The Best Story-Based Co-op Games
In this selection, we have collected the best Story-Based Co-op games on PC.
Top best story games for two in a variety of genres and budgets. From platformers and roguelikes to shooters and interactive movies. From expensive AAA action Movies with cinematic cutscenes and giant open worlds to small indie masterpieces.
Shooters And Action Story Based Games
Borderlands 3
The role-playing shooter Borderlands 3 is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games not fundamentally different from the previous parts, it has just grown to gigantic proportions – and this was enough to please fans of the series. The game world has five large and well-developed planets: from tropical Eden to cyberpunk Promethea. Between them, the heroes move freely on a personal ship, where they can chat with their partners, shoot at the shooting range, and comfortably furnish their cabin.
But it’s not just the map that has grown in Borderlands 3—the enormous scale can be felt everywhere. The story campaign alone takes an average of 30 hours to complete, and the conflict in it grows to cosmic proportions. But there is a search for all sorts of notes and audio fragments, masterpiece side quests that will make you cry, and much more. But the most important thing is that Gearbox has seriously improved the shooter part: both the random gun algorithm and the shooting experience itself.
Remnant: From The Ashes
“Dark Souls with Guns”, is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games in which humanity finishes playing with dangerous experiments and opens a portal to another dimension, from which monster invaders hastened to escape. As a result, the Earth is enslaved, the few survivors are hiding in shelters, and the cities are covered with rust and dense alien vegetation.
In the role of a chosen duo, we will have to clear randomly generated biomes – both on Earth and in other dimensions. The variety of locations is impressive – here you will find the already mentioned destroyed cities on Earth, wild alien nature, and even meetings with other civilizations. At the entrance to each such biome, there is a teleport – a local analog of a bonfire from Dark Souls. And you can do crafting and leveling in a safe hub.
Unlike Software games, the choice of guns is not tied to class – no one will prevent a sniper from picking up a shotgun, sword, or even a hammer. But in terms of difficulty, everything is the same – almost every skirmish is a challenge, and boss fights can even bring you to tears.
Remnant II
Considering that many people liked the idea of a cooperative soulslike shooter, the release of Remnant II was only a matter of time. And in 2023, we got exactly the continuation that everyone was waiting for – with an even darker atmosphere, even more guns, and even more formidable bosses.
As in the first part, Remnant II’s multiplayer mode is only available after a tutorial. To unlock co-op play, players simply touch the World Stone and invite up to two players to play through the full story campaign or try out Adventure Mode if you’ve already defeated the final boss of the first world.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games which is a spin-off of Borderlands, in terms of gameplay is not far from the original, since it is a first-person shooter with RPG elements, but the same cannot be said about the setting.
The action takes place not on the usual desert planet, but inside a fantasy board game in the spirit of Dungeons and Dragons. So instead of raiders, robots, and mutants, you fight goblins, sorcerers, and dragons. Yes, the trademark humor and the possibility of co-op for 4 players have not gone away.
Far Cry 6
Far Cry 6 is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and a mixture of familiar gameplay from the series with Just Cause-style madness. The tropical island of Yara is a place where you can ride in a tank, hijack a helicopter with an EMP cannon, and fly on the back of a jetpack. And it’s even more fun to tear the tropics to pieces because the entire arsenal of crazy guns (how do you like weapons that shoot CDs?) can be carried in your pockets.
All the shortcomings, such as a clichéd villain (may the incomparable Giancarlo Esposito forgive us) and typical Ubisoft fakaps, dissolve against the backdrop of palm trees, cockfights, and guerrilla romance. Still, the tropical open world is ideal for autumn gaming runs. Well, controversial mechanics and activities, such as base construction that came from New Dawn and walk-through side effects, fortunately, can be ignored.
Gears 5
The continuation of the story about brutal warriors sawing up monsters with chainsaws has become more ambitious and epic than ever. There are three characters available in the co-op: JD or Kate – to choose from as the main character, their companion Del, and the robot Jack. The latter is a kind of support that hacks terminals, turns enemies into puppets, and even casts invisibility on his teammates.
Starting as a corridor shooter, Gears 5 soon allows the player to explore open locations. These are icy wastelands, through which we will cut on a futuristic sleigh and a desert with a giant dilapidated spaceport and sandstorms. It’s full of side quests, places that complement the series’ lore, and nice bonuses like skill points and unique guns. And even more – epic scenes with chases, explosions, and destruction.
