Thanks to the Steam platform, there are tons of amazing games for PC players to purchase, download, and enjoy. The Steam Greenlight program is even helping indie developers push their products, giving players even more choices, with tons of games released on the service each month. Steam also makes it incredibly easy for players to join one another in games, thanks to the handy friends list and invite features.
This makes the platform the perfect place for players to hop online and enjoy cooperative adventures together. There are tons of great co-op games on Steam to choose from, ranging from AAA releases to Indie darlings. To better point out some of the memorable cooperative adventures floating around the service, here's a look at some of the best co-op games on Steam and what players can expect from them.
As local co-op has its own discussion, online co-op Steam games will take center stage for this article. That said, a few exceptions will be included.
Also, the games aren't ranked by quality, and newer releases will be mentioned first for extra exposure.
Updated February 3, 2026 by Mark Sammut: A new year has started, and there aren't any new co-op games that really must be mentioned. StarRupture comes the closest and features cooperative play, although its implementation could still use some work (and the game is still in early access).
I've added Marvel Cosmic Invasion and Arc Raiders. Admittedly, the latter is not a traditional co-op game, but its popularity warrants a mention. It has been the trending Steam game for months.
Quick Picks: Best Co-Op Steam Games To Play Right Now
While we will explore games individually, let's first put together recommendations for a range of needs and circumstances. Basically, if you are just looking for a quick rec, the following table should help get you started. I'll try to cover as many basic categories as possible, and I'll include three games for each.
|
Category |
Best Game |
Alternative 1 |
Alternative 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Best Overall Co-Op Game |
Split Fiction |
Peak |
Lethal Company |
|
Best Co-Op for 2 Players |
Split Fiction (Or It Takes Two) |
Portal 2 |
Baldur's Gate 3 |
|
Best Co-Op for 4 Players |
Deep Rock Galactic |
Peak |
Helldivers 2 |
|
Best Casual / Chill Co-Op |
PowerWash Simulator 2 |
Stardew Valley |
Sea of Thieves |
|
Best Hardcore / Challenge Co-Op |
Helldivers 2 |
Elden Ring: Nightreign |
Sons of the Forest |
|
Best Co-Op for New Players |
Split Fiction |
Castle Crashers |
Overcooked! 2 |
|
Best Online Co-Op |
Helldivers 2 |
Peak |
Lethal Company |
|
Best Local / Couch Co-Op |
Split Fiction |
Baldur's Gate 3 |
Marvel Cosmic Invasion |
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Arc Raiders
Steam User Rating: 87%
ARC Raiders
- Released
- October 30, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Embark Studios
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Genre(s)
- Extraction, Shooter, Third-Person Shooter, Survival
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
I am including Arc Raiders due to its popularity and the fact that you can play with friends; however, this is a team-based shooter rather than a conventional PvE co-op experience. Please keep that in mind if you are interested in picking it up.
Ever since it came out in October 2025, Arc Raiders has been the talk of the town and continues to be among the most active games on Steam. Considering it is not free to play, its short-term longevity has been impressive, and there is every indication that it will remain a fixture of the multiplayer scene for a long time to come.
How to Play with Friends in ARC Raiders (Embark ID Location)
ARC Raiders supports Crossplay (Cross-Platform) functionality. Here's how players can turn it on to play with their friends on different platforms.
Now, Arc Raiders is PvP with PvE, so you really need to be willing to engage in the former to get the most out of the game. Co-op isn't an available mode, and you cannot just team up with a few friends and engage in a PvE-only playthrough. If that is what your party is craving, Arc Raiders will probably not fill that void. However, you can team up with friends to form a squad and explore (and fight) together, taking on both AI enemies and other players. Arc Raiders even has a "solo vs squads" mode.
