Best Co-op Indie Games to Play with a Friend (or a Long-Distance Partner)

Co-op games have a long history of being awkward. The split-screen era was cramped; the early online era was held together by voice chat and prayer. But the last five years have produced a generation of indie co-op games that are designed from the ground up for two players, online or local, and most of them are €20 or less.

This is a roundup of twelve co-op indie games that work brilliantly for two players, with notes on what each one is good for.

The local co-op classics

Overcooked 2

The gold standard of local co-op chaos. Up to four players run a kitchen, prepare dishes, and try not to burn the building down. The game is at its best with two players who can communicate without words. Local co-op only. €20.

Untitled Goose Game (co-op update)

The 2020 co-op update added a second goose. The game is the same short, mischievous adventure, now with twice the chaos. Two players is the right number for this; four is too many. Local co-op only. €20.

Heave Ho

A physics game where two to four players swing from ropes to get across gaps. The comedy comes from the bodies — your character is a noodle that bends in any direction. Easy to pick up, hard to put down. Local co-op only. €10.

Pico Park

A series of 2D puzzle levels that require two players to work together. Some levels are timed, some are pure coordination, some are pure comedy. The game is short (4–6 hours) and rewards multiple runs. Local and online co-op. €5.

The online co-op essentials

It Takes Two

A 12-hour co-op adventure built around the theme of a couple considering divorce. The game forces the two players to work together at every step — literally, with each player having a unique ability that the other needs. Online or local co-op. €30.

A Way Out

The predecessor to It Takes Two, from the same studio. A 6-hour co-op crime story. Less polished than It Takes Two, but the same formula works. Online or local co-op. €15.

Monster Hunter: World

A full-priced AAA game, but it is the best online co-op game of the last decade. Two to four players hunt giant monsters, gather materials, craft gear, and repeat. The loop is addictive in a way no other co-op game has matched. Online co-op. €20 on sale.

Deep Rock Galactic

A four-player co-op FPS where you play as space-mining dwarves, digging through procedurally generated caves, fighting bugs, and extracting minerals. The game is balanced around four players but works well with two. Online co-op. €20 on sale.

The longer commitments

Valheim

A Viking survival game that eats 200 hours without blinking. Build a longhouse, sail a longship, fight mythological Norse creatures. The game is best with 2–5 players. Online co-op. €20.

Raft

A 2-player survival game where you are on a small wooden raft in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by sharks. You collect debris, expand the raft, and survive. The hook is the cooperation — one person steers, the other fishes, both of you build. Online co-op. €20.

Valheim (yes, again)

It’s that good.

Project Zomboid

A zombie survival game with realistic crafting, base-building, and skill progression. Two to four players can survive a small town for weeks in-game. Hard to learn, devastating to lose, and one of the most replayable co-op games ever made. Online co-op. €20.

The smaller experiments

The Gardens Between

A 2-player co-op puzzle game about friendship and time. Each level is a small, beautiful scene that you and your friend navigate together. About 2 hours. Local or online co-op. €15.

We Were Here

A 2-player puzzle game where you and your friend are separated and can only communicate via walkie-talkie. The puzzles require constant, careful communication. About 2 hours per episode. Online co-op. €10 per episode.

The Pedestrian

A 2-player puzzle game about signs and doors. Navigate a city of signs together, opening doors and connecting paths. About 2 hours. Local co-op. €10.

How to choose

For a long-distance partner, It Takes Two is the answer. For a friend who lives nearby, Overcooked 2. For a regular gaming group, Valheim or Deep Rock Galactic. For a short evening, We Were Here or Pico Park.

A note on the best co-op game ever

A short list of co-op games without Portal 2 would be incomplete. Portal 2 is not indie (Valve), but it is the most-played co-op game of the last 20 years. If you have not played it, find someone to play it with. Local or online.

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Playing a co-op game alone. If your co-op partner is unavailable, do not play solo; play a different game. Co-op games are not designed for solo.
2. Choosing a game with bad communication. The best co-op games are designed for players who can talk to each other. The worst assume you can read each other’s mind.
3. Choosing a game with a difficult second player ramp-up. Some co-op games (It Takes Two) are designed for two players from the start. Others (Monster Hunter) have a long single-player ramp-up. Match the game to the players.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the best co-op game for couples?

It Takes Two. The game’s central mechanic — a couple learning to work together — is the best metaphor for couples’ co-op in any game.

What’s the best free co-op game?

Pico Park is €5 and goes on sale for free regularly. The game is best with 2–8 players. The free weekend events are worth waiting for.

What about co-op for kids?

Untitled Goose Game and Overcooked 2 are both good. The goose is hilarious for kids 8+. Overcooked is a great parent-and-kid game.

The bottom line

Co-op games are the most fun you can have with another person and a screen. The twelve games above are the best of the best. Pick one, find a friend, and play.