Destiny 2
Destiny 2 is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and a kind of mixture of Borderlands and Mass Effect but on an MMORPG scale. This is a service game in which you can spend a thousand hours or more, participating in raids, competing in PVP, and receiving regular updates with new content, DLC, and events.
In addition, we have a spacious, rich in details and activities open world with planets that are different from each other. Everything is good with the plot too – the epic campaign is made in the spirit of a space opera and is even more addictive if you do not go through it alone.
Like any looter shooter, Destiny 2 has a huge amount of weapons, ammunition, and modifiers, as well as opportunities for leveling up your character. In terms of combat, everything is also excellent – the development was carried out by Bungie, the creators of the Halo series. Therefore, the guns “bang” as they should, and there are just enough types of enemies so that you don’t get tired of farming them even after hundreds of hours.
Left 4 Dead 2
Left 4 Dead was one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and a revolution in both cooperative shooters and survival horror, and the second part brought its ideas to perfection, becoming even bigger, bloodier, and more hardcore (with the right choice of difficulty, of course). Four survivors fighting through hordes of zombies must always work together, covering each other and finding limited ammunition and first aid kits.
What makes the passage most difficult are the special infected – mini-bosses with unique abilities: the Smoker, who attracts with his long tongue, the thug Tank, or the Fat Man – a walking bomb filled with toxic bile. It is impossible to cope with each of them alone, and at high difficulty, such a meeting turns into a real test. Fortunately, the survivors have an impressive arsenal in their hands: from sniper rifles and shotguns to a chainsaw that turns zombies into bloody scraps, and Molotov cocktails.
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and invites you to plunge into the fascinating world of James Cameron’s science fiction universe in the role of one of the representatives of the local Na’vi people, who heroically defended their lands from the attacks of greedy terrestrial corporations. And all this in an action sandbox format in the best traditions of Ubisoft.
The co-op campaign lasts about 20 hours on average, but a large number of side quests and the endless picturesque expanses of the planet Pandora, which can be explored far and wide, can increase the passage time several times.
The co-op is unlocked after completing two tasks. Players must first meet Etuwa and then complete the Aranaje Clan quest in the Moth Forest. Not only does cross-play mean you can play with friends on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, but progress is saved for both the session host and the guest, and both can continue their adventure in single-player mode if they choose.
Dying Light
Zombie action with survival elements from the creators of Dead Island. Dying Light was remembered by everyone, first of all, for the coolest implementation of first-person parkour since Mirror’s Edge. Playing catch-up with a horde of zombies in a deserted Middle Eastern city is a huge adrenaline rush. Especially at night, when especially fast and dangerous infected people take to the streets of Harran.
However, Dying Light is good for more than just parkour. From Dead Island, combat with an emphasis on edged weapons migrated into it, as well as a crafting system that allows you to build some hellish mixture of a chainsaw, an ax, and a board with nails from garbage and sticks. And most importantly, in Dying Light no one leads you by the hand. If you want to follow the storyline, please, but if not, Harran is full of side quests, secrets, and interesting activities.
The Ascent
The Ascent is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and ideal entertainment for those hungry for neon metropolises, high-tech and low-life, hackers, and cyber implants. A hybrid RPG and top-down shooter from the Neon Giant studio, it will take you to the near future, where humanity has settled on other planets, but flights to the colonies are only available to the rich and the corporate elite.
The only chance for an ordinary citizen to leave Earth is to sign a slave contract and work off his debt for the rest of his days. Among these unfortunates are the main characters of The Ascent, who arrived on a planet with a clear vertical hierarchy: the elite at the top, the slums, and crime at the bottom.
We have to upgrade our characters with augmentations, explore an open world with vibrant neighborhoods, enjoy dynamic shootouts, plunge into the underworld of the lower tiers, and meet many colorful characters.
Darksiders Genesis
This is a prequel to the slasher movie Darksiders, the story of which takes place hundreds of years before the events of the original game. We will be allowed to play as two horsemen of the Apocalypse at once: the well-known War and the humorous Discord, who so lacked screen time in previous parts. Together, the horsemen will descend into Hell to stop the civil war that has broken out between demons.
