The best local co-op games to play in 2026

2 hours ago 1

Published Feb 14, 2026, 1:00 PM EST

Two-player, couch co-op vibes

A screenshot from a cutscene in Split Fiction showing the two characters with small dragons on their backs.

Gaming with your partner — or best mate, family member, or someone you don't even really like but somehow ended up next to you on the sofa — is a great time, especially when you're playing one of the best local co-op games available right now. We're talking specifically co-op though, not just local multiplayer, so every game on this list involves working cooperatively and can be played with just two players (although some may allow more).

We've also opted to leave out some of the games that are already incredibly popular, so while It Takes Two, Overcooked 2, and Stardew Valley are fantastic games, they're also included on every list under the sun. We're going for slightly lesser known titles, so hopefully we'll help you uncover some hidden gems. Here are, in no particular order, the best local co-op games you can play across Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X in 2026.

Moving Out 2

Where to play: PS4, PS5, Switch, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Local players: One to four

If you're anything like me, Overcooked (and its sequel) are entertaining games, but they are also incredibly stressful. Moving Out 2, the second game in the series, uses a similar concept, but rather than cheffing up meals in chaotic kitchens with constantly changing orders and mechanics, you play as removal folk, responsible for getting loads of furniture out of houses and into the back of your truck, complete with wacky ragdoll physics and plenty of surprises.

I'm not saying Moving Out 2 is completely stress-free, especially if you're trying to achieve some of the bonus goals, but because lots of items can be carried by one player, you're not constantly reliant on the other players, nor are you barking orders at each other as frequently. The approach my partner and I take is to tackle all the solo items first, then collaborate for the heavier stuff when there isn't as much left in the house.

Split Fiction

Where to play: PS5, Switch 2, Windows PC, Xbox Series X
Local players: Two

Hazelight Games truly entered the limelight with It Takes Two, which won game of the year at The Game Awards in 2021, and is lauded as arguably the best local co-op game of all time. Split Fiction followed it up in 2025 though, and while it was still received incredibly well, it didn't quite get the same amount of attention.

You can expect the same sort of gameplay this time around, but rather than playing as a couple falling out of love with one another, you play as two authors who get trapped in the worlds of their respective stories — one who writes sci-fi, the other fantasy. Plenty of puzzles, enemies, platforming, and inventive mechanics await, culminating in a game that we called "a thrilling co-op game that pushes the genre forward" in our Split Fiction review.

Lego Voyagers

Where to play: PS4, PS5, Switch, Switch 2, Windows PC, Xbox Series X
Local players: Two

Annapurna Interactive is best-known for publishing charming, stylistic games and Lego Voyagers is no different. You need to take pretty much everything you know about the licensed Lego games — Star Wars, Harry Potter, and the like — and disregard it, because this Lego game is far more serene and satisfying.

The two of you play as 1x1 Lego bricks — one red, one blue — and you can each roll, jump, and attach to other Lego bricks. You'll solve puzzles and work together to explore this beautiful, handcrafted world, in a fairly short but very sweet journey. Lego Voyagers isn't a difficult game by any means, so if only one of the two in your pair is experienced with gaming, this is a great option to ease the other in. Our Lego Voyagers review calls it "easygoing and guilt-free co-op gaming in an immaculately cool wrapper."

Divinity: Original Sin 2

Where to play: PS4, PS5, Switch, Switch 2, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Local players: One to four

Everyone knows Baldur's Gate 3 is arguably the best RPGs of all time, and it even works brilliantly in local co-op. But did you know Larian's previous game, Divinity: Original Sin 2, is also a phenomenal game in the same genre? We're talking the same style of turn-based tactical combat, a vast, sprawling world with countless characters and personalities, and the freedom to shape the story how you want it to be told.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a dense game though, with upwards of 60-70+ hours of content for a standard playthrough, so this is a big commitment. It's so worth it though, especially if you're looking for something to keep returning to, potentially in lieu of not having a series to watch at any given time. One of the true greats of the fantasy setting, and one that we describe in our Divinity: Original Sin 2 review as "rich with possibilities, where almost anything can happen."

Haven

Where to play: PS4, PS5, Switch, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Local players: One to two

The Game Bakers’ most recent release, Cairn, is an intense, mesmerizing game all about scaling a mountain. It's single-player, but my partner and I have had a lot of fun passing the controller between us each time we fall. However, the studio released Haven back in 2020, a local co-op exploration-focused game where you control two lovers, Yu and Kay, who have escaped from an authoritarian society in space.

