Summary

  • Nintendo offers a variety of multiplayer games for families and friends to enjoy together on the Switch.
  • There are plenty of four-player co-op games and beyond on the Switch, spanning various genres like RPGs, platformers, and brawlers. Some notable examples include Diablo 3 and Guacamelee 2.
  • Super Mario Bros. Wonder is an exciting upcoming title that promises a wonderful side-scrolling Mario experience with surprises at every level, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order offers an ultimate Marvel fan's dream with its action RPG gameplay and a cast of beloved heroes.

Nintendo is a family-focused company, and what is more family-focused than adding multiplayer into games? This will ensure less fighting between siblings in the living room who aren’t good with sharing single-player experiences yet. There are a lot of good two-player co-op games on Switch, like Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, It Takes Two, and Cuphead.

Best Co-Op Games For Nintendo Switch
15 Best Co-Op Games For Nintendo Switch (According To Metacritic)

The Nintendo Switch offers great co-op games for friends to dive into together, and here is a look at the best titles according to Metacritic.

Those Nintendo games are all fun, but what about titles for bigger families or friend groups? Are there four-player co-op games and beyond on the Switch? There most definitely is from RPGs to platformers to brawlers. The following is a list of all types of genres and for all types of players to enjoy. The best part is that they can also be played solo.

Updated on February 24, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: The Nintendo Switch was made with a focus on letting players enjoy a wealth of local co-op experiences. The Joy-Cons are meant to enable this, and it helps that the console is littered with a wealth of great co-op experiences that fans can have a great time with. This console may be on its last legs, but that shouldn't take away from the sheer enjoyment most people can have as they check out the wealth of amazing co-op experiences on the console.

11 Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

Metascore: 89

Fury Bowser shooting a large beam of fire while Mario swims in the water and Bowser Jr. hovers nearby in Bowser's Fury.
Fury Bowser shooting a large beam of fire while Mario swims in the water and Bowser Jr. Hovers nearby in Bowser's Fury.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
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Released
February 12, 2021
Developer(s)
Nintendo EPD
Platform(s)
Switch
Genre(s)
Platformer

While the Bowser's Fury expansion can only be enjoyed by two players at once, the same doesn't apply to 3D World itself. Playing this game with four players makes for a fun and chaotic time in every way.

There's a healthy level of competition in every stage as players strive to gain power-ups and get the highest score possible. Super Mario 3D World is a simple, fun game that's easy to get into, making it easy to find four players who wouldn't mind checking out this masterpiece together.

10 Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together!

Metascore: 80 (84 For Snipperclips Plus)

shapes with eyes and legs trying to get pencil to pencil sharpener in snipperclips
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Snipperclips: Cut It Out Together
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Puzzle
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Released
March 3, 2017
Developer(s)
SFB Games
Platform(s)
Nintendo Switch
Genre(s)
Puzzle

Snipperclips is one of the cutest and most endearing Switch games released as a launch title. The fact that players are still enjoying this title to this day is a testament to how much fun this game is when four players sit down to play it together.

While only Party and Blitz modes accommodate four players, that's not a negative point in the slightest. If anything, it speaks to the variety of gameplay options Snipperclips provides, which makes it a ton of fun, no matter how many players sit down to play.

9 Streets Of Rage 4

Metascore: 84

Fighting enemies in Streets of Rage 4
Streets of Rage 4
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Beat 'Em Up
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Released
April 30, 2020
Developer(s)
Dotemu, Guard Crush Games, Lizardcube
Platform(s)
Switch, Xbox One, PS4, PC
Genre(s)
Beat 'Em Up

Players loved to see Streets of Rage 4 make a comeback after a long hiatus. This legendary beat-'em-up series needed something special to stand out in a genre full of hits, and most people would argue that the game achieved exactly that.

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Streets of Rage 4's addictive gameplay is just a small part of the overall package that makes it so much fun to play through. With a friend, players will love teaming up against enemies and bosses, beating them into a pulp with a wealth of powerful moves.

8 Diablo 3

Metascore: 88

Fighting enemies in Diablo 3
Diablo 3
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Released
September 3, 2013
Developer(s)
Blizzard
Platform(s)
PC, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, Switch
Genre(s)
Action RPG

Diablo 4 may be the latest game blowing up the RPG charts, but fans are still playing Diablo 3, too. And it’s not just Switch fans either who don’t have a choice in the matter. Most hardcore Diablo fans bounce around every game available because that is part of the charm of this series. They are all infinitely replayable, thanks to the shorter campaigns, bounties of loot, class choices, and so on. It’s fun to jump into a campaign with a new friend or two to show them the ropes on why this is such an engaging multiplayer experience.

