Summary
- Popular sim games like SaleBlazers and PowerWash Simulator offer engaging co-op experiences for players.
- Co-op sim games like Barotrauma and Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes require teamwork and communication for success.
- Star Citizen and Escape Simulator provide massive shared worlds and collaborative puzzle-solving experiences in a co-op setting.
Playing games can be fun alone, but it is always more exciting when there is a friend or two joining the fun. While typical cooperative experiences tend to be more action or party-focused, sometimes it is nice to work together in dealing with a simulation.
The Best Real Life Simulation Games
There is an impressive variety of life simulation games available, and these are easily the best out of all of them.
Simulation games tend to emulate real-life scenarios, which may not seem like a ton of fun on the service. However, there are some great experiences that have enough depth and joy to them that they can keep the player coming back for more. These are even more likely to bring joy if they are co-op simulation games.
Updated on March 11, 2025, by Mehrdad Khayyat: Co-op games are generally built around letting players enjoy sharing some fun moments together, but the addition of the simulation sub-genre gives them a little bit more seriousness, letting players actually enjoy achieving something special with teamwork.
Nowadays, there is almost a simulation for every popular job, and the number of creative games in this genre keeps growing, thanks to positive feedback from gamers. And among these games, the ones that allow for co-op, probably live a longer life!
29 Saleblazers
Survive In A Hostile Island As A Shopkeeper
Saleblazers
- Released
- April 13, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Airstrafe Interactive
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, RPG
A lot of sim games focus on management gameplay coupled with a fair bit of combat thrown into the mix to make things engaging. This is precisely what Saleblazers brings to the table, with players loving this title's simple yet engaging gameplay loop. This title is currently in Early Access, with a lot of room for improvement.
Saleblazers supports anywhere from 1-8 players, with players having to set up a shop from scratch by gathering materials in the open world. If Saleblazers manages to build upon its systems, then players will be able to enjoy an excellent co-op simulation game that will bring a lot of fresh ideas to the table.
28 Viscera Cleanup Detail
Cleaning Up A Space Mess
Viscera Cleanup Detail: Santa's Rampage
- Released
- December 13, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- RuneStorm
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
When going around taking down monsters in a game and then moving on, it is understandable to wonder what happens with all the corpses left behind and who has to deal with them. Well, Viscera Cleanup Detail is all about a janitor who is on the job to clean up the hero's mess.
From an office building to a spaceship, up to a whopping 32 players can take on the massive mop-up task of cleaning up blood, bodies, and other unpleasant scraps that are splattered around an area. While cleaning is part of the fun, tools in each area also allow players to make a little mess themselves if they would like.
27 PlateUp!
Cook, Serve, And Keep Customers Happy!
PlateUp!
- Released
- August 4, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Party Game, Simulation
Players who loved the chaos of Overcooked will love PlateUp! For much of the same reasons. The game focuses on a Roguelite progression loop where players can decide how their restaurant looks as they try to satisfy as many customers as possible. Failure awaits them if a few mistakes derail their momentum, making it important to learn how the game works and nail as many orders as possible.
PlateUp! Has impressed a lot of people in Early Access, and players can only hope that the 1.0 release adds even more things to mess around with. As it stands, this game is still a ton of fun to play with friends. At least, they will do so until they start blaming each other for messing up an order, which is something that Overcooked players will be very familiar with.
26 Garry's Mod
A Playground For The Creative Minds
Garry's Mod
- Released
- November 29, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Facepunch Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox
Back in the early 2000s, the Source engine by Valve was one of the most critically acclaimed development tools out there and has been used to develop some of the best games ever made. One of the more experimental titles to be made using the engine is Garry's Mod, which has turned into a popular platform for creating mini-games.
8 Best Valve Protagonists, Ranked
Valve games have played home to several iconic protagonists, but some are arguably better and more iconic than others.
A lot of what makes Garry's Mod great is the co-op simulation game elements, which could involve a variety of things. Players can download many of the user-generated maps and modes to play with each other, or the group can work together to come up with their own concepts and just play around in the sandbox mode.