It's essentially a sci-fi take on "what if we were stranded on a desert island," but trade the beach and the palm trees for a planet called Source, laden with "flow threads" that both players can glide on thanks to anti-gravity boots. There's also fairly basic, real-time combat and the odd puzzle to solve, and plenty of story development. Haven is a cute, romantic tale with multiple endings that is also fairly accessible for non-gamers.

Cult of the Lamb

Where to play: PS4, PS5, Switch, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch
Local players: 1-2

Cult of the Lamb takes a fairly common indie approach of "what if a gross thing was designed to be cute?" and smashes it out of the park. This 2022 roguelike added local co-op some two years after release, where one of you plays as the eponymous lamb, and the other a goat. You can take on the entire game together, with special co-op bonuses such as extra damage when fighting back-to-back.

But what is Cult of the Lamb? You must venture out to various regions to defeat heretics, in order to appease "The One Who Waits," and rescue animals to grow your very own cult. When you're on an adventure, combat is fast-paced, with plenty of mechanics and systems to consider, but back at your camp, you must build your town, interact with your followers, and manage resources. As our Cult of the Lamb review explains, it's "equal parts dungeon-crawler and religious management sim."

Unravel Two

Platforms: PS4, Switch, Windows PC, Xbox One
Local players: One to two

Unravel Two is very similar to Lego Voyagers in lots of ways: it's focused on exploration and puzzles with a partner, the vibes are (eventually) nice and chill, and again, you get to choose who's red and who's blue. It's a little more challenging though — emphasis on little — because you're both attached by a piece of yarn, and must solve the challenges you encounter with that in mind.

Our Unravel Two review considers it "a perfect game to connect with loved ones," where our reviewer explains they took it in turns with their three children, each of them picking up the controller to work through the levels one after the other. "I felt that we connected nicely through the game, learning and acknowledging each other's strengths and weaknesses, evening out frustrations with one another. That's the essence of co-op."

Reanimal

Where to play: PS5, Switch 2, Windows PC, Xbox Series X
Local players: One to two

Reanimal is a horror game from Tarsier Studios, the same folks behind the Little Nightmares series, and the newest release on this list. It's as much a survival horror as it is a cinematic masterpiece, as our Reanimal review considers it to be "the most beautiful horror game in years," and whether you play it in co-op so you have someone to hide behind or you simply want to experience its beauty alongside someone else, you're in for one heck of a ride.

The game follows a brother and sister — the two playable characters in co-op — as they simultaneously escape their home and try to save their friends. Tensions are high because there are all manner of puzzles to solve and monsters to escape from, but it's also another great choice if one player in your pair isn't as skilled, because the girl acts as more of a sidekick, instead of them having equal roles.

Cat Quest 3

Where to play: PS4, PS5, Switch, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Local players: One to two

Cat Quest 3, aka Cat Quest: Pirates of the Purribean, is a cute, action RPG where players are, well, cats. It's a surprisingly deep experience too, despite its charming surface and visual appeal, but it still manages to make everything streamlined and refined. There are plenty of quests, both main and side, but quality of life elements such as fast traveling between islands taking just a second or two means it does a good job at separating the wheat from the chaff.

There's no separate co-op mode either; player two jumps straight into the fray as another cat on the main adventure. You can sail the high seas and search for the "North Star" together, fighting against pirates, clearing dungeons, and ultimately take down the Pi-Rat King. Yeah, Cat Quest 3 doesn't take itself too seriously.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Where to play: Switch (and, soon, Switch 2)
Local players: One to four

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the first side-scrolling Mario game since 2012, and it shows, because the genre has come a long way. So much so, our review explains how it's "stuffed with decades of ideas," because while it looks familiar at first, every level adds something new, fun, and exciting, from mechanics and moves to enemies and items.

In local co-op, you can simply add in up to three more players if you have enough joycons, with each person assuming the role of a different character from the Mario universe (although of the 12-strong roster, four of those are different colors of Yoshi, and two colors for Toad). There's rarely been a bad Mario game, and Wonder is no different, making it a joy to behold.

Absolum

Where to play: PS4, PS5, Switch, Windows PC
Local players: One to two

As you can tell from this list, roguelikes are perfect for local co-op, and Absolum is another to add to the list. Considered a beat 'em up roguelike with a side-scrolling flavor, it combines elements from the good ol' days of arcade brawling with more modern mechanics such as various bonuses and abilities, a shop for permanent upgrades, side quests, non-linear paths, and more.

Absolum is a tough game though, so this one comes as a recommendation for two battle-tested players, although there is an accessibility setting that allows you to buff the damage they deal and nerf the damage they take. It's a ton of fun, and is one of 2025's most underrated games, to the point where we consider it "near-perfect" in our review.

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