7 Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition

Metascore: 59 (80 For The Original Release)

Fighting a boss in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition
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RPG
JRPG
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Released
August 27, 2020
Developer(s)
Square Enix
Platform(s)
Switch, Android, PS4
Genre(s)
RPG, JRPG

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is a port of a GameCube game that has a unique controller setup. All four players had to have a Game Boy Advance and a Link Cable to play the game. It’s one of the few games on the system that required this setup.

While expensive, it did make this Final Fantasy spinoff more memorable, along with other games like The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. Thankfully, this Switch edition makes it much easier to set up a multiplayer session. Players could create a character from four races and quest together with friends in an action RPG that looped around in a cycle.

6 Guacamelee! 2

Metascore: 83

Fighting enemies in Guacamelee 2
Guacamelee 2
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Action
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Released
August 21, 2018
Developer(s)
DrinkBox Studios
Platform(s)
PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Genre(s)
Platformer, Action

Guacamelee! 2 is a wrestle-based Metroidvania, or more like a Wrestle-vania. In the first game, players assumed the role of Juan, a simple Mexican peasant who became a mystical wrestler to fight the forces of darkness. That quest continued in this sequel, and players could explore the depths of the underworld alone or with three other friends.

Great Multi-Platform Games (That Are Best Played On The Nintendo Switch)
10 Great Multi-Platform Games (That Are Best Played On The Nintendo Switch)

Those looking for multi-platform games have mountains worth choosing from, but some of them just play better on the Nintendo Switch.

There are not a lot of Metroidvanias with intense action-heavy mechanics as this game or ones with an extensive multiplayer feature. This all adds up to make Guacamelee 2 one of the most unique Metroidvanias of the past decade, and that includes the original one, which also had multiplayer.

5 Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Metascore: 92

A scene featuring characters in Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
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Released
October 20, 2023
Developer(s)
Nintendo EPD
Platform(s)
Switch
Genre(s)
Platformer

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is exactly as the title describes, wonderful. It has been a long time since the last core side-scrolling Mario game came out via New Super Mario Bros. U in 2012, and that’s not counting the Switch port of the two building games. Every level in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, from the first to the last, is full of surprises.

It’s fun alone or with three other friends along for the bizarre ride. Best of all, the character roster is unexpectedly large for a core Mario game.

4 Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

Metascore: 73

Promo art featuring characters in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3
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Released
July 19, 2019
Developer(s)
Team Ninja
Platform(s)
Switch
Genre(s)
Action RPG

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order was a sequel that was a long time coming, and it was a surprise to see the series get revived on Switch exclusively. Like the rest of the series, players could take control of a cavalcade of Marvel heroes, from popular ones like Spider-Man to more obscure ones like Elsa Bloodstone.

The game was set up a lot like a looter RPG akin to Diablo 3 but with a more streamlined series of RPG mechanics. It’s the ultimate Marvel fan’s dream, which is in the title, and it is best experienced with three other friends. It may not be Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, but it still packs a mighty wallop on Switch.

3 Monster Hunter Rise

Metascore: 88

Fighting a boss in Monster Hunter Rise
Monster Hunter Rise
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Released
March 26, 2021
Developer(s)
Capcom
Genre(s)
Action, RPG

Monster Hunter Ris e is the latest entry in the series, and while it didn’t change things significantly following Monster Hunter World, it made good on what it started. One of the coolest additions, besides theming the game around a samurai aesthetic, was the inclusion of Palamutes. Palamutes were the dog equivalent to the cat equivalent of Palicos in the previous entries.

Both creatures could help in battle if friends didn’t join a match, but only Palamutes could be ridden around like horses. Hopefully, Palamutes are here to stay, but if they aren’t, then that just makes Monster Hunter Rise all the more special as a multiplayer game on Switch.

2 Rayman Legends

Metascore: 92

Exploring a level in Rayman Legends
Rayman Legends
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Released
August 30, 2013
Developer(s)
Ubisoft Montpellier
Genre(s)
Platformer

Rayman Legends had an interesting relationship with Nintendo because it began as a Wii U exclusive. It then got other console versions, so Nintendo fans had to wait it out, and they also lost features in the process. While the game did have some initial setbacks, Rayman Legends became an instant classic between fans and reviewers.

The art style was brilliant, the four-player platforming worked better than ever before, and the music-based levels were something to behold. Maybe one day Rayman can return to consoles, but for now, this game is more than enough.