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What are the best kid-friendly co-op PC games?

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Rayman Legends vs Portal 2 vs Castle Crashers

 vs LEGO Marvel Super Heroes vs Trine 2 vs Stardew Valley vs Human: Fall Flat vs SpeedRunners vs Spelunky vs Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light vs LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 vs Jamestown vs Toy Story 3: The Video Game vs LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens vs Farming Simulator 18

Specs

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Platformer

Co-Op

Local Wireless

Controller Support

Full

Platform

Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows

Platforms

-

Steam Rating

Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre

-

Co-Op

-

Controller Support

-

Platform

-

Platforms

-

Steam Rating

Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre

G

Co-Op

I

Controller Support

G

Platform

-

Platforms

E

Steam Rating

-

Genre

Open World / Super Hero

Co-Op

2 Player Local

Controller Support

Full

Platform

-

Platforms

-

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Puzzle / Adventure / Platformer

Co-Op

Local / Online

Controller Support

Full

Platform

-

Platforms

-

Steam Rating

-

Genre

Farming Simulation, Role-Playing

Co-Op

Online and Local, up to 4 players

Controller Support

-

Platform

-

Platforms

Windows, OS X, Linux, PS 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita, Android

Steam Rating

-

Genre

-

Co-Op

-

Controller Support

-

Platform

-

Platforms

-

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

-

Co-Op

-

Controller Support

-

Platform

-

Platforms

-

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Platformer / Indie / Roguelike

Co-Op

4 Player Couch

Controller Support

Full

Platform

-

Platforms

Win

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

-

Co-Op

2 Player Online / 2 Player Couch

Controller Support

Partial

Platform

Win

Platforms

-

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Action-Adventure

Co-Op

-

Controller Support

-

Platform

-

Platforms

Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Shoot 'em up

Co-Op

Yes

Controller Support

-

Platform

-

Platforms

-

Steam Rating

Mixed

Genre

-

Co-Op

-

Controller Support

-

Platform

-

Platforms

-

Steam Rating

Mostly Positive

Genre

Action-Adventure

Co-Op

2 Player Local (except on Nintendo 3DS)

Controller Support

-

Platform

-

Platforms

Windows, PS4, PS3, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS

Steam Rating

-

Genre

-

Co-Op

-

Controller Support

-

Platform

-

Platforms

-

Pros + Cons

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

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

Pro
 Visually impressive boss stages

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

Con
 No online multiplayer

In this day and age it is disappointing to see a multiplayer game released that does not support online. For a company like Ubisoft this kind of cost should not be an issue which makes it puzzling as to why such a standard feature is missing.
Comment

Con
 Jump is floaty

The jump action feels a bit floaty which may take a bit to get use to. Normally platformers will offer tighter controls, which people tend to get used to making games that stray from that more difficult or just not something that appeals.
Comment

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

Pro
 Versatile selection of co-op multiplayer

It’s possible to play a multiplayer game for free online using the Steam servers, as well as locally on your machine using split-screen (the second player must use a gamepad controller if playing locally). This keeps the multiplayer options versatile to any players needs.
Comment

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.
Comment

Pro
 So large in scope that it takes multiple playthroughs to see everything

Portal 2 is larger in every way when compared to the first title, from the longer and more detailed story to the larger levels and new game mechanics. This makes for a title that will last 8-9 hours minimum, with many elements that are worth revisiting, not to mention the co-op section of the game, which is separate from the single player story.
Comment

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

Con
 Steep co-op learning curve

Although the single-player campaign features a gradual learning curve, co-op offers no mercy. The puzzles start off hard and only get harder. It’s highly recommended that you play through single-player first if you are not familiar with Portal's mechanics.
Comment

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.
Comment

Pro
 Gameplay with a sense of humour

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.
Comment

Pro
 Individualistic levels

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.
Comment

Pro
 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.
Comment

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 there were simple fixes for some of these the dev nor publisher bothered to address them.
Comment

Con
 Fair amount of grinding

There is a good amount of grinding that will need to take place for players to be able to advance past certain bosses.
Comment

Pro
 Huge selection of playable characters

Each character in the game can be used during play, and what makes this great is that there is such a large selection of characters. The Fantastic Four, X-Men, Spiderman and Avengers franchise heroes and villains can be found and played in the game. A big part of the gameplay is unlocking these heroes and villains while you play, which should last hours and hours just on its own.
Comment

Pro
 Fun two-player couch co-op

Friends and family can play LEGO Marvel Super Heroes together, battling against hordes of enemies in the chaotic two-player co-op mode. The combat is simple and to-the-point for anyone to grasp, so there's a great time to have with all the madness on each level. Although there's no online play, this is still a great game for those looking for fun games with couch co-op.
Comment

Pro
 Great storyline

The game weaves a story that combines many franchises, and surprisingly does it very well. It is on par with any crossover saga found in the comics themselves.
Comment

