“It’s better with friends” is one of the biggest clichés in the gaming sphere, but it’s true. Even hardcore introverts like myself have to admit that some video games are a lot more fun to play with other people.
Even mediocre games—and especially the bad games—become enjoyable when you’ve got friends there to make fun of them. But why settle for mediocre when you could have the best? To that end, I created a list of the best online co-op games and the best couch co-op games for PS5.
This list is informed by a combination of my personal experience and some research, and includes some classics as well as some more recent titles. I’ve also made sure there are some kid-friendly options. Scroll on down, and see what’s out there!
For an optimal co-op experience on the PS5, use ExpressVPN to bypass network issues that might cause lag, protect yourself from DDoS attacks, and play games with friends in other regions, even if they’re far away. It only takes a few minutes to set up with a VPN-enabled modem or router.
The 10 Best Co-Op Games on PS5 in 2024
10. Back 4 Blood: Zombie slaying galore
Back 4 Blood is the spiritual successor to the Left 4 Dead series. Like its predecessor, it’s all about gathering three of your friends and heading off into the night to slay hordes of zombies in first-person action. Despite an initially negative reception, recent updates have made the game pretty darned good, and recent reviews reflect the devs’ hard work.
Best feature: Endless hordes of undead just waiting to be blown up, and many ways to do it.
9. Human: Fall Flat (1 & 2): It’s exactly what it sounds like
The Human: Fall Flat series is all about running around a world full of puzzles, solving them one by one to get to the end. The catch? Your little human isn’t all that good at… walking. Or running. Or jumping. Or pushing the puzzle-related objects that need to be pushed. Playing with friends—the second game offers 2-player local co-op, and up to 8 player co-op online—is guaranteed hilarity.
Best feature: The “falling flat” bit is very well done.
8. Street Fighter 6: A surprisingly newbie-friendly fighting game
In a perfect world, I wouldn’t need to introduce the Street Fighter series to anyone. But for the young ones out there, Street Fighter is one of the original fighting game franchises, and got its start in the arcades. Street Fighter 6 lets you battle your friends in local co-op and online multiplayer in a world with brutal action, fantastic art, great accessibility features, and a new (optional) simplified control scheme that lets new players learn fighting games more easily.
Best feature: It’s probably one of the easiest AAA fighting games to start with.
7. Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Every child’s dream racing game
Oh, it’s exactly what you think it is. It’s the dream of every toy-car-owning child and adult who used to be one. If you’ve ever wanted to actually drive those toy cars down those impossible race tracks and build your own impossible race tracks, this is exactly the game for you. I don’t usually like racing games, but I have the prequel, and will get this one too.
Best feature: You can drive Hot Wheels. What more could you possibly want?
6. Goat Simulator 3: Unleash goat-themed chaos
You play as a goat. Your goal is to dominate the world! Or at least the town full of humans around you. You’ll need to solve puzzles, complete challenges, and collect barely-controllable gear in this physics-defying goat game. And, of course, it’s a lot better if you bring your fellow goats along for the ride, to help you upgrade your castle.
Yes, you get a castle of your very own. Oh, and fun fact: there is no Goat Simulator 2.
Best feature: Where do I start? I know… the laser eyes.
5. Helldivers 2: Chaotic alien-slaying action
Helldivers 2 is the third-person shooter that pits you and a few friends against insurmountable odds, and more alien bugs than you can shake a stick at. Put on your cape, grab your railgun, and get ready to defend Managed Democracy and Super Earth! Your survival is… irrelevant.
Some of you may remember the movie adaptation of Starship Troopers. Yeah, it’s like that. It launched to more players than its servers could handle. It’s slightly less populated now, but still fun.
Best feature: Play Dance Dance Revolution to call down air strikes.
4. No Man’s Sky: 18 quintillion planets
Have you ever wanted to tame an alien wasteland on a planet no one else has been to? No Man’s Sky has 18 quintillion planets so… you’ll find one, I’m sure. This space survival crafting game sees you exploring multiple galaxies, uncovering mysteries, making friends with aliens, driving mechs, and building a fleet of ships to make your way to the heart of the mystery of your existence, and the universe.
Best feature: The time-limited expedition modes are a ton of fun.
3. Deep Rock Galactic: Dig holes, collect loot, escape
Deep Rock Galactic is probably one of the best online co-op games ever, and one of the most generous live service games to ever exist. You take on the role of a Space Dwarf, a miner working for Deep Rock Galactic. Your mission? Drill into alien worlds, grab all the loot you can, and get out alive by shooting all the alien bugs in your way.
Best feature: The friendships you’ll make along the way.
2. It Takes Two: This game will test your relationship
It Takes Two is a game that actually straight-up requires two players. You take on the role of a couple that, while on the verge of breaking up, gets turned into a couple of toys. Together, they must survive a gauntlet of puzzles and challenges—and arguments, probably—to get their real bodies back and get back to their daughter.