25 Madden NFL Series
Team Up On The Gridiron And Work For Glory
Madden NFL 25
- Released
- August 16, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- EA Tiburon
- Franchise
- Madden NFL
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- Sports
EA's Madden NFL has been the only solution for any NFL fan for a long time now, and each iteration does come with a series of solid co-op and PvP game modes to let players work with or challenge each other and prove their skills on the gridiron.
Probably the most enjoyable way to play Madden NFL co-op is to create a custom league in the Franchise mode and lead a team to victory in the Super Bowl. Other than that, the game also supports a 2v2 quick match mode, which lets four players connect to a single match, with each duo controlling one of the teams. This is one of the most chaotic modes to play with friends.
24 Farming Simulator
Living The Dream Life Of Farmers
Farming Simulator 25
- Released
- November 12, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Giants Software
- Franchise
- Farming Simulator
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Farming, Simulation, Immersive Sim
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Tired of all the fighting and shooting? Farming Simulator is a peaceful experience about starting a farmer's life from the very beginning. The players get to choose a farm and start working on it. Plant the seeds, water them in time, and make sure everything is perfect for the seeds to grow.
It is not all about just farming and planting seeds though. Players will get to buy upgraded machinery to increase the efficiency of the work. Farmers can also grow animals in the stable to make a profit off their products as well. In the co-op mode, players work together to speed up the process and maximize their gains.
23 Wobbly Life
A Physics-Based Sandbox World Filled With Wacky Activities
Wobbly Life
- Released
- September 18, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
What if life was just a little more silly? That is the concept of Wobbly Life, a game that can be played with up to 4 players either online or locally. The open-world sandbox allows players to take control of tiny characters that move around and interact with the world with ridiculous physics.
The simulation elements include taking on jobs to earn cash and then using that cash to purchase small things like clothing or major things like a home. Since Wobbly Life is an open world, there is so much to explore, including finding treasure and taking on missions.
22 Warno
A Fast-Paced RTS For The Dedicated
WARNO
- Released
- May 23, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Eugen Systems
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy, War, Action, Simulation, Indie Games
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
As the latest game from Eugene Systems, one of the best RTS veterans in the world, WARNO follows an alternative history where NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries engage in an all-out war during the Cold War, and this creates an amazing setting for a World War 3 that never happened.
The players can create decks based on a variety of available divisions in the game. WARNO's gameplay is quite fast-paced, but it is still an RTS, which means rushing forward never guarantees a win. So, players must play their cards carefully and position their units wisely. The game features long campaigns and an Army General mode, both of which can be played in co-op mode!
21 Satisfactory
Turning Alien Planets Into Industry Hells
Satisfactory
- Released
- September 10, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Coffee Stain Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Simulation, Sandbox, Base Building, Open-World, Management
To survive in an unknown world, it is important to collect resources that will help take care of necessities. But doing this without assistance can be hard work, which is why Satisfactory is all about building large networks of machinery that will help automate the collection.
Better yet, players can build these factories with the help of some friends. Along with building, a main element of Satisfactory is exploring the world and seeing what mysteries are out there. The game gives players many means of transportation, ranging from trucks to jetpacks.
20 Goat Simulator 3
A Game For Those Looking For Peculiar Fun
Goat Simulator 3
- Released
- November 17, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Coffee Stain North
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Simulation, Adventure
Sometimes, the simulator term can be used a little loosely. That is certainly the case in Goat Simulator 3, where players are goats but don't necessarily do things that goats typically do. In fact, the goats in the game are terrorizing society with their long tongues and sharp bleats.
Goat Simulator 3: The Best Things To Do First
There are plenty of hoofed shenanigans that players can get up to in Goat Simulator 3, though some of them are better done sooner rather than later.
In Goat Simulator 3, players can hang out in the sandbox together and create as much chaos as they can muster. The co-op simulation game includes everything in the single-player, including finding outfits that can cause destruction, climbing to high heights and ragdolling off them, and completing a plethora of objectives that involve exploring the world and creating some fun.