Multiplayer games are among the most fun types of titles that players can get into, whether it be within a competitive multiplayer experience or a co-op campaign. 2-player co-op games have been on the rise, with It Takes Two and A Way Out taking over the couch-co-op market.

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But, from what old-school gamers might remember, 4-player co-op games are a blast. There are plenty of 4-player cooperation video games out there that gamers and friends can jump into for an incredible experience. This is true whether it's couch co-op, or through online services. Even some older titles still remain relevant today with 4-player co-op.

Updated on June 24, 2024, by Mara Cowley: Co-op games are among the most fun and popular games on the market, as they allow players to gather a few friends and delve into some chaotic team-oriented fun together. From horror games to platformers to RPGs, co-op games cover a wide variety of genres, ensuring there is something for every group of friends to enjoy. By far, 4-player co-op games seem to be among the most popular types of co-op games, with hundreds available on the market, and more sure to come. While this article covered a great many entries for groups of friends to try, it has been given an update to include more of the best 4 player co-op games on the market.

18 Sea Of Thieves

A Thrilling Pirate Adventure

• Metacritic Score: 69

Sea of Thieves is right up there with Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag as one of the best pirate games out there. In Sea of Thieves, gamers will become pirates (who are customizable) and sail the oceans while taking on various quests called "voyages." Sea of Thieves offers an incredible pirating simulator of sorts, where players need to be dedicated to sailing correctly (lowering/raising masts, setting sailing angles, repairing the ship, etc.) and looting various islands of treasure.

Up to four players can be grouped together on a crew, which allows them to use the largest ship (Galleon). With so many stories and quests to check out in Sea of Thieves, fans should expect to sink hours into the ultimate pirating game.

17 Outlast Trials

Survive or Die Together

• Metacritic Score: 74

For friends who want a truly frightening experience, they should try their luck in the trials that take part in the Outlast universe, which introduces a co-op game to the terrifying and popular survival game franchise.

And survival is the name of the game here, as players will be tasked to embark on missions in places that are rife with danger and inhabited by all manner of scary and hostile people that will kill the players as soon as they look at them. By working together, players can further their chances of survival. Going it alone is not an option.

16 Helldivers 2

Enjoy Excellent and Exciting Gun-Play

• Metacritic Score: 82

For fans of shooters, Helldivers 2 is the game for them. Set an entire century after the rising of Super Earth, the insect creatures known as Terminids stored on human-managed farms have managed to escape, and are now wreaking havoc. But as if that wasn't enough of an issue, humans also need to content with a machine uprising that are intent on wiping mankind off the face of the universe.

Players need to stock up and call on their friends to be their reinforcements as they take on the dangerous, adrenaline-pumping task of kicking bug and automaton ass.

15 Content Warning

Make Scary Memories with Friends

• Metacritic Score: N/A

Content Warning is a fun, more recent 4-player co-op game in which players are hunting down spooky occurrences with a video camera in hand, to film these scary encounters, even if it costs them their very lives, in an attempt to go viral in the very competitive world of content creation.

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Despite its amusing antics, Content Warning is still a horror game, as these terrifying monsters remind players.

There are a number of terrifying entities players have a chance of coming across, so players who want to hunt them all down have their work cut out for them. One of the best elements of this game is that players can watch back their own recording, complete with their own commentary at the end of a round, which will result in very hilarious game clips they can relive together.

14 Lethal Company

Chaotic And Terrifying Fun That Needs A Full Party To Guarantee Success

• Metacritic Score: N/A

Welcome to the Company, a corporation that tasks its unfortunate employers which jetting out to various planets that hold items the company wants, and is willing to sacrifice its workers to try and get them. Players are met with a minimum quota they must meet, so they must gather enough scrap while surviving whatever monsters call the planet home.

Lethal Company is bound to make players scream and laugh with the terrifying monsters, and the numerous ways in which players can die, as they work together to gather as much scrap as they can while trying to escape with their lives intact. Players will need to gather three of their friends if they have any chance of success.

