Co-op has been a staple of gaming for most of the medium's lifespan, although its prominence can fluctuate from time to time. While arguably associated more with PvP games, the PC scene is certainly no stranger to cooperative games, particularly ones that are played online. Local co-op options can be a bit harder to find since the feature is not typically prioritized on platforms like Steam, but they also exist and there are some great titles out there.

When looking for multiplayer games to play with friends, players will likely gravitate either to team-based shooters or MMOs, two genres that have produced more than their fair share of great releases. However, there are plenty of great Steam co-op games that go beyond those categories.

Updated June 30, 2024 by Mark Sammut: June 2024 did not produce any notable free co-op Steam games. Consequently, an older multiplayer option has been added to the article (Halo Infinite). While garnering a somewhat mixed reception, 343's online portion offers a lot of great content for a free-to-play title.

1 Alien Swarm: Reactive Drop

Steam User Rating: 94%

Alien Swarm might just be Valve's most forgotten game, although the 2010 release is by no means bad. In fact, anyone seeking a twin-stick co-op shooter can certainly do worse than this title; however, they should consider jumping into Alien Swarm: Reactive Drop instead of the original game. For one, Reactive Drop is still being updated despite coming out in 2017, which cannot be said for Alien Swarm. Secondly and more importantly, the expansion does exactly what it advertises: improve the base experience.

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While not lacking a PvP, Reactive Drop is primarily about co-op. 8 players can take on one of the game's 10+ campaigns, each consisting of a couple of missions. Naturally, the gameplay loop boils down to players going up against wave after wave of enemies while they try to work toward a level's endpoint. Straightforward as this concept is, Alien Swarm: Reactive Drop manages to incorporate quite a bit of nuance through its classes and tactics-driven gameplay. This is not one of those forgiving games that allow players to effectively disregard the rest of the team as they live out their Rambo fantasy; no, teamwork is necessary for survival.

2 We Were Here

Steam User Rating: 90%

Following the same thread as innovative puzzle co-op games like Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes, We Were Here sees two players lost in a frozen wasteland and separated. The only form of communication they have is through their handheld radio devices.

Both players must have working microphones to communicate as they work together through challenging puzzles to reunite. Both players will have an entirely unique gameplay experience. We Were Here is inspired by real-life escape rooms and has three other games in the series if players fancy more thrilling challenges.

3 With You

Steam User Rating: 89%

With You is a wholesome cooperative puzzle-platformer game for just two players to enjoy. Together, the couple must collaborate to solve a series of physics and platforming segments through problem-solving, gentle communication, and jumping on each other.

Short and sweet, with its intentionally wonky controls, With You resolves to improve the bonds and intimacy between the two players and (quite literally) bring them closer together.

4 MultiVersus

Steam User Rating: 83%

After a pretty successful open beta, MultiVersus entered a period of hibernation as Player First Games steadily evolved the project into its full form. On May 28, 2024, Warner Bros' mascot brawler made its way back to Steam and other stores, and it is still generally a fun time. Now, similar to Super Smash Bros., MultiVersus can be treated as purely a single-player experience. Rifts serve as the game's campaign and seasonal content, encouraging players to work through an array of fights with small story beats revolving around a chosen character (for instance, the Joker in MultiVersus' launch-day Rift). While battles against AI can be entertaining or a decent way to earn currency, the game's main appeal is multiplayer, which comes in 1v1 or 2v2. Both have their positives, but the latter ramps up the chaos of matches and presents MultiVersus at its best.

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Now, it should be said that the full launch has not been smooth sailing, with plenty of decisions garnering their share of criticism (the lack of a 4-player free-for-all is probably the most bizarre, but the XP system is also puzzling). Still, MultiVersus' core gameplay is rock-solid, presenting a fun variant on the Super Smash Bros formula elevated by strong visuals, fast-paced combat, and a varied roster of characters (that take a while to unlock). Co-op is fun, although it is only as cooperative as players want it to be. In random matches, partners might not coordinate all that much beyond maybe double-teaming a specific opponent; however, with a friend, the combat can gain a strategic component.

5 Muck

Steam User Rating: 93%

Dani's Muck is just an all-around solid free-to-play sandbox game. While not necessarily pushing the genre forward, it does cover the basics well while providing an enjoyable multiplayer experience. Friends can live together on the same server, seeing how long they can survive on a procedurally generated island as they steadily work towards the campaign's endpoint (which does exist). Death is permanent in survival mode, so the stakes are fairly high.

Despite its vibrant and simple visuals, Muck does not pull all that many punches, and it even has a couple of challenging boss fights. Multiplayer helps ease the difficulty somewhat, but it does not make the game a walk in the park either.