It has amazing art, challenging gameplay, a heart-wrenching story, and quite a few awards.
Best feature: The highly engaging story.
1. Baldur’s Gate 3: The single best turn-based RPG
Baldur’s Gate 3 is an RPG set in, well, the Baldur’s Gate setting from the Dungeons & Dragons lore. Made by Larian Studios—creators of Divinity: Original Sin—Baldur’s Gate 3 features a standalone, choice-driven story where the fate of the world and your companions truly rests on your choices.
Play how you want. Fight how you want. Talk your way past fights, or use a massive supply of explosive barrels to end them before they start. Romance your companions if you want, or romance the bad guys if you feel like it. The world is your playground, and the possibilities are truly staggering.
Note: do NOT play this one with the kids.
Best feature: Incredible characters, incredible stories, and a highly interactive world.
Why ExpressVPN is the best gaming VPN
ExpressVPN stands out as an excellent gaming VPN in several ways. First and foremost, it supports gaming on the PS5 with VPN-enabled routers and modems. Then, there’s the speed. ExpressVPN’s fast servers are designed to handle massive amounts of information in milliseconds, keeping your gameplay lag-free.
In some cases, ExpressVPN can even reduce your lag, by giving you a faster route between your home network and the game server. Just pick a VPN server that’s close to the game server you want to play on, and bypass congested networks, bad signal routing issues, and more, to deliver excellent ping.
ExpressVPN has server locations in 105 countries, so you’ll always be able to find one in the location you need. That also makes it a great option for playing games with friends in other countries and even other continents.
When you connect to a VPN server, ExpressVPN masks your IP address, which protects you against DDoS attacks. Its powerful encryption helps you prevent data leaks over local networks and bypass any game traffic throttling from your ISP.
With all of that, plus 24/7 support via live chat, unlimited bandwidth, and a 30-day money back guarantee, ExpressVPN is a great choice for your PS5 co-op gaming sessions.
Conclusion
The PS5 is certainly not wanting for fantastic co-op titles, and there are a lot more than I was able to list here in this article. Spend a little time searching the PlayStation store, and you’re bound to find – at the very least – dozens. Grab a couple that look cool, invite your friends to play too, and have a blast!
And if you run into any connection issues, grab ExpressVPN to help iron them out. Happy socializing!
FAQ: About Best Co-Op Games on PS5
Are there any good co-op games on PS5?
There are plenty! Online co-op, couch co-op… the PS5 has options. Some of the best ones, if you ask me, are It Takes Two, Goat Simulator 3, Helldivers 2, No Man’s Sky, Deep Rock Galactic, and many more. Shooter fans will love Back 4 Blood or the Borderlands franchise, and lovers of silly fun might try Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed. (Yes, that’s its real name.)
Does the PS5 have any two-player games?
Sure! Some of the best two-player couch co-op games on the PS5 include: the aforementioned It Takes Two, and Overcooked 2 as well. Then there’s the entire series of LEGO franchise games: LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Lord of the Rings, LEGO Marvel/DC, and more. You may also want to check out some fighting games like Tekken, Street Fighter 6, and Mortal Kombat 1 (2023).
How can I play two-player games on PS5?
As usual, that depends on what you’re playing. For local two-player games, just plugging in that second controller ought to be enough. You might have to start a dedicated two-player game save, but it should be fine. For online play, you’ll want to add the other player to your friends list on the PSN, then invite them to play the game with you online.
Can you play PS5 with two controllers?
Absolutely! Well, it depends on the game, obviously, but two-player co-op is definitely supported. In fact, some games like Sackboy: A Big Adventure allow for up to four player local co-op, as well as the original Overcooked! All You Can Eat, Dirt 5, Goat Simulator 3, and more. All in all, the PS5 is a pretty good gaming system for co-op players.
Can two people play the same game on Gameshare PS5?
Yes! So long as both players are playing on their own accounts, on separate consoles, then they can both play the same game, at the same time. It’s a little silly, but they’ll need to log in with your PSN account, and you’ll need to log in with theirs to make it work. Also, two people is the limit. You can’t share a single game with more than one other person.
How does Share Play work on PS5?
Share Play is different from Gameshare in that you don’t have to switch accounts! But it only works while you’re online, and only for an hour at a time. It’s meant so others can demo the game, rather than play it in full. You can play co-op, or let them control the whole game. Since the tech is based on streaming, you’ll need a fast internet connection. It’s also a good idea to use a VPN.
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Comments
This list was so promising and almost perfect, except with some of these being misleading. These are all indeed multiplayer games, but some like Helldivers and No Man’s Sky are not couch co-op. Always looking for new couch co-op games, so this list was exciting, but hopefully people look in to some of these before buying them so they don’t get disappointed.
I love these articles where the writer hasn’t played the games baldurs gate 3 isn’t turning based!