Genesis is perfect for co-op play. Each rider has his fighting style – if War prefers close combat and a two-handed sword, then Discord keeps its distance and uses firearms, explosives, and clones. Together, brothers can balance each other’s weaknesses and become a truly deadly duo. In general, if you have always been partial to the Darksiders series and the isometric camera does not scare you (the game still has nothing in common with Diablo), then Genesis will be ideal entertainment for a couple of dozen hours.
Saints Row: The Third
The Saints Row series is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and GTA’s crazy and outrageous little brother. It is unlikely that you will come across another game where you can run around the city naked, armed with a huge dildo, get high on heavy substances every second mission, ride a light motorcycle from Tron, and have a brawl in a BDSM brothel.
In the third part, we will have to lead a gang of “Saints” to capture the city of Steelport. Here we will not only meet a lot of crazy villains, but we will also be able to completely customize the character and transport, purchase real estate, and manage the criminal business of the group.
Resident Evil 5
At the time of its release, many called Resident Evil 5 a game that took the series down the wrong path, where non-stop action takes precedence over the thick atmosphere of survival horror, and there are not always more enemies than there are bullets in the clip.
Although this opinion only became stronger after Part 6, the latest games in the series have proven that Resident Evil can very well be a fun, bone-chilling shooter. If you were one of those who decided to skip RE5 due to its drastic genre changes, perhaps it’s finally time to give the game a second chance, if only because it offers the best co-op experience in the history of the series, becoming the heroes of an adrenaline-fuelled zombie action-long at 10+ hours.
Kane & Lynch
If you enjoyed playing as a couple of escaped criminals in A Way Out but didn’t have enough of the violence and brutality, then there is a great alternative for you, and it has been around for quite some time.
Kane & Lynch invites you to travel along the bloody road of retribution with a ruthless mercenary and a notorious psychopath who go to their goal regardless of moral principles, laws, and guilt. Both parts of the series are a cross between a co-op version of Max Payne and a Hollywood crime action movie in the spirit of Heat.
Outriders
A looter shooter in a sci-fi setting, worked on by the creators of Bulletstorm and Painkiller, as well as the screenwriter of Destiny. You will go to a distant planet with endless warring colonists, magic, aliens, an atmosphere of devastation, and mysterious anomalies. In some ways, this world is reminiscent of Mass Effect, but on a smaller scale.
The player has four character classes available to him: a pyromancer specializing in arson, a teleporting trickster, a technomancer with turrets and other equipment, and a destroyer – a classic tank. In addition to leveling up your skills, variety in builds is achieved by crafting and selecting equipment – all kinds of helmets, boots, and jackets, of which there are many hundreds of varieties in the game.
And Outriders is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and not a service game, but a complete project that will not take you hundreds and thousands of hours, and will not tease you with loot boxes and events. This is good news for those who are tired of projects like Destiny and The Division.
Guns, Gore And Cannoli
The action of the 2D arcade shooter Guns, Gore, and Cannoli takes place in the 20s of the last century. Vinnie Cannoli is sent to Tugtown to rescue Frankie. At the same time, some kind of devilry is going on in the city that the authorities cannot cope with. The user will have to shoot a lot to complete the assigned tasks.
In the sequel, the user will have to travel back in time. The second part takes place during World War II. This time the main character escapes from the captivity of the mafia and again goes to Tagtown.
The Guns, Gore and Cannoli duology offers the possibility of solo and cooperative playthroughs. At the same time, the second part acquired a network mode.
RPG Story-Based Games
Divinity: Original Sin
The Divinity: Original Sin duology is a complete set of the best RPG attributes of the 90s: turn-based combat according to the D&D canons, a large selection of classes, freedom of role-playing, gigabytes of text dialogue, and dilemmas at every corner.
But that’s not all – Larian added several new features to the good old formula, which brought both parts wild (by the standards of the genre) popularity. In co-op, you can argue for a long time with a friend over the answer option in the dialogue. Realistic physics is revealed in battle: throwing barrels of gunpowder at enemies and throwing fireballs after them, interacting with the environment, and mixing elements can be a lot of fun.
Finally, Original Sin 1&2 is simply a game with exciting stories: from main quests with detective storylines to hundreds of side quests, each of which can be completed in different ways.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Although the Divinity: Original Sin duology made a huge contribution to the revival of classic party RPGs, Larian finally established itself as one of the most influential studios in the industry thanks to the release of the long-awaited third part of the cult series Baldur’s Gate, which amazed everyone.