6 No More Room In Hell

Steam User Rating: 89%

No More Room In Hell is a first-person horror game where players can join forces with up to eight others and try to survive the zombie apocalypse with over 30 weapons at their disposal. There is proximity-based voice communication, so the further players are from one another, the harder it is for them to communicate.

Taking inspiration from contemporary sources like The Walking Dead, No More Room In Hell is surprisingly fun and guaranteed hours of entertainment. With the zombie virus running rampant, players can become infected and decide to warn their team of impending zombification or stay quiet about their fate.

7 Unsolved Case

Steam User Rating: 89%

Unsolved Case casts players as detectives and puts them on a serial killer case. In order to catch the Cryptic Killer, the two sleuths will need to solve a series of puzzles, and teamwork is the name of the game. Players will need to constantly communicate since each party is shown just a fragment of a room's overall puzzle, and a solution can only be found by combining each person's clues.

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Lasting approximately an hour, Unsolved Case is an enjoyable brain-teaser. While the free co-op game does not have much replay value, it is designed to act as a sample of what Eleven Puzzles' future Cryptic Killer games will contain.

8 One-Armed Robber

Steam User Rating: 88%

After a long wait, Payday 3 finally hit the scene in 2023, coming out to a mixed reception due to a lack of content. While it is too early to predict that game's future, it will need some substantial updates if it wants to pick up momentum and convince fans to switch over from Payday 2. However, if someone feels like pulling off a few heists with friends but would rather not invest in either of those projects, they can go with One-Armed Robber, a free-to-play title that revels in chaos.

Up to four players can combine forces to execute missions in their preferred way, which generally means going guns blazing or trying for a stealthier approach. One-Armed Robber's selling point is written in its title, and this gimmick does make the rather janky gunplay easier to accept. Still, this is one of those releases that must be played with friends as, otherwise, the gameplay loop gets old quickly.

9 One-Armed Cook

Steam User Rating: 92%

One-Armed Robber was not Duhndal's first attempt at a ridiculous co-op game that takes a fairly popular genre and gives it a one-armed makeover. As suggested by the title, the gameplay revolves around a team of chefs who must run a kitchen and restaurant while dealing with wonky physics courtesy of only having a single arm. The game goes beyond just putting together dishes, as players are essentially put in charge of the full process, which means taking orders, preparing and cooking dishes, and taking them out to customers. Chaos is always just around the corner, and it tends to arrive quicker when more people are trying to make things work.

Similar to One-Armed Robber, One-Armed Cook does not have a story or any real progression. This game is designed to be as immediate and accessible as possible, encouraging friends to simply jump on for quick sessions and to see how long they can last before they burn everything to the ground. Duhndal has found a nice niche for itself, and while these games might never become full mainstream successes, they have found an audience that seems to enjoy their brand of silliness. Long may it continue.

10 Warframe

Steam User Rating: 87%

Warframe has expanded a great deal over its lifespan, a process that saw an exciting but limited third-person shooter grow into one of the most ambitious and best free-to-play games on the market. Despite hitting a few speedbumps along the way since not every change or update was for the better, Digital Extremes deserves praise for what it has achieved over the last decade.

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Warframe can be treated as a single-player experience for the most part, and this sort of extends to the multiplayer component as well. Most missions can be taken on as part of a squad, and many people tend to just do their own thing rather than coordinate as a unit. Once someone is of a high enough level, they will steamroll through most encounters, to the point there is not much incentive to engage in teamwork. As such, it is very easy to get through these operations without having to interact with other people.

Even though the above is common when teaming up with strangers, Warframe is still supportive of multiplayer and online co-op. Four friends can have an absolute blast playing through most of the game's content together, an endeavor that should keep them busy for a couple of months. Co-op also makes grinding more manageable compared to solo runs.

11 Damnosaur

Steam User Rating: 92%

The world has been invaded by time-traveling dinosaurs in Damnosaur. Players take on the role of the pink-haired heroine, Proh, in this colorful anime-style shoot-em-up. Equipped with various weapons in her arsenal, Proh must survive for as long as she can against the endless waves of these prehistoric fiends and save Jollywood.

The longer she lasts, the more dangerous the dinos become, from terrifying Tricepatops' to the towering T-rex – one touch from these dinos and Proh is dead. Damnosaur also features local split-screen co-op, so players can run and gun together through the chaos.

