Top Pro

Teamwork is required

As offense, movement and defense are entirely separate stations, you simply cannot beat the game alone in co-op mode, regardless of any single player's skill level. This holds true especially in harder difficulties where constant communication and coordination is critical. See More

Top Pro

Upgrades of weapons and systems creates good replayability

The fact that weapons and systems can be upgraded challenges you to try different methods of defeating attackers. See More

Magicka has a unique spell-casting system based on adding elements such as fire, water, and stone to an action queue. There are eight basic elements (each assigned to a key), of which up to five can be queued at a time. Some elements can be combined in the queuing process (such as fire and water to create steam). The effect of the spell changes to match the elements you add to the queue. Additionally, there are four casting methods: beam (right-click), area (shift+right-click), self-cast (middle-click), and imbue weapon (shift+click). See More

Magicka

Top Pro

The spell system is pretty unique

Top Con

Controllers don't work well for this game

Specs

Co-Op:4 Player Online / 4 Player Couch / 4 Player LAN

Genre:Action RPG

Since the main gameplay mechanic of casting spells is skill based on how quickly you execute a certain key combination, there's a high chance of misclicking or mistargeting and accidentally attacking your ally. There’s nothing quite like thunderbolting or summoning death on your friends. See More

Top Pro

Chaotic gameplay that results in amusing friendly fire

Top Con

A bit of a learning curve

With the number of spells you have at your command comes the challenge of discovering and remembering them all. But once you know them, you'll be able to counter anything that's thrown at you. See More

Top Pro

Two different gameplay modes

Other than the standard campaign mode there's also a survival mode that's your standard affair with increasingly difficult waves of enemies. There's also an online leader board for survival mode. See More

Top Con

Optimization could be better

At certain times during competitive play, the game can lag or slow down (not rare for an online game), which may mess up the timing of skill shots in the game. Being that timing is highly important to the gameplay, having a poor netcode that fluctuates during play can be upsetting, especially if it results in a loss. See More

The gameplay is centered around defeating bosses, each boss has unique abilities and varying difficulty. Often there is a lot happening on the screen at once, which can be disorienting- this is part of the charm and challenge. You really need to be quick and pay attention to your surroundings at all times, otherwise you will die a lot more (though you'll probably die plenty of times anyway). The sequence of attacks from the bosses changes around at random, so there's no way you can be 100% sure of what will happen next even after you've played against a boss a few times. See More

Cuphead

Top Pro

Creative and challenging

Top Con

Hard as nails

Cuphead mostly consists of multi-phase boss battles that may take you a lot of tries to beat. These involve a fair amount of trial and error, requiring you to gradually and perfectly memorize each boss' patterns, abilities, and timings. This becomes harder because you die in several hits, so even the tiniest mistakes are costly in the long run. It can be really frustrating if you die right before beating a boss since you have to get through the entire fight again. If you're expecting to simply enjoy the old timey visuals and music, you might get severely disappointed. See More

Specs

The backgrounds were done in watercolor (real life watercolor, not digital painting), all animations are hand-drawn, and the music has been recorded live. Cuphead is a work of art as much as it is an exciting game. See More

Top Pro

Really beautiful old-school art style

Top Con

Doesn't have anything new in terms of gameplay

If you're expecting some innovative mechanics or cutting-edge gameplay, you might be disappointed. There are no strange physics, no unique moves, and even the story is just a premise for fighting a lot of weird creatures in a row. However, the game doesn't promise to be anything it's not, and if you have reasonable expectations, you'll probably have a lot of fun. See More

Top Pro

Very Challenging

Not a game for people not used to platformer games! This game is very fun, beautiful and it could take up to 30-60 hours to completely finish the game in its modes. See More

Top Pro

Challenging

The game is short, but it's so difficult that you'll spend hours trying to beat it See More

Top Pro

Excellent co-op

While it can be overly frustrating when you're playing alone, Cuphead also has local co-op for two players, making your adventure easier but a lot more enjoyable. The boss fights become shorter because together you deal more damage, you don't take needless hits because you can cover more blind spots, and you can even resurrect the other player by touching their ghost if you die. This way you still get the satisfaction of a challenging fight, but it won't be as disappointing if you fail. Even if you're not into challenging games, co-op can be a way to enjoy Cuphead. See More

The game is balances up in a way where it's naturally harder for the player in front to see upcoming obstacles, giving players behind great opportunities to get back ahead. This makes the game fun to keep playing in a group as you're unlikely to keep losing to the one over-competitive friend that tries too hard. See More

SpeedRunners

Top Pro

Gives everyone a chance to win

Top Con

Difficult to play without a controller

Using a keyboard to play can be difficult as it is mainly designed around using a controller, so for those without a controller they may be handicapped playing against others that do. See More

