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A gaming PC might not have quite the same immediately obvious couch co-op appeal of a console when it comes to playing games together with someone, but through the joy of online play there are almost limitless numbers of great co-op games on the platform.

From story-driven adventures to puzzle-solving capers, there are a huge range of experiences to try, so we've gathered a shortlist of the very best co-op games for PC players, right here.

Top co-op games we'd recommend

There are naturally a lot of different co-op games out there and what you choose will largely be down to the sort of games you prefer to play with friends. These are our top picks though.

Grounded game 21
Grounded
1. Most unusual

Casual survival fun with friends

Grounded is a brilliant little survival adventure game where you play tiny little people trapped in a backyard, fighting to survive.

Pros
  • Brilliant setting
  • Lots of fun to be had
  • Great visuals
Cons
  • Contains spiders
  • Can be quite grindy

Grounded is a perfect game to play with friends. This is a survival game that turns you into tiny people trapped in a garden. You need to survive against all the creatures and creepy crawlies out there while also trying to solve the puzzle of why you're tiny in the first place.

This game has had plenty of updates since it first appeared and there are loads to do with an ever-expanding garden to adventure around in. Just be warned though, there are giant spiders in this one, so it's a no-go for arachnophobes.

portal 2
Portal 2
2. Fun for all

An epic puzzle game that's brilliant when play in co-op mode

The classic puzzle game with portal guns is even more fun when played with friends.

Pros
  • Fantastic physics based puzzles
  • Still brilliant even now
  • Amusing gameplay
Cons
  • Some puzzles may be frustrating

We can't believe it's been so long since Portal 2 came out, but the game remains untouchable as one of the best, most inventive cooperative titles ever created.

You play as a pair of robots running through deranged Aperture Science trials with portal guns of your own and must work together to make it out of a long series of puzzle rooms. It's hilarious and innovative and we wish there were more sequels to tuck into!

no mans sky
No Man's Sky
3. Fantastic for space adventures

Untold planets to explore with your friends

Is there anything better than adventuring with your friends in space?

Pros
  • Insane amounts of planets to explore
  • Includes VR options
  • Hours and hours of fun with friends
Cons
  • Possibly too much to do

No Man's Sky has come a long way since it first launched and it just continues to get better and better. This game is brilliant fun to play with friends as you can work together building mega bases in space or just adventuring together through the vastness of the universe.

Recent updates include the ability to play in VR, so if you've all got virtual reality headsets then you can really enjoy a special experience.

Divinity 2
Divinity: Original Sin 2
4. Epic RPG co-op fun

Gather your group of upto four players and get stuck in

This is another classic RPG from the creators of Baldur's Gate 3 and that means guaranteed good times in co-op.

Pros
  • Superb strategy
  • Amazing script
  • Looks great
Cons
  • Quite complex
  • Really long

An RPG that lets you party up and take on a huge, sprawling story that crosses continents and has some great twists, Original Sin 2 lets you really rip things up and create chaos on the battlefield and in your questlines.

It has such a nice sense of fun and encourages proper teamwork while also rewarding invention and cheekiness.

Best indie games on Nintendo Switch 2021: All the best independtly-published games photo 11
Stardew Valley
5. Quaint co-op fun

A wonderfully relaxing RPG for friends

This farming simulator is like a gorgeous comforting blanket to curl up in.

Pros
  • So chilled
  • Loads to do
  • Little peril
Cons
  • A bit vanilla

This delightful farming game lets you move to a slower pace, building up a farm and getting to know a small hamlet and its residents over time - it's insanely relaxing.

Being able to play it together means you can build up a real sense of shared ownership with the other player, too.

Left 4 dead 2
Left 4 Dead 2
6. Classic zombie shooter

What's more fun that shooting zombies with friends?

It might be getting on in years now but Left 4 Dead 2 is still an utter classic and a blast with friends.

Pros
  • Intense zombie filled gaming
  • Hardcore zombies
Cons
  • Graphics look dated now

Another game that shows Valve's titles age amazingly, Left 4 Dead 2 is still a hit if you want short co-operative levels to shoot your way through. Its vision of a zombie menace is detailed but characterful, and the simplicity of its gameplay is part of why it stays satisfying even after hundreds of hours.

Left 4 Dead 2 might be getting on in years, but it was only just recently updated with more content. Proof that you can't kill a classic zombie shooter.

Overcooked
Overcooked! All You Can Eat
7. Chaotic co-op fun

Over 200 levels to get stuck into

Overcooked! has an insane amount of levels to play and utterly chaotic content too.

Pros
  • Chaotic co-op
  • Oodles of levels
  • Some crazy twists
Cons
  • Can be really tough

The definitive Overcooked experience, this bundle offers a huge range of levels for you to work through in groups, desperately trying to serve up a long queue of orders while the world conspires against you with moving levels, hazardous pits, hurricanes and more. It's so fun and so hectic that you'll keep coming back for more.

it takes two
It Takes Two
8. Built for co-op

Loads of variety and plenty of fun

This is pitched as a genre-bending platform adventure designed specifically for co-op.

Pros
  • Touching story
  • Incredibly inventive
  • Memorable moments
Cons
  • Starts off a little slow

A touching story about parenting and relationships, It Takes Two comes from the same developers that made another excellent co-op game, A Way Out, and it's even more inventive and rewarding to make your way through it with a friend or family member. There are so many genres of game covered by its various sequences that you'll probably be amazed.