2023 has been a fantastic year for multiplayer lovers, and we’ve rounded up the best co-op games of the year right here.
From strategic battles to immersive storytelling, this list highlights titles that redefine teamwork by allowing players to fully commit to camaraderie and, of course, cooperation. So, read on for the best co-op games to play with friends in 2023.
Lethal Company
Lethal Company is the most recent entry on this list. Having only released in October, 2023, this co-op survival horror has, so far, blown players away. While it’s still just in Early Access at the time of writing, Lethal Company still allows you and your friends, who are part of an intergalactic company, to explore several abandoned, desolate and uninhabitable moons to collect scrap items and sell them for cosmetics, essential survival items, or to fulfill a quota that ensures you stay employed (and alive).
Lethal Company does an excellent job of testing you and your friends’ wit, survival instincts and cooperation abilities. It has succeeded in winning several players over with its intriguing world, mysterious sci-fi elements, terrifying creatures and random scenarios that provide tons of fun and humor for the whole party.
Remnant 2
Remnant 2 is the highly acclaimed sequel to third-person shooter Soulslike Remnant: From the Ashes. Remnant 2 expands the series’ world by introducing several new worlds and levels to traverse, obstacles to overcome, puzzles to solve, and, of course, lots of bosses to defeat. Encountering and overcoming these hurdles with friends is the optimal experience, as developer Gunfire Games did an excellent job crafting a game built for several players. Remnant 2 boasts great drop-in drop-out support, stable servers, and excellent balancing for bosses, so fights are still satisfying, even with a full team.
Dead Island 2
After several years stuck in development hell, Dambuster Studios proved that the wait was worth it when Dead Island 2 launched in 2023. In the bloody sequel, you explore sunny HEL-LA, which is, unfortunately, plagued by the undead. Like other games in the series, you and your friends can use several items you find around you to impale, bludgeon and dismantle zombies in any way you deem fit, use traditional firearms when the opportunity presents itself, or take advantage of the brand new zombie powers added in this entry. These features add significant variety to combat, making taking down the undead an absolute blast, while taking on story missions with friends provides endless bloody fun.
Party Animals
Party Animals is a goofy party game that’s even more enjoyable when played with friends online or, better yet, locally on a couch with your closest pals. In it, players choose their furry avatars and enter the ring, where they’ll slap each other silly, push each other out of the ring or knock themselves out to determine the victor. The combination of this zany structure with a friendly atmosphere makes Party Animals one of the best co-op games of the year.
Street Fighter 6
One of 2023’s best fighting games is unsurprisingly one of its best co-op games. Street Fighter 6 provides players several multiplayer features to get the best online and local experience possible, including standard lobbies, multiplayer modes like the stressful but engaging Seesaw mode, multiplayer tournaments, and training options to test out characters. Additionally, the game adds commentary to multiplayer fights for the first time ever, adding an extra level of hype or frustration to matches, making them more engaging than ever and also very fun to play. Lastly, Capcom did an excellent job allowing both competitive and casual players to enjoy Street Fighter 6 with the addition of several control types, making matches feel more accessible than ever.
Diablo 4
Blizzard finally released the latest highly anticipated entry in the Diablo series in June, 2023, and thankfully, it met fan expectations. Diablo 4 stands out among many other games this year as an exceptional co-op gaming experience. The game’s intricate design seamlessly integrates cooperative elements, creating a sense of camaraderie and accomplishment in any party. Diablo 4 also notably sports a diverse cast of playable characters, each possessing unique abilities and playstyles, and the game offers each party several ways to complement each of their strengths and strategize while facing relentless demonic hordes.
The game’s grand open world serves as an excellent setting for cooperative play, an emphasis on loot and character customization allows you to create any build you wish, and thanks to the ability to trade with friends, you can trade and share gear for maximum efficiency. All this allows players to optimize their experience and their team’s effectiveness to the best it can be. Lastly, the game’s dynamic difficulty system ensures that the challenges scale appropriately, providing a gratifying experience for both seasoned players and newcomers, making it an overall excellent co-op game.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 blew the gaming world away in 2023 with its outstanding narrative, fun gameplay, endearing characters and engaging world. However, while you can experience this story alone, its even better with friends as the game allows upwards of four players to cooperate in a single campaign online and two players on the couch.
As such, it’s no surprise that Baldur’s Gate 3 provides an outstanding co-op experience that seamlessly blends its rich Dungeons & Dragons-like narrative with excellent collaborative gameplay elements. You and a group of friends engage in the game’s captivating narrative and its fun dialogue and decision-making system, allowing the party to vote on critical moments of the story and shape the story with their collective decisions. The diverse selection of races, classes, and intricate character-creation settings also ensures that each party member contributes distinct skills and perspectives to the overall adventure.
Additionally, Baldur’s Gate 3 features in-depth character interactions among party members and NPCs, making it much more engaging and meaning each campaign feels different. Friends are allies in battle and integral parts of the unfolding drama, with personal relationships and conflicts adding a layer of complexity to the cooperative storytelling. With its masterful combination of narrative depth, strategic gameplay, and cooperative camaraderie, Baldur’s Gate 3 sets a new standard for co-op role-playing experiences.
