Gaming
Games
The 10 Best Xbox One couch co-op games you need to play
Sometimes playing online just doesn't cut it. Take a peek at our list of the 10 best couch co-op titles on Xbox One and invite a partner over for some games.
Armed with a new Xbox One and looking for some local multiplayer action? While online co-op is pervasive in many games, getting down with some couch co-op is fantastic, and there’s nothing like sitting next to a friend, family member or significant other and screaming at them because they’ve taken more than their fair share of loot. With Gamepass, the couch co-op experience is vastly expanded, with 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 on Xbox One, so we’ve assembled our top list of them here.
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, and Borderlands 3 is a great way to trudge through a shooter with a wealth of loot and great player characters to customise and play as. 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 does well in couch co-op mode, and you can bring even more people in your team with you online over just two players. Borderlands 3 feels more modern than the titles before it, and it goes a long way in terms of making sure that you feel like you move in Apex Legends, while having the casual couch co-op experience and a whole 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 brutalizing bad beasties, Gears 5 offers an interesting option in couch co-op aside from the both of you trudging through the campaign whilst having the same experience. You’re able to get one player to use a flying robot companion named Jack to help you, using their unique skillset to electrocute and hack their way through enemies while the other player plays a more traditional third-person shooter. With up to 3 local players available, it’s a great way to engage someone who is less familiar with games, or who is just not up for playing just another traditional shooter. Unfortunately, the campaign is the only way you’re able to play couch co-op in Gears 5.
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 fairly chaotic very quickly and is a blast to play because it’s specifically designed for couch co-op play. 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 4 people in Overcooked 2, and pretend to run a kitchen through incredibly extreme circumstances. Chop the veg and cook it before the ground splits before you and make sure you wash the plates at the same time! 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.
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 good game in the Halo series with someone, and never really finish the fight since there are so many campaigns to run through. 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 getting bored.
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 take control of two guys trying to heist their way out of a prison, with timed button-presses and co-operative exploration baked into it, you can easily make your way through this game with someone in a single day, and it’s high production values and interesting puzzles will keep you hooked throughout.
7. FIFA 20
Expect Mbappé to be one of the highest-rated players in FIFA 20
© EA Sports
While FIFA 20 isn’t strictly a couch co-op game, you’re able to team up with 4 players, two on each side in a traditional game of soccer, and depending on how well you’ve trained during the year- your skills are always put to the test. There’s a wealth of teams, players and stadiums to choose from, and its the definitive soccer game, so if you’re into constantly slide-tackling your older siblings until they throw their controllers away, it’s a great way to settle arguments, or just pass the time with some familiar ballers, faces and commentators.
8. Divinity: Original Sin II
Divinity: Original Sin 2
© Larian Studios
If you’re less into shooting things and more into playing an open-ended isometric RPG, the Xbox One offers Divinity: Original Sin II, where you can play two-player split-screen with someone else. You’re able to wreak havoc across a well-written fantasy land and do almost anything you want to. It’s a complete sandbox, so there’s a ton of room for fun. This one is for players who are more comfortable with playing a heavy RPG, so it might not be the most inviting game for casual players.
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 characters to play as in the Harry Potter series, as you reenact 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, 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, Resident Evil Revelations 2 is a fantastic survival horror game where you’re able to play with your friends. This is a game where one player is a traditional third-person gunner, and another can use a torch to blind enemies, and assist the main player. Additionally, there’s also a Raid Mode, there you are able to utilise the local co-op to face off against hordes of enemies. It’s a great way to experience some survival horror with your friends and family.
