Best Co-Op Video Games To Play With Your Friends Right Now

Games don't have to be played entirely in isolation, with some of the greatest ones of all time built around multiplayer action. But more than just competitive games that pit players against each other, co-op games offer the next level in sheer fun factor. Whether it's squad-based online multiplayer games or local puzzle and platforming titles, there is a co-op game for everyone. Sitting down with friends to jump in on these experiences evokes that classic gaming feel of playing together in a den on weekends, bonding over flat soda and cold pizza.

Co-op games have been around for decades and that multiplayer format has only grown in recent years. While competitive multiplayer and solo titles certainly have their own charm, there's something about cooperative multiplayer experiences that just hits different. Gamers can team up for first and third-person shooters, side-scrolling beat-'em-ups and more to get their co-op kicks. Here are the best co-op video games to play with your friends right now, readily available on modern platforms.

After experimenting with cooperative multiplayer experiences for the franchise with the "Resident Evil Outbreak" games, Capcom narrowed the team focus for 2009's "Resident Evil 5." The game has returning protagonist Chris Redfield team up with new partner Sheva Alomar for a mission in West Africa involving another bioweapon outbreak. Chris discovers his old nemesis Albert Wesker is behind this monstrous contagion, leading to a heated final showdown between the longtime enemies. The game's DLC expansions retain the two-person team mechanic, including a prequel mission reuniting Chris with his classic partner Jill Valentine.

The blend of third-person action with co-op multiplayer in this 2009 installment continued to mark the stunning transformation of "Resident Evil." It's also a game where playing with an AI partner instead of another player is one of the things in "Resident Evil" that made us want to rage quit the game. Just like Chris Redfield learns he can't finish his feud with Wesker alone, players really need somebody rather than playing alone with the subpar AI. "Resident Evil 5" is built largely around the idea of partnership, and gameplay quality excels significantly when played in co-op as intended.

For years, Xbox's marquee franchise was "Halo," a first-person shooter series that's been a staple on Xbox consoles since 2001. Most of the mainline entries of the series were compiled into "Halo: The Master Chief Collection" for the Xbox One in 2014. The games' campaign modes offer online co-op, with most of them allowing for up to four players working together. "Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition" and "Halo 2" allow up to a two-player co-op experience, giving players the opportunity to experience the "Halo" games from worst to best.

Though "Halo: The Master Chief Collection" had a disastrous launch, the compilation received numerous patches to improve the overall experience significantly. The games have been remastered for modern platforms, retaining their original charm while providing a more intuitive and slightly upgraded presentation. In addition to the co-op campaigns, all the classic multiplayer modes like "Capture the Flag" and "King of the Hill" offer team-based fun. For those who want a break from playing individually, the online co-op and team-based modes in "Halo: The Master Chief Collection" showcase why the franchise is such a perennial favorite.

Some of the biggest games come from the smallest studios and a prime example of this is the 2016 indie title "Overcooked." The game follows a small team of short-order cooks working in a restaurant kitchen trying to keep up with the influx of customers. As the game progresses, the kitchen layouts become more fantastical and challenging, while the orders become slightly more elaborate. "Overcooked" also features a team-based competitive gameplay mode, where multiple teams of cooks work together to try to outdo the others in the kitchen.

Though you can ostensibly play "Overcooked" alone, with a computer partner, the game is really built to be played with at least two people. This will leave players either coordinating closely or anxiously putting their friendships to the culinary test. That makes an effective team feel all the more victorious through each dinner rush, with each successfully completed order its own triumph. While you wait for "Overcooked 3," the first two "Overcooked" games remain available on virtually all major gaming platforms and still hold up wonderfully.

The 2021 action-adventure platformer "It Takes Two" is strictly co-op only, either locally or through online matchmaking, and offers no single-player option. Players control estranged married couple Cody and May, who are planning to divorce only to be inadvertently cursed by their daughter Rose's tears. The curse transfers Cody and May's consciousness into handmade dolls, with them having to navigate their house and yard as they search for a way to return to their bodies. As they work together, Cody and May rediscover their love for each other and begin to mend their relationship.

While "It Takes Two" is primarily a platformer, the title really does blend a variety of gameplay styles effectively. The game revolves around a genuinely sentimental story that lends a real sense of stakes to its progression. And while the gameplay itself is relatively simple, it truly takes a solid partnership to successfully advance and complete the game. A critical darling that deserves all the hype it received upon its launch, "It Takes Two" offers a premier co-op experience.

Side-scrolling beat-'em-ups like "Double Dragon" and "Streets of Rage" are best experienced with friends to help you pummel the waves of enemies. French game developer and publisher Dotemu has excelled at reviving arcade-style beat-'em-up experiences with its titles, including 2022's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge." The game remixes the classic aesthetic from the '80s animated series and the video games it inspired into a modern adventure, featuring the Ninja Turtles and their allies teaming up to stop Shredder and Krang's latest bid to conquer New York City with their formidable army of Foot Soldiers.

"Shredder's Revenge" is a full-on love letter to the best Ninja Turtles games and the animated series that they were spun off from. Even those who didn't grow up playing the iconic Ninja Turtles games from the '80s and '90s will enjoy the hand-to-hand thrills here. "Shredder's Revenge" also received DLC that brought in fan-favorite Usagi Yojimbo while continuing the story with more playable characters. The best modern beat-'em-up game around, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge" is a must-play for fans of the genre and franchise.