The Best Co-Op Adventure Games To Play In 2026
When looking for the best co-op adventure games, there are a few things to take into account. You want a rich atmosphere with a clear sense of adventure, a story that carries you through, and gameplay that always feels rewarding--rather than taking a back seat to the narrative. After checking those boxes, you then need to ask whether the game offers two (or more) players a sense of equal achievement. Can your pals jump in and give you a hand at any time, or battle through with you from the start?
Fortunately, we've taken the guesswork out of finding the best co-op adventure games and have created a list of unmissable multiplayer titles that treat each player as an indispensable part of the team. None of these games adds the second player on as an afterthought, instead letting you play side-by-side on equal terms. There's something for every kind of friend group in here, from swashbuckling open worlds to narrative-led genre-hopping adventures.
Don't forget to check out our best co-op story games list, too.
Bokura
- Release date: August 9, 2023
- Co-op players: 2
For a sweet and emotionally moving two-player adventure, you don't have to look much further than Bokura. It's an absolute classic indie game for those in the know, a purpose-built two-player puzzle platformer that'll break--then mend--your heart. You and your chosen friend play as two boys who have run away from home, and must face and overcome the perils that stand in their way of getting as far away as possible.
You'll have to rely on verbal communication, though, as what you both see on screen will be very different. You'll need each other's guidance and to rely on the other person to see what you don't, to find solutions that you can't. For one of you, it'll be a world of animals, and for the other, a world of machines. You'll need to escape this new, fractured world and try to find out what happened to you to make your realities so different.
Everwind
- Release date: March 17, 2026 (Early Access)
- Co-op players: 2-4
Everwind started life as a Kickstarter campaign and is now in Steam Early Access, so if you like to get in on the ground floor with new games, there's no better time to pick it up and see what the game has to offer. It's a blocky open-world adventure with fully-integrated co-op play, where players build flying island-ships and uncover the secrets of a mysterious new world. If you love the survival crafting vibe of games like Terraria and Minecraft but want a new place to explore, Everwind should fit the bill perfectly.
Resident Evil 5
- Release date: September 15, 2009
- Co-op players: 2
Although not for the easily frightened, Resident Evil 5 is more aligned with action-adventure games than pure survival-horror, and its legendary co-op mode firmly cements it as one of the best co-op horror games of all time. The story is a lot of fun, and doesn't require much foreknowledge of the franchise, so you and one other pal can jump in--either through split-screen local co-op or online--and tackle it together with no hesitation.
Teamwork is key to succeeding in Resident Evil 5's hostile world, encouraging you to watch each other's backs and work together to take down incredibly challenging enemies. You'll need to trade items between the pair of you, keeping track of who has what, and play into your individual strengths as Chris and Sheva.
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Sea of Thieves
- Release date: March 20, 2018
- Co-op players: 2-4
It doesn't get much more adventurous than exploring the open seas with your pirate crew. Sea of Thieves is basically a virtual playground for you and your pals to live out your wildest sea-faring fantasies, hunting down treasure, battling enemies, exploring new lands, and making a name for yourselves as a crew to be admired--or feared. If you're looking for a great cross-platform co-op game, you needn't look much further than Sea of Thieves.
Divinity: Original Sin II
- Release date: September 14, 2017
- Co-op players: 2-4
While Baldur's Gate 3 would be the obvious choice, we're pretty sure you've already got that one under your belt, so why not try Divinity: Original Sin 2 with your RPG-loving pals? If you're looking for a game like Baldur's Gate 3 but offering a whole new story and world full of lore, you can't go wrong with Larian Studios' previous game. It's set in a completely different universe from Baldur's Gate, but it handles similarly and exemplifies that rich, deep storytelling and spirit of boundless adventure. Your characters all have different traits, strengths, and abilities, meaning each player brings something unique to the table as you battle your way across a dangerous world and make choices that impact every part of the story.
Reanimal
- Release date: February 13, 2026
- Co-op players: 2
If you're easily scared, you'll be glad that Reanimal is a two-player co-op game. It's a dark and compact story packed with atmosphere and horrifying fairy-tale adjacent scares, perfect for fans of Little Nightmares. As a brother and sister duo, you and a friend have to survive the depths of a terrifying world with a claustrophobic shared camera, meaning you really have to coordinate and work together to stay safe and sane.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Release date: April 5, 2022
- Co-op players: 2
The Lego games are great for co-op sessions with people of all ages and abilities. If you want to introduce your kids to gaming, team up with a less-experienced friend, or just have something to play that doesn't require you to be a seasoned pro gamer, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a great game to have in your arsenal.
It's one of the greatest adventures in cinema history, and playing through the full saga is no less impressive just because it's a Lego-branded game. There are more than 400 playable characters, and a range of combat styles from guns to lightsabers, as well as character development through skill trees. Through a mix of combat, building, puzzle solving, and platforming, you'll adventure through each of the Star Wars films side-by-side, coming up against some of the greatest villains and exploring one end of the universe to the other.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- Release date: November 12, 2020
- Co-op players: 2-4
The iconic knitted hero, Sackboy, from LittleBigPlanet, got his own co-op adventure game back in 2020, and it's still a lot of fun to play, especially with younger gamers. Unlike earlier entries in the LittleBigPlanet series, which focused heavily on user-generated levels, A Big Adventure shifts toward a more traditional adventure structure for up to four players.
There's still the trademark creative level design, catchy music, and real-world textures in the art direction--and it incorporates the same ragdoll platformer gameplay loop. Puzzles can be solved by asking your friends to operate machinery or interact with objects, giving everyone a role and making the adventure feel collaborative. You're all working hard to save Craftworld from a Big Bad, but there's nothing too scary in this one, so if you're looking to introduce kids to co-op platformers, you couldn't find many better places to start.
Sea of Stars
- Release date: August 29, 2023
- Co-op players: 2-3
Sea of Stars is one of those rare games where the co-op mode fits beautifully alongside single-player. Although you can play the whole game by yourself, friends can drop in and out whenever they like in couch co-op, using a timed hits mechanic that requires you all to be in sync.
If you're a connoisseur of the best RPGs around, you'll find a lot to love in Sea of Stars. Combat follows a turn-based system but adds a timing-based strategy element where perfect button presses can increase damage or reduce incoming hits. It's a beautiful game with rich pixel art and plenty of unique gameplay elements, evoking nostalgic memories of classic RPGs but with all the trappings and quality of a modern game.
Split Fiction
- Release date: March 6, 2025
- Co-op players: 2
Split Fiction is one of the few games we've ever given a perfect 10/10 rating in our review. If you enjoy co-op adventure games and have somehow missed Hazelight's latest offering, drop everything you're doing and grab a friend--you are going to love Split Fiction.
Built from the ground up to specifically support two players, the game is a thrilling adventure through multiple genres as you're dumped right into a series of fictional worlds crafted by two very different authors. The dual protagonists disagree on pretty much everything, making reaching a common goal even harder. It's one of those irresistible games with a great story to tell, and presents it in a beautiful, cinematic format packed with puzzles and unique gameplay challenges for two.
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