The Best Co-Op Games Of 2025 According To Metacritic

Dec 18, 2025, 5:00 PM

Video games are now fully fledged hangout spaces: social hubs where you can shoot the breeze and slam a hadouken fireball into your friend's face without having to worry about a trip to the ER. By now, having some form of multiplayer or cooperative play is a standard--but expected--part of the gaming landscape, and in 2025, dozens of games were better with friends.

We had plenty of games that challenged us to showdowns, but this year, we also had games that were all about teamwork. Borderlands 4 brought several flavors of co-op to the distant planet of Kairos, Abiotic Factor channeled the social energy of a Black Mesa experiment gone catastrophically wrong, and Absolum brought some old-school charm to the mix with its expertly crafted gameplay and fantasy setting.

If you're curious to see which games made sharing a couch with another player worthwhile, you can check the list below for the top-rated titles according to our sister site, Metacritic.

For a closer look at all the other highlights of 2025, you can also read up on GameSpot's GOTY pick, the best PS5 exclusives, and the biggest news stories of the year.

More Best Of 2025:

Split Fiction

When a game earns a rare 10/10 score, you know it has to be something special. Split Fiction isn't just the best co-op game of 2025, it's an all-time classic from Hazelight that constantly delights and surprises with its imaginative levels, terrific lead characters, and polished tag-team gameplay.

Metascore: 91 | Read our Split Fiction review

Donkey Kong Bananza

Donkey Kong Bananza is a satisfying display of power as you reduce entire levels to rubble, and co-op wisely adds a layer of gameplay that makes the hunt for collectibles easier. With Pauline riding shotgun and under the control of a second player, her musical talents complement DK's destructive impulses and turn the challenge of gathering every collectible into a team-based effort.

Metascore: 91 | Read our Donkey Kong Bananza review

Monster Hunter Wilds

Admittedly, Monster Hunter Wilds has quite a few hurdles to hop over for its multiplayer to work properly, but once you've navigated an ocean of menus, there's a great time to be had with friends here. Hunting down monsters has always felt exhilarating, but when different players combine their strengths to take down titanic beasts of legend? That's a recipe for online fun that's hard to beat.

Metascore: 88 | Read our Monster Hunter Wilds review

Abiotic Factor

A survival-crafting game that's heavily inspired by '90s PC classics and Half-Life's iconic Black Mesa incident, Abiotic Factor proves that an apocalypse is best experienced with friends. As a group of scientists trapped in a secret underground facility, players must develop their survival skills and thwart an interdimensional invasion using the power of friendship and PhDs.

Metascore: 88

Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2

While there's plenty of healthy debate regarding what the best Super Mario game of all time is, there's no denying that Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 is the franchise at its most innovative. Two decades later, Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2's co-op gameplay is still a blast of fun that emphasizes teamwork over personal glory, making it terrific for families.

Metascore: 87

Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders

There's nothing like shredding the slopes with some friends, and Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders excels at that theme with its diorama-like visuals and easygoing gameplay. Whether you're playing a game of extreme tag as you race downhill or soaking up the winter-wonderland vibes with a friend, the game makes for a social treat. Plus, you can always laugh at the ragdoll physics when your online pal smashes into a tree.

Metascore: 87

Absolum

Absolum channels the beat-'em-ups of yesteryear with a roguelite edge, and just like those classic coin-chomping arcade games, it's better with a friend at your side. Once you're in sync with your partner, Absolum is a blast as you bounce between enemies, time your attacks, and synchronize your abilities to triumph over impossible odds.

Metascore: 86 | Read our Absolum review

Mario Kart World

The Switch 2 launched this year with Mario Kart World, and, like other games in the series, it's a great vehicle for social fun. While online play is easy to jump into, the game excels at couch-co-op thanks to its smooth performance and old-school split-screen modes.

Metascore: 86 | Read our Mario Kart World review

Heretic + Hexen

These classic dark fantasy first-person games got a rock-solid upgrade this year thanks to the retro specialists at Nightdive Studios. Featuring a co-op campaign mode, Heretic + Hexen are still a nostalgic blast of '90s fun, but nothing beats that split-screen magic when two players get to blast through hordes of enemies together.

Metascore: 86

Arc Raiders

One of the most fascinating parts about Arc Raiders can be found in its matchmaking systems. If you load into a game alone, you'll be placed with other solo players, but the game's community has decidedly taken a friendly, cooperative route that, while not guaranteed, is quite common to see. And in moments when you load into duos or trios queues, well then you have a whole other experience awaiting you, as these tend to be much more hostile lobbies, demanding close-knit co-op play from you and your squadmates.

Metascore: 85 | Read our Arc Raiders review

Yakuza 0: Director's Cut

Yakuza and Like a Dragon games are typically single-player affairs, but with the release of the Yakuza 0: Director's Cut, players got the chance to team up and show off their skills in the brand-new Red Light Raid mode. It's not as essential to enjoying Yakuza 0 as playing through the main campaign or becoming a real estate kingpin, but it's still a solid addition to an already excellent beat-'em-up.

Metascore: 85

Europa Universalis V

Grand strategy games are ambitious attempts to sum up centuries of human history, and Europa Universalis V doesn't disappoint on that front. Detailed and complex, it's a blast of diplomatic co-op fun with an online mode that can support up to 12 players and a shared strategic objectives multiplayer mode where players can take control of a country and coordinate economies, alliances, and wars together.