Specs

The game has a freeing walljump mechanic as well as a grappling hook that can be used to swing across obstacles, pull towards ledges, etc. This makes for movements that are intuitive and fun as well as well controlled. See More

Top Pro

Interesting movement mechanics

Top Pro

Easy to pick up and play but doesn't get boring

You can get up to speed in just a few minutes as the controls are very simple to learn, but the game still has plenty of depth, as mastering when to use different skills on different levels keeps it fresh. See More

Top Pro

Fun power-ups

The game includes powerups like homing rockets, freeze rays and magma balls that can quickly change the game and add a level of randomness to each match making for a unique experience every time. See More

Top Pro

Short matches

Matches are quick and only take a few minutes to play, so it's a great game to play on your lunch break, or when you just have a few minutes of free time. This also makes for a good game to play with friends that have limited time to play online. See More

Top Pro

Fun and intense races

SpeedRunners is an intense race around a 2d course. The camera follows the player in the lead, so if you get too far behind you will go off the screen and instantly die. To stay in the lead you will need to dodge obstacles, use a grappling hook to move faster and intelligently use power-ups. See More

Top Pro

4 Player simultaneous, combined local and online

There are 4 slots per game, and each slot can be filled with a local player, a bot, a friend over the internet, or a random internet stranger. See More

Top Pro

Level designer for extended gameplay

There is an included level designer so users can design their own levels making for endless playtime through inventing and playing ones own levels. See More

The playable character in this game moves around like a boneless blob of jelly learning to walk for the first time, making for some silly animations and awkward movements. Animations and interactions are over animated and cartoonish which can lead to some hilarious - whether intentional, and most oftentimes unintentional - consequences such as falling off edges, flailing around, and knocking yourself over. See More

Human: Fall Flat

Top Pro

Very funny

Top Con

Can cause motion sickness due to camera shaking

The excessive camera shaking causes a lot of players to experience motion sickness, and at the time of this writing can not be modified to a lower setting or disabled. Even if you aren't considered sensitive, you should still take precautions. Perhaps this will be solved in a future update. See More

Top Pro

Fantastic physics

Objects can be pushed, pulled, swung, and dragged around in a variety of ways as they collide into each other, fly through the air, spin, and twist - often with a low-gravity type effect. Pushing, pulling, and dragging objects just has a satisfying feel that makes you feel like each object has mass and density, and is a part of the world. See More

Top Con

Not much visual appeal

This game doesn't contain much in the way of vibrant colors, interesting shapes, or textures. Mostly everything in the game is a shaded, blocky object that only consists of a few plain colors. Having an entire world populated by boring shapes and washed-out colors results in an environment without much visual appeal. See More

Top Pro

Levels have multiple paths, encouraging discovery

As you make your way through the game world, you will encounter a variety of different environmental puzzles that block your path to the exit. However, getting stuck or stumped is rarely a problem as most levels have multiple paths that you can find. With a little exploration, you should be able to discover an alternate route to bypass the environmental puzzle that is giving you problems. This gives the player an opportunity to replay levels in a different way, and discover each level in its entirety. See More

Top Con

Short

The game is too short and will leave you wanting more. The solo campaign clocks in at about 6 hours of game play. EDIT: this has now been resolved through the use of steam workshop and community levels See More

Top Pro

Hilarious co-op mode

Playing co-op is where the hilarity and fun in this game truly shines. It's quite satisfying to push and bump your teammates around, even if that includes sending them plummeting over the edge of tall structures. There's nothing quite like slapping your friend's character, only to see them fall, slip, and bounce around the levels. It's funny to watch them struggle to get their bearings back, only to give them another good slap and watch them flail around all over again. Solving puzzles with your friends can result in some humorous situations as you accidentally slap and knock each other over trying to accomplish even the simplest of tasks. See More

Top Pro

Oddly rewarding control scheme

Being able to maneuver your bloblike character efficiently takes some skill, and as a result, feels rewarding once it's mastered. One of the things players will initially notice with the controls is that walking and jumping work as one would expect, however there is a very pronounced wobble and bounce to it. The playable character controls like a boneless blob of jelly, making each step and interaction look cartoonish and overly-animated in nature. These controls take some getting used to, but add a level of charm to the animation. Additionally, your left and right arms are controlled separately which is very unique among games. This is utilized in many of the game's puzzles such as holding yourself against a column with one arm, while using the other to move or manipulate another object into place. See More

Top Pro

You can personalize your avatar with colors and textures

Included with the game is a basic paint option which allows players to customize their avatar. Selecting colors from a palette, you can paint your avatar's head, hat, and body using a variety of different brush sizes. Additionally, you are able to upload your own pictures (such as your own face) and apply them to areas of your personalized avatar as a texture. It's a great way for players to give their avatar a personal touch and make themselves stand out during co-op games. See More