This is an epic fantasy adventure filled with genuine love and respect for the genre, allowing players to not only enjoy their own story, where most of the decisions they make have consequences, but to share it with up to three friends.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
Rogue Trader is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and the long-awaited classic party RPG set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, where you take on the role of a Rogue Trader who rules the outskirts of the galaxy using his privileges from the Emperor himself. You are free to choose not only the goal and coordinates of your space travels but also candidates for your ship’s crew from a rich list of charismatic heroes, who can be replaced by up to 5 of your friends if desired.
Its unique alignment system allows players to make choices with consequences in over 80 hours of adventure that explore their character and relationships with the world. NPCs have a predetermined worldview, while player characters can change their point of view on this or that issue, which makes playing Rogue Trader in co-op and solo two completely different games in terms of story development.
Elden Ring
While multiplayer and the main story have always been present in one way or another in the Souls games, for most players and, apparently, FromSoftware itself, these elements were not paramount.
In their largest and most ambitious project yet, Japanese developers, led by legendary game designer Hidetaka Miyazaki, decided to turn all the sliders to the maximum, offering a huge fantasy world that a squad of 4 players can freely explore. To do this, they turned to the great and terrible George Martin for help, who came up with the tragic story of the doomed and at the same time majestic Interearth, the savior that you can become if you defeat evil and restore the Ring of Edlen.
Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Speaking of the best Story-Based Co-op Games with a rich plot and soulslike elements, we want to recommend a not-so-obvious option, which at the same time fits this description perfectly.
Stranger of Paradise is a kind of prequel to the very first part of Final Fantasy in 1987. However, in keeping with series tradition, the action takes place in an alternate universe with completely different characters, so you don’t necessarily need to be immersed in the context. But what makes Stranger of Paradise a unique game in the franchise is the possibility of co-op and dynamic slasher RPG gameplay.
Diablo IV
Diablo IV is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and invites players to travel six decades after the events of the third part of the cult series of role-playing slasher movies, where they will find an unprecedented open world, mounts PvP zones, multiplayer activities at the level of full-fledged MMOs and, of course, infernal bosses straight from the underworld.
Fans of the Diablo IV franchise are highly recommended to study because the developers have prepared many innovations that change the gameplay.
Grim Dawn
Grim Dawn is an RPG with slasher elements, the action of which takes gamers to Cairn. Numerous wars of otherworldly forces brought the world into decline and left virtually no chance for humanity. The protagonist, who has the unique ability to move through portals, receives tasks that develop into something more. The user will have to not only solve local problems but also save the world from final destruction.
Grim Dawn’s gameplay focuses on combat, finding important items, and crafting. Fans of ARPG will certainly like the project, especially because it can be played in co-op.
For The King
For the King is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and a roguelike inspired by tabletop role-playing games like D&D. From them, the game inherited turn-based combat, a fantasy world, dice rolls, and the ability to choose game scenarios: from investigating the murder of a king to traveling by sea or clearing dungeons.
For the King offers a lot of adventures: searching for rare equipment in markets and carnivals, battles with sea monsters, locations with aggravating modifiers, such as a permanent freak from the cold, and much more.
At the start, only three classes are available, but over time you can unlock new ones – just look into the shop and spend gold on some herbalist or woodcutter. And all this is damn difficult to go through, because, as is always the case in bagels, you don’t have saves.
Solasta: Crown Of The Magister
Solasta: Crown of the Magister is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and another modern continuation of the traditions of classic party role-playing games.
As with For the King and Baldur’s Gate 3, it uses the Dungeons and Dragons rules system, which involves creating your unique character, rolling initiative dice, and the ability to join with friends in an adventuring party to travel through the dark and mesmerizing world of Solast. trying not to quarrel during intense turn-based battles.
Children Of Morta
The creators of Children of Morta turned a typical roguelike into something extraordinary, telling the story not of a clichéd chosen one, but of an entire family of heroes. As a result, we got an amazing mixture of fantasy adventure and family saga, and even with talented pixel art, not inferior to the same Dead Cells or Blasphemous.
Many generations of Bergsons have guarded the magical Mount Morta. Therefore, when a curse that escaped from the dungeons turned the inhabitants of the surrounding villages into demons and animals into monsters, it was the Incredibles who had to figure it all out.
