Jumping in to play a game with friends and family is some of the most fun gaming I do. And there have been some brilliant additions to the ever-growing list of co-op games in 2023. In this list, I’ll be going over the best co-op games of 2023.
Best Co-Op Games of 2023
Baldur’s Gate 3
What a champion of gaming Baldur’s Gate 3 has been this year. It was by far and away the best game to grace my screen in 2023, despite there being a ton of competition from other titles. The design of this game is impeccable. It it’s got that D&D soul and the RPG elements to match that turn it into one of the best role-playing games of the current generation.
The characters feel alive, and each has their own quirks and strengths that really make you love (or hate) them with a passion. It’s got a brilliant story underlining the whole experience, although it can be hard to keep up with it sometimes because I found myself spending so much time doing side content and just exploring.
Then there’s the co-op, and, man, does that add a whole other layer on to the already awesome experience. With two players, it starts to feel like you’re playing a D&D session together, and the game is the Dungeon Master. It’s really funny to pull off combo abilities and coordinate your efforts in and outside of combat with your characters. There is also plenty of room for silly shenanigans. Want to pick up your friends and throw them at some enemies? You can do that! It’s a brilliant experience and one that I think is trying out.
Cassette Beasts
This monster-collecting RPG is in the vein of the Pokémon games but really does a lot to make itself shine. As the name implies, it’s themed around the use of a cassette to capture and battle with your creatures. The game has a lovely aesthetic that really suits the genre, and it reminds me of the Pokémon X and Y era of the series. It has really good, well-designed turn-based combat with type matchups and powerful status effects to play around.
The design of the monsters you can find and collect genuinely looks awesome and makes you actually want to collect as many as possible. No silly garbage can or ice cream cone monsters in sight here. Then there’s the multiplayer aspect, which really made me excited for this game. A Pokémon style game where you can run around the world and battle together? Hell yeah! In Cassette Beasts, you can explore the world together and combine your efforts in battle, which makes for a great co-op experience. There is even a big new update coming soon to Cassette Beasts that seeks to make multiplayer an even better experience than it already is, so keep an eye out for that.
Related: Best Fighting Games of 2023
For The King II
For the King 2 is a memorable co-op experience. You can have up to four players playing as one character in the party or two players playing as two characters each in the party. It’s a game that plays out on an overworld grid that move across and explore in a turn-based manner. You’ll be fighting groups of enemies, completing dungeons, and taking on boss fights. There will be an overarching set of goals that you’ll need to work to complete while making yourself stronger with level-ups and items in the process.
It’s a tough game, and if you lose, then that’s it – run over, and you’ll have to start over. There are some roguelike elements in that if you complete the main objectives and challenges, you can earn a special currency that you can use to buy new classes and items to start a playthrough with. These can give you a little extra boost on the next attempt. You’ll be taking turns moving your characters around the overworld and in combat. Work together to secure and share around powerful equipment and gold for your characters for the best chance at progressing through the chapters.
Lethal Company
Lethal Company was an indie game that absolutely blew up after it was released. It’s a derpy yet atmospheric survival co-op horror game that, despite its genre, exudes comedy when playing with friends. You’ll need to work together to gather resources to build up enough funds to appease your corporate overlords at the end of a mission. If you don’t, you’ll all be killed on the spot!
Venturing out to explore different planets and gather different resources is exciting. There are weird and horrific creatures and beings all over the place, and usually where you least expect them. Gather resources and do your best to survive. For the best experience, you should make use of only the in-game proximity chat. This adds so much more to the experience than chatting away in Discord. It leads to a ton of hilarious moments, like when I walked around the corner and stood on a land mine and exploded. My friends were left yelling and panicking, not knowing what killed me, and it was hilarious to watch it unfold before I was whisked away.
From watching your friends get swallowed up by quicksand to struck by lightning and devoured by ravenous spiders, there is always a hilarious death just around the corner in Lethal Company. It’s a great experience, and if you can gather a group of four to play together, that’s the absolute best way to experience this game. While you could play it with two or three players just fine, it’s not nearly as fun or hectic. The more players, the better in this title.
Those are the best co-op games of 2023 that I’ve had the pleasure of playing with friends. Each one is very different but incredibly enjoyable to play with friends. If you’re looking for a new co-op experience to pick up, you should absolutely consider these games. They’re all incredibly fun to play with others.
For more of our Best of lists for 2023, check out the following:
Best Action-Adventure Games of 2023
Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2023
