Quick Overview<\/p>\n
Super Mario 3D World<\/h3>\n<\/h4>\n
$60 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $60 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $20 at Best Buy<\/u><\/a> $60 at GOG<\/u><\/a> $5 at Xbox<\/u><\/a> $60 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $27 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $10 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $40 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $10 at Steam<\/u><\/a> $35 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $30 at GameStop<\/u><\/a> $15 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $40 at Xbox<\/u><\/a> $18 at Walmart<\/u><\/a> $21 at Walmart<\/u><\/a> $30 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $40 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $15 at Nintendo<\/u><\/a> $20 at GameStop<\/u><\/a> $20 at Nintendo<\/u><\/a> $15 at Nintendo<\/u><\/a> $16 at Amazon<\/u><\/a> $20 at Nintendo<\/u><\/a> $15 at Nintendo<\/u><\/a> $20 at PlayStation<\/u><\/a>See 21 more<\/a> Available for<\/strong>: SwitchLength<\/strong>: 17 hours<\/a><\/p>\n $60 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n You know the broad strokes of any Super Mario <\/em>game by now. But within the series, Super Mario 3D World<\/em><\/a> stands out for using a largely fixed camera and levels that are more semi-3D than the totally open spaces in Super Mario Odyssey<\/em><\/a> or Super Mario Galaxy<\/em><\/a>. There are still many items to grab and secrets to uncover across the characteristically charming, brisk and inventive stages \u2014 but everything you can find at a given moment is right in front of you, which encourages you to look closer and move from foreground to background.<\/p>\n Co-op play can be chaotic, but 3D World <\/em>owns that. You and up to three buddies share lives but are scored on your individual performance, with the leader receiving a literal crown at the end of each level. This makes for a sort of competitive co-op mode, one in which a devious \u201cteammate\u201d could straight-up grab you and chuck you off a cliff in an attempt to secure their high score. The adventure only has to be as spicy as you and your partners want it to be, though; if you aren\u2019t playing with a group of sickos, 3D World<\/em> should be an exciting update to a familiar Mario formula.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll also shout out Super Mario Bros. Wonder<\/em><\/a>, the latest 2D Mario <\/em>game. That one supports local multiplayer too, but its camera is a bit too zoomed-in, which can make it harder for players of different skill levels to stay on screen at once. It\u2019s a great platformer<\/a> and still a decent co-op experience, but it feels designed for solo play first and foremost.<\/p>\n Available for<\/strong>: SwitchLength<\/strong>: 15 hours<\/a><\/p>\n $60 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n Like most Donkey Kong Country<\/em> games, Tropical Freeze<\/em><\/a><\/em>is a 2D platformer that\u2019s both structurally straightforward and aesthetically gorgeous. Donkey Kong is not Mario: He has a more immediate sense of gravity to him, so when he leaps, he comes down hard. But the platforming is uniquely deliberate as a result, and the way the game leads you from one stunning scene to the next, even within the same stage, is a delight.<\/p>\n Tropical Freeze <\/em>can get difficult, particularly during some later boss fights, but a \u201cFunky Mode<\/a>\u201d in the Switch version eases things slightly. If you still have a Wii or Wii U, meanwhile, this game\u2019s predecessor, Donkey Kong Country Returns<\/em><\/a>, is just as great, if not better.<\/p>\n Available for<\/strong>: PS4, Switch<\/a>, Xbox<\/a>, PC<\/a>Length<\/strong>: 16 hours<\/a><\/p>\n $20 at Best Buy<\/a><\/p>\n If Donkey Kong is Mario\u2019s brutish animal pal, Rayman is the eccentric French buddy he visits when he\u2019s overseas. Rayman Legends<\/em><\/a> is a more out there<\/em> 2D platformer than the Nintendo properties above: Instead of the pristine environments and perfect geometry of a Mario<\/em> or Donkey Kong <\/em>game, here everything is a bit more abstract, cartoony and crass. (There are more fart sounds, for one.)<\/p>\n The moment-to-moment movement is a little less precise, too, but Legends<\/em> still plays fast and light, with stages that are loaded with optional rooms and collectibles that invite your curiosity. This is an unpretentious game, a fun side-scrolling platformer that merely wants to be a fun side-scrolling platformer, and it becomes more enjoyable (and frantic) with friends.<\/p>\n Available for<\/strong>: PC, PS5<\/a>, Xbox<\/a>Length<\/strong>: 105 hours<\/a><\/p>\n $60 at GOG<\/a><\/p>\n Baldur\u2019s Gate 3<\/em><\/a> is a mammoth CRPG that plays like a digital Dungeons & Dragons<\/em> campaign. Part of that is because it\u2019s set in the \u201cForgotten Realms<\/a>;\u201d another is because its tricky, turn-based combat is based on D&D <\/em>5th Edition\u2019s rules. But most of the resemblance lies in its flexible spirit. No video game is as malleable as a real DM<\/a>\u2019s imagination, but Baldur’s Gate 3<\/em> asks you to make a ton of decisions, even when you don\u2019t realize it, and the timeline of its world morphs alongside them. It becomes more rigid as it rolls along, but a driving plot and a compelling cast of characters help keep it moving. The near-universal praise<\/a> is no accident: Baldur’s Gate 3<\/em> follows gaming\u2019s eternal promise, that \u201cyour choices matter,” to an extent most narrative-based games do not.