Best Story-Driven Co-Op Games

An immersive story can leave players with long-lasting memories and times a game made an impact on their lives. When a game constructs a story that pushes the player’s emotions to the forefront, it shows why storytelling through an interactive medium can be so much more impactful than a passive medium.

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Like with movies and TV shows, the experience can be greatly enhanced by getting to experience them with other people. When watching something, this is easy, but when it comes to a game, both players need to be fully immersed in the story for it to have the greatest impact. Co-op games have come a long way over the years and can pull both players along in such a way that they get an incredible shared experience.

Updated January 7, 2024, by Hamza Haq: While the mainstream gaming industry focuses on the single-player and multiplayer gaming experience, there are a few developers and studios that have made narrative-based co-op games their entire identity. This means that fans of the genre will find plenty of options to choose from, even if they’re not necessarily AAA-quality titles.

30

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Relive the Legendary Saga with a Friend

Systems

Released

November 11, 2014

Players who wanted to get into the Halo series but were unable to for the longest time will love the fact that this Xbox franchise decided to release a remastered collection of the first three games in the series, letting new players experience Master Chief’s journey from the very beginning. This is already a treat as is, but what makes this even better is that these campaigns can be enjoyed in co-op too.

While The Master Chief Collection was rightfully criticized for its initial online matchmaking issues, most of these problems have been ironed out. What’s left now is a solid FPS experience that spans multiple games and lets players play through these legendary titles with a friend to enjoy the greatness of Halo at its peak.

29

Far Cry 5

Tear Down a Cult, Together

Far Cry 5 was a return to form for the series after some people felt like the previous game was resting on its laurels. The engaging open world, fun optional content, and compelling villains help Far Cry 5 stand out as one of the best games in the series from both an open-world and storytelling perspective.

Not only was the core gameplay a blast to engage with, but players could also go through the game in co-op. Tackling missions with a friend makes for a great time, and it’s easy to see why most people love to play through Far Cry 5 with a buddy, tearing down the game’s villainous religious cult as they blast through enemies and bases.

28

As Dusk Falls

Collaborative Storytelling at Its Best

A great thing about indie gaming is that certain titles decide to experiment with their narratives and try new, more interactive methods for providing player choice. Such is the case with As Dusk Falls, which somehow turns a narrative adventure into a co-op experience where players vote on the path that the game’s stories take.

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As Dusk Falls features some harrowing decision-making that can be pretty hard to deal with at times. This is a win for the game, which manages to invest players in a story surrounding a conflict between two families, each with their own dark histories, that takes place across two books. Making decisions and voting on how the story proceeds in co-op makes for a simple yet more engaging way to enjoy this story-driven experience, as each choice plays a significant role in the events that follow.

27

Dying Light 2

Parkour and Zombies

Dying Light was a massive success, with players loving the idea of tackling zombies while engaging in some fun parkour action. Players loved how tense things could get while outrunning zombies at night, using the safety of daylight to scrounge for supplies and progress the story. So, it was only a matter of time before a sequel to this title would come out, and Dying Light 2 didn’t disappoint.

While some people found the game to be a bit too bland for their liking, it wasn’t too hard to overlook these faults once players engaged with the fun traversal mechanics and excellent action. Just like its predecessor, Dying Light 2 can be played in co-op with a friend, letting players enjoy a decent story as they hack and slash their way through countless zombies.

26

Borderlands 3

Loot and Shoot with Friends

The Borderlands games arguably kickstarted the trend of co-op looter shooters that have become all the rage nowadays. The second game is considered by many to be a series highlight, which is why so many fans were disappointed to find out that the third game didn’t really do anything innovative and focused on what works instead, making for a rather bland experience.

Still, this doesn’t mean that Borderlands 3 is a bad game by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, once players team up with their buddies to tackle the wealth of missions present in this title, they’ll be more than happy with what this title brings to the table.