We have to go down into dungeons filled with enemies and valuable loot in the role of very different heroes with unique tactics. And in a cooperative, it will be much more fun to do this – after all, we will be able to take several family members on a hike at once, and then watch them quarrel, make up, and generate cute scenes.
Atlas Fallen
Atlas Fallen is an action RPG with an addictive story and a huge, well-developed world. In the story, the main character finds a glove that can manipulate sand. At the same time, the full power of the artifact is available only to those who find the fragments scattered throughout Atlas.
Players will explore the world, engage in epic battles, develop the skills of the protagonist to find the last and overthrow the fallen gods and restore justice, to find the last and overthrow the fallen gods and restore justice. It definitely won’t be boring, because you can also play in co-op.
Platformers Story Based Co-op Games
Cuphead
Cuphead is a game about screaming, broken joysticks, and getting over yourself. This 2D platformer will trick you with its charming cartoon art inspired by retro Disney animation and 1930s music. And then he will kick you and test your nerves for strength, forcing you to memorize every respawn of enemies, every bump on the map, and every spit of the next impenetrable boss.
The main characters in Cuphead will be two brothers with circle heads, who lost their souls to the Devil in a card game. Now the heroes will have to visit many memorable locations and shake out money from everyone who owes the horned one to save their souls.
You will face fights with an aggressive anthropomorphic flower, a hellish animated train, and a runaway giant carrot, each of which can take up to several hours. But it is precisely due to the unique retro atmosphere that you will hardly be able to tear yourself away, even if you do not tolerate hardcore.
30XX
30XX is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and a platformer/rogue-lite, the creators of which tried to please fans of 16-bit classics, especially the Mega Man X series. Slightly pixelated, but rich and talentedly animated pictures, a cheerful chiptune soundtrack, and dynamic gameplay in a futuristic world – there is everything here to bring the old school together.
The game was released not so long ago, so there is not as much content as we would like. Fortunately, with each new launch, the levels and game situations change slightly – thanks to the roguelike elements for this. In addition, a full-fledged level editor and even entire campaigns are available, which can then be shared with other players, as well as variable leveling.
So far the game has two main modes: classic arcade and Mega Mode, in which death is permanent and rolls back the progress to zero.
Rayman
The Rayman series appeared back in the mid-90s and was relaunched in 2011 with the release of Origins and its sequel Legends. We recommend starting your acquaintance with the franchise with the last two parts. They look and play much fresher and more convenient, they have co-op (though only local), and in terms of plot you won’t miss anything – this is a restart after all.
In both parts, cartoon Rayman and his equally cartoonish friends save fantasy worlds from nightmares, solving puzzles and finding secrets along the way. And in Legends, a carload of all sorts of mini-games and challenges was added to all this.
The main advantage of Rayman is its levels. A stage with jumping-on drums and pipes, a location created from cakes, carnivals, fairy forests, ancient ruins, and much more. In all this one can feel the great attention to detail and the artists’ love for their work.
Moo Lander
Moo Lander is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and an unusual platformer that invites users to go on a dangerous journey on a spaceship. The user’s goal is to find a device that produces milk, which in the in-game world is the main source of energy along with the hypernova.
Moo Lander features an unusual plot, funny execution, and strong enemies, including cows. Each opponent will require an individual approach from the gamer, which makes the game even more exciting.
Spelunky 2
Spelunky 2 is a platformer that has won the hearts of many users. Despite its simple design, the project will give users sophisticated mechanics, addictive gameplay, and an interesting plot. In the center of the latter is the girl Ana, who went in search of her parents. Her father, who was the protagonist of the previous part, decides to fly with his wife to the moon to check the guesses about the return of the antagonist. Now the grown-up daughter will have to follow in the footsteps of her relatives to unravel the mystery of their disappearance.
It is worth noting that the developers have introduced some innovations to the gameplay. The user will be able to evaluate the well-developed physics of liquids flowing through the level and try out the network cooperative.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a platformer where players take control of a knitted knight and save the world from a villain named Vex. The latter, being a semi-mythical creature, kidnaps Sackboy’s friends to use them as slaves to build the Chaosinator – a device that can turn everything around into a complete nightmare.
Users can complete Sackboy either alone or in co-op. When playing with friends, users will have to overcome numerous difficulties, in coming up with joint strategies.
