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The 10 couch co-op games for Xbox One you need to play
Sometimes playing online just doesn't cut it. Take a peek at this list of the 10 best couch co-op titles on Xbox One and invite a partner over for some games.
While it's hard to deny the draw of online co-op – especially with crossplay making it so much easier to team up with a buddy or two regardless of what systems you each have – sometimes you want the kind of night that only comes with an Xbox One, excellent snack food, and the best kind of multiplayer experience – couch co-op.
There’s nothing like sitting next to a friend, family member, or significant other and screaming at them because they’ve gone the wrong way or taken more than their fair share of loot. With the expansion of Xbox's Game Pass subscription service, the couch co-op experience is vastly expanded now, and there's a whole host of games at your disposal. It can be a bit hard to parse through the wealth of great couch co-op games available, though, so here are ten of the best couch co-op games for Xbox One.
1. Borderlands 3
Some weapons in Borderlands 3 now have alternate fire options
© 2K Games
The Borderlands series is no stranger to the couch co-op experience, of course, and Borderlands 3 is a great way to trudge through a shooter with a wealth of loot and great characters. Whether you want to just find the best-looking guns or systematically make your way through a vast open-world full of quests and treasure to find, the game is a couch co-op classic, and you can bring even more people in your team via online multiplayer, too. Borderlands 3 feels more contemporary than the titles before it, and it goes a long way in terms of making sure that you feel like you move intuitively while having a whole, exciting world to explore. You better strap in though... it’s a long one.
2. Gears 5
Burly men shooting huge aliens: Gears 5 has it all
© Microsoft
If you’re into brutalising bad beasties, Gears 5 offers an interesting option in couch co-op. Aside from the both of you trudging through the campaign side by side (and sadly, the campaign is all you can couch co-op here – there's no option to do so in multiplayer), you're also able to appoint one of you to control Jack, a flying robot companion, to help you. Using their unique skillset, you can electrocute and hack your way through enemies while the other player plays a more traditional third-person shooter. With up to three local spots available, it’s a great way to engage someone who is less familiar with games or shooters – although, admittedly, you'll probably need a bigger couch to accommodate you all…
3. Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
© Asteroid Base
Ready to test your skills, and pilot a poor ship that’s getting attacked from all sides while managing all of its systems? If you want some couch co-op chaos, then Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a hugely underrated indie title that will bring you hours of fun. You’re both equally responsible for every area of the ship, from transportation to using your shield and bringing up a map. It gets very chaotic very quickly, built from the ground-up to be a couch co-op experience. If you can make it through this one with someone, hats off to you. Space is incredibly dangerous.
4. Overcooked 2
Too many cooks may spoil broth, but additional players elevate Overcooked 2
© Team 17
Want to shout more expletives at your loved ones than Gordon Ramsay in Kitchen Nightmares? You can gather up to four pals in Overcooked 2, and pretend to run a kitchen through incredibly extreme scenarios. As well as prepping and cooking the food, you'll also have to keep the customers happy and monitor the washing up, all while navigating some truly hair-raising environments. This simple two-button game has you running every element of a kitchen with your pals, and it gets incredibly intense. Overcooked 2 is a bonafide relationship ruiner, and is incredibly easy to pick up for some family fun, or if you just want to test how well you all really work together. Or not, as the case may be...
5. Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Admit it, you're humming the Halo theme right now
© Microsoft
You can’t make a list about couch co-op games for the Xbox One without mentioning Halo: The Master Chief collection. With robust split-screen multiplayer across all of its titles, you can make your way through the campaign in almost every instalment of the Halo series with a pal to keep your company, and given the wealth of games and missions available here, it'll keep you busy for ages. If you want to bunker up with someone and fend off baddies, then The Master Chief Collection is one game that will keep you going for hundreds of hours without ever getting boring.
6. A Way Out
These two tall, dark and broody fellas are your characters for A Way Out
© EA
A Way Out might not have the most robust plot in the world, but this game is specifically designed for couch co-op, as you and your friend take control of two guys trying to heist their way out of prison. With timed button-presses and co-operative exploration baked right in, A Way Out might not be the most taxing experience, granted, but its character-driven storyline and interesting puzzles should keep you busy for an evening or two.
7. FIFA 22
Péter Gulácsi in FIFA
© EA Sports
FIFA 22 is a family staple across the UK, and there’s a wealth of teams, players, and stadiums to choose from. So if you've been looking for an excuse to slide-tackle your older siblings until they throw their controllers in disgust or settle an argument to prove which North London team is definitively the best, look no further than the latest FIFA offering.
8. Divinity: Original Sin II
Divinity: Original Sin 2
© Larian Studios
If you’re less into shooting things and more into playing an open isometric RPG, the Xbox One offers Divinity: Original Sin II, where you can play two-player split-screen with a companion of your choosing. Not only are you able to wreak havoc across a well-written fantasy land and do almost anything you want to, it's also a complete sandbox, which offers endless opportunities to go off the beaten path and start exploring at your own pace. Admittedly it might not be the best offering for casual or beginner players, but it's a must for RPG fans everywhere.
9. LEGO Harry Potter Collection
Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4
© Warner Bros. Interactive
Almost every LEGO game will fit the bill for a fun, family-friendly couch co-op experience. The LEGO Harry Potter collection offers a wealth of fan-favourite characters to play as, as well as letting you reenact iconic scenes from all of the Harry Potter movies. With the added punch of the funny LEGO cutscenes and ability to have multiple players on one single screen, the game offers a tremendous value for money and is ideal for playing with younger children, new or inexperienced gamers, or any self-described Potterhead.
10. Resident Evil Revelations 2
This grim boy isn't even the grossest thing you'll have to fight
© Capcom
For the more mature gamers – or just those who like a dash of darkness in their gaming – Resident Evil Revelations 2 is a fantastic survival horror game that you can experience with a friend. Created specifically for co-op, players must work together to overcome the environmental puzzles, as well as numerous undead foes. There’s also a Raid Mode, too, in which you can utilise the local co-op feature to face off against horde after horde of bloodthirsty enemies. It’s a great way to experience survival horror, especially if you're a little jumpy about playing them alone...
