Co op games on game pass pc

Long before online gaming was introduced to the world, the only opportunity gamers had to play with their friends was if they were in the same room, on the same system. There was something special about getting a big group of family & friends together and huddling around the console, sharing that experience together in real-time. There simply isn't as much of a need for that anymore.

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Despite the emergence of online gaming, there remain developers out there who are dedicated to keeping the "couch co-op" genre alive and well. These developers understand there's no replacement for hooking up multiple controllers to the same system and squeezing in between friends to fit on the couch. This is especially true in a world that is growing so disconnected through technology. Luckily for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, there is no shortage ofcouch co-op options.

Updated on November 21, 2022, by Michael Colwander: Xbox Game Pass is easily one of the best bang-for-your-buck purchases in gaming. Game Pass has an amazing selection of couch co-op games that are sure to be the perfect way to spend the holidays with loved ones.

CBR VIDEO OF THE DAY

20/20 Defy Expectations In Nobody Saves The World

Nobody Saves the World is the latest hit game from DrinkBox Studios, known for the Guacamelee! series, the Tales from Space series, and Severed. With a lineage like that, players can expect nothing less than gorgeous visuals, tight gameplay, expressive characters and enemies, and great writing.

Nobody Saves the World is an action RPG dungeon crawler where players take on the role of Nobody, a character with no remarkable traits on their own. However, Nobody has a wand that can transform them into 18 different classes. Players will have to traverse procedural dungeons and complete quests, so they can build up their Nobody into a Somebody.

19/20 Defend The World Against Zombies In The Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare Series

The Plants vs. Zombies series was one of the first big hits of modern mobile gaming. Plants vs. Zombies, which is also available on Game Pass, is a simple tower defense game where players plant flowers and crops to defend their homes from waves of zombies.

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The Plants vs. Zombies series has since grown into the third-person shooter realm with Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare. Garden Warfare features similar tower defense mechanics, but with multiplayer gameplay. Garden Warfare was followed up by two games, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 and Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville. Best of all, all three can be played locally with a partner!

18/20 Stardew Valley Is A Much More Peaceful Way To Manage Plants

Growing plants doesn't have to be a matter of life and death. It can be chill and relaxing, and it's tough to find a game more relaxing than Stardew Valley. Stardew Valley remains one of the best farming simulators on the market for its relaxing gameplay and its amazing soundtrack.

In Stardew Valley, players inherit their grandfather's run-down farm. Whether alone, or with a partner, the player will have to grow crops, manage livestock, cook, mine, and a long list of other tasks to bring their grandfather's farm to its former glory and beyond. Stardew Valley is very open-ended, leaving players to decide how much or how little they do in a day.

17/20 The Procedural Terraria Is More Fun With A Co-Op Partner

It may be tough to believe at a glance, but Terraria is one of the highest-selling video games of all time. Since its 2011 release, players have sunk hundreds, if not thousands, of hours in Terraria's 2D sandbox that continues to be a "labor of love" for both its passionate fans and its developer Re-Logic.

Terraria also has a co-op mode available for up to four players locally and eight players online. Building, exploring, and experiencing random events in Terraria's procedurally generated worlds are made much more fun with a companion.

16/20 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge Is Beat 'Em Up At Its Purest

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is a love letter to the past. Not only is it inspired by the classic side-scrolling beat 'em up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, but Shredder's Revenge nails the aesthetic of the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series. To make it even better, the voice actors from that 1987 animated series reprise their roles.

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Arcade beat 'em ups are always a fun option for a couch co-op game. Players don't have to worry about split screens or having to wait for someone to catch up. There's just a bunch of enemies to take out together, and few modern beat 'em ups come close to being as fun doing that as Shredder's Revenge.

15/20 Battletoads Brings Its Infamous Difficulty To A Radical New Age

The original Battletoads is one of the most infamous games in gaming history for its punishing difficulty. After being the subject of debate and jokes, and a guest appearance in Killer Instinct along with other Xbox characters, Battletoads made its return in 2020.

