In recent years, co-op has been left behind by the gaming industry. There was a time when split-screen gaming was an essential part of any game's design, but lately, it has been treated less like a feature and more like an addition, an afterthought for once the single-player campaign and online multiplayer components have been completed. While some games like It Takes Two have made co-op their selling point, overall, cooperative play has become a dying art.
24 Best 4-Player Co-Op Games
There are countless 4-player co-op games available for gamers to check out. These, however, are easily among the best.
Open-world co-op is even harder to come by. While Battle Royale games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Warzone are designed around the idea of squads (which lend themselves to party play), they take place in enclosed arenas. Granting players the freedom an open world provides while still allowing them to team up with their friends to explore it is a tall order, especially when those games typically need to use perspective tricks to hide their loading screens. That's a hefty task when dealing with more than one perspective. Lots of games have pulled it off, though, and on occasion, it's been a huge success.
Updated on September 8th, 2025, by Evan Regan: There are always new gamers looking to get into an open-world game with their friends. Maybe they're new to the gaming hobby, or maybe they've just been deeply invested in one game for a long time and are ready to try out something new. Then there are the long-time gamers who have exhausted their backlog and need a fresh experience to jump into. Whatever the case may be, there is a co-op open-world game out there that's perfectly suited to every player's needs. With that in mind, this list has been given a fresh update with a few more games that fit the bill. Some are new releases, others are long-time classics, but they're all perfect for a group of friends to get together and explore a vast world.
ARK: Survival Evolved
Friends Of The Human And Dinosaur Varieties
ARK: Survival Evolved
- Released
- August 29, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Crude Humor, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Survival
The surprising lack of modern open-world dinosaur games on the market has done very little to dissuade ARK: Survival Evolved from filling that void. This multiplayer survival game is almost eight years old now, and in that time, on top of dozens of content drops and quality-of-life changes, it has established itself as one of the top multiplayer games on the market.
Naturally, that means the game lends itself very well to co-op. Players can team up with their friends, hunt or tame dinosaurs, and build themselves a settlement. Much like in Stardew Valley, one player will have to act as the "host" and invite other players to their game world, which means any changes will only affect the host's game world. However, there are ways to create a dedicated server (with plenty of online tutorials on how to do so) that allows for multiple players to access a shared world whenever they like. The game's community is also quite welcoming, with lots of ARK veterans out there willing to hand out starter kits to new players.
Fallout 76
What A Comeback
Fallout 76
- Released
- November 14, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
At launch, Fallout 76 was a bit of a mess. Bethesda's attempt to translate The Elder Scrolls Online to their Fallout universe was a mostly vacant disappointment, devoid of the charm that made Fallout 3, 4, and New Vegas so beloved, while also lacking any kind of NPCs to add flavor to the world. It was, frankly, kind of baffling, and along with the absurdly-priced Collector's Edition, Fallout 76 turned a lot of players away right out of the gate.
Now, years later, all of that is a thing of the past. Fallout 76 has done a fantastic job of responding to player feedback and expanding on the game where necessary. It now stands as one of the best multiplayer experiences out there. Players who start their campaigns at the same time and make complementary builds while doing so are almost guaranteed to have a good time. The world is exciting to explore, the quests are engaging and unique, and the loot drops almost always provide something interesting to add to a build. Fallout 76 can now stand confidently beside the series' single-player offerings, something that seemed impossible when it first launched.
Grounded 2
Shrunken Children And Giant Bugs
Grounded 2
- Released
- July 29, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
2025 has quietly been the "Year of Obsidian." In February, they released their highly-touted action RPG Avowed, and in October, they'll release the long-awaited sequel to their sci-fi RPG series, The Outer Worlds 2. In between all of that, the sequel to their Honey, I Shrunk the Kids-inspired survival game, Grounded 2, launched on Steam Early Access in July. While it may not yet be a finished product, it already shows a ton of improvement—from improved visuals to smoother gameplay mechanics—that make the first Grounded feel obsolete. The giant-sized backyard setting is more vibrant than ever, and everything from crafting to foraging to combat has a sharper, cleaner feeling to it that more than justifies the sequel's existence.
Multiplayer in Grounded 2 is easily and immediately accessible upon booting up the game, right from the main menu. Players can choose to host or join a game, and if they're hosting, they can set a password for extra privacy/security. Then players can set a gameplay difficulty, choose a character, then jump right in and invite their friends to join from that point on. While the option to start a shared world, where any player who joins can log on and play at any time, is listed, it's not a feature that's currently available in Early Access. However, its inclusion suggests that it will be added at some point, either in an update or when the full release launches down the road.
Enshrouded
Fantasy Minecraft With Exceptional Building Systems
Enshrouded
- Released
- January 24, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Open-World, Action RPG
While it's still in Early Access, Enshrouded already shows a ton of promise. It's got a nice blend of familiar mechanics, from Breath of the Wild- esque gliders to Minecraft- like mining and building, along with some dungeon crawling and puzzle solving. It also features a consistently entertaining musical instrument system where players equip their preferred instruments and join together in making melodic harmonies, for which they are rewarded with stat buffs.