Pro
 Good controller support

Just plug in a controller and play. For those that would like to customize the controls, their are options in the settings.
Comment

Pro
 Very addictive to collect the playable characters

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes has more than 130 playable characters, such as Wolverine, Spiderman, Iron Man, Deadpool. Their abilities are varied enough that you'll keep wanting to try out new characters. This will keep you completing various missions and collecting tokens around the LEGO city. You'll have unlocked most of them before you know it only to realize how much time has passed already.
Comment

Pro
 Great fun for Marvel fans

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes not only uses the most popular Marvel characters, but also some of the lesser-known heroes, such as Moon Knight. It feels nice to finally see them in a video game. Most of the Marvel characters are accurately depicted (albeit in their LEGO forms). This allows you to further immerse yourself into the crossover story on par with the ones found in the comics.
Comment

Pro
 All Lego games on steam have local coop

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes for PC supports local co-op of 2 players at the same time.
Comment

Con
 Simplistic repetitive gameplay

Nearly every Lego game plays the same way, which can grow tedious after extended playtime.
Comment

Con
 Switching characters can be confusing

Some characters have a transformation that they can take advantage of, but there is a problem that these transformations also use the same button that switches characters. This can become cumbersome during hectic fights, as you may be trying to switch a character when the game forces a transformation instead. not only does this interrupt the flow of the gameplay, but it can wind up punishing the player due to imprecise controls.
Comment

Pro
 3-player local and online co-op

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

Pro
 Gorgeous art style

Trine has a very fairytale-esque art style.
Comment

Con
 Somewhat simplistic puzzles

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

Pro
 Great soundtrack

Comment

Pro
 Great freedom in designing your farm

When creating your own farm you aren't just limited to plowing fields for planting crops. You can also dig wells, put down fences, and even build various structures such as barns or stables. This allows you to build a farm that firmly matches your goals and sense of aesthetics.
Comment

Pro
 A great mix of genres

While Stardew Valley is primarily a farming simulator, it also has social interaction elements and combat elements. The social interaction elements allow you to interact with people around the town. You can befriend them, get quests from them, hang out with them, and even find a significant other to go out with and eventually marry. It can be very addictive to max out your relationship with everyone. The combat elements are introduced when you unlock the dungeon, allowing you to battle creatures such as slimes, golems, and even mummies. While the combat is pretty simple, having you just swing your weapon, it's very satisfying to whack away at enemies. If farming ever starts feeling stale you can try either of these to mix it up, allowing you to keep the game fresh for a longer time.
Comment

Pro
 Very fulfilling to play

Stardew Valley is a very simple game where you're free to do anything and everything at your own pace. This includes building your farm, planting and harvesting crops, and exploring the world among many other things. It will feel enjoyable no matter how fast or slow you do it. This coupled with the colorful/pleasing art style and the great soundtrack makes it an extremely pleasing experience.
Comment

Pro
 Steam Workshop Content

While the main campaign is pretty short, you can delve into user created maps for more playtime.
Comment

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

Con
 Buggy

Like most Early Access games, bugs are to be expected. The game may crash to desktop and players may fall through the level, hopefully these get fixed before the full release.
Comment

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

Pro
 Gives everyone a chance to win

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

Pro
 Interesting movement mechanics

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.
Comment

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.
Comment

Pro
 Quick sessions so you can play in short bursts

Being that Spelunky is at its heart a roguelike the gameplay sessions can tend to be quick as the player will die quite often. This makes for something that can be played in quick bursts throughout the day. The convenient saving also lends to this as a game that is still ongoing can be quickly saved in order to be picked up at a later time.
Comment

Pro
 Provides an interesting challenge by heavily relying on increasing your skill

Spelunky gives the player everything needed to succeed from the start so it is only when the players skills get better will they advance.
Comment

Con
 Difficult to the point of frustration

Spelunky is pretty difficult and some could say abusive, but with practice and a desire for masochism the game can be mastered.
Comment

Pro
 Expanded gameplay through mods to improve replayability

Ranging from Mega Man to Metroid, there are a tone of great mods for Spelunky all of which make for a new experience in the game which vastly expands the replayability.
Comment

Pro
 Up to 4 player local co-op

Spelunky features 4 player local co-op where players share the same screen, which can get a bit hectic.
Comment

Con
 Co-op is boring and confusing

In co-op this game is very confusing with little instruction on how to play. With little to spice up the game play, it gets boring quickly.
Comment

Pro
 Teamwork is essential

Each character has different skills and weapons that must be used in tandem to solve puzzles.
Comment

Pro
 Lots of puzzles

The game offers a wide variety of puzzles. You must use the two characters’ different skills in combination to solve them, which requires a good bit of critical thinking.
Comment