Battletoads (2020) is a fun beat 'em up for those who enjoy a challenge. Thankfully, there are multiple different difficulty options for those who don't. Battletoads (2020) features fluid animations, despite a controversial cartoony art style, and funny dialog. Groups who are seeking another beat 'em up after Shredder's Revenge should consider giving Battletoads (2020) a look.

14/20 Young Souls Meshes 2D Beat 'Em Ups With RPGs

For beat 'em up fans who are looking for a rich story, look no further than Young Souls. Young Souls is a beat 'em up mixed with action RPGs. The result is a game with a deep story, exploration, and lots of weapons.

Young Souls tells the tale of orphans, Jenn and Tristan. The two children were adopted and raised by a passionate, if not mysterious, scientist. When that scientist goes missing, Jenn and Tristan uncover a device that transports them to a goblin-filled realm. Jenn and Tristan must fight their way through these hoards of goblins to find their guardian and answers along the way.

13/20 Players Don't Have To Dig Deep To Find A Good Co-Op Experience In Spelunky 2

Spelunky 2, much like its well-received predecessor, is a procedurally generated platform roguelike game. Players play as Ana, the daughter of the unnamed lead of the original Spelunky, on a mission to find her parents. Ana needs to navigate threats ranging from enemy creatures to deadly traps in hopes of finding them.

Spelunky 2 is not an easy game, so enlisting some help will make these brutal caves all the more entertaining. Up to four players, both locally and online, can take part in Ana's search for her parents and treasure along the way.

12/20 It Takes Two Is An Emotional Co-Op Experience

It Takes Two is a must-play local co-op experience. It Takes Two tells the tale of two parents, Cody and May, in a failing marriage who have both been transported into the bodies of their daughter's dolls. Cody and May have to work through both dangers and their personal conflicts if they want to reunite with their daughter again.

It Takes Two is designed for co-op play and can't be played solo. Anyone keen to experience the game that won Game of the Year at The Game Awards must find someone to join them on this emotional adventure.

11/20 Halo Is The King Of Local Co-Op Shooters

Halo and split-screen co-op go well together like peanut butter and jelly. Many sleepless nights have been spent frantically fighting through hoards of Covenant, all while trying to keep the noise down so as to not wake anyone up. It's those experiences that fueled the backlash 343 Industries have received for not including split-screen co-op in its recent two Halo entries.

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Thankfully, Halo: The Master Chief Collection is full of local co-op-enabled Halo goodness. Each Halo game in The Master Chief Collection, from Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo 4, is playable in co-op. While it's not local co-op in Halo 5: Guardians or Halo: Infinite, there are still plenty more sleepless nights to be had.

10/20 Nobody Has To Survive Alone In ARK: Survival Evolved

What's better than playing a survival game with friends? Playing a dinosaur survival game with friends! ARK: Survival Evolved is an open-world survival game filled with prehistoric and mythical creatures ranging from the T-Rex to a Wyvern. Players can hunt, tame, and ride ARK's impressive collection of creatures.

ARK isn't for the faint of heart. True to its survival nature, ARK is a tough game to play through. Having a co-op partner should provide the necessary edge to survive out in these deadly wilds. Work together and grind out resources, or else risk becoming history.

9/20 The Ascent Nails The Cyberpunk Aesthetic

The Ascent is an isometric RPG shooter where players will explore the corners of a beautiful yet gruesome cyberpunk world. After its release in the Summer of 2021, The Ascent was lauded for its beautiful art design, engaging combat mechanics & fun team-play.

Think Diablo 2-style, but with the ability to play with four people on one screen. Far and away, the coolest part about The Ascent is the living, breathing world that Neon Giant was able to create. Some could argue they nailed the cyberpunk aesthetic better than Cyberpunk 2077 did.

8/20 Goat Simulator Is Enjoyable For All The Wrong Reasons

Sometimes a game comes along that has no right being as fun as it is, and Goat Simulator is a shining example of this phenomenon. In this one-of-a-kind sim-game, the player will take on the form of a goat whose sole purpose is to cause as much chaos and destruction in the city as possible.

Goat Simulator's hilariousness makes up for its lack of polish and game-breaking bugs. In fact, the bugs are half the reason Goat Simulator is so charming. In the words of the developer, Coffee Stain Studios: "Goat Simulator is a completely stupid game and, to be honest, you should probably spend your money on something else..."