Peak
Steam User Rating: 95%
PEAK
- Released
- June 16, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Landcrab
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Exploration, First-Person
- 4-Player Online Co-Op
One of Steam's best online co-op games of 2025, Peak is built around a daily struggle to overcome a mountain. You and up to three friends must join forces to reach the top, a journey that changes every day. Built on a fantastic concept for a live-service game that players can revisit relatively frequently, Peak blends exploration and survival, along with a goofy sense of humor courtesy of the art style and the hilarious ways deaths can happen.
Best Co-Op Open-World Games
Here are a variety of options for the best co-op games that can be experienced in an open world setting.
As the map is swapped out every day, the game manages to keep things feeling fresh for a surprisingly long time, especially since there is also a wide selection of items that can be found. Co-op is 100% Peak's priority as well, even if solo runs are possible and fun.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion
Steam User Rating: 88%
MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
- Released
- December 1, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Tribute Games Inc.
- Multiplayer
- Local Co-Op, Online Co-Op
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players
- Genre(s)
- Beat 'Em Up, Superhero, Action
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
The beat 'em up genre has been quietly going through a renaissance in the last couple of years, producing a few fantastic games that cater to both long-time fans and relative beginners. Tribute Games' TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is arguably the most popular beat 'em up of the last decade, and I would recommend it to pretty much everybody, regardless of their love for the genre. In 2025, the developer followed up that modern classic with Marvel Cosmic Invasion, which delivers an even bigger roster of playable characters while supporting up to 4 players in both online and local co-op. Although Shredder's Revenge is arguably superior, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is nevertheless brilliant and well worth a playthrough for comic fans or just people who enjoy a good old brawler.
With over-the-top animation, gorgeous visuals, and versatile combat, this game brings together everything to create something truly special, and players can get quite a bit of mileage out of the roster. The campaign can be completed in a couple of hours, but the heroes are different enough from each other to warrant multiple playthroughs. Although awesome when played solo, co-op elevates the experience, encouraging groups to pick characters that complement each other. Really fun stuff.
Elden Ring Nightreign
Steam User Rating: 86%
Elden Ring Nightreign
- Released
- May 30, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike, Roguelite
- 3-Player Online Co-Op
Nightreign is a weird game. Nobody asked for an Elden Ring spin-off that is a co-op roguelike with battle royale elements. Seriously, nobody! However, FromSoftware had more than earned the benefit of the doubt, so a lot of people were ready to give Nightreign a try for themselves. The thing is, if the game's base description does not sound like something you might enjoy, then you will probably not love it. For better or worse, Nightreign delivers the exact experience it advertises, and you should not go in expecting something identical to Elden Ring.
Groups of three players jump into a relatively static map, where they must survive for three days while defeating enemies and acquiring loot. Along the way, they must fight mini-bosses and, on the third night, take down one of eight main foes. The latter are known as the Nightlords, and they are some of the best boss fights FromSoftware has ever designed; however, they are all intended for three players, so solo runs are really not recommended (despite technically being possible). Once you defeat all eight bosses, you just do everything again.
Schedule 1
Steam User Rating: 98%
Schedule I
- Developer(s)
- TVGS
WHERE TO PLAY
- 4-Player Online Co-Op
TVGS's Schedule 1 came completely out of nowhere and pretty much instantly took over Steam's best-selling charts, establishing itself as one of 2025's biggest surprise success stories (so far). Now, the game is still in early access, so anybody interested in jumping on board must be prepared for some rough edges and incomplete (or missing) mechanics. That said, the current version has more than enough content to keep a group of players busy for a long while, and Schedule 1's roadmap is quite exciting too.
Schedule 1 Roadmap & All Upcoming Content
If the official Schedule 1 roadmap is anything to go by, players have an awful lot to look forward to over the coming weeks and months.
Although playable solo without losing anything significant, Schedule 1 also supports 4-player co-op, allowing friends to work together to build a criminal empire. The multiplayer has some aspects that could use some work, but the feature's implementation is quite good and, for the most part, does not have too many frustrating elements.
R.E.P.O.
Steam User Rating: 96%
R.E.P.O.
