The best co-op and couch games
What to look for in games you play with someone in the same room, and how local co-op differs from online.
Playing with someone on the same sofa is a different experience from playing with them online, and fewer games support it than you would expect. Here is how to find the ones that do.
What is the difference between online co-op and local co-op?
Local co-op (also called couch co-op) means two or more people playing on one console, in one room, sharing a screen or using split-screen. You need one copy of the game and enough controllers.
Online co-op means each player has their own console and their own copy, playing together over the internet. Usually it also requires a subscription on console.
Two practical consequences. Local co-op costs far less — one game, one console. And it is a genuinely different social experience; the talking and the shouting are part of it in a way a headset does not replicate.
Some games offer both, some only one. A game advertised as "co-op" is frequently online-only, which is the most common disappointment in this category.
What are good games to play with a friend on one console?
Rather than a list that dates, look for these things:
Split-screen support stated explicitly. Check the box or store page — it is listed under features, and its absence is the thing to look for.
The number of local players, which is separate from the number of online players. A game can support eight online and two locally.
Shared-screen rather than split-screen for some games, which works better on a smaller television.
Genres that reliably support local play: fighting games, sports, racing, party games, and co-op platformers. Genres that usually do not: large open-world games, shooters, and most modern RPGs.
What are the best family party games?
Look for short rounds, simple rules, and a design where a beginner can occasionally beat an experienced player. Mario Kart is the standard example, and party games covers what makes a good one.
One practical advantage worth knowing: on a Nintendo Switch, each Joy-Con works as a controller on its own, so a single console supports several players without buying extra controllers. For families, that is a real saving — a four-player game on another console means buying four controllers.
Before you buy
Count your controllers. A four-player game with two controllers is a two-player game. Controllers often cost more than the game.
Check split-screen specifically, not just "multiplayer" on the box.
Consider your screen size. Split-screen on a small television gives each player a small view; shared-screen games avoid this.
Tell us on 16280 how many people play and on which console, and we will suggest titles that actually support that number locally — it is a question worth asking before buying rather than after.
See our Nintendo Switch and PS4 pages.