Beat’em Up Story Based Co-op Games
Streets Of Rage 4
The long-awaited continuation of the series of bitmaps from the Sega Mega Drive – with good old-fashioned gameplay, lush 2D pictures, and the same atmosphere of a crime-ridden neon metropolis.
The villain Mr. X is being replaced by his children, whose dream team volunteered to fight back: seventeen fighters at once, most of whom are unlocked if you score a lot of points. Among them are three variations of Axel, the big guy Floyd with cybernetic arms, and the clever girl Cherry. Each of them has their fighting style and set of characteristics.
Therefore, even though the game takes two to three hours to play through, it offers excellent replayability – including fun additional modes and an impressive set of fighters. This is a great game for a few evenings with friends, especially if they remember and love classic beatmaps.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and a console-style beat’em up. Players will have to meet old-school turtles known to all fans. The plot of the game centers on an attack by villains on Channel Six to steal nightmarish devices. By the way, the plot is presented in the form of pictures between levels, similar to projects on Sega.
As for the co-op, it is no different in the game from similar projects. Users are invited to assemble a team of heroes of up to 4 people and start beating enemies.
Castle Crashers
Castle Crashers is one of the best co-op beatmaps out there. Especially if you don’t want to play online, but sit in front of one screen with a couple of gamepads, as they once did in Streets of Rage and Double Dragon.
The first thing that captivates Castle Crashers is its simplicity. Even a person who has never played video games can master it in a couple of minutes. A couple of types of attacks, gradually opening combos, a minimum of pumping at the end of the level – nothing fancy. The same goes for the plot – villains break into the castle of a typical fantasy kingdom and rob the king, after which a squad of colorful heroes sets off in the wake of their enemies.
However, the further it goes, the more interesting it becomes. Soon Castle Crashers will begin to challenge and throw up exciting adventures – here we are at a monster wedding, then sailing along the river, fighting ninja pirates, beating giant bees with frozen fish, and meeting a UFO. And all this is accompanied by good art, music, and constant jokes.
Son Of A Witch
An excellent cooperative indie for 2-4 people, the developers of which combined the beat map and roguelike genres in an atmospheric fantasy world. The main characters here are two brothers, whose mother, a good sorceress, is mistaken for a witch and taken to the king’s castle. Now the brothers have to save their mother, get involved in an adventure with goblin treasures, and fight with many fairy-tale creatures.
Son of a Witch offers 11 character classes, pleasant art and soundtrack, a lot of quests and activities in the open world, useful pets in battle, and good humor. In addition, the game is truly hardcore and knows how to challenge – both in ordinary battles and even more so in intense boss fights.
Quests And Puzzles Story Based Co-op Games
Trine 4
A puzzle platformer with cooperative story progression and a cozy fairy-tale atmosphere. In Trine 4, a trio of motley but never-separated heroes will once again set off on a journey through a colorful fantasy world. The main characters of Trine 4 are the mighty knight Pontius, the criminal Zoe, and the wizard Amadeus. Everyone, as usual, has a couple of key skills.
So, Pontius uses a shield to defend himself from enemies, refract rays of light, and help his comrades climb higher. Amadeus can create platforms out of thin air and has telekinesis. And Zoya carries with her a bow and a rope, which make her dexterous and help her move objects.
There are stunningly beautiful locations, a soundtrack that draws you into a magical atmosphere, simple but exciting puzzles, a sufficient number of interesting situations, and decent physics. What more does a good platformer need?
Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy
The fifth part of the series, entitled A Clockwork Conspiracy, invites gamers to once again enjoy a beautiful fantasy world and a story centered on a wizard, a thief, and a knight. The heroes have to go on a dangerous journey and fight a huge mechanical army that threatens all living things.
Gameplay Trine 5 is an action platformer that allows you to play both alone and in co-op. The user can invite three friends and create a whole squad that will be able to complete the most difficult missions. Upgrade your heroes, fight, and don’t forget that the fate of the characters depends only on you.
Portal 2
Portal 2 is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and is a unique puzzle game that quickly won the hearts of modern gamers. The game can be played alone or in co-op, which reveals a new side to the project. The heroes of the story are the robots Atlas and P-Body, who obey the orders of GLaDOS, a supercomputer that has gained self-awareness and established sole control in the laboratory, organizing endless tests of portals.
