Best Story-Driven Co-Op Games

Highlights

• While co-op games typically focus more on gameplay rather than story, there are exceptions to the rule.
• A story-driven co-op game can be magical to experience together with friends, especially when players can influence the course of the plot.
• Games like Dying Light 2, Borderlands 3, and Saints Row: The Third offer co-op gameplay that allows players to enjoy decent stories while hacking, slashing, and wreaking havoc together.

An immersive story can leave players with long-lasting memories and times a game made an impact on their lives. When a game constructs a story that pushes the player’s emotions to the forefront, it shows why storytelling through an interactive medium can be so much more impactful than a passive medium.

Like with movies and TV shows, the experience can be greatly enhanced by getting to experience them with other people. When watching something, this is easy, but when it comes to a game, both players need to be fully immersed in the story for it to have the greatest impact. Co-op games have come a long way over the years and can pull both players along in such a way that they get an incredible shared experience.

Updated on February 17, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Co-op gaming is a blast, with players loving the idea of teaming up with their friends to tackle the many obstacles that stand in their way. Most games that let two or more players team up don’t really bother with trying to integrate a worthwhile story, preferring to focus solely on the gameplay instead. However, this doesn’t mean there aren’t any options for those who do like a riveting story and would like to experience it together with friends. Here are some of the most worthwhile story-driven co-op games.

23 Dying Light 2 Stay Human

Metascore: 76

Dying Light was a massive success, with players loving the idea of tackling zombies while engaging in some fun parkour action. Players loved how tense things could get while outrunning zombies at night, using the safety of daylight to scrounge for supplies and progress the story. So, it was only a matter of time before a sequel to this title would come out, and Dying Light 2 didn’t disappoint.

While some people found the game to be a bit too bland for their liking, it wasn’t too hard to overlook these faults once players engaged with the fun traversal mechanics and excellent action. Just like its predecessor, Dying Light 2 can be played in co-op with a friend, letting players enjoy a decent story as they hack and slash their way through countless zombies.

22 Borderlands 3

Metascore: 81

The Borderlands games arguably kickstarted the trend of co-op looter shooters that have become all the rage nowadays. The second game is considered by many to be a series highlight, which is why so many fans were disappointed to find out that the third game didn’t really do anything innovative and focused on what works instead, making for a rather bland experience.

Still, this doesn’t mean that Borderlands 3 is a bad game by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, once players team up with their buddies to tackle the wealth of missions present in this title, they’ll be more than happy with what this title brings to the table.

21 Saints Row: The Third

Metascore: 84

The third Saints Row game upped the ante when it came to the ridiculousness most people have come to expect from this series. It ramped up the comedy to the max, letting players control Playa as they engage in a wealth of over-the-top missions in a world brimming with style.

Players who may be having second thoughts about playing this game will be sold from the moment they find out that it supports co-op play. Wreaking havoc in Steelport is a ton of fun with friends, and it’s a shame that the Saints Row remake completely missed the mark when it came to what players were expecting from this beloved open-world series.

20 Baldur’s Gate 3

Metascore: 96

Larian Studios has become one of the most prominent names in the video game industry, in no small part due to the release of a much-awaited third chapter in the Baldur’s Gate series that has completely blown everyone’s minds. If players are looking for an RPG that does justice to this genre, then Baldur’s Gate 3 is the perfect choice.

The sheer amount of love and effort present in every corner of the game world is truly marvelous. Baldur’s Gate 3 genuinely lets players enjoy a personal story where the majority of choices they make alter the flow of the story in meaningful ways.

19 Divinity: Original Sin

Metascore: 93

Given how amazing the second Divinity: Original Sin title is, it’s a shame that not many people talk about the first title in the series. It may have some rough edges, but Divinity: Original Sin marks the start of something special. It’s the game that set the foundation for Larian’s rise to worldwide fame and commercial success, after all.

The CRPG is perfect for co-op play too, since the story features two Source Hunters as the protagonists of an epic tale. The story can have its issues and some gameplay mechanics are easily exploited, but two players who go through the adventure together won’t find this to be an issue in the slightest once they get lost in the game’s massive world and engaging gameplay.

18 Resident Evil 5

Metascore: 83

Many people consider Resident Evil 5 to be the game that sent the series down a maligned route where bombastic action and spectacle were prioritized over actual horror. After all, Resident Evil 4 was a massive success, and Capcom decided to go all-in on the action moments without retaining a lot of the tense situations that made this legendary title such a brilliant evolution in the first place.

However, despite its many flaws, many people still have a blast playing through Resident Evil 5, especially if they’ve already been following the series’ overarching story for a while. The game may lack a lot of what made the series special, but the co-op action in this game is good enough to make up for its faults.

17 Borderlands 2

Metascore: 89

Borderlands 2 is one of the most legendary co-op FPS games of all time, being a massive improvement over the first game in every way and doing a great job of letting players enjoy the desolate, stylized world of this game while going on many missions and clearing out waves of enemies. Teaming up and killing off enemies makes for a great time in this title, and many fans still love this title to death even if it may not have aged all that well.

Regardless, the great humor and fun combat still hold up pretty well, and fans will have a great time gallivanting through the world of Borderlands 2 and enjoying everything this title has to offer. The selection of heroes is pretty great, and players can embark on an adventure with more than two people if they wish.

16 Child Of Light

Metascore: 82

Given how many people feel that Ubisoft makes cookie-cutter open-world games, it’s easy to see why many people feel that Child of Light is a game made by this publisher. This game combines the hallmarks of platforming games with role-playing elements to make for a unique indie title that players will have a great time with.