<\/p>\n All of this works better<\/em> as a solo experience, but it takes on a different flavor in its co-op mode. You and a partner can go through the whole story, but neither of you have<\/em>to follow the other\u2019s lead. Part of the fun is in the ways your buddy could undermine or alter your quest in unforeseen ways, perhaps by killing an important NPC or taking up a quest with contradictory goals. But if you want to travel together and work out combat strategies in harmony, that’s fine too. As with Divinity: Original Sin 2<\/em><\/a>, another great couch co-op RPG from developer Larian Studios, the question is this: What would happen if your RPG party members behaved like actual people, not a collective bound to one path? The answer: a mess, potentially, but a thrilling one. Just note that a playthrough can last well over 100 hours, so you\u2019ll want a partner who can commit for the long haul.<\/p>\n Available for<\/strong>: Xbox, Switch<\/a>, PC<\/a>Length<\/strong>: 33 hours<\/a><\/p>\n $5 at Xbox<\/a><\/p>\n Vampire Survivors<\/em><\/a> is a retro-looking, shoot-em-up title with a twist: The game shoots for you. You select from a handful of characters, each with distinct abilities, and face hordes of monsters in a set of endless stages. As you defeat enemies, you gain experience. With each level-up, you choose a new weapon or passive ability, adding a layer of strategy and contingency as you figure out fun \u201cbuilds.\u201d Do it right, and you\u2019ll mow down screens of baddies within seconds. The only goal is to survive until a time limit. It\u2019s a focused, naturally replayable loop, and the comically huge amount of cannon fodder you end up blasting by the end of each round borders on a parody of gaming power fantasies. But it\u2019s that auto-firing that makes Vampire Survivors<\/em> stand out: Instead of caring about aiming or dexterity, it\u2019s about movement and the ability to visualize space within chaos.<\/p>\n All of this still applies in its co-op mode, which supports up to four players, but there\u2019s a new element of communication on top. You split weapons and trade off leveling upgrades, so you\u2019re encouraged to stick together and work out how to turn your team into a collective monster-blasting machine. This can make the game slower and tougher, especially at first, but the extra tension adds more excitement to each run.<\/p>\n Available for<\/strong>: SwitchLength<\/strong>: 16 hours<\/a><\/p>\n $60 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n Luigi\u2019s Mansion 3<\/em><\/a><\/em>is another ghost-hunting adventure starring Mario\u2019s scaredy-cat brother, who this time must stomach his fears and use his \u201cPoltergust\u201d vacuum to rescue his friends from a haunted hotel. Its co-op mode isn\u2019t available until an hour-ish into the story, but at that point, a second player can become \u201cGooigi,\u201d a Luigi clone made of green goo with infinite lives. (It makes sense when you get there.) Though the game isn\u2019t particularly tough, this setup gives you more freedom to mess around with puzzle and boss fight solutions without having to start over repeatedly.<\/p>\n Luigi\u2019s Mansion 3<\/em> has some frustrating elements more generally \u2014 controlling that ghost-gobbling vacuum can be annoyingly imprecise, and backtracking through previously-conquered areas can get tedious \u2014 but the creative level designs and Pixar-esque animation give it a distinct personality compared to other Nintendo games. It\u2019s a silly and usually satisfying time, one that\u2019s especially well-suited for kids.<\/p>\n Available for<\/strong>: SwitchLength<\/strong>: 18 hours<\/a><\/p>\n $27 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n Clubhouse Games<\/em><\/a><\/em>is a compilation of 51 classic tabletop games, from Yahtzee and Connect Four to shogi<\/a> and nine men\u2019s morris<\/a>. Not every entry in the collection supports couch co-op, but most do, and almost all are made easy to grasp.<\/p>\n Apart from being accessible, Clubhouse Games <\/em>stands out for the quality of its curation. The included games span cultures, time periods and even modes of play; some are built on skill or patience, others on abstraction or chance. When you first boot up the game, you\u2019re asked to identify your \u201cheart\u2019s desire,\u201d and there\u2019s a fair bit of detail on each game\u2019s origins and history as you go along. Taken as a whole, this is a game that recognizes play itself <\/em>as a kind of universal connection. But even ignoring all of that, Clubhouse Games <\/em>is a fun, chill time \u2014 much like busting out a favorite board game.<\/p>\n Available for<\/strong>: SwitchLength<\/strong>: 11 hours<\/a><\/p>\n $10 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n BoxBoy! + BoxGirl!<\/em><\/a><\/em>may not look like much, but this minimalist puzzler from Kirby<\/em> makers HAL Laboratory has the kind of simple pleasure and regularly inventive design you\u2019d expect from a Nintendo-published game. In its two-player campaign, you play as Qbby and Qucy, two walking boxes with the ability to grow additional boxes out of their heads. Your goal is to get from point A to point B, using those boxes to cross gaps and navigate various obstacles along the way.