We Were Here Series
The We Were Here series of cooperative quests will offer users a variety of challenges. Related to exploring the in-game world and solving various tasks. During the passage, gamers will try to escape from the haunted castle of Castle Rock, survive, reveal dark secrets, and meet a terrible creature nicknamed the Jester.
The basis of the gameplay is the ability to communicate with each other. The better users express their thoughts, the easier the passage will become.
The Past Within
The Past Within is a pure co-op project set in the Rusty Lake universe. Users can play with a friend or family member who is nearby to be able to communicate with each other.
At the center of the story are the mysteries of Albert Vanderboom, which gamers will have to uncover by solving many puzzles. In this case, users will explore different worlds (future and past), differing in perspective.
Despite the duration of the title, which does not exceed a couple of hours, players will be able to gain a unique experience and emotions.
Tick Tock: A Tale For Two
Tick Tock: A Tale for Two is a narrative puzzle adventure that takes gamers into a hauntingly atmospheric world created by a watchmaker. The main task is to escape from a terrible place by revealing all the secrets and solving tricky puzzles.
The gameplay of Tick Tock requires a partner since the project is “tailored” to co-op. Players need to know what’s happening on another user’s screen.
Thanks to the low barrier to entry, Tick Tock will be an excellent option for a pleasant time even with those friends who are not interested in the genre.
39 Days To Mars
39 Days to Mars is an extremely original adventure for two, where within the period specified in the title you have to get to the destination indicated there.
Somehow you should end up on Mars after 39 days of game time. Oh yes, the game takes place in the Victorian era, so you will mainly have steam engines and gears at your disposal, with the help of which you must build a flying machine on Her Majesty’s estate and go to conquer the Red Planet.
In other words, 39 Days to Mars is a unique blend of co-op adventure, puzzle, and the Kerbal Space Program.
Interactive Adventures Story Based Co-op Games
A Way Out
An action-adventure game about a prison escape from the author of Takes Two and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. A Way Out is intended for co-op only – you simply won’t be able to run it alone, and only one copy is enough for online co-op.
The story about two prisoners and their escape is presented on a Hollywood scale. Lead developer Youssef Fares is a former successful director, so expect tons of references to cult Movies, cinematic cutscenes, and intense moments.
However, the main trump card of A Way Out is in the gameplay. Heroes must act synchronously in literally all situations. While one is distracting the guard, the second is looking for an important device for escape, the first is making a fire, and the second is fishing. This approach not only freshens up the gameplay but also creates an emotional connection between the fugitives and the players.
It Takes Two
The next project from the creator of A Way Out, which can also be played by just two people, ideally in the company of a loved one. The plot of It Takes Two is a rom-com about a couple on the verge of divorce, whose daughter decided to forcibly reconcile mom and dad and turn them into tiny dolls. Together, the heroes will have to go through a series of tricky tests in their own homes and make peace to regain their human appearance.
The presentation of the story is reminiscent of Pixar cartoons, both in its vibrant visual style and the alternation of funny and tear-jerking moments. In terms of gameplay, It Takes Two is almost perfect cooperative entertainment. The game is not too difficult and constantly shuffles gameplay mechanics to avoid getting boring. And a large selection of mini-games (from chess and racing on toy cars to the local analog of Diablo) will give you plenty of competition. But the most important thing is how It Takes Two forces you to always act in sync, turning you into a single organism.
The Dark Pictures Anthology
The Dark Pictures Anthology is one of the best Story-Based Co-op Games and an anthology of interactive horror Movies from Supermassive Games, the creators of Until Dawn. In total, the developers have planned seven parts. All episodes are non-linear: players not only build relationships between the characters but also decide who lives or dies.
The first game in the anthology, Man of Medan, tells the story of a group of friends who dabble in wreck diving – in search of a thrill, the guys search for sunken ships, and, of course, in one of these forays, they stumble upon a ghost ship.
In the second episode of the anthology, you will go to the small town of Little Hope, which has absorbed almost all the cliches of horror Movies: a sea of jump scares, occult sects, a cursed girl, etc. What Supermassive lacks in originality it makes up for with excellent graphics, high-quality direction, and non-linear development of the story.
In the third part, subtitled House of Ashes, a squad of special forces will wander into a huge underground temple in Iraq, where they will encounter mysteries of the past and terrible monsters. The atmosphere of the game is inspired by the movie “The Descent” and the horrors of Lovecraft.