Con
 Story is somewhat weak

The plot is cheesy and not very memorable. It’s only real purpose is to set up the various scenarios and puzzles that you have to solve.
Comment

Con
 Poor dialogue

The dialogue in the game definitely took a back seat. It is often cheesy and doesn’t flesh out the game world or the characters very well.
Comment

Con
 Puzzles can be simplistic

The puzzles are often easy to solve; implementing the solution may be more difficult than figuring it out.
Comment

Pro
 Great variety of level locations

Traveling across Chronopolis, the world filled with Marvel locations from around the globe, is a great theme park of different levels. With the game's time-travel elements, it's possible to be in the modern New York City metropolis for one level and then Ancient Egypt in the next. The variety helps to keep things fresh across the 11+ hour campaign.
Comment

Pro
 Light-hearted story

With well-written characters who quip and deliver memorable lines, the story is wonderful for anyone interested in a lighter, kid-friendly interpretation of the Marvel universe. Kang the Conqueror is competent without needing to be overtly evil, and heroes such as Spider-Man and Captain America are charming in their heroism and banter with other characters.
Comment

Pro
 Fun two-player local co-op

Friends and family can play LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 together, battling against hordes of enemies in the chaotic two-player co-op mode. The combat is unbalanced, with some characters who are far more powerful than others, but there's still a great time to have with all the madness on each level. Although there's no online play, this is still a great game for those looking for fun games with couch co-op.
Comment

Pro
 Excellent voice acting

Each character in the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 has solid, snappy delivery for their well-written lines, fitting well with the game's light-hearted take on the superhero genre.
Comment

Con
 Objectives aren't always clear

Even though the open world design of the levels is limited and simplistic, the game sometimes neglects to give specifics on where to go next. Getting to objectives will then require wandering around the small maps and eventually stumbling upon the next place to go.
Comment

Con
 Doesn't change up the LEGO game formula

As the LEGO games are meant for younger audiences, it's great that they're easy to pick up and learn, but LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 doesn't offer anything new to the franchise. The combat is the same button-mashing experience that requires no skill and offers no forms of character progression.
Comment

Pro
 Fun multiplayer mode

To share the fun with your friends is easy through the multiplayer mode that is offered in Jamestown.
Comment

Pro
 Multiple ship/character choices

There are several characters and their ships to choose from which allows for one to change the gameplay up.
Comment

Con
 Forced to play higher difficulty settings

In order to unlock new levels you "have" to play the higher difficulty setting on all previous levels.
Comment

Pro
 Starts off easy

The difficulty curve is fair and can be scaled to suit your needs.
Comment

Con
 Low video quality

Comment

Pro
 Light-hearted story

With well-written characters who quip and deliver memorable lines, the story in LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens is wonderful for anyone interested in a lighter, kid-friendly interpretation of the Star Wars universe. The villains are competent without needing to be overtly evil, and the main protagonists are charming in their heroism and banter with other characters. There are some genuinely funny moments that even adults will probably get some laughs out of, making this an ideal game for Star Wars fans of all ages to enjoy.
Comment

Pro
 Family-friendly two-player couch co-op

Friends and family can play LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens together, battling against hordes of enemies in the two-player co-op mode. The puzzles are just hard enough that more experienced gamers can help younger family members through the levels, making for some great teaching moment as you watch your kids or siblings learn from you. Although there's no online play, this is still a great game for those looking for fun games with couch co-op.
Comment

Pro
 Solid voice work from cast of the movie

The voice acting in Lego Star Wars: Force Awakens is really good, especially if you're familiar with the film. The game features both voice clips from the actual film as well as new voice lines recorded by many of the actors from the film reprising their roles. It's great to hear the actual voices from characters like Rey and Han Solo, giving you the feeling of actually playing through the movie itself with the real actors. The new voice work is generally well done and adds authenticity to the experience.
Comment

Pro
 Side levels provide backstory for characters and events from the movie

You can unlock additional bonus levels that delve into extra events not shown in the movie, showing what some characters were doing before the movie takes place. These levels are "canon", though with the typical LEGO humor added on top, making them fun to experience if you're a big Star Wars fan.
Comment

Con
 Doesn't change up the LEGO game formula

As the LEGO games are meant for younger audiences, it's great that they're easy to pick up and learn, but LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens doesn't offer anything new to the franchise. It's the same setup of adapting the original material with the same type of humor, and the same type of combat. If you've played other LEGO games, you'll pretty much find a similar experience here.
Comment

Con
 Simple and repetitive gameplay

The combat is basically a mindless button-mashing experience that requires no skill and offers no forms of character progression. There isn't anything with depth or intricacy here, as it's meant for a younger audience. The most you'll see to change things up are puzzles that you have to figure out from time to time. If you're looking for something more involved and complex, you're probably better off looking elsewhere.
Comment
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