Playing multiplayer games used to mean physically visiting that one friend who had a console and plopping down in front of their TV to play the latest co-op hit. These days, it’s so much easier to play with a friend (or 5,000 friends) that many PC and Steam games are always online, and the Nintendo Switch 2 has a dedicated “play with a friend” button.
Couch co-op isn’t completely dead, though. Plenty of gamers still enjoy a title that they can pick up and play with a friend who’s physically sitting in the room with them. Split-screen and single-screen co-op modes still exist, much to my and my husband’s delight, since we spend nearly every night gaming together and are rapidly running out of games to play.
It’s been a great year for local gaming fans, with plenty of excellent couch co-op titles coming out in 2025. With the year almost over, it’s time to look back on a great lineup of local cooperative games across many genres, styles, and production budgets.
1. Borderlands 4 Continues The Franchise’s Split-Screen Legacy
Released September 12 For PC, PS5, Xbox X/S, And Switch 2
Despite all the issues plaguing local co-op at launch, Borderlands 4 is still one of the biggest and best couch co-op games to release in 2025. The title continues the Vault Hunters’ journey on a quest for loot and justice (but mostly loot). The game introduces a new location, new bad guys to take down, and a story self-contained enough to make it a great entry point for newcomers to the franchise.
The stylish FPS offers a true split-screen co-op gaming experience, with the second player having their own established character with separate gear, skills, and stats. Take turns accepting and continuing quests for a chance to hear both your Vault Hunters’ personalities!
2. Split Fiction Was Designed For Cooperative Play
Released March 6 For PC, PS5, And Xbox X/S
As rare as local co-op games are, games created specifically to be played in pairs are even more elusive. Split Fiction from Hazelight Studios is exactly this: A game designed from the ground up to be played cooperatively. It’s a followup to the studio’s previous game, It Takes Two, and features similar puzzle-solving scenarios that require intricate teamwork to bypass.
The two protagonists are both authors, but they couldn’t possibly be more different. Guide them on a journey through their own books and overcome all the obstacles in the way—together.
3. Mario Kart World Is A Thoroughly Nostalgic Experience
Released June 5 For Switch 2
When you think of co-op, you might think of games that let you progress through a narrative together. But Mario Kart World is a throwback to the type of local co-op that had you competing against your best friends, forging and ruining friendships in one fell swoop (at least, until the next day, when you could go at it again).
Mario Kart World includes online multiplayer, but it also has four-person split-screen co-op. Race against each other in exciting levels, including the nostalgic Rainbow Road. You can even explore the open world together, thanks to a tip from Reddit user Fizzwizz02: “It’s actually possible if you go into online mode, select 2 player and create a room. It’ll let you play while it ‘waits’ for others to join.“
4. Henry Halfhead Doubles The Chaos In Co-Op
Released September 16 for PC, PS5, And Xbox X/S
Henry Halfhead is a whimsical sandbox game where you play as the top half of Henry’s head, and go around possessing items. The game is made even more fun with its silly co-op mode, where two players can roam around in split-screen, causing endless chaos.
There are challenges and puzzles to solve in Henry Halfhead, but at its core, the game is about messing around and finding joy in the mundane. And that’s just so much more fun when experienced along with a friend.
5. Tales of Graces f Remastered Has Hidden 4-Player Capabilities
Released January 17 For PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X/S
JRPGs don’t typically feature multiplayer, and especially not local multiplayer, which makes Tales of Graces f Remastered a truly unique experience. The remaster brings the 2009 epic fantasy title with improved graphics and gameplay.
Like many other Tales games, the remaster allows up to four players to battle together. This feature wasn’t heavily marketed in the remaster’s release, maybe because it’s only available in local co-op, or because it’s not “true co-op” since friends can only control characters during battles. Whatever the case may be, this is a fun way for friends to enjoy the story and lend a helping hand during fights.
6. Donkey Kong Bananza Is Co-Op Lite For Beginners And Young Gamers
Released July 17 For Switch 2
The release of Donkey Kong Bananza marked the beloved gorilla’s return to gaming for the first time since the Nintendo 64 era. The title crashed into gaming as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive this summer to glowing overall reviews.
Players control the titular Donkey Kong as he adventures with Pauline through sandbox levels with destructible environments, on a quest to recover the legendary banana-shaped diamonds.
A friend can hop into the game any time to play as Pauline, directing explosions and clearing paths with her voice. Since Pauline rides on DK’s shoulder the whole game, this co-op mode is a great one for anyone looking to play with their kids or non-gaming friends. This mode even lets Player 2 use the Joy-Con as a mouse, making it a great intro to consoles for PC gamers.
7. Revenge of the Savage Planet Is A Darkly Comical Journey
Released May 8 For PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox X/S
This title is a sequel to the 2020 Journey to the Savage Planet, and it almost didn’t happen. Developer Raccoon Logic was created following layoffs, closures, and a potentially bleak future in gaming. The result is a game that’s darkly funny and full of pointed criticisms of capitalism, with levels inspired by Metroid Prime.
Though it’s a standalone solo game, Revenge of the Savage Planet is also a stellar local co-op title. The co-op is limited to drop-in, with no progression saved for p=Player 2, but the environmental tools make it a chaotic and ridiculous experience to share with a friend.
8. Hyperspaced Will Test Your Teamwork
Released July 22 For PC, Switch 1&2, And Xbox X/S
Grab some friends and save the universe from certain collapse in the chaotic world of Hyperspaced. In this top-down action game, up to four players can work together to protect and upgrade their spaceship while they look for the Great Plugs that keep the universe from imploding on itself.
A procedurally generated galaxy means there’s always something new to do. You’ll need some expert-level multitasking and communication skills, so in-person communication is a must for this one.
9. Lost Twins 2 Is A Beautiful Brain Teaser
Released August 14 For PC And Xbox X/S
Tired of chaotic, fast-paced games? Lost Twins 2 presents a slower, more methodical alternative. Guide siblings Abi and Ben through increasingly challenging puzzles designed for tackling as a pair in this sequel to the mobile-only Lost Twins.
You’ll have to think outside the box and manipulate the environment to solve the puzzles in Lost Twins 2. Slide pieces of the world around to clear a path through a beautiful world inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli animations.
Released June 1 For PC, PS4, And PS5
Combine the match-three bubble-popping gameplay of Bubble Bobble with the exciting multiplayer and cute style of Splatoon, and you get Popucom. In this adorable action-adventure game, you and up to three friends use vibrant colors to solve puzzles and take down enemies.
Popucom’s Party Mode allows for a couch co-op experience that’ll have players taking down bubble-pop like enemies, switching between colors to bypass obstacles, and even playing arcade-style mini-games between stages. Like many of the games on this list, you can get Popucom on Steam.
