When comparing Spelunky vs Overcooked, the Slant community recommends Overcooked for most people. In the question“What are the best local co-op PC games?” Overcooked is ranked 7th while Spelunky is ranked 29th. The most important reason people chose Overcooked is:
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. Working together and communicating with your friends through couch co-op or online play is a constant stream of laughter and excited shouting as you mess up, learn, and hopefully get things done.
Specs
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Pros
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. Working together and communicating with your friends through couch co-op or online play is a constant stream of laughter and excited shouting as you mess up, learn, and hopefully get things done.
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.
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.
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.
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 you view is limited.
Cons
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.
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.
Con No online multiplayer
Local multiplayer only. Can't play with friends online.
Con Can be incredibly frustrating
Trying to work at such a fast pace with so much mayhem going on at once can wear on you after a while. There's a lot to keep track of at once, and it's easy for things to spiral out of control as your mistakes pile up. If your group isn't doing well and you're running out of time, you might find yourself losing your patience with your team and yelling at them. This might not be the game for you if you don't have a team that's willing to be patient and cooperative with each other, even when you're not doing so well during a particular round.
Con Laggy game
Some situations make the game very laggy, especially if more players are in the same situation. Like if some food is on fire it is almost unplayable. Still worth it though, if you can play it with friends.