- Released
- February 26, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- 6-Player Online Co-Op
2025 has been pretty great for out-of-nowhere great online co-op Steam games, and R.E.P.O. Has lasted long enough to suggest it will be way more than just a flash in the pan. Again, like Schedule 1, this project is in early access, so there is still quite a lot of work to be done. However, R.E.P.O.'S core gameplay loop is already established, with players heading into maps in search of valuables to meet their quota. Naturally, they are not alone, and they will sooner or later find themselves coming face-to-face with some rather terrifying entities.
Admittedly, R.E.P.O.'S premise sounds similar to Lethal Company, but the former shakes things up by incorporating a physics element into the equation. Not only do the player's characters control weirdly, but they must also transport the valuables in a way that constantly risks damage happening to them. R.E.P.O. Is a lot of fun and, more importantly, must be played with friends.
Split Fiction
Steam User Rating: 98%
Split Fiction
- Released
- March 6, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Hazelight Studios
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- 2-Player Local And Online Co-op
A new Hazelight release is always a cause for celebration. Co-op Steam games are not extremely rare in the grand scheme of things, but story-driven projects designed specifically for cooperative play are hard to come by. More often than not, co-op is an alternative to solo runs, even if it might be the best way to experience a game. Hazelight specializes in two-player co-op, and Split Fiction is another triumph.
The story revolves around two writers who have their ideas stolen, causing them to go on a creative adventure that involves visiting their own fantasy or sci-fi worlds. Zoe and Mio are not exactly on great terms at the start of the campaign, but they form a bond pretty quickly as they are instantly forced to co-exist, both in the story and gameplay. The entire campaign is a celebration of co-op, and Hazelight uses the premise to craft a wide variety of unique worlds that encourage different play styles and abilities. Split Fiction is always evolving, and there are hardly any missteps.
Where Winds Meet
One Of The Biggest Games Of 2025, And It Has Co-Op-Exclusive Content
Where Winds Meet
- Released
- November 14, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Everstone Studios
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Wuxia, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC, Android, iOS
Ever find a game that sounds too good to be true? Where Winds Meet epitomizes that saying, albeit with one major tweak: it kind of is that good. Here we have a FREE open-world game that can be readily played as a single-player action RPG with a lengthy story, great combat, and quite a few side quests and mini-games to keep you busy. Alternatively, you can jump online to either play with or beat down other people, and both of those experiences are incredibly robust considering Where Winds Meet was marketed more on its solo content (at least, that's the impression I got).
Now, Where Winds Weet mainly offers solo and online modes, with the latter serving up traditional MMO goodness like raids and dungeons. You can also use that mode for PvP or the bounty system, although you will not be able to do any of the solo content as online removes the single-player markers to make room for the online elements. If you want to complete the story, solo mode is the only option since you need to complete these missions alone. Ultimately, the best method is to go back and forth between the two modes as they both have their strengths.
Solo can also be turned into Co-op mode, which lets you and a few friends play through the world's open-world content without having to join everybody else. While you cannot go through story missions, you will have everything else at your fingertips.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Steam User Rating: 80%
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II
- Released
- September 9, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Saber Interactive
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Hack and Slash
- 3-Player Online Co-Op
It took more than a decade to materialize, but Space Marine 2 is now a reality. So, was it worth the wait? Well, the answer is mostly yes, even if some aspects could use some tweaking. Putting aside Operations, the PvE mode designed for players to replay the same missions and grind XP, the main campaign supports online co-op, and it is by far the best way to experience this story.
Sure, co-op improves nearly everything, but Space Marine 2 is very much designed around a three-person squad; consequently, solo players will be saddled with two AI partners who are not always the sharpest knives in the shed. Just to be clear, the campaign is still a blast in single-player as it is always satisfying to tear armies of Tyranids to shreds. Co-op just lessens some of the occasional frustration.
Operations can be fun too, but it is a grind and its mileage may vary from player to player. That said, the mode is worth a try since it will greatly extend Space Marine 2's life cycle.