The best co-op Xbox games should get you yelling, cheering, and strategizing your way to a shared victory. Whether you’re sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with a friend or coordinating online across continents, there’s something uniquely enjoyable about overcoming challenges together.
Xbox’s ecosystem, bolstered by Game Pass and cross-platform support, has become a standout destination for cooperative play of all kinds. From story-driven adventures built entirely around teamwork to sprawling survival sandboxes that let players create their own world, the platform offers one of the richest selections of co-op experiences anywhere–often without the need to break the bank.
This list isn’t about the biggest names; it’s about games that foster connection. Some push innovation in engaging cooperative gameplay, others are great drop-in titles for visiