When comparing Overcooked vs BattleBlock Theater, the Slant community recommends BattleBlock Theater for most people. In the question“What are the best local co-op PC games?” BattleBlock Theater is ranked 3rd while Overcooked is ranked 7th. The most important reason people chose BattleBlock Theater is:
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).
Specs
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Pros
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.
Pro Co-op adds a completely new element of coordination to the gameplay
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).
Pro Thought-out presentation that balances style and humor well
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 stays unique enough to stand out.
Pro Good mix of co-op and PvP multiplayer modes keeps the game enticing
The 2-player co-op campaign is very similar to the single-player one, except that it requires cooperation between the two players. It can be played online or with 2 local players. There is also an arena mode with competitive levels that supports up to 4 players (local, online, or mixed). This gives a good variety of online and local play modes, which should keep the game fresh.
Pro No difficulty spikes, the game is very well balanced
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.
Pro Endless replayability through the level editor and its easily sharable creations
The game has a built-in level editor, and levels (or level packs) can be shared through the Steam Workshop. This makes for a situation where there is an inordinate amount of content for the player to try out, or even create themselves.
Pro Sort of funny but not too much
Light hearted gaming that you can play with your significant other.
Cons
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.
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.