Few gaming experiences beat the fun of couch co-op. You and your friends or family can team up, or sometimes hilariously mess each other up, from the comfort of yourownliving room. And withXbox Game Pass, your options for awesome couchco-opgames arepretty muchendless.
6 Best Couch Co-Op Games with a Story
Sometimes, you want a good story to go with your couch co-op game!
From pulse-pounding action and puzzling teamwork to laugh-out-loud chaos,there’ssomething for everyone.Whetheryou’reteaming up to survive an alien onslaught, cooking up a storm in a kitchen, or trying to outwit each other in wacky mini-games, couch co-op games are all about building memories. And Xbox Game Pass brings you a library packed with fantastic co-op games thatwon’talways break the bank.
Some of these options are only available through an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
10A Way Out
Prison Break!
This is a story-driven adventure where you and a friend take on the roles of two inmates with a common goal: escape prison. What makes A Way Out so fun isA Way Outthe way it immerses you and your friend in every step of Leo andVincent’sjourney.
You’llbe coordinatingprison breaks, evading cops, sneaking through tense environments, and sometimes even butting heads.You’llfind yourself doing some seriously cool moves, like the back-to-back wall climb. You bothhave totime your button pressesperfectlyas you inch up the wall together. If one player misses a beat,it’satoughdrop back down, andyou’llhave to restart.It’sall about timing, trust, and a bit of patience.
9Overcooked 2
Cooking Can Be Chaotic and Fun
Overcooked 2
Overcooked 2tosses you and your friends into a frenzied kitchen where you’ll need to whip up and serve dishes with perfect timing. Sounds simple? Think again! You will be cooking on hot air balloons, across moving platforms, in magical wizard realms, and even in outer space.
Review: Overcooked
Overcooked is an insane adventure in cooking made best for a crowd of companions. But can it really cut the mustard, or is it not even fit for a doggy bag?
It’s a masterclass in teamwork and laughter. Communication is key in this game. And you’ll quickly learn that there’s nothing like the thrill (and panic) of getting that last-second order out together. One second you’re shouting instructions (“Chop the onions!”), and the next, you’re both scrambling to put out a fire that engulfed half the kitchen.
8The Quarry
A Carefree Night Spirals Into a Nightmare
The Quarry
The beautiful or hard thing (depending on how you look at it) about The Quarry is that every decision has weight—from seemingly harmless choices to life-or-death calls. You and your partner control the lives of nine camp counselors, deciding who runs, hides, or confronts the danger lurking in the woods.
It’s the kind of game where one player’s risky decision can completely upend the story, and the back-and-forth of “What should we do?” makes every scene suspenseful and engaging.
7As Dusk Falls
Robbery Gone Wrong
As Dusk Falls
As Dusk Fallsis a couch co-op that feels like a group movie night — but with way more twists and wayhigher stakes!What I particularly like about this point-and-click RPG isthe wayit makes every player a storyteller. It pulls you and your friends into a web of choices, consequences, and secrets.
Abouteightplayers can join in on this game and vote on everykeydecision (yes, you read thatright— eight!), which makes every choice a wild negotiation. Maybe you think the character should keep a dangerous secret, but your friend wants to come clean. Do you side withthem,or fight for your choice?
6Quake II Remaster
The Stroggs are Now More Powerful and the Stroggos Bigger
Quake II Remaster captures everything that made the original great, from itsgritty,industrial settings to its relentless pace. But now, you get better graphics, smoother gameplay, and improved lighting.Thismakes it even easier to get immersed in its retro-yet-fresh vibe.
You also get new levels,tougherenemies, and more reasons to check out every grimy corner of Stroggos. And having a co-op partner makes it even better, as you will need someone to strategize with on the fly. You could go into enemy territory gun blazing while your friend watches your back.
5Battletoads (2020)
Pull Off High-Flying Combos with Your Favorite Toads
Battletoads (2020)
Ifyou’reinto games that mix over-the-top action, absurd humor, and classic arcade vibes, Battletoads is the perfect game for you and your friends.It’spartbeat-‘em-up, part platformer, and parteverything-you-didn’t-know-you-needed—all wrappedupin colorful, cartoony graphics.
Review: Battletoads
Battletoads succeeds at making a game look and feel modern while maintaining the essence of what made it good so many years ago.
Each toad has theirownunique fighting style in Battletoads. So you and your friends can experiment and find outwho’sbest at smacking enemies with gigantic fists, morphing into bizarre shapes, or pulling off high-flying combos.
4Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
A Nostalgic Trip Back to the Castlevania Era
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Picture a sprawling castle filled with monsters, hidden secrets, and powerful weapons—then imagine the thrill of tackling it all with a friend right by your side.That’swhat you get from Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
You can focus on getting up close with melee attacks while the other takes a ranged approach with spells.Thismakes every battle feel like a well-coordinated duel against evil. You and your partner can also combine efforts to solve puzzles or scout out hidden areas that you might have missed solo.
Team Up with Two Friends to Take Out the Swarm
Set in a world where humanity is on the brink of destruction, Gears 5 drops you into a relentless fight against a brutal enemy. As Kait Diaz, you uncover your mysterious connection to the Locust.
The game even offersthree-playersplit-screen co-op. So a third friend can join the mayhem as Jack, the support robot with awholerange of helpful (and sometimes hilarious) abilities. Andthere’sthe Escape mode, where you and your team infiltrate a Swarm hive, plant a bomb, and escape before it detonates. This mode requires coordination, quick reflexes, and a touch of bravery to get through the onslaught of enemies.
2Vampire Survivors
A Survival Adventure GameThat’sQuick to PickUp,But Hard to Put Down
Vampire Survivors
Imagine chaotic, screen-filling battles, roguelike mechanics, and intense power-ups, allcrammed into a pixelated package.That’sVampire Survivors for you. Vampire Survivors might look simple, but the action is far from it.You’ll be dodging swarms of enemies while mowing them down, making every moment a test of how long you and your friend can survive the onslaught.
Review: Vampire Survivors
Vampire Survivors is a long slow burn that never stops getting hotter, maybe not quite the first of the genre it ignited, but certainly the best.
The real fun in Vampire Survivors is collecting wild power-ups that combinein unexpected ways. As you level up, you and your partner can pull off moves like lightning strikes that obliterate crowds. You could also throw fireballs that bounce around the screen.
Minecraft Meets Metroidvania
InTerraria, the whole world is your playground. With a co-op partner, you can dig tunnels, mine for resources, and uncover hidden dungeonsside by side. Team up to explore spooky caves, fend off monsters, and gather the materialsneededto craft gear and expand your base.
One of the best parts of Terraria is its roster of fearsome bosses.You’vegot the towering Eye of Cthulhu and the monstrous Skeletronamongstmany more. Taking on these bosses solo is challenging enough, but with a partnerit’sa lot easier. You can try out different moves, and take down the titans together.