25

Grounded

Co-op Survival in a Giant Backyard

Grounded is a survival action-adventure game developed by Obsidian Entertainment that puts players in the shoes of a character that has just been shrunk down to the size of an ant and placed in a back garden filled with flora and fauna that towers over them, giving the game an awesome sense of scale. More than just a standard survival game, Grounded puts a lot of focus on the story aspect, delving into what caused the shrinking incident to happen and why.

Grounded allows for up to 4-player co-op, with each player having to choose one of the main characters (Max, Willow, Pete, or Hoops) as their avatar. The overarching story integrates this party of four, which makes the addition of more members not feel out of place.

24

Spiritfarer

Sail into the Afterlife, Hand in Hand

Few developers have the courage to tackle something as somber as death in a video game setting, but that is exactly what the indie devs at Thunder Lotus Games have achieved with Spiritfarer, a management simulation and action game that delves deep into what it means to die by forcing players to come face to face with this inevitable reality.

While Spiritfarer can be enjoyed alone, it can also be played in co-op mode, allowing up to two players to board the same ship and carry out the duties of the Spiritfarer in tandem. The game offers both online and couch co-op, allowing two players to play on the same device. Not only that, but the couch co-op experience is well thought out; Player 2 can do basically everything Player 1 can except talk to people, and the game presentation accounts for multiple participants adequately.

23

Saints Row: The Third

Over-the-Top Co-op Chaos

The third Saints Row game upped the ante when it came to the ridiculousness most people have come to expect from this series. It ramped up the comedy to the max, letting players control Playa as they engage in a wealth of over-the-top missions in a world brimming with style.

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Players who may be having second thoughts about playing this game will be sold from the moment they find out that it supports co-op play. Wreaking havoc in Steelport is a ton of fun with friends, and it’s a shame that the Saints Row remake completely missed the mark when it came to what players were expecting from this beloved open-world series.

22

Baldur’s Gate 3

Epic Co-op in a Legendary RPG

Larian Studios has become one of the most prominent names in the video game industry, in no small part due to the release of a much-awaited third chapter in the Baldur’s Gate series that has completely blown everyone’s minds. If players are looking for an RPG that does justice to this genre, then Baldur’s Gate 3 is the perfect choice.

The sheer amount of love and effort present in every corner of the game world is truly marvelous. Baldur’s Gate 3 genuinely lets players enjoy a personal story where the majority of choices they make alter the flow of the story in meaningful ways.

21

Divinity: Original Sin

RPG Co-op Perfection

Given how amazing the second Divinity: Original Sin title is, it’s a shame that not many people talk about the first title in the series. It may have some rough edges, but Divinity: Original Sin marked the start of something special. It’s the game that set the foundation for Larian’s rise to worldwide fame and commercial success, after all.

The CRPG is perfect for co-op play too, since the story features two Source Hunters as the protagonists of an epic tale. The story can have its issues and some gameplay mechanics are easily exploited, but two players who go through the adventure together won’t find this to be an issue in the slightest once they get lost in the game’s massive world and engaging gameplay.

20

Resident Evil 5

Fight Bioterror with a Partner

Many people consider Resident Evil 5 to be the game that sent the series down a maligned route where bombastic action and spectacle were prioritized over actual horror. After all, Resident Evil 4 was a massive success, and Capcom decided to go all-in on the action moments without retaining a lot of the tense situations that made this legendary title such a brilliant evolution in the first place.

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However, despite its many flaws, many people still have a blast playing through Resident Evil 5, especially if they’ve already been following the series’ overarching story for a while. The game may lack a lot of what made the series special, but the co-op action in this game is good enough to make up for its faults.

19

Borderlands 2

Double the Fun in Pandora’s Chaos

Borderlands 2 is one of the most legendary co-op FPS games of all time, being a massive improvement over the first game in every way and doing a great job of letting players enjoy the desolate, stylized world of this game while going on many missions and clearing out waves of enemies. Teaming up and killing off enemies makes for a great time in this title, and many fans still love this title to death even if it may not have aged all that well.

Regardless, the great humor and fun combat still hold up pretty well, and fans will have a great time gallivanting through the world of Borderlands 2 and enjoying everything this title has to offer. The selection of heroes is pretty great, and players can embark on an adventure with more than two people if they wish.

