What are co-op games?

Co-op, short for cooperative, is a multiplayer mode where two or more players work toward a shared goal instead of competing against each other. You're on the same side, splitting roles and covering each other, whether that's a two-player story, a four-cook kitchen, or a raid boss.

How co-op works in practice

Everyone joins the same session and shares one objective, so you win or lose as a group. Some games hand each player a different job, while others just add a second pair of hands to the same task.

You can play in the same room or online. Local co-op keeps everyone on one console, and online co-op links separate machines, sometimes across different platforms through cross-play.

Co-op is the opposite of competitive play. In a battle royale you're fighting everyone else, but in co-op you're all on one team against the game.

Co-op games from our guides

These picks put co-op at the center rather than tacking it on.

• It Takes Two tops our co-op Switch guide, built for exactly two players, with Friend's Pass bringing the second one in free.
• Overcooked! 2 is chaotic four-player kitchen co-op in our Xbox multiplayer list, where clear communication decides whether the team succeeds.
• Helldivers 2 leads our PS5 multiplayer guide as four-player co-op that falls apart without a plan.
• Destiny 2 sits lower on that same PS5 list, pairing co-op strikes and raids with competitive arenas in one free download.

Couch co-op

Couch co-op means everyone crowded around one console in the same room, sharing a single screen. Overcooked! 2 is the classic version, four cooks jammed into one cramped kitchen.

Our two-player Switch guide is full of local picks built for the same couch. No internet connection is needed, since everyone is already sitting together.

Split-screen

Split-screen slices one display into sections so each local player gets their own view. It lets two people share a console without sharing a camera.

Portal 2 runs its co-op campaign in local split-screen or online. On Xbox, Split Fiction, Gears 5, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection all confirm split-screen, so each player sees their own half.