10 Co-Op Games That Will Define 2025—Grab Your Friends

Sick of battle-pass grinds and sweaty lobbies? 2025 is stacked with co-op bangers you can jump into with friends—zero fuss, maximum fun, and pure teamwork-fueled chaos.

Sometimes you just want to hop online with a friend, shut your brain off (in a good way), and play something built for two or four without battle passes or sweaty lobbies. 2025 actually delivered on that front. Here are the co-op games from this year that are absolutely worth your time, from clever little experiments to big, messy blockbusters.

1. Brave Escape — Think precision platforming, but as a co-op puzzle. It is tough, and that is the point. The trick is that each character has a specific job: Colin can drop a rope to haul Flyod up to higher spots, and Flyod can literally turn into a jump pad so Colin can launch to places he otherwise could not reach. The game keeps finding smart, demanding ways to remix those simple ideas, and sticking the timing with a partner is ridiculously satisfying.

2. LEGO Voyagers — A breezy, roughly five-hour romp you can play locally or online. The puzzles are light (think building quick bridges or tracking down parts to power up gadgets), but what sells it are the playful interactions and little cinematic moments that nudge you to mess around and be creative. It is not trying to break your brain; it is trying to make you smile.

3. Dying Light: The Beast — Want your co-op with a side of panic? This is open-world survival horror with the classic run-jump-vault parkour, a ton of blueprints to craft improvised weapons, and an endless supply of zombies to ruin. Sprinting across rooftops as a squad while you cobble together something unhinged in the crafting menu never really gets old.

4. Neon Inferno — Way better than it looks at a glance. It blends run-and-gun action with a gallery shooter vibe, so you are juggling threats in the foreground and background at the same time. In two-player co-op, you play assassins working for a crime syndicate, chasing targets across a neon-drenched New York City in 2055. It is chaotic in exactly the right way.

5. Monster Hunter Wilds — Peak hangout game energy: huge monsters to take down, long sessions with friends, and plenty of silly moments between hunts. The caveat is real, though: performance issues and bugs have been a thing, and Capcom still has not fully cleaned it up. When it behaves, it is unmissable. When it does not, you will notice.

6. Absolum — A co-op beat-em-up that just clicks. You can build some wild character setups and the bosses hit hard but fairly. The real star is the world: every run cracks open new paths, introduces fresh NPCs and bosses, and hides secrets everywhere. A few puzzles ask for patience, which oddly makes the discoveries land harder when you finally figure them out with a friend.

7. Elden Ring: Nightreign — FromSoftware took the Elden Ring DNA and folded it into a roguelike structure that turns up the pressure. You are constantly planning your next move, not just wandering to the next shiny thing. The Night Lords are no joke; beating them means fully understanding your class and how to back up your co-op partner. It is punishing, but the teamwork payoff is real.

8. Peak — Four kids stranded on an island, one mountain to climb, and a lot of physics-driven chaos along the way. The mechanics are simple, but working together is the whole show: picking routes through nastier and nastier terrain, using items smartly, sharing a single backpack, and managing stamina like it actually matters. It is equal parts teamwork and slapstick.

9. Sunderfolk — The unexpected hit. It plays like a tabletop RPG, but instead of dice and minis, you use your TV and your phone. Sounds like a gimmick; it is not. Using your phone to make calls, peek at battle info, and manage abilities is slick and makes local co-op feel fresh, especially if you are bored of the usual tabletop routine.

10. Split Fiction — The co-op standout of the year. Levels refuse to repeat themselves, the game keeps tossing out new ideas, and the combat feels clean with weapons that actually feel different. The art and direction are gorgeous without being show-offy, and yeah, you will pause now and then just to stare. It feels genuinely next-gen in all the ways that matter.

Your turn: what is your favorite co-op game of 2025 so far?