Top Pro

Playing co-op with your friends adds a whole new experience to the puzzle solving

Playing co-op with your friends allows you to reach new areas and solve puzzles that you can't do in solo play. Puzzles can be overcome and solved differently based on the number of players. For example, when playing alone you may find something you can't possibly lift or move yourself. However, add a friend into the mix and now you're able to work together to lift and move that object. Ledge you can't quite reach yourself? Have a friend give you a boost! See More

Top Pro

Good progression of difficulty

The levels gradually become physically bigger and more challenging as you progress throughout the game. This gives us time to get used to how the character controls as well as how the puzzles operate. As you advance, the puzzles become increasingly more difficult, and the levels become increasingly wider. By building upon what you are learning in previous levels, there's a distinct sense of progression from one level to the next. See More

Top Pro

Singleplayer and co-op mode are the same yet they are different

Playing co-op allows players to solve puzzles together and see areas of levels that are inaccessible in single player mode. Several puzzles and level paths require teamwork and are unable to be accomplished solo. While all the levels are beatable playing alone, you can explore much more of the game world by playing as a co-op team. See More

The visual mechanics in the boss stages are pretty impressive as they use 3d rendering but still hold to the 2D graphical look of the game. This allows for bosses that weave in and out of stages as well as attacks that can come from the foreground or background depending on where the boss is located. See More

88 Other Games Considered

Rayman Legends

Top Pro

Visually impressive boss stages

Specs

Co-Op:Local Wireless

Genre:Platformer

Up to four local players can play sharing a single screen at the same time in Rayman Legends which is great for when kids get stuck on hard parts as another sibling or parent can jump in and help them out. See More

Top Pro

Up to four player local Co-Op so you can help children through hard parts

Top Pro

One of the best platformers released in years

From the beautiful design of the 2D cartoon graphics to the level design, soundtrack and multiplayer, Rayman Legends is on par with the best of platformers. See More

Top Pro

All powers unlocked from beginning

Unlike Rayman Origins, Legends has all of Rayman's powers unlocked from the beginning. Players are able to jump float, wall run and attack starting at the first level. See More

Top Pro

Daily and weekly online challenges

There are daily and weekly online challenges that users can compete in, against their friends or just the high scores listed. See More

Top Pro

Fun cute characters

The cartoony design of the characters is animated smoothly and looks great on screen. For each their design is cute an amusing while also showing differentiating characteristics. See More

Battle for Middle Earth II features a main construction building with different hubs branching outward from it. These hubs are the sole areas where you can add on to your base and, with a limited number on your first construction building, expanding to another base is essential if you want to build all of the units available to you and keep up your economy. See More

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth II

Top Con

Hub building lacks the logistics of other titles

Top Pro

Refined gameplay

Everything about the game has been improved over the original including the gameplay. With improved base building it now easier to keep the flow of the game going. There has also been 3 factions added to the game making for more choice for the player in how their game will play due to each having different skills and weaknesses. See More

Top Con

Micromanagement a necessary skill for success

Like many other high-skill intensive Real-Time Strategy titles, this game is far from simple. Players will suffer a unit capacity limit, meaning you will have to do more with a few units rather than rely on a horde. Unfortunately, micromanagement is not for everyone, and some may see the skill requirement as an unfortunate addition to and otherwise great RTS game. See More

Top Pro

Six different factions to pick from

There are six different factions you can play as: Goblins, Dwarves, Elvis, Men of the West (Rohan and Gondor), Mordor, and Isengard. Each faction has their own unique units and specializations allowing for different play styles across each chosen race. See More

Top Con

Actually a 4X game with a touch of RTS

This game is in the 4X genre and should not appear in the top RTS games list, it incorporates good parts from RTS like base building but is not an actual RTS. See More

Top Pro

Great soundtrack

With a great soundtrack as well as realistic battle sounds the game has a high polished sound that fits right in with the movies. See More

BombSquad consists of a bomb-based multiplayer gameplay (somewhat similar to Bomberman) that is geared towards a party setting. Throwing bombs at your friends (who are in the same room or online) while you simultaneously try not to get blown up yourself makes for great fun, especially in large groups. See More

BombSquad

Top Pro

Fun party game mechanics makes this a great game to play at gatherings

VersatileKuebiko's Experience

Awesome once u get the hang of it.Skill base gameplay.Lots of tricks and ways to finish an objective. See More

Specs

Co-Op:Yes

Genre:Action

Controller Support:HID, XInput

BombSquad can be played cross platform on Android, iOS, PC, and Mac. This way no matter the platform the player prefers, they can still play with their friends. See More

Top Pro

Good cross platform compatibility means you can play against anyone, no matter what platform they play on