18

Child Of Light

Poetic Journey for Two

Given how many people feel that Ubisoft makes cookie-cutter open-world games, it’s easy to see why many people feel that Child of Light is a game made by this publisher. This game combines the hallmarks of platforming games with role-playing elements to make for a unique indie title that players will have a great time with.

The entire game is structured like a poem, with pretty much everyone speaking in rhymes. While this shtick can get somewhat repetitive, the game’s focus on treating itself like a playable poem with its amazing watercolor art style makes it feel way more unique than most other games out there. Child of Light may not blow anyone’s socks off, but the game is worth checking out for fans of both genres regardless.

17

Crusader Kings 3

Plot, Scheme, and Rule

Crusader Kings 3 is a pretty engaging game as is, with the emergent storytelling of this title being quite brilliant. To make things even better, this game supports multiplayer and lets different players roleplay as rulers set on achieving glory at all costs, even if it means going against their friends.

5:09

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However, the multiplayer of Crusader Kings 3 doesn’t necessarily need to be antagonistic in nature. Players can take on the role of rulers and their vassals, making it quite fun to team up and strategize to rule efficiently.

16

Dying Light

Escape the Horde, Together

Dying Light is a pretty great game that combines zombies and parkour for great results. The gameplay of this title is great as is, and the best part about Dying Light is that players can enjoy this masterpiece in co-op.

Jumping around the urban sprawl in this game and finding loot while killing and avoiding zombies makes for a great time. Dying Light‘s story may not be the most riveting tale around, but the gameplay manages to be interesting enough to keep players invested in the long run.

15

Darksiders Genesis

Co-op Hack-and-Slash Adventure

The Darksiders series was in a weird state of limbo after the third game didn’t set the stage ablaze. The studio decided to rework the formula, turning this action-adventure series into a top-down hack-and-slash title.

Not only is Darksiders Genesis a ton of fun and manages to retain the beloved Darksiders feel, but it also features co-op support. Controlling Strife and War in this engaging title makes for a great time, especially since the combat is so much fun.

14

The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan

Choose Your Fate Together

Supermassive Games’ Man of Medan is an interactive psychological horror game built from the ground up with co-op in mind. As a narrative-driven game, Man of Medan pulls through on a promise many games make, but few deliver on: choices with consequences.

While not every single dialogue choice players make will have game-changing repercussions, enough of them do that deciding what to say and what to do in certain situations always feels impactful. The graphics are excellent, and the character storylines are engaging. But the most fun to be had in Man of Medan is when playing together with someone in co-op. Players pick one character each to control throughout the story, and it’s entirely possible to pull one over the co-op partner instead of playing nice together.

13

Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light

Tomb Raiding Fun

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light was a major shake-up for the series. Many fans wondered whether the game could handle the switch to a top-down action-adventure title, but Guardian of Light managed to justify this genre shift and then some.

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The inclusion of co-op certainly made things more interesting and allowed players to experience the amazing adventures of Lara Croft with their friends. It’s a simple and fun game that is perfect to experience with friends.

12

Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons

A Sibling Adventure

Josef Fares has made a name for himself by creating great co-op experiences with amazing stories. For what it’s worth, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons was made with the idea that one person would control the characters at the same time with two joysticks, but this game actually has proper co-op integration on the Switch.

Brothers is an emotional tale that hits players in the gut right around the ending, which can be quite hard to deal with. Thankfully, experiencing this title with a friend will make things easier.

11

Stardew Valley

Share the Harvest, Share the Fun

Stardew Valley is one of the most popular farming simulators around right now, which is great since farming is just one of the many areas where this game excels. The amazing characters and the underlying narrative of this game are what make Stardew Valley such a beloved masterpiece from top to bottom.

As the icing on this loaded cake, Stardew Valley also has co-op support to help friends enjoy this masterful title. Players who want to zen out and not partake in the action-fest that most video games have become will have a great time with Stardew Valley, especially with friends.