The building systems in Enshrouded are stellar, working similarly to what's seen in other survival-crafting games but with the added detail of consistently and seamlessly meshing with the environment. It makes structures—and especially interiors—feel incredibly authentic, and it's a deeply rewarding system. Meanwhile, the game's dungeons often feature tunnels that can be mined to uncover treasure, which makes for an added layer of cooperative gameplay as players must work together to excavate these passages and discover the loot within.
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora
Explore The Beauty Of Pandora As A Pair
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora
- Released
- December 7, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Language, Mild Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is probably not the first game players think of when they're looking for co-op. It's an open-world Ubisoft game, which are traditionally well-known for being mainly single-player experiences. However, in this case, two players can take on the RDA together in this stunning video game.
In order to access co-op, both players need to complete the first four main missions of the campaign, ending with a quest called "The Aranahe Clan." After this point, a "Co-Op" option will appear in the game's System Settings menu. From here, players can invite anyone on their friends list (who also owns the game) to join them on Pandora, allowing them to clear out RDA Outposts and Mining Installations together, as well as tackle quests.
Saints Row 4
The Peak Of The Series' Satirical Format Is Best Enjoyed Alongside People You Can Laugh With
Saints Row 4
- Released
- August 20, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Open-World
While not everyone will agree that Saint's Row 4 is the series' best entry, it's unquestionably the most modern entry in the series—barring the 2022 reboot that was missing every aspect that made the original games special. This series is at its best when the satirical self-referencing and absurdist comedy are cranked to 11, and this entry, where the main character is elected President before being trapped in a simulation, has all of that in spades.
The entire campaign can be played in co-op with two players. Characters can be imported into other players' games with all their customizations and stats, allowing players to share their hilarious and zany self-expression with each other. They can also matchmake and join a stranger's game, although the server population currently isn't what it once was in 2013.
Dying Light
Open-World Parkour Is Better As A Team
Dying Light
- Released
- January 27, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Survival Horror
Zombie survival and co-op have gone hand in hand for ages, dating back to the original Left 4 Dead and Dead Island games. However, few games capture the feeling of surviving (and thriving) in a zombie apocalypse quite like the Dying Light series.
The parkour mechanics are what truly elevate this franchise, and they do the same for the co-op gameplay. Players can take on missions together and approach them from vastly different angles. They can race up tall structures or through the streets, try to rack up a kill count or see who can survive the longest at night. The variety of builds offered makes combat different for every player who approaches it and allows for some cool synergies between teammates.
Palworld
Collect Pals With Friends, And Collect Friends With Pals
Palworld
- Released
- January 19, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Violence
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Shooter, Survival
While the comparisons to Pokemon will never go away, the fact is that, outside the superficial monster-hunting aspects that the two games share, Palworld is otherwise an entirely different game. This is an open-world survival game and a third-person shooter. Players seek out and collect Pals to join them in battle or to send them home so they can be put to work on the player's base.
There is, naturally, also the option for co-op. Players can invite up to three friends to join them in the game world. They can explore together, tackle missions, work on a shared base, or trade Pals among themselves. Players just need to enable multiplayer mode in the World Settings, after which they can invite anyone with whom they share their server code.
Astroneer
Casually Terraforming Procedural Planets
Astroneer
- Released
- February 6, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
For many players, survival games can be a bit intense. The survival mechanics alone, from crafting to resource management to managing thirst and hunger, can be daunting and distract from the more pleasant aspects of adventuring and exploring a vast new world. This is where a game like Astroneer fills a very important niche. While those survival mechanics are present, they're extremely casual, allowing players to play and progress at their own pace and focus on doing what they find most enjoyable.
The main goal of Astroneer is to terraform multiple planets that gradually increase in complexity, and upon completion of this task, they'll be rewarded with gear and cosmetics. However, this is very much the "pie in the sky" perspective on the game. The reality is that players can do whatever they like. Building, exploring, crafting, or anything in between, Astroneer is a game where a group of friends can jump in and come up with whatever they'd like to do, and then set out and do it, quest goals and campaign progression be damned.
Valheim
2021's Hit Survival Sandbox Features Up To 10-Player Co-Op
Valheim
- Released
- February 2, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- r
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
It's been a minute since Valheim took the world by storm in early 2021, but while the hype may have died down, the game itself remains as excellent as ever. The Norse-inspired world is deeply engrossing, the combat is surprisingly satisfying despite its outward appearances, and the settlement-building component places an urgency on teamwork that few other games can mimic.
While word of mouth may not be as strong as it was in the beginning, Valheim has maintained a consistent player base throughout the last few years. It's seeing more monthly players now than ever before. With co-op baked into its very bones, whether they're building a settlement from the dirt up, charging into Purgatory, or tackling one of Valheim's terrifying bosses, this game is an experience best enjoyed with friends.