Best Xbox Co-Op Games: 25 Picks For Xbox Series X And Xbox One

Supports: 2-player local and online multiplayer

Hazelight Studios is the rare developer that wholly embraces co-op when it comes to game design. Its debut title, A Way Out, can only be played cooperatively, either split-screen or online. A Way Out puts players in the roles of two convicts who plan and execute a prison escape. Though each player is often performing different tasks, the objectives you complete inevitably help your partner make progress, and vice versa. It’s a wonderful experience that truly emphasizes teamwork, and because the two roles are different, you can run through it a second time and swap characters. In addition to compelling puzzle, stealth, and shooting gameplay, A Way Out is bolstered by strong writing and performances that really attach you to the plight of these troubled men. A Way Out is an EA Play title, so Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can play it without buying. It also has a buddy pass that allows a friend to play with you online without needing to buy their own copy of the game.

See our A Way Out review.

Supports: 4-player local and online multiplayer

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is one of the best picks for first-person shooter fans who want to play with friends or family. While many shooters don’t offer co-op campaigns (offline or online), the Borderlands franchise is ideal for co-op, and it even supports four-player split-screen. Borderlands: The Handsome Collection comes with Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, two awesome loot shooters filled with intense gunfights, a dizzying amount of loot, and off-the-wall humor that keeps things lighthearted. You could also opt for Borderlands 3, but we picked the Handsome Collection due to the sheer variety of content offered in the package.

See our Borderlands: The Handsome Collection review.

Supports: 4-player local and online multiplayer

Castle Crashers is an Xbox Live Arcade classic and one of the first indie games that really took off on the service for Xbox 360. While it held up pretty well, the remastered version is even better thanks to better textures and frame rate. In Castle Crashers, you and up to three friends play as knights on a journey to save princesses from an evil wizard. The story isn’t what stands out (it’s rather generic); Castle Crashers has excellent hack-and-slash gameplay and a leveling system that improves your abilities the further you progress through the enemy-packed stages. It has great cartoon visuals, a lighthearted tone, and a wide variety of enemies and bosses to slay. If you like action games that feel like they belong in an arcade, Castle Crashers is a solid pick.

Supports: 2-player local multiplayer

StudioMDHR’s Cuphead is essentially a playable 1930s cartoon filled with authentic animations, colorful characters, and a jazzy soundtrack that sizzles and pops to transport you back in time. In addition to being absolutely gorgeous, Cuphead has tremendously designed boss battles, tight controls, and a varied assortment of weapons and perks that change the way you approach each fight. Cuphead and his brother Mugman need to procure soul contracts to give the devil after gambling away their lives. Playing Cuphead cooperatively can get chaotic, but tackling the bosses and run-and-gun levels with a friend can be extremely rewarding. The only downside with Cuphead is that two-player co-op is limited to local multiplayer.

See our Cuphead review.

Supports: 6-player online multiplayer

As a live service game with a vibrant community, it’s no surprise that Destiny 2 has found its way onto this list. Bungie’s much-improved sequel has a massive amount of content, almost all of which is tailored toward online co-op with friends and random Guardians roaming the universe. Teaming up with friends makes Destiny 2’s later game challenges much more doable and, most importantly, more fun. Although Destiny 2 is a few years old, it still receives consistent updates and new content, including the recently released Witch Queen expansion. With numerous meaty expansions available already and multiple more on the way in the next couple of years, Destiny 2 will remain one of the best live service co-op games for a while. A solid chunk of the game is free-to-play and most of the Destiny 2 experience is currently included with a Game Pass subscription. However, the excellent new Witch Queen expansion is not available via Game Pass; you’ll have to buy that separately.

See our Destiny 2: The Witch Queen review.

Supports: 4-player local and online multiplayer

One of the best modern action-RPGs, Diablo 3 has withstood the test of time. Though traditionally thought of as a PC game, Diablo 3 plays extraordinarily well with a controller, giving it a different, more active feel while mowing down and dodging demons with a suite of class-specific abilities. The class system makes Diablo 3 even better as a co-op game, as you and your trio of teammates can balance each other out with a range of unique abilities. The entirety of Diablo 3 including its wealth of endgame content can be played cooperatively. Everything from the expansive loot and class systems to the combat and lore makes Diablo 3 a must-play for action-RPG fans who are looking for something that is constantly engaging but not too mechanically intensive.

