The best co-op game for your group depends less on reviews than on a few practical questions: how many of you are playing, whether you’re on the same couch or in different houses, whether everyone owns the same console, and whether everyone has to buy a copy. Most “best co-op games” lists skip those details. This one is built around them.
Short answer: for two players, Split Fiction is the best co-op game you can buy, and only one of you needs to own it. For a squad of four online, Helldivers 2 is the pick. Monster Hunter Wilds is the best for teaming up on big fights, Overcooked! All You Can Eat is the best for a couch full of people, and GTA Online is the obvious choice if your crew already plays GTA.
What to check before you buy a co-op game
Check four things: the player limit, whether it supports couch co-op or online only, whether it has crossplay between PlayStation, Xbox and PC, and whether every player needs their own copy.
- Player count. Some games are built for exactly two players; others top out at four.
- Couch or online. Couch co-op means sharing one screen. Many modern co-op games are online only, so each player needs their own console or PC.
- Crossplay. If your friends are spread across PlayStation, Xbox and PC, crossplay is what lets you play together at all.
- Copies. Usually every online player needs their own copy, but a few games let one owner bring a friend along for free.
On PS5 and Xbox, playing online also generally requires PlayStation Plus or an Xbox Game Pass tier that includes online multiplayer. Couch co-op on one console doesn’t need a subscription, and both platforms let some accounts on a shared console use one subscription, so check before anyone pays twice.
The picks
Best for two players: Split Fiction
A two-player adventure from the studio behind It Takes Two, with a Metascore of 91 on PS5. It works on one couch or online with crossplay, and thanks to its Friend’s Pass, only one of you has to buy it.
Split Fiction follows two writers trapped inside their own stories, switching between science fiction and fantasy worlds with new mechanics in nearly every level. It’s designed strictly for two players; there’s no solo mode. The Friend’s Pass is the standout feature: one person buys the game, and the other downloads the free Friend’s Pass to play the whole thing with them, including across PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Switch 2. The Friend’s Pass covers the second copy, not a console’s online subscription.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2. Price: $49.99 list; it has sold for less, including $28 for the PC (EA app) version at Amazon in March 2026.
Best for a squad of four: Helldivers 2
A chaotic four-player shooter where teamwork and friendly fire matter equally. It has crossplay across PS5, Xbox and PC, and costs $39.99.
Helldivers 2 drops your squad onto alien planets with missions to complete and air strikes to call in, and part of the fun is that your friends’ fire can kill you as easily as the enemy’s. It launched on PS5 and PC in 2024 and arrived on Xbox Series X|S in August 2025, with crossplay across all three. It’s online only, so each player needs their own copy and system, and it plays best with a full squad of three or four.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC. Price: $39.99 standard list price, and it goes on sale regularly.
Best for teaming up on big fights: Monster Hunter Wilds
Up to four hunters take down giant monsters together, and it’s the first main Monster Hunter game to launch with full crossplay across PS5, Xbox and PC.
Monster Hunter Wilds is built around cooperative hunts: you track a huge creature across an open region, wear it down together, and craft better gear from what you carve off it. It launched in February 2025 with crossplay for up to four players. It’s online only, with no split-screen, and it can also be played solo if your group can’t always get together.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC. Price: $69.99 at launch; it has dropped well below that, including $19.99 for the PS5 version at Amazon in February 2026.
Check Monster Hunter Wilds on Amazon
Best for the couch: Overcooked! All You Can Eat
Up to four players run a chaotic kitchen on one screen, online or a mix of both. This edition bundles both Overcooked games and all their extra content, with crossplay on every platform.
Overcooked is the classic couch co-op game: everyone shares one kitchen and one screen, and the fun comes from the shouting as orders pile up. All You Can Eat includes Overcooked! and Overcooked! 2 with all their DLC (downloadable content), remastered, plus crossplay across PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC. On a single console, up to four people can play with one copy, and local players can join an online game together on that same copy. Each console or PC in an online game needs All You Can Eat, since it doesn’t connect with the older standalone versions.
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC. Price: launched at $49.99 and is often discounted.
Check Overcooked! All You Can Eat on Amazon
Best if your crew plays GTA: GTA Online
GTA Online has co-op heists for crews of different sizes, many built around four players, and it comes with GTA V, so many groups already own it.
If your friends already play GTA, its heists are some of the best structured co-op in any open-world game: you plan, gear up and pull off a multi-stage job together, with everyone covering a different role. Our guides to GTA Online’s best heists ranked by payout and making money fast cover which jobs are worth your crew’s time. One limitation: there’s no crossplay between PlayStation, Xbox and PC, so your whole crew needs the same platform. On PC, everyone also needs the same version, since GTA V Legacy and Enhanced players can’t join each other’s sessions.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC. Price: included with GTA V.
Also consider: Baldur’s Gate 3
If your group wants a long campaign rather than quick sessions, Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the most acclaimed co-op games available: up to four players online, two-player split-screen on consoles, and crossplay across PS5, Xbox and PC since a patch in April 2025. It’s a turn-based role-playing game, though, so it suits a committed group that enjoys slower, story-driven play more than the action picks above.
Quick comparison
| Game | Players | Couch co-op | Crossplay | Copies needed | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Split Fiction | 2 | Yes | PS5, Xbox, PC, Switch 2 | One (Friend’s Pass) | $49.99 list |
| Helldivers 2 | Up to 4 | No | PS5, Xbox, PC | One per player | $39.99 |
| Monster Hunter Wilds | Up to 4 | No | PS5, Xbox, PC | One per player | $69.99 at launch |
| Overcooked! All You Can Eat | Up to 4 | Yes | All platforms | One per console or PC | $49.99 at launch |
| GTA Online | Varies by heist (many up to 4) | No | None | One per player | Included with GTA V |
Who this isn’t for
If you’re looking for competitive multiplayer, such as battle royales or ranked shooters, this list isn’t for you; every pick here is about playing on the same team. And if you want a game to play alone, skip Split Fiction, which can’t be played solo, and Helldivers 2, which is at its best with a full squad.
Bottom line
Match the game to your group. Two people: Split Fiction, with one copy. Four friends online: Helldivers 2 for chaos or Monster Hunter Wilds for big hunts. A full couch: Overcooked! All You Can Eat. A crew that already lives in Los Santos: GTA Online heists. Check crossplay and copies before anyone buys, and you’ll avoid the most common co-op disappointment of all: finding out halfway through setup that you can’t actually play together.
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