12 Escape Memoirs: Mini Stories

Steam User Rating: 86%

Escape Memoirs is split into short stories, all of which play out akin to escape rooms. Players can take on the challenges on their own, or they can opt to bring a few friends along for the ride. Focusing on puzzles and featuring decent visuals for a free-to-play indie game, this 2022 release can be a great way to spend a few hours, even though the scenarios themselves do not have much replay value.

While never nonsensical, Escape Memoirs is also not afraid to really push someone's critical solving skills, delivering a few puzzles that can be real head-scratchers. The game generally avoids hand-holding players as well, so things can get complicated rather quickly.

13 Lost Ark

Steam User Rating: 71%

Players looking for a cooperative adventure that's akin to something like Diablo 4 should look into Lost Ark. This free-to-play top-down MMOARPG sees players choosing from a variety of classes and embarking on a lengthy storyline set in the lands Arkesia.

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With fluid, fast-paced, and action-heavy combat, Lost Ark is the perfect release to get that dungeon-crawling fix. The open-world is massive and there are tons of quests, raids, and side missions for players to complete. Although there is a PvP mode, players who wish to simply enjoy PvE-based combat can opt out of it.

14 Dungeon Defenders 2

Steam User Rating: 77%

When the Old Ones' armies of monsters attack Etheria, the kingdom calls upon heroes to resist the invasion. Across an array of maps, these brave warriors must defend their towers against the evil hordes, a process that evolves engaging in satisfying action RPG gameplay. Dungeon Defenders 2 is a fun tower defense game that prioritizes real-time combat, although there is still an element of strategy.

In single-player, users can create a party of four heroes that can be swapped at a moment's notice. In co-op, different players assume the roles of these heroes. Initially, only a few characters are available, but more can be unlocked through gameplay. Although not one of the most active games on Steam, Dungeon Defenders 2 still tends to average a few hundred players at a time, which is impressive for a smaller-scale title that has been out for nearly 6 years.

15 Palia

Steam User Rating: 62%

Palia was available for quite a while before debuting on Steam, so the game was already a known quantity when it debuted on Valve's platform. The Steam iteration garnered a mixed reception at launch, with one of the main criticisms being that the store page does not make it obvious that the game is still in open-beta. Taking everything into consideration, Palia has amassed a poor reputation that does not necessarily echo the project's quality, even if the game itself still has a ways to go before it fulfills its potential.

Now, it needs to be said that anyone who jumps into Singularity 6's title at this point needs to be aware that they are in store for a fairly light life/farming sim experience, and that extends to the co-op support. Each server holds up to 25 players, which is a decent size for this type of project; however, there are not currently all that many features designed around multiplayer. Consequently, Palia is not presently a great co-op free Steam game. That said, it might earn that distinction in time.

16 Halo Infinite (Only Multiplayer)

Steam User Rating: 70%

Halo Infinite's story supports 4-player online co-op, but it is not free-to-play; however, the multiplayer side of things does not require any monetary investment. And, while the campaign is a decent attempt at adapting the franchise's gameplay to an open-world setting, Halo Infinite's online modes are more likely to keep players coming back for more, especially this long after the title's release. As always, 343 constantly cycles through the multiplayer modes, tweaking the playlists to ensure there is some variety on offer. While it has garnered quite a bit of criticism over the years, Halo Infinite nevertheless has a robust selection of multiplayer stalwarts that should be able to entertain most people, even if the experience is not always smooth sailing.

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As most modes split players into teams, they could technically qualify as co-op since members will likely need to work as a unit to have a chance of victory. Slayer, Oddball, Capture the Flag, and Fiesta are all solid modes. However, for a more conventional cooperative option, there is Firefight: King of the Hill, which pits a team of four against waves of AI enemies that gradually get harder. Currently, this mode has three starting difficulty levels (Normal, Heroic, and Legendary), allowing a group of players to pick the one that best suits their experience. Firefight includes 15 maps, which tend to get updated fairly frequently.

17 Sky: Children Of The Light

Steam User Rating: 84%

Thetgamecompany achieved something special with Journey, including one of the most memorable co-op in gaming. Sky: Children of the Light builds on the same idea of naturally encountering other players while exploring a beautiful world, presented through the structure of an MMO. Now, that genre tends to be associated with quests, guilds, and large-scale boss battles, all things that are largely absent in this indie title. Rather, Sky: Children of the Light prioritizes carefree exploration and small unique experiences that blossom out of seemingly random encounters.

Despite coming to Steam in 2024, Sky: Children of the Light has been available in some form for years; consequently, it is hardly a new project. That said, there is nothing else quite like it on Valve's platform. While it might struggle to keep a group of players coming back for months on end, COTL can be a great palate cleanser between more action-oriented titles.

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