Best Classic Games With Timeless Co-Op Modes

Key Takeaways

• Co-op games offer timeless fun and unique joy of playing with friends in person and online.
• Top picks for 4-player co-op games include Overcooked, Gauntlet, and Left 4 Dead 2.
• Games like Streets of Rage 2, Contra, and Diablo 2 also provide exciting and satisfying co-op experiences.

One of the best innovations gaming ever made was the proliferation of co-op games wherever a gamer is likely to look. However, it’s far from a recent invention, and there are some incredibly timeless co-op games that still hold up today, and are likely to be firm favorites far into the future.

Whether it’s manic indie games about getting dishes out on time or mowing down the zombie hordes, co-op games have a timeless quality, making them fun in perpetuity.

8 Overcooked

Order’s Up In Hell’s Kitchen

When online gaming got really big, some thought that the days of couch co-op might be dead. However, games like Overcooked proved that even if online functionality was retained, there’s a unique joy to playing games with friends in person, particularly the unique chaos of multitasking games.

In Overcooked, gamers play as kitchen staff desperately trying to put together dishes and send them out to the dining room in increasingly absurd situations that require constant communication and very quickly lead to disaster. It’s a hell of a lot of fun, and it hasn’t aged a day since release.

7 Gauntlet (2014)

Top-Down Slaughterhouse

Naturally, the games from old arcade cabinets make great co-op experiences, because they were specifically designed to be played with and among friends. This 2014 remake of the original 1985 arcade classic, Gauntlet, is a faithful remake that retains all the charm of the original while retaining its timeless co-op spirit.

Gamers take the role of various fantasy archetypes, cutting and hacking their way through dungeons filled to the brim with monsters that erupt in gore and guts. It’s fast, frenetic, and a visceral experience requiring teamwork with friends. The old formula still works.

6 Left 4 Dead 2

FPS Zombie Mayhem Has Still Never Been Better

Ever since its release in 2009, it’s hard to argue that any zombie co-op game has truly surpassed Left 4 Dead 2 in terms of longevity and sheer visceral fun, fueled by constantly updating fan-made custom campaigns and a rock-solid mechanical foundation.

In the game, players take on the role of a survivor forced to make their way through a hellish scenario flooded with zombies controlled by the AI director to maximize stress (and fun). It’s a genuine challenge, but no matter how much its graphics age, it is an absolute blast to play — especially with a close group of friends.

5 Streets Of Rage 2

Beat Em The Hell Up

Though side-scrolling Beat ‘Em Ups are somewhat out of fashion these days, the genre has a strong lineage of rock solid mechanical fun, with games like Streets of Rage 2 being way ahead of their time in terms of their gameplay and outsized influence over the genre.

Up to two players can help each other through the fearsome and difficult gauntlet of levels, healing each other when downed and sharing items, as well as strategizing once the big guys arrive. It’s a lot of simple but effective fun that’s well worth trying for anyone who hasn’t tried the genre before.

4 Contra

Those Aliens Never Stood A Chance

Contra is an infamously difficult arcade game from the glory years of that era, but it’s also got incredibly satisfying side-scrolling shooting combat, where co-operative play adds a whole new dimension that makes things a little easier and twice as fun.

Two players can team up to heal each other, fight off hordes of enemies, and even take bullets for each other if needed. Considering the infamy of the game’s difficulty, players will likely want that extra help, and it’s an incredibly satisfying experience to beat one of gaming’s more fearsome experiences together.

3 Diablo 2

Loot The Hells With Friends

While the Diablo franchise has matured into the definitive isometric looter RPG game, it’s worth mentioning that that reputation really began with the release of Diablo 2, where co-operative gaming was a crucial part in cementing that reputation, which has continued with the well-regarded remake of the classic that released in 2021.

By playing co-op, players are able to buff and heal each other, as well as deal far more damage to the hordes of hell, meaning that co-op play brings out entirely new mechanical dimensions to the game. Old veterans and new players alike have a lot to enjoy with the timeless fun of old-school Diablo action.

2 Portal 2

Science With Friends

Following the cult classic Portal was no mean feat, but Valve pulled out all the stops and released Portal 2, which many consider to be the objectively superior game in the series, partly because of its incredible custom-built co-op campaign that introduces many new layers to the game (and that’s saying nothing about the incredible new suites of fan-made content).

With two players, each with a portal gun, four total portals come into play, driving up the complexity of puzzles, and also driving up the inevitable mischief both players will get up to. The co-op campaign hasn’t aged a day, and it’s just as good as it was when it first released. This one is essential for any co-op gamers looking for some fun puzzling action.

1 Super Mario 3D World

What’s A Mario Without A Luigi

Considering that the original Super Smash Bros. had co-op play (though, both Mario and Luigi couldn’t be on the screen at the same time back then), it’s no surprise that the new ‘modern’ favorite, Super Mario 3D World on the Wii U, has comprehensive co-operative capability, with many of the game’s systems specifically designed with co-op in mind.

With a distinctive and strong art style, engaging gameplay, and a lighthearted spirit, this game hasn’t aged a day in over a decade since its initial release, and it’s still an absolute riot to play with friends, whether they’re old veterans of platformers or just dipping their toe in for the first time. It’s difficult to find games that age better for co-op play than anything in the Mario franchise.