The entire game is structured like a poem, with pretty much everyone speaking in rhymes. While this shtick can get somewhat repetitive, the game’s focus on treating itself like a playable poem with its amazing watercolor art style makes it feel way more unique than most other games out there. Child of Light may not blow anyone’s socks off, but the game is worth checking out for fans of both genres regardless.

15 Crusader Kings 3

Metascore: 91

Crusader Kings 3 is a pretty engaging game as is, with the emergent storytelling of this title being quite brilliant. To make things even better, this game supports multiplayer and lets different players roleplay as rulers set on achieving glory at all costs, even if it means going against their friends.

However, the multiplayer of Crusader Kings 3 doesn’t necessarily need to be antagonistic in nature. Players can take on the role of rulers and their vassals, making it quite fun to team up and strategize to rule efficiently.

14 Dying Light

Metascore: 76

Dying Light is a pretty great game that combines zombies and parkour for great results. The gameplay of this title is great as is, and the best part about Dying Light is that players can enjoy this masterpiece in co-op.

Jumping around the urban sprawl in this game and finding loot while killing and avoiding zombies makes for a great time. Dying Light‘s story may not be the most riveting tale around, but the gameplay manages to be interesting enough to keep players invested in the long run.

13 Darksiders Genesis

Metascore: 77

The Darksiders series was in a weird state of limbo after the third game didn’t set the stage ablaze. The studio decided to rework the formula, turning this action-adventure series into a top-down hack-and-slash title.

Not only is Darksiders Genesis a ton of fun and manages to retain the beloved Darksiders feel, but it also features co-op support. Controlling Strife and War in this engaging title makes for a great time, especially since the combat is so much fun.

12 Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light

Metascore: 85

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light was a major shake-up for the series. Many fans wondered whether the game could handle the switch to a top-down action-adventure title, but Guardian of Light managed to justify this genre shift and then some.

The inclusion of co-op certainly made things more interesting and allowed players to experience the amazing adventures of Lara Croft with their friends. It’s a simple and fun game that is perfect to experience with friends.

11 Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons

Metascore: 86

Josef Fares has made a name for himself by creating great co-op experiences with amazing stories. For what it’s worth, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons was made with the idea that one person would control the characters at the same time with two joysticks, but this game actually has proper co-op integration on the Switch.

Brothers is an emotional tale that hits players in the gut right around the ending, which can be quite hard to deal with. Thankfully, experiencing this title with a friend will make things easier.

10 Stardew Valley

Metascore: 89

Stardew Valley is one of the most popular farming simulators around right now, which is great since farming is just one of the many areas where this game excels. The amazing characters and the underlying narrative of this game are what make Stardew Valley such a beloved masterpiece from top to bottom.

As the icing on this loaded cake, Stardew Valley also has co-op support to help friends enjoy this masterful title. Players who want to zen out and not partake in the action-fest that most video games have become will have a great time with Stardew Valley, especially with friends.

9 Diablo 3

Metascore: 88

Activision Blizzard is easily one of the more heinous video game companies operating right now, with the recent release of Diablo Immortal showing just how nefarious their business practices really are. Thankfully, Diablo fans still have PC and console games to enjoy, with Diablo 3 being the most obvious recommendation in this regard.

Diablo 3 had an extremely rocky launch but has slowly stabilized over time to become one of the better dungeon crawlers out there. The fact that this game can be played with friends makes it even more engaging.

8 Dead Space 3

Metascore: 78

Phrases like “incredible narrative experience” usually make people think of something very moving and emotional, but it can also mean making players absolutely wet themselves with jump scares and horrific imagery. It’s all a matter of taste.

Playing Dead Space 3 in co-op changes the experience somewhat. Rather than being all alone in a hostile environment, players have a partner to cling to and rely upon. It means both players get to take turns blundering first into the scary bits whilst the other one simultaneously laughs and panics about what they need to do.

7 Trine

Metascore: 80

The entire Trine series is full of sweet fairy-tale narratives, that have a hint of irony and satire that the best Disney/Pixar films hold dear. The gameplay makes great use of the narrative elements, allowing every character to work to their strengths, and a good team of three can become quite the well-oiled machine.

Pushing through that story brings the unwilling heroes together in the same way that the players will come together as they puzzle-platform their way through the world. Whether they’re looking for a grand treasure or trying to fix a prince’s broken psyche, there’s always a great adventure.

6 Divinity: Original Sin 2

Metascore: 93

Both this and the original Divinity: Original Sin are fantastic expansive RPG games, but for the full experience, they really should be played with other people. The solo experience is still a lot of fun, but there are elements like party balancing and weird shenanigans that can only be experienced with friends.

Pulling a party together where everyone has their specialties and experiences the adventure in a slightly different way is exactly what caused things like MMOs to become so popular. Place players like that in the world of Divinity, with deep lore and entertaining quest lines, and it’s a recipe for success.

5 Gears 5

Metascore: 84

It is admittedly a bit of a stretch to call Gears 5 a story-driven game, but the franchise wouldn’t have reached this point without a compelling narrative to frame all the bloodthirsty open-world shooting action. Blasting through such action with a partner makes it much more of a bloodbath, and therefore much more fun.

Even if it isn’t the main focus on gameplay, Gears 5 holds a narrative a lot of people care about, and the characters have been carefully constructed to this point in the franchise, Neither player will feel left out of the story because of this.

4 A Way Out

Metascore: 78

To say Hazelight has perfected the cooperative narrative experience would be a huge understatement. Their first game, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, was an emotional ride that left a huge impact on everyone who played it, and years later their second major release, A Way Out did much the same.

Making cooperative play mandatory for the experience, A Way Out blended the narratives of two characters in a story that people are still talking about several years on. They found a unique way to build the gameplay in such a way that forced players to come together, and eventually tear them apart in one of gaming’s most memorable story moments.