Top Pro

Momentum based gameplay allows the player to utilize their movement to their advantage

During gameplay, players can utilize their momentum by hitting harder or throwing farther. So starting from one side of the screen and then reaching the other as you perform a throw or hit can give a lot more strength to their throws or hits. See More

Top Pro

Large amount of game modes keeps the gameplay fresh

There are 12 online and local co-op missions in the game that allow for up to 4 players. There are also player modes (like tower defense or football), as well as a couple of PvP modes, such as free for all or versus. Sadly, the only single player modes are co-op modes played with an AI. See More

Top Pro

Free to play multiplayer

Top Pro

SHIELD games and K1 compatibility affords the game even better performance

Bombsquad is SHIELD games compatible and nVidia K1 optimized. This makes for a good game to test out the graphics capability of a Shield device or the Nexus 9, as the K1 offers 50% more detailed graphics. See More

Top Pro

Innovative and versatile control schemes allows for a wide selection of methods of controlling the game

BombSquad is one of the few games that has succeeded in innovating android gaming. You can set a tablet or an android TV as the screen, while using the remote app on your Android or iOS phone as the controller. They connect to each other via WiFi, which allows for responsive controls over wireless. See More

Top Pro

Very funny

Fun physics engine and sound effects will make you laugh out loud. See More

While not the core play style of the game, there is a 2-player local co-op quest mode that pits you and a friend against hordes of bad guys. Friendly fire will harm your teammate, so without communication this mode is difficult, which is what makes this such a fun mode for local co-op players who are already in the same location, as it leads to a lot of back and forth banter. See More

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TowerFall Ascension

Top Pro

Friendly fire during local co-op means communication is key but also leads to humorous banter

Top Con

Limited to local multiplayer only

Limiting a game that thrives on multiplayer to local-only co-op really hampers the fun that can be had, especially on PCs. Not many PC gamers own four controllers or have the space and screens to host that many people. This can be overcome by using something like parsec. See More

ProductivePalioxis's Experience

awesome See More

Specs

Co-Op:4 Player Local

Genre:Action / Indie

TowerFall Ascension features more power-ups and arenas than the previous title in the series. The game has been refined and expanded, making for a better gaming experience. See More

Top Pro

Refined power-ups and arenas creates a situation where the gameplay has no fat

Top Con

Co-op quest mode is short

The co-op quest mode takes around seven hours to complete. For those looking for a longer game with full co-op quests, this may not fit the bill. Fortunately this isn’t the only game mode. See More

DependableCoventina's Experience

Customize perks to balance for skill difference See More

Top Pro

Any skill level can figure out the gameplay, while still keeping it challenging for everyone

Anyone can pick up the game and reach a level of basic competence in a matter of minutes. To become a great player, however, there is a lot of technique and strategy to learn. The gameplay remains pretty basic and easy to grasp, but there is a level of skill that can only be learned through repeated practice. See More

Top Pro

Easy to learn but hard to master

You run, jump, and shoot arrows, which anyone can learn in a matter of minutes. To become a great player, however, there is a lot of technique and strategy to learn. This includes aiming, using cover, reading your opponent, and many other things. As a result TowerFall Ascension is accessible to casual players while also being able to keep the hardcore players interested. See More

Top Pro

Feels fair at any skill level

Each player only has three arrows at the beginning of a match. Once they are fired, the arrows can be picked up by anyone. This way no player can build momentum that feels oppressive, allowing even new players to control the pace of a match since they can just hog all the arrows. See More

Top Pro

Old-school, arcade-like design adds a level of complexity not found in many modern games

In the style of Asteroids, everything that flies of the left side of the screen appears on the right. This allows for trick shots and adds to the level of complexity that you need to plan for. You also need to remain aware of your partners’ location, as they can be damaged by an errant shot. See More

Top Pro

Well balanced risk-reward gameplay by way of limited ammo

Players are limited to three arrows at the beginning of each match. Once they are fired, the arrows can be collected by whoever is nearest. Therefore players need to think strategically in order to ensure their arrows don’t fall into the wrong hands. See More

Top Pro

Co-op mode that improves communication

TowerFall Ascension has a 2-player co-op mode where you and your friend fight against hordes of bad guys. It has friendly fire, so you need to communicate to avoid hurting each other. This creates a mode that motivates you to communicate with your friend more, leading to a lot of back and forth banter. See More

Top Pro

Single-screen levels add depth to strategy

In the style of old school games like Asteroids, everything that moves outside the edge of the screen appears on the opposite side of it. Because of this you always need to remain aware of your surroundings and other player locations, so you don't get hit by an arrow coming from an unexpected direction. This adds a level complexity not found in many modern games, which is quite refreshing. See More