<\/p>\n The catch is that you can only create a certain amount of boxes at a time, so you and your partner often have to think outside the box (sorry) to find a safe way past. You\u2019ll start off making basic bridges, but the bite-sized levels quickly build on themselves with a stream of new ideas. Eventually, you\u2019ll find yourself using boxes as makeshift grappling hooks, shovels, laser-blocking shields and more, in ways that quickly make sense. Simply beating the game isn\u2019t difficult, but collecting the tricky-to-reach crowns tucked away in each stage brings a greater challenge if you want it.<\/p>\n Available for<\/strong>: Switch, PS4 & PS5<\/a>, Xbox<\/a>, PC<\/a>Length<\/strong>: 14 hours<\/a><\/p>\n $40 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n The 3D platformer It Takes Two<\/em><\/a> is one of the few full-scale, narrative-driven games that\u2019s designed to be exclusively played in co-op. As such, it takes care to avoid the trappings of many co-op experiences: It rarely asks both players to do the same thing at the same time, and thus it rarely makes one person carry all the weight. It constantly throws new concepts at you, and while some levels can drag, its bouncy movement feels good<\/em> throughout.<\/p>\n Its saccharine yet oddly dark<\/a> story isn\u2019t as satisfying: Few games make divorce seem like a happy ending as much as this one, and you\u2019ll never want to hear the words \u201cDr. Hakim\u201d again by the time you\u2019re done. But if you can ignore the dialogue, It Takes Two<\/em> delights more than it doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Available for<\/strong>: PC, Switch<\/a>, Xbox<\/a>Length<\/strong>: 11 hours<\/a><\/p>\n $10 at Steam<\/a><\/p>\n The first-person puzzler Portal 2<\/em><\/a> launched more than 12 years ago, but it’s received new life with a Switch rerelease<\/a>. Either way, its sharp writing and cleverly layered puzzles more than hold up today. Co-op play takes the form of an entire separate campaign. It\u2019s not as big on story as the solo mode, but it still does a fantastic job of gradually teaching you how to think spatially. It also ensures you and your partner actually communicate. There\u2019s no way to play on PS4 or PS5 nowadays, but on PC, you can download a range of community maps<\/a> for a greater challenge, too.<\/p>\n Available for<\/strong>: Xbox, Switch<\/a>, PS4<\/a>, PC<\/a>Length<\/strong>: 4 hours<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze<\/h3>\n
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Rayman Legends<\/h3>\n
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Baldur’s Gate 3<\/h3>\n
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Vampire Survivors<\/h3>\n
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Luigi’s Mansion 3<\/h3>\n
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Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics<\/h3>\n
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BoxBoy! + BoxGirl!<\/h3>\n
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It Takes Two<\/h3>\n
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Portal 2<\/h3>\n
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Streets of Rage 4<\/h3>\n
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Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga<\/h3>\n
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Stardew Valley<\/h3>\n
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Halo: The Master Chief Collection<\/h3>\n
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Untitled Goose Game<\/h3>\n
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Chicory: A Colorful Tale<\/h3>\n
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Spiritfarer<\/h3>\n
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Overcooked! All You Can Eat<\/h3>\n
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Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime<\/h3>\n
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Cuphead<\/h3>\n
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Spelunky and Spelunky 2<\/h3>\n
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Ikaruga<\/h3>\n
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Wizard of Legend<\/h3>\n
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Assault Android Cactus<\/h3>\n
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Wilmot’s Warehouse<\/h3>\n
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Escape Academy<\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Nintendo<\/p>\n
Super Mario 3D World<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Nintendo<\/p>\n
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Ubisoft<\/p>\n
Rayman Legends<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Larian Studios<\/p>\n
Baldur’s Gate 3<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Poncle<\/p>\n
Vampire Survivors<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Nintendo<\/p>\n
Luigi’s Mansion 3<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Nintendo<\/p>\n
Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Nintendo<\/p>\n
BoxBoy! + BoxGirl!<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a>EA<\/p>\n
It Takes Two<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Valve<\/p>\n
Portal 2<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Dotemu<\/p>\n
Streets of Rage 4<\/a><\/h3>\n