13 Dead By Daylight

Thrills, Chills, And Fun Are The Main Ingredients Of This Successful Multiplayer Game

• Metacritic Score: 64

Many developers have tried their hand at making a horror game, with titles such as Friday the 13th, VHS, and Evil Dead attempting but failing to succeed, all the while Dead by Daylight survives.

This is due to the fact it has many licenses to famed horror series such as Resident Evil, Halloween, and Stranger Things in its library, benefiting from the success of these pop culture hits. Not only that, but Dead by Daylight has intensely fun gameplay that is better when 'SWFing.' Players can team up with up to three other players as survivors, and their objective is to escape the map as a killer - also controlled by a player - doggedly pursues them. It is terrifying yet fun, and its success proven by the many years it has survived and thrived.

12 Diablo 4

Master Numerous Abilities To Help Turn The Tide Of The Holy War

• Metacritic Score: 86

Diablo is a long-surviving Blizzard franchise that has a much darker, more mature tone when compared to other games in their library, such as World of Warcraft or Overwatch. The fourth installment was a long-awaited sequel to Diablo 3, showing the escalation of the war between heaven and hell, and the unleashing of Mephisto's daughter, Lilith.

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It is up to the player to put a stop to Lilith's machinations by hunting her down and killing her. This is no small feat, but thankfully, players can round up 3 of their friends to join this expansive, dangerous, and thrilling journey, and also share in the spoils of success. With the signature fun Diablo gameplay at its heart, Diablo 4 is a game players can truly enjoy, right to the climatic finale.

11 Back 4 Blood

A Frenzied, Fast-Paced Zombie Shooter

• Metacritic Score:​​​​​​​ 77

Left 4 Dead is arguably one of the greatest couch multiplayer video games ever. It has been a long wait, but fans of the franchise can finally jump into the game's successor, Back 4 Blood. Back 4 Blood takes a lot of groundwork from Left 4 Dead and builds on it.

In this zombie game, players and their friends will have to run through a series of levels that are filled to the brim with undead monsters. Players will have to utilize their loadouts to prevent the undead from halting the group's plans. Though the game can be played solo, it is much more fun when grouped up with friends.

10 Destiny 2

A Sci-Fi Shooter With Hours Of Content

• Metacritic Score: 85

Out of all the live service games out there in the market, Destiny 2 is one of the best. In Destiny 2, players create their own character and defend the Solar System in an ever-evolving world. After playing through the game's tutorial, players will have free rein over how they play the game.

With a handful of planets to visit, campaign missions to complete, raids to storm, dungeons to crawl, and even a PVP mode to conquer, there is almost no end to the content that players can get into. Not only that, but Destiny 2 is one of the best multiplayer games out there, and the game rewards cooperation. Not only that, but its most recent expansion was very well received.

9 Overcooked 2

As Fun As It Is Frantic

• Metacritic Score: 81

Party games are essential to almost any friend group out there, and one of the best party games for friends to get into is Overcooked 2. Overcooked 2 is a colorful game that puts players in the shoes of a chef.

Each player will have to work together to create various dishes for hungry customers, all while maintaining different aspects of the kitchen that they are working in. This co-op game can be competitive, or cooperative, and either way, Overcooked 2 is a blast with friends even if it can lead to some heated arguments.

8 Castle Crashers

A Compelling Story And Addictive Gameplay

• Metacritic Score: 82

Old-school gamers may remember this masterpiece that was playable on the Xbox 360, and eventually the PS3. Castle Crashers is an older indie game that was undeniably artsy, comedic, and loads of fun when paired up with friends.

In Castle Crashers, players will play as knights who are on a quest to retrieve the king's multiple daughters who have been kidnapped by enemies of the kingdom. The many levels in Castle Crashers will not bore players, and the story is just as compelling as its gameplay.

