Easy Co-Op Games To Play With Inexperienced Players

Key Takeaways

• Co-op games are great for players of all skill levels, making it enjoyable to play with less experienced friends.
• Games like Kirby: Star Allies and Cat Quest 2 offer easy mechanics and fun experiences, perfect for beginners.
• From Castle Crashers to Among Us, there are numerous co-op games available with simplified gameplay for anyone to enjoy.

Though many single-player games can be quite fun and rewarding, multiplayer co-op games allow numerous players to experience a game together as they overcome obstacles and work towards a shared goal. Co-op games come in a wide variety of forms across several genres. As funny as it is for two experienced players to experience a difficult game like Dark Souls together through co-op, there are several great games out there that can be enjoyed in co-op, even if one player has little to no experience with video games.

These games can be great introductions to their respective genres and have low barriers of entry so anyone can enjoy them. While the ease of some of these games may be offputting to some players, some games like this are able to remain enjoyable for experienced players through elements such as their charm or the elegance of their simplicity. So today, we’re going to examine 10 great co-op games that are perfect to play with less experienced players.

Updated on December 10, 2024, by Mehrdad Khayyat: With the lightning-fast progression of network and internet infrastructures in the world, the gaming industry began to find massive success in multiplayer games where players can team-up with or compete against each other.

The co-op games not only turned into a mainstream genre but also absorbed many new gamers into this hobby, as some of them delivered simple but fun gameplay that allows even rookie gamers to enjoy their free time with friends.

A few of the games listed here only support local co-op.

13 Kirby: Star Allies

Getting Acquainted With Kirby And The Little Friends In A Colorful World

The Kirby franchise is not one that is known for its difficulty, but this does not mean that the games aren’t fun or lack depth. Released for the Switch, Kirby: Star Allies is a four-player platformer that allows players to assume control of several key enemies within the game, gaining access to their unique powers and abilities.

Between Kirby’s trademark copy ability and player’s abilities to switch their characters throughout the game, gameplay is always changing and keeping things fresh without the difficulty growing overbearing.

12 Cat Quest 2

A Simple But Fun Action RPG With Cute Visuals

Cat Quest 2 is an incredibly charming co-op action RPG that puts the players within a world of cats and dogs. Having the players each assume the role of a cat and dog respectively, while the gameplay of Cat Quest 2 is easy to understand, the core gameplay is enjoyable enough to help carry the game without getting stale.

Set in a sizable open world, this hack and slash allows each player to use a variety of spells in addition to their melee attacks as they search for more loot.

11 New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

A Superb First-Step For Every Gamer To Get Familiar With Platformers

The most recent entry in the New Super Mario Bros. series, New Super Mario Bros. U Delux is an updated Switch port of New Super Mario Bros. U, featuring a variety of quality of life improvements.

Playable with up to four players, while the game is far from the most difficult game around, it’s a solid introduction to the platforming genre and can offer some challenges for those looking to obtain every star coin. The game also includes the playable character Toadette who can make the game less difficult for a newcomer looking for digital training wheels.

10 The Binding Of Isaac

A Rougelike Game That Fits Into Every Skill Level

Originally released in 2011, The Binding Of Isaac is a “rogue-like” with co-op capabilities, putting players through randomly generated dungeons that ensure that each playthrough is different.

Not only are the obstacles that players face each time they play The Binding Of Isaac, but the power-ups they obtain differ as well, allowing players to use differing play-styles and strategies based on the power-ups of their given playthroughs.

9 Zombies Ate My Neighbors

A Classic Co-Op Game That Still Holds Up

Zombies Ate My Neighbors was originally released for the SNES in 1993, and is a co-op run-and-gun that can be fun for players of all skill levels. Featuring enemies based on classic horror movies, the game features a solid difficulty curve that scales well with players’ experience with the game, maintaining a solid yet forgiving difficulty.

While the game was originally released for the SNES, it was re-released for the Switch, Xbox One, and PS4.

8 Moon Hunters

A Beginner-Friendly RPG To Play With Rookie Gamers

While not the longest game, Moon Hunters is an incredibly underrated co-op RPG that functions as a playable personality test. One’s character and abilities are dictated by the choices and decisions that players make, keeping things fresh for new and experienced players alike.

Between the personalized experience of the game, its easy-to-understand mechanics, and its forgiving difficulty, Moon Hunters can be a great game to play with those with little experience with RPGs.

7 Unravel Two

Help Each Other To Overcome Difficulties On A Brief Journey

Unlike most games on this list, Unravel Two only supports local co-op and it cannot be played online. The game follows the core gameplay of the original version, but it now features puzzles that require two players to solve.

Unravel Two is a pretty brief experience compare to online co-op games, but it’s still one of those games memorable experiences, thanks to its beautiful visuals, superb puzzles, and simplified gameplay mechanics.

6 Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons Remake

A Heartfelt Story About The Strong Bond Between Two Brothers

For those who are looking for a deep narrative along with engaging gameplay, Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons could be a superb experience to remember. The story follows two brothers who begin a dangerous adventure to find a cure for their sick father.

Throughout the journey, each player takes control of one brother, working with each other to solve puzzles, overcome obstacles, and tackle a variety of missions. The game mostly revolves around platforming puzzles, and they are usually beginner-friendly.

5 Castle Crashers

Smash The Buttons And Defeat Enemies In A Fun Beat’em Up

Developed by the Behemoth, Castle Crashers is a sidescrolling arcade-stylebeat-em-up that features some elements one would find in an RPG. With an incredibly simple plot, and straightforward gameplay, one of the key selling points of Castle Crashers is its incredible use of dialogue-less comedy and hilarious character designs.

Though the game’s combat is easy to learn, bosses grow progressively more difficult as the game progresses, keeping players on their toes.

4 Snipperclips

Alter The Shape Of Characters And Solve Puzzles

Snipperclips is a delightful co-op puzzle game for the Nintendo Switch, getting the most out of the console’s motion controls. With players taking control of living shapes, they can rotate their joy-cons to alter their shape’s positions, alter their shape through snipping and cutting, and using their own bodies to solve puzzles.

Each player takes control of a different character, working with each other to solve a variety of different puzzles. The difficulty of the puzzles is different depending on the number of players.

3 Overcooked 2

Wash, Cook, Serve, And Keep The Customers Happy

As chaotic as it is enjoyable, Overcooked 2 is a co-op game that has up to four players working together to prepare and serve meals. Building upon nearly every element of the previous installment players work against the clock, as they need to manage a variety of tasks that become increasingly tangled and complicated.

Each game takes place on a different map with a variety of unique environmental factors that add up to the challenges that players face in washing the dishes, preparing the ingredients, and cooking the meals.

2 Battleblock Theatre

Start Small And Learn New Mechanics As You Accomplish Missions

Like Castle Crashers, Battleblock Theatre was developed by The Behemoth and is a game that pairs tight gameplay with hilarious comedy. A platformer puzzle game hybrid, the game has an excellent difficulty curve, gradually introducing mechanics throughout its duration.

Between its easy-to-understand controls, rewarding gameplay, and outstanding presentation, Battleblock Theatre is a great co-op experience regardless of players’ prior video game experience.

1 Among Us

A Great Party Game With Simplified Gameplay Mechanics

Among Us is one of those games that can turn a grandma into an avid gamer. The gameplay mechanics and tasks in this game are quite simplified, especially if the player is not an impostor.

It’s all about talking, debating, and being in the right place at the right time. The game is both co-op and PvP at the same time, and it doesn’t really require progression or dedication, as players can drop in or drop out whenever they want.