Metascore: 85

Shape of Dreams

A MOBA-inspired roguelite, Shape of Dreams blends and twists both genres together into a fascinating and endlessly replayable game. Best experienced with friends, the game's rich buildcrafting systems and engaging combat flow are at their best when you start synergizing your run in co-op.

Metascore: 84

Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World review

There's a running theme in modern-day Nintendo games that co-op is designed to complement the player-one experience, and that's a trend that Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World keeps intact. While playing as Bandana Dee unlocks an active role for a second player, it's a mode that feels designed to keep Kirby in the spotlight, making it an ideal option for older gamers looking to assist younger members of the family as they experience the magic of Nintendo's pink blob.

Metascore: 83 | Read our Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World review

Battlefield 6

The Battlefield series made its triumphant return this year, and for fans of teamwork, Battlefield 6's multiplayer is a precision-engineered beast of tactics and destruction. While its single-player campaign is forgettable, going online and finding your squad is where the real magic of the game lies, as each round is a chance to craft personal stories that you can share online of matches that came down to the wire and unbelievable kills inside of dynamic conflict zones.

Metascore: 83 | Read our Battlefield 6 review

Popucom

Popucom looks, feels, and plays like a game that can give Hazelight a run for its money in the co-op genre. A mandatory two-player game, Popucom's unique color-shifting gameplay never gets old, and the deeper you get into the game, the more experimental it gets with its mechanics, keeping you on your toes constantly.

Metascore: 83

MLB The Show 25

This year's MLB The Show is another solid entry in the series, with incremental, iterative upgrades. Like previous games, there's more than enough meat on its bones to encourage you to rope in a friend for some baseball fun through the well-polished Diamond Dynasty, Ranked, and Exhibition modes.

Metascore: 83 | Read our MLB The Show 25 review

NBA 2K26

While rampant microtransactions sour the experience, NBA 2K26 still offers players plenty of options for co-op play. Between Street Kings, which sees players team up to take on the CPU; MyCareer, which emphasizes human squads for teamwork; and traditional modes that allow full teams to face off against each other online, there's a healthy selection of modes that let people from across the world connect.

Metascore: 82 | Read our NBA 2K26 review

PowerWash Simulator 2

The original PowerWash Sim blew up during the pandemic, but the sequel proves even in normal times, this is a fantastic way to spend time with your pals. PowerWash Sim 2 is truly a game that is much better in co-op. Jobs are faster, rewards come more quickly, and there's more latitude for goofing off.

Metascore: 82 | Read our PowerWash Simulator 2 review

Peak

If you're measuring in terms of success over expected outcomes, Peak is perhaps the year's biggest winner when it comes to 2025 co-op games. It wasn't known about very long before it arrived on Steam, but quickly exploded into a huge hit thanks to its viral, emergent, often hilarious moments that can occur when you and up to three friends try to survive dangerous mountain climbs.

Metascore: 82

Sonic Racing Crossworlds

Kart-racing fans ate well throughout 2025, as not only did we get a new Mario Kart game, but also the superb Sonic Racing CrossWorlds with its dimension-hopping antics. A game that's always better with friends, Sonic's new racing game offered plenty of options for play, from online to couch co-op, team-focused modes, and the delightful Race Park for various party modes.

Metascore: 82 | Read our Sonic Racing Crossworlds review

EA Sports College Football 26

EA's varsity football series made some big improvements in its sophomore year, and as you'd expect, co-op was as competitive as ever. From quick casual games to Online Dynasty mode and its massive leagues, EA Sports College Football 26 excelled at providing exciting moments of head-to-head competition between players.

Metascore: 82 | Read our EA Sports College Football 26 review

Escape Simulator 2

A well-crafted escape-room game is a nail-biting test of your problem-solving skills, and Escape Simulator 2 is a clever entry in the genre. Of course, it's even better when you have someone to share in that dread, and the game allows up to eight players to combine their deduction skills to figure a way out of each well-crafted room, with several puzzles that require teamwork.

Metascore: 81

Haste

Who would have thought that delivering letters through challenging terrain while you move at a breakneck speed could be so much fun? Haste: Broken Worlds has a superb flow-state as you find yourself incentivized to maintain your speed, and its seamless multiplayer allows for fun and surprisingly pleasant competition between players.

Metascore: 81

Borderlands 4

While a smidge of an overcorrection to Borderlands 3's formula, Borderlands 4 is altogether an entertaining first-person shooter where you chase loot, craft rewarding builds, and unleash colorful mayhem for hours and hours. The game sees you play as one of four Vault Hunters who are trying to free a planet from the tyrannical rule of The Timekeeper in hopes of finding and looting the treasure-filled Vault that he's guarding.

Metascore: 81 | Read our Borderlands 4 review

Capcom Fighting Collection 2

Capcom has set the bar high for retro-game compilations, and Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is another fine example of the company's approach to preserving its past. You've got several iconic fighting games in one convenient bundle, and no shortage of local and online co-op options for seeing if you still have what it takes to triumph in these classic fighting games, especially when you take on human opponents.

Metascore: 81 | Read our Capcom Fighting Collection 2 review

Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra

We've seen all kinds of Dragon Ball games over the years, but a MOBA take on the beloved franchise? That now exists in the form of Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra, and it's a surprisingly well-crafted spin on the genre. It's the kind of game that lends itself well to short and energetic matches, while teamwork between players feels organic and on-brand when your scrappy squad takes on threats like the Gods of Destruction.

Metascore: 81

GTA 6

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