Best Co-Op Games On PC, Ranked

Highlights

• The gaming industry offers a wide variety of co-op games for players to enjoy with friends, ranging from extraction shooters to RPGs.
• Deep Rock Galactic
  and
  Diablo 4
  are highly recommended co-op games for PC players, offering fun gameplay and challenging experiences.
• It Takes Two
  and
  Left 4 Dead 2
  are considered some of the greatest co-op games of all time, providing unique and engaging gameplay experiences.

The gaming industry is massive nowadays, and there is incredible variety available, something to play for every kind of player. What’s more, there is something for every pair or group of friends to share, from massive online co-op games to more intimate two-player games, giving players all sorts of options.

With the competitive nature of the gaming industry and the huge array of games available on the PC nowadays, it can be very hard to isolate just a few as the very best co-op games on the platform, when a massive list of co-op PC games are providing joy to gamers all over the world every day.

10 Deep Rock Galactic

Metacritic Score: 85

Any game that lets several players work together in a destructible environment, taking on the role of cool space dwarves, is going to be a great time. Deep Rock Galactic is part of the new extraction shooter genre and features an amazing style of FPS gameplay which allows players to work together to navigate caves, fight creatures and gather resources before escaping.

Players can then upgrade their gear using the money they make from extracting resources to continue progressing. The extraction shooter idea is a popular one, but few games have achieved the level of fun cooperative gameplay that Deep Rock Galactic has managed, and it is well worth a look for gamers who want something consistent to play with a couple of friends.

9 Diablo 4

Metacritic Score: 86

Diablo 4 has garnered huge praise from critics, and the online nature of this RPG helps it remain as massively popular for parties of players online as the previous installments. With a huge focus on replayable dungeons and character growth based on gaining loot, Diablo 4 has some elements of an extraction shooter about it.

The world of Diablo is fascinating, providing a fantastic RPG experience. The focus by the developers on making it feel like a real medieval world in Diablo 4 gives players a great sense of location as they adventure with their friends and try to defeat Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto, and though co-op can be challenging, it is hugely worth the effort.

8 Cuphead

Metacritic Score: 86

Though it is restricted to only two players, Cuphead is a game that cannot be overlooked for gamers who love a real challenge. A side-scrolling platformer inspired by the artistic stylings of 1920s cartoons, Cuphead tells a tale of two friends who accidentally sell their souls to the devil and have to work for him as debt collectors.

This means taking on a variety of bosses and defeating them, which is incredibly difficult. This game is considered one of the hardest PC games by many who have tried it, making it a great game to rage at alongside a friend. Completing Cuphead is more than just a cursory evening or a small victory, it is a true gaming achievement.

7 Monster Hunter Rise

Metacritic Score: 88

Another game in the long-running franchise, Monster Hunter Rise, was released in 2021 and immediately became a favorite for gamers who love building characters in RPGs. Going on hunts after huge creatures alongside friends is one of the few things in gaming that really doesn’t get boring no matter how frequently it is done.

Monster Hunter Rise has a lot of scope, and parties of up to four players can come together to stop the Rampage, an event which occurred fifty years ago and could be coming again. Players get to experience the chilled pace, giving them the ability to play in their own way, while gaining loot and armor from hunts and experiencing the incredible story as they go, alone or together.

6 It Takes Two

Metacritic Score: 88

Considered one of the greatest co-op games of all time, It Takes Two won many Game of the Year awards for the genre-blending style that pits an estranged couple on the brink of divorce against the odds to try and get back into their own bodies after being transformed into dolls.

This story – filled with comedy, romance, and drama – explores relationships and humanity in a way that very few video games have ever managed. It Takes Twogoes beyond the normal concept of co-op, bringing two players together and forcing them to really work together before they can win, and allowing them to explore incredible environments along the way.

5 Left 4 Dead 2

Metacritic Score: 89

A game which can be considered a classic at this point, Left 4 Dead 2 remains one of the pinnacles of the zombie gaming genre. Left 4 Dead 2 has so many maps and campaigns for friends to traverse, working together to survive against the hordes of undead and attempting to escape to safe rooms at the end of each level. For this game, age really is just a number.

The longevity of Left 4 Dead 2, even in the face of spiritual successors like Back 4 Blood, is down to the fantastic cooperative gameplay that hasn’t been matched in the genre. The simplicity of the idea combined with the great mechanics and flawless four-person party mode helps Left 4 Dead 2 stay high on the list of best co-op games of all time.

4 Stardew Valley

Metacritic Score: 89

Another game that can be played alone, but is a also a ton of fun with friends, is Stardew Valley. There have been several great farming games over the years, but few have achieved the level of enjoyablitly and had such longevity as this.

Stardew Valley easily accommodates three other friends to join a player on a server. This allows them to work together to create a huge farm, which can be extremely rewarding and a long-term plan for a group of friends to partake in.

3 Portal 2

Metacritic Score: 95

One of the most famous and beloved co-op games of all time, there remain players who have never experienced Portal 2. This incredible puzzle game is for two players and allows them to find a similar sort of teamwork and cooperation in each other’s company that It Takes Two has provided more recently.

Whether fans are returning to the game after a long time, have only played the single-player campaign before, or want to introduce another friend to the wonders of this challenging game, Portal 2 is good for everyone and has a lot of replayability despite being a puzzle game.

2 Baldur’s Gate 3

Metacritic Score: 96

One of the biggest PC releases in recent years, Baldur’s Gate 3 was long-awaited and brought players back into the Dungeons and Dragons-inspired Forgotten Realms world in which the first two instalments took place. The world, filled with choices and changes, constantly evolving and featuring a huge roster of fascinating characters, is a great one to explore alone, but it can be even better joined by some friends.

Players can get a party of AI characters together, but it is far more interesting to explore this incredibly in-depth world with a party of a few friends along for the ride. Having a huge volume of playtime and endless different missions and characters to check out, Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the best new cooperative experiences for the PC in years.

1 Grand Theft Auto 5

Metacritic Score: 97

Having retained massive popularity over more than a decade, Grand Theft Auto 5 is closer now to being replaced with a new entry, but the huge possibilities for players looking to get back into the game or experience it for the first time are all much better if they bring some friends along for the ride.

GTA RP servers and GTA Online have become huge aspects of what help Grand Theft Auto 5 keep players interested for so long. Getting together to commit heists and explore the fantastically open world of this game lends itself to larger groups of friends, but is perfect for any number from two up to sixteen on regular servers.