7/20 The Next Generation of Tetris is Tetris Effect: Connected

Tetris Effect: Connected is the latest iteration of the historic Tetris franchise, and it introduces a local multiplayer that's never been seen before. Tetris Effect: Connected is the same Tetris that people know and love, but it's enhanced by stunning visual backdrops and rhythmic music that syncs up with the tiles that are placed.

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Getting in a "flow" is extremely easy when the player is the one dictating the pace of the music. The game has a couple of different co-op modes, but their crown jewel is the "Connected" mode where players can literally combine their Tetris boards together to compete against the CPU.

6/20 Unravel Two Is A Cute And Natural Progression from Unravel

Building off the major success that was Unravel, Coldwood Interactive took a natural step with Unravel Two by making cooperative play a pivotal part of the game. This completely changes the flow of Unravel, as players now have to combine their brainpower and solve puzzles together.

The first Unravel was strictly a solo experience, so fans of that game will be delighted to know Unravel Two can also be played by one player, it just may be a bit more of a challenge. Unravel Two is only for members with Game Pass for PC or Game Pass Ultimate, as it's technically a part of EA Play's library.

5/20 A Way Out Is An Ode To Co-Op Lovers Everywhere

A Way Out is a captivating story about two men who meet in prison and form a bond over the common goal of getting the heck out of there. In many ways, A Way Out is the ultimate couch co-op game. Its core mechanics are built for two people, it is engaging the whole time, and both players will feel as if they're contributing equally.

There will be times when Player 1 is doing the heavy lifting, while Player 2 simply has to keep watch, then the roles will reverse. A Way Out was developed by Hazelight Studios and is the second project directed by Josef Fares, who is known for Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons. A Way Out is only for members with Game Pass for PC or Game Pass Ultimate, as it's technically a part of EA Play's library.

4/20 Human Fall Flat Makes Failing Repeatedly A Fun Time

Human Fall Flat is a physics-based puzzle platformer designed to be hilariously frustrating to play. Players will go through a series of levels, each one offering different puzzles and objects to interact with. The characters' movements resemble that of a fighter from Gang Beasts, which makes traversing through the levels a bit tricky at times, but that's half the fun.

The wonky controls and ragdoll physics are ultimately what make this game so charming. Even failing at crossing the same gap over and over again rarely ever stops being fun. Finally making it across, or passing any obstacle, is immensely satisfying in Human Fall Flat.

3/20 Tee-Off With Up To A Dozen People In Golf With Your Friends

One of the best, if not the best, party golfing games on Xbox right now is Golf With Your Friends. Golf With Your Friends is an extremely easy game to pick up and learn, making it perfect for a large group of people.

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With three different game modes and 16 maps to choose from, the game has plenty of content to remain fun for the long haul. What makes Golf With Your Friends so appealing is the 12-player multiplayer lobbies, both local and online. Grab the entire family. There's enough room!

2/20 Minecraft Dungeons Is A Tame, Approachable, Dungeon Crawler

Minecraft alone is a great couch co-op game, but Minecraft Dungeons also deserves its proper shine. While maintaining key aspects of what makes Minecraft so special, Mojang Studios was still able to create an entirely different experience for the player in Minecraft Dungeons.

Minecraft Dungeons is considered a dungeon crawler, like Path of Exile, but in a much-liter, more beginner-friendly manner. Minecraft Dungeons' controls are simple and the UI won't overwhelm the player with information. Minecraft Dungeons can be played with up to four people on the same system.

1/20 Overcooked 2 Remains One Of The Best Co-op Games In Recent History

Overcooked 2 is already widely known as one of the best couch co-op games out there. It's just a bonus that it happens to be on Xbox Game Pass as well. The fast-paced, team-oriented cooking simulator made waves after its launch in 2018, selling over 500,000 copies within the first month of launch solely on Nintendo Switch.

Later that year, Overcooked 2 won The Game Award for Best Family Game. It still very much holds up almost four years later, so get the family together and start cookin'!

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