Summary
- Co-op games promote teamwork and cooperation, offering a variety of options for groups of various sizes.
- Valheim provides a rich and rewarding co-op experience with realistic gameplay elements and an open-world Norse setting.
- Factorio allows for massive cooperative building projects with challenges and modding support to keep gameplay engaging.
Co-op games have always been a great way to bridge the gap between players by leaning away from the high-intensive competitive gameplay and focusing more on team-work elements and coordination. There are plenty of options for groups of various sizes. Whether it's just a cozy night in with the family or an entire server full of eager players ready to work together, there is something for everyone in every genre.
18 Best 6-Player Co-Op Games, Ranked
Co-op games come in all shapes and sizes, and these great titles support 6-player groups.
Some of the best experiences are those balanced for a moderate-sized lobby, where the voice communications don't get too messy but there is still enough action and interaction to make the game feel fresh and interesting in every session, with each player able to express themselves and take on a specific role or part crucial for good and successful team play.
8 Valheim
Survive Like A True Viking
Valheim
- Released
- February 2, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Iron Gate AB
- Publisher(s)
- Coffee Stain Studios
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
- Platform(s)
- Linux, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Valheim is the perfect blend of open-world crafting, cooperative battles, and rewarding exploration in a procedurally generated Norse world full of exciting things to find and enemies to battle. The biggest draw is the traversal across the map, whether it's walking as a group through lush fields of grass or journeying across the seas on a hand-crafted long boat straight out of a history book.
The gameplay itself focuses heavily on realism, with stamina being a stat that needs to be managed well in order to succeed. Everything feels intuitive and rewarding, and it is uncommon to find a roadblock as players can help each other carry materials across the land or figure out specific fights together and triumph as a group of mighty warriors.
7 Pico Park 2
Okay, 3, 2, 1, Go!
Pico Park 2
- Released
- August 27, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Tecopark, Gemdrops, Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- Tecopark
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Co-op can be incredibly fun and exciting, pitting groups of players against gigantic bosses or forcing them to work in tandem to progress through cinematic levels and experiences. But sometimes, stripping away all the graphics and gameplay and creating an incredibly simplistic yet challenging co-op game is just as fulfilling.
Best Co-Op Games On Steam To Play Right Now
From online multiplayer titles to local masterpieces, Steam has plenty of fantastic co-op games that cover a wide spectrum of genres.
Pico Park 2 does exactly that, throwing a group of up to eight players into a series of simplistic puzzles that require perfect timing, communication, and a lot of patience to clear. There is a lot of yelling, anger, and laughing, as the gameplay is accessible for virtually any player. The only limiting factor is the group's ability to communicate and progress as a team.
6 Factorio
Mine As Far As The Eye Can See
Factorio
- Released
- August 14, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
A manufacturing dream, Factorio is a gigantic world just waiting to be built upon and harvested. With a maximum player limit of over 60,000, a completely unobtainable number, a standard lobby size of eight or so is enough to allow players to build impressive factories with elaborate networks of piping, wires, and production lines that belong in a science fiction novel.
There is so much variety and many options to shake up a free-play scenario, with challenges and extensive modding support to keep the fun and construction going for several hundred hours. Just be sure to work together and stay on the right track, as the locals don't seem too happy about a giant factory network on their doorstep.
5 Sons Of The Forest
There's Something In The Trees
Sons of the Forest
- Released
- February 22, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Endnight Games
- Publisher(s)
- Newnight
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Open-World, Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
The horror genre is the perfect pairing for co-op experiences, and there are few games that execute it to a similar level as Sons of the Forest. The follow-up to the acclaimed 2014 title, set on a remote island, players must navigate their way through an unknown wilderness full of horrifying enemies and mysteries to solve along the way.
The world truly feels alive, with the ability to interact with objects and the environment exactly however the players want, from cutting branches to constructing buildings to hide from the horrors that lie outside. Beating the game is no cakewalk, so players must work together to figure out how to survive and uncover the secrets that hide just below the surface.
4 Garry's Mod
Infinite Imagination
Garry's Mod
- Released
- November 29, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Facepunch Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Valve
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox
- Platform(s)
- PC
Sandbox games have been around forever, but none have as much community support, love, and variety as Garry's Mod. Creativity is the only limit, as players can create and spawn virtually any object, enemy, or weapon to fight against or to allow other players to experience.
12 Co-Op Games Perfect For Family Game Night
Families looking to spice up game nights with a bit of video gaming will find these games are perfect to play together.
There is no shortage of well-crafted co-op modes like "Trouble in Terrorist Town" or the insane number of community-made horror maps for players to enjoy in a large group. With such a diverse playground of game modes and maps to enjoy, groups will have no trouble finding an insane and amusing experience to work together and conquer.
3 Barotrauma
No One Is Safe Underwater
Barotrauma
- Released
- March 13, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Publisher(s)
- Daedalic Entertainment
- Platform(s)
- PC
Some of the scariest places in the world are also the most empty. The sea is a breeding ground for horror and a common fear for people across the globe, so taking on the role of a submarine crew member journeying deep into the bowels of the Earth is both a test of coordination and of the mental fortitude of the group.
Customization and diversity are endless, with the vessel being a canvas for the players to install, experiment, and repair after each mission and encounter with underwater foes. It takes some learning, and by taking a few friends along the way, knowledge is shared and the experience is so much better and feels much closer to reality than alone.
2 Insurgency: Sandstorm
Outsmart The Enemy
Insurgency: Sandstorm
- Released
- December 12, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- New World Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Focus Home Interactive
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Tactical
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Insurgency: Sandstorm is the gold standard for co-op, tactical shooters, requiring an immense amount of teamwork and planning to take on the challenge of AI missions and to battle against enemy players. It feels like a real combat scenario in every mode, forcing players to make careful decisions and coordinated plays to avoid being taken down.
The tactical gunplay and environmental interactions are fluid and crispy, rewarding accuracy and well-thought-out encounters, with some incredibly satisfying and cinematic action sequences. Players will be tested and pushed to their limits, with high-quality communication and teamwork being a necessity for preventing casualties and beating scenarios with ease.
1 Raft
Nightmare Turned Luxurious Escape
Raft
- Released
- June 20, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
By taking many of the crafting elements and learnings from similar games, Raft succeeds in shaking up the co-op survival genre by putting players on a floating raft and demanding them to journey across a dangerous sea to discover new lands and islands for food, shelter, and safety.
Each step onto shore feels like a breath of fresh air, but as resources are scarce, players must work together to ration food and weaponry to defend themselves from the sharks below — and continue constructing an ever-growing raft to sustain themselves and the group as a whole.
Best Multiplayer Games That Support 64-Player Multiplayer
Looking to play with a bunch of other people? Check out these multiplayer games.