See our Diablo 3: Eternal Collection review.

Supports: 2-player local and 4-player online multiplayer

Divinity: Original Sin 2’s Definitive Edition has made its way onto practically every games best list we’ve published. It’s not all too surprising since we awarded it a rare 10/10 in our Divinity: Original Sin 2 review, but it’s a testament to just how breathtaking and original of a game it truly is. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is an old-school CRPG for a new age, complete with a spacious and detailed open world, a meticulously crafted turn-based combat system with near-endless layers, and colorful characters that draw you into its winding story. Online co-op supports up to four players, while local co-op is two-player only. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is brimming with dozens upon dozens of hours of awesome content, and it’s even more satisfying when you play with friends.

See our Divinity: Original Sin 2 review.

Supports: 2-player local and 6-player online multiplayer

Don’t Starve Together takes the well-designed action-survival foundation of the original game and adds the ability to play it cooperatively either online or split-screen. In Don’t Starve Together, your job is simply to survive. By day, you gather resources and fortify your base, but at night you have to defend yourself against waves of enemies. It’s a fulfilling loop, and thanks to randomly generated environments, each run feels unique. Outside of the main survival mode, Don’t Starve Together has two other modes that offer less demanding takes on the gameplay.

Supports: 2-player local and online multiplayer

Even though two mainline Gears of War games launched on Xbox One, we’re recommending Gears of War: Ultimate Edition. A beautiful remaster of the first entry in the series, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition’s campaign holds up remarkably well all these years later. It features the best, most grounded story in the series, and each of the lengthy levels has intricately designed setpieces that help show off the finely tuned third-person shooter gameplay. It’s also just pretty cool to return to the game that popularized the “cover” shooter. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition supports two-player local and online co-op and is available to play for free for Game Pass subscribers.

See our Gears of War: Ultimate Edition review.

Supports: 8-player online multiplayer

Grand Theft Auto Online is one of the most popular online multiplayer games around. Grand Theft Auto Online lets you create a character and complete objectives and get into random shenanigans across San Andreas. While you can make your own fun, there are dedicated missions and a story that takes place before the events of Grand Theft Auto 5 that’s designed to be played cooperatively with friends. Whether you want to complete elaborate and tricky heists with friends or simply see what kind of trouble you can stir up, Grand Theft Auto Online is an expansive cooperative experience that can be your hangout spot to unwind at night. It comes free with Grand Theft Auto 5, which is available on Xbox Game Pass. A standalone version of Grand Theft Auto Online is in the works, too.

See our Grand Theft Auto Online review.

Supports: 2-player local and 4-player online multiplayer

Halo: The Master Chief Collection could be described as the ultimate cooperative first-person shooter for Xbox. The compilation comes with the first four mainline Halo games as well as Halo 3: ODST and Halo Reach. All six games feature campaigns that can be played cooperatively either online or split-screen. You really can’t go wrong here, as several of the best FPS games ever made are featured in this collection. In addition to the campaigns, you can join up with friends to try to survive in Firefight, a horde mode featured in ODST and Reach. Halo: The Master Chief Collection is available to play for free if you’re a Game Pass subscriber.

See our Halo: The Master Chief Collection review.

Supports: 2-player local and online multiplayer

Developed by the team behind A Way Out, It Takes Two is also exclusively a cooperative game. As you can probably guess by the title, you and a partner work together to solve puzzles and complete platforming sequences across an intricately designed world filled with creativity and wonder. When Rose learns her parents are splitting up, she consults her book about relationships while holding dolls resembling her parents. As her tears hit the dolls, her parents’ minds transplant into the toys. Playing as either Cody or May, you and your partner travel in and around the house–which now seems quite large–in search of Rose. It Takes Two has some seriously great platforming sequences, boss battles, and puzzles, and they often require teamwork to make progress. Though It Takes Two deals with a heavy subject matter, it has a lot of heart and humor baked into the narrative. You can play it split-screen either locally or online; if you’re playing online, you and your partner only need one copy of the game.

See our It Takes Two review.

Supports: 2-player local multiplayer

Lego Marvel Collection is a great pick for families looking for a lighthearted and breezy cooperative experience. It contains three Lego Marvel games: Lego Marvel’s Avengers, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, and Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2. Each game supports local co-op for two players and lets you take control of a huge variety of Marvel heroes. Traveller’s Tales’ Lego games have a great pick-up-and-play vibe to them, with simple mechanics that are great for young children learning the ropes.

Supports: 4-player local multiplayer

Along with having a really cool title and adorable bunnies, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a deftly crafted space shooter with a tactical bent. This frantic couch co-op adventure demands communication with your teammates to find success. Together, you pilot a uniquely designed neon spaceship in an attempt to save bunnies from the Anti-Love–terrible beings who hate love for some reason. The ship is equipped with turrets, lasers, shields, and more; the challenge here is that you have to be thinking about both offense and defense and make fast decisions. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime’s vivid, eye-catching visuals and abundance of charm help bolster its solid gameplay loop.

Supports: 4-player local and 8-player online multiplayer

Minecraft is ubiquitous at this point. If you’re reading this list, there’s probably a good chance you’ve already tried the sandbox sim at some point over the past decade. Regardless, it’s worth mentioning Minecraft here, as it supports split-screen local or online multiplayer for up to four players. Creating Minecraft worlds alone is fun, but putting the pieces together alongside friends and family can be an even more exciting experience. Minecraft is a great pick for families and has pretty solid educational value along with being enjoyable. It’s also available on Game Pass.

See our Minecraft review.

Supports: 4-player local and online multiplayer

Minecraft Dungeons could aptly be described as Diablo without the blood and demonic atmosphere. Although it features the look and familiar trappings of Minecraft, you don’t actually need to be a big Minecraft fan to dive deep into Minecraft Dungeons. It’s an action-RPG played from an isometric perspective and is filled with loot and hordes of baddies to chop down. The combat system is fairly straightforward but remains fresh throughout thanks to the wealth of customization features, cool levels, and wide variety of enemies. You can play Minecraft Dungeons with up to four players locally or online, and it’s available to play for free for Game Pass subscribers.

See our Minecraft Dungeons review.

Supports: 4-player online multiplayer

Monster Hunter World was a breakthrough game for Capcom. While the series has always been popular in Japan, it had a dedicated but relatively small fanbase in the US. Monster Hunter World changed that en route to becoming one of the most popular games in 2018. Monster Hunter World follows the same basic formula seen in all games in the series. You play as a hunter tasked with tracking and slaying (or capturing) challenging monsters. World ushers in more detailed graphics and monster animations along with seamless environments that are a joy to explore. Monster Hunter World’s combat system is uniquely rigorous and forces players to really get to know their abilities as well as their prey. The massive Iceborne expansion adds an additional lengthy campaign and heaps of awesome endgame content. It’s easy to sink hundreds of hours into Monster Hunter World. Though playable solo, Monster Hunter World is primarily an online co-op game for up to four hunters. Monster Hunter World is available on Game Pass, but you have to buy the Iceborne expansion separately.

See our Monster Hunter World and Iceborne review.

Supports: 4-player local and online multiplayer

Overcooked: All You Can Eat compiles two stellar cooking games (as well as a bunch of DLC) in one awesome package. Although it’s accurate to call them cooking games, neither game offers a leisurely experience where you get to stop and admire your dishes. Played from a top-down perspective, Overcooked is a frantic cooking sim that demands quick wits and the ability to stay calm in the kitchen. Each level asks you and up to three friends to prepare dishes for hungry patrons. Sounds simple enough, right? Not quite. You only have a short amount of time to make your meals, and the kitchens themselves are dynamically designed to produce mayhem. Anyone can jump into Overcooked’s fast-paced cooking action thanks to a simplistic control scheme, but gathering ingredients and preparing dishes requires teamwork and solid communication skills. The All You Can Eat bundle is chock-full of hilarious fun whether you’re playing online or on the same couch with friends.

See our Overcooked review and Overcooked 2 review.

Supports: 4-player local multiplayer

Rayman Legends is one of the best side-scrolling platformers on Xbox. Featuring more than 120 unique levels, a catchy soundtrack, and a gorgeous visual design, Rayman Legends offers a robust platforming experience that can be played alongside three friends. In addition to strong platforming sequences, Rayman Legends has a bevy of great puzzles and loads of secrets to uncover.

See our Rayman Legends review.

Supports: 4-player online multiplayer

Sea of Thieves lets you and your friends live out your pirate dreams. Sailing the high seas in search of treasure is an experience tailor-made for co-op. The shared universe of Sea of Thieves means that you and your friends are adventuring in murky waters; you never know when another group will attack and try to steal your loot. While Sea of Thieves has cartoonish visuals and a relatively humorous tone, it’s a deeply engrossing experience filled with a plethora of activities. Rare has made great strides with Sea of Thieves since it originally launched in 2018, and now it’s absolutely crammed with exciting missions and activities to complete. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can play Sea of Thieves for free.

See our Sea of Thieves review.

Supports: 4-player local multiplayer

Spelunky actually originally released on Xbox 360, but backwards compatibility has kept this modern roguelike classic alive ever since. In Spelunky, you play as an adventurer navigating through hazardous tunnels in search of treasure. 16 mainline levels are split across four distinct worlds. While this doesn’t sound like a ton of content, Spelunky is brutally challenging. Each time you die, you have to start from the beginning. To keep things fresh, all of the levels are procedurally generated, so the layout of the tunnels as well as their perilous obstacles and enemies changes with each run. Spelunky is one of those games you really have to play to truly appreciate it. The platforming mechanics have a unique feel to them that takes some time to master. Spelunky’s loop is devilishly fun; before long, you’ll be scouring Spelunky’s mysterious levels to uncover its bounty of secrets. When you play cooperatively, you can bring your teammates back from the dead, which is quite handy in a game where you have to start over when everyone meets their bloody end.

See our Spelunky review.

Supports: 4-player local and online multiplayer

Stardew Valley’s recent 1.5 update added split-screen co-op for up to four players, so now you can play the incredible farming sim with friends on the same couch as well as online. If you have played Stardew Valley before, the multiplayer mode is almost identical. You and your friends can tend to your farm, build relationships with NPCs, explore the mines, and simply enjoy each other’s company. Though Stardew Valley started out as a Harvest Moon clone, it wound up becoming one of the best simulation games ever made. Oozing with charm and essentially endless replay value, Stardew Valley is an ideal co-op game for those looking for a more tranquil experience.

See our Stardew Valley review.

Supports: 4-player local and 2-player online multiplayer

Streets of Rage 4, the first entry in the classic beat-’em-up franchise in more than 25 years, feels both refreshing and nostalgic all at once. It plays almost exactly like its old-school predecessors, giving it an authentic feel that takes you back to the glory days of the genre. But games like Streets of Rage 4 aren’t all too common nowadays, so it’s a joy to return to such a fun, straightforward style of action game. Streets of Rage 4 does have modern visuals and more elaborate animations, which helps give it a decidedly new vibe. It doesn’t overstay its welcome either. With just 12 main levels and four secret retro levels, Streets of Rage 4 is the perfect game to play over the course of a weekend. Like other games in the series, it’s better played with friends on the couch. Streets of Rage 4 supports four-player local co-op and two-player online co-op, and Game Pass subscribers can check it out for free.

See our Streets of Rage 4 review.

Supports: 4-player online multiplayer

Much like Destiny 2, The Division 2 is an always-online shooter designed to be played alongside friends. A third-person cover shooter at heart, The Division 2 places you in the role of an agent attempting to quell civil unrest in Washington, DC. While the post-pandemic world is a tad disconcerting given recent events, The Division 2 has a really strong loop that focuses on loot and improving your agent’s build. The lengthy mainline story is filled with engaging missions and a ton of side content. When the credits roll, you still have plenty to do thanks to a serious amount of challenging endgame content. If you grab the Warlords of New York Edition, you’ll also get the excellent expansion set in New York City. The Division 2 features online co-op for up to four players for main missions, while some raids support up to eight players.

See our The Division 2 review.

Supports: 2-player local multiplayer

Unravel 2 is a charming platformer starring two yarn creatures who are tied together. The premise itself signals that Unravel 2’s platforming challenges require teamwork, and thankfully this mechanic works incredibly well as you try to cross dangerous gaps or solve puzzles. Unravel 2’s serene world is gorgeous to behold, and the pleasant nature and tone of your journey makes this a relaxing platforming experience. Unravel 2’s co-op is limited to local play, which makes this a great game to play with your partner or kids. As an EA Play title, you can play Unravel 2 for free if you’re a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber.

See our Unravel 2 review.