7 Borderlands Collection

A Complete Collection Of One Of The Best Looter-Shooters

• Metacritic Score: 82

The Borderlands series has been one of the best action-adventure games for 4-player co-op ever since the first Borderlands game came out in 2009. There are currently three major installments in the Borderlands franchise that players can get into.

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In the Borderlands universe, players will get to choose from a selection of characters to play as. Then, players will need to fight their way through a series of worlds and levels while unlocking new weapons, gear, skills, and outfits. Not to mention that each game in the series looks incredible, as it has its own unique art style.

6 Dying Light 1 & 2

Explore, Kill Zombies, And Parkour With Friends

• Metacritic Score:​​​​​​​ 74

Dying Light was a heavily acclaimed title when it was first released, as fans had an open-world zombie game that they could play with their friends. Although Dead Island was also a huge hit, Dying Light just had more to offer at the time. In both Dying Light and Dying Light 2, players can group up with up to 4 friends and run around taking out zombies.

There's also a large emphasis on parkour, so players are able to jump from roof to roof with their friends. Not only that, but players can also play through both games' main story modes in 4-player co-op.

5 Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Trilogy

A Fun Super-Hero Packed Adventure

• Metacritic Score:​​​​​​​ 82

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance was one of the biggest titles on the Xbox 360, and to this day remains a powerhouse in the 4-player co-op market. For those who can get their hands on a copy of the first two games, it is a must-play with a friend or three. It can be difficult to acquire and play the first two games, but the third game can be played on the Nintendo Switch and found quite easily.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 is an amazing addition to the series. With many characters, abilities, and a great story featuring Thanos, the third game is a lot of fun in 4-player co-op.

4 ARK: Survival Evolved

One Of The Best Survival Games

• Metacritic Score: 70

Fans of survival games may be looking for a craft-and-build game to play with their friends but with more of a challenge. ARK: Survival Evolved is one of the best survival experiences that gamers can get out there. In ARK, players will have to fend against dinosaurs.

Players can build bases, craft weapons, grow crops, discover hidden secrets, and even tame dinosaurs. There is even a multitude of different maps that gamers can play, whether through DLC or free fan-made maps.

3 Minecraft

An Ever Popular And Beloved Survival Game

• Metacritic Score: 82

Of course, this video game giant was going to appear on this multiplayer list, as since 2011, Minecraft has consistently been one of the most popular multiplayer games to experience with friends. Since the game's release, Minecraft has adopted a wide variety of features within updates, and the game even got around to adding camels.

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A group of 4 friends can easily get into Minecraft and have a great time building, crafting, mining, adventuring, visiting different realms, and so much more. There is a lot of content in Minecraft, and playing through the game's hidden campaign is best with friends.

2 Divinity: Original Sin 2

A Fantastic RPG With An Amazing Original World And Lore

• Metacritic Score: 93

Turn-based combat games aren't the typical type of games that friends party up for, but in the case of Divinity: Original Sin 2, it is more than worth downloading. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a wonderful game for four players who like D&D, RPGs, or simple medieval fantasy games.

In Divinity: Original Sin 2, players can create their own characters, fight against various enemies, journey through different lands, and most importantly, make choices that determine future outcomes. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a great game for friends who have plenty of free time to experience everything the game has to offer.

1 Baldur's Gate 3

D&D Flavored RPG With Incredible Of Depth And Scope

• Metacritic Score: 96

Released in 2023, Baldur's Gate 3 is an exceptional RPG that takes the last two titles in the series and expands on them wondrously. In Baldur's Gate 3, players will create their own character, much like how they would make a character in D&D, and then they would embark on an adventure that will lead them across many various sections of a Dungeons & Dragons world.

Better yet, fans are able to group up with up to four players and tackle the game together. Not only are they able to partake in side quests or activities, but players can actually play throughout the story with one another. With friends who enjoy in-depth storytelling, Baldur's Gate 3 is incredibly fun.

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