There’s no dearth of online multiplayer games that let gamers enjoy immersive experiences with their friends. That said, there exists a separate catalog of games that can be played under one roof. We are, of course, referring tocouch co-op gamesthat let gamers enjoy a game on one system.
While plenty of games support couch co-op, some can even be enjoyed on PCs with limited hardware. From high-octane platformers to uncanny games where you play as a Goose, take a look at the best couch co-op games below.
Metascore: 70
Road Redemptionis afun arcade racerthat is inspired by the hit game Road Rash. Like Road Rash, it lets players battle it out while gunning for the finish line on high-performance bikes. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world and has a campaign, too, which involves a band of rag-tag bikers hunting an assassin in enemy territory.
The game also has some RPG elements and lets players level up their character’s stats and improve the bike’s performance. In addition to Online Multiplayer game modes, it also has a 4-player split-screen co-op mode. Additionally, the game runs fairly well on thin-and-light laptops or older notebooks with integrated graphics.
Cat Quest 2is an adorableRPG with intuitive combatset in a fantasy realm. The game is centered around two fallen kings, a dog and a cat. The characters must put aside their differences and venture on a quest to save their respective kingdoms. Players can use a combination of melee weapons and magic to fend off foes.
The game can get challenging, although the difficulty scales linearly. It does require a fair amount of grinding, and players should complete some side quests before tackling the main story quests to ensure they are not under-leveled. Other than that, the game’s charming graphics and quirky humor will find a lot of takers.
6SpiderHeck
Steam User Rating: 93%
SpiderHeckis a fast-paced platformer with excellent co-op mechanics. The game involves choosing a spider and brawling it out with other spiders in various PvE and PvP game modes. The game is backed byunique, gravity-defying physicsthat add to the fun. Players can use a variety of tricks, including swinging from webs or doing a somersault to dodge incoming attacks.
The game also boasts an impressive arsenal of weapons, including gravity bombs and light sabers. The game has a one-hit KO mechanic, meaning every attack can be fatal. In addition, players can design levels, share them with friends, and even customize their spiders with quirky hats. The icing on the cake is that the game can work on laptops and PCs with fairly old processors, too.
It’s impossible to list thebest co-op couch gameswithout includingOvercooked!in the mix. In this cooking simulator, players control a handful of chefs. At the start of a round, players are presented with an order that must be wrapped in the allotted time. As such, players must be in sync to quickly come up with a bunch of dishes while navigating the struggles of working in a kitchen, including cleaning after the customers and more.
Adding to the chaos, the kitchen layout changes frequently. With the All You Can Eat bundle, players can enjoy both entries in the series with updated graphics. Note that the game requires at least 10GB of available space on the hard drive or SSD.
Unravel Twois a side-scrolling platformer that lets players control a ball of Red yarn. Aptly dubbed Yarny, the yarn ball finds itself ship-wrecked and stranded on an island. There is some light at the end of the tunnel, though, and players soon find a Blue-colored Yarny. The second yarny can either becontrolled by another playeror be fused with the red Yarny if players wish to continue on their journey alone.
The game’s premise revolves around solving puzzles by using unique and distinctive acrobats and finding a way to progress through the levels. The game features beautiful environments, including a forest ravaged by fire, an abandoned watermill, and more. In addition, it scales nicely on lower-end PCs and should pose no issues on laptops with integrated graphics cards.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagatakes players through nine iconicStar Warsfilms. Players can choose from any of the three trilogies to start their playthrough. However, those looking to tackle the story chronologically should start with the prequel trilogy, comprising thePhantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, andRevenge of the Sith. Once done, players can then take on the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy.
The game features the same bits and bobs that make most Lego games stand out. As such, players will revel in the franchise’s signature humor and robust co-op mechanics with a split-screen mode. Notably, the game lets players pick and play over 300 characters and visit iconic locations from the Skywalker films. It also has numerous open-world locations and lots of customizability, allowing players to choose from different classes and upgrade their character’s abilities.
The plot ofUntitled Goose Gameis a delightful departure from the norm. The game revolves around anannoying, player-controlled goose(or geese, during co-op play). The player’s sole purpose is to irritate and baffle townsfolk with practical jokes and pranks. These can include trapping a young boy inside a telephone booth or having citizens rebuy their own goods from the local vendor by stealing the items in the first place.
Adding to the frenzy, players can pick up various items, such as an NPC’s shoe, and throw it in a puddle or a lake. They can also ‘honk’ to terrorize the neighborhood’s residents into tripping and falling. As with most other games on this list,Untitled Goose Gamealso works well with low-end PCs and laptops. It doesn’t take up too much space, either, and has a paltry 830MB of install size.
Unlike most couch co-op games,It Takes Twohas a pretty intense story. The game’s plot circles around May and Cody, a married couple contemplating separating and filing for divorce. May and Cody have a daughter who wants them to stay together. One thing leads to another, and she unknowingly turns her parents into dolls.
Players must then work jointly and overcome a sequence of highly coordinated tasks to regain their bodies and, in doing so, fix May and Cody’s fractured relationship. The game is somewhat demanding, with a half-decent CPU and around 50GB of space. That said, players can turn the graphics down and achieve a playable frame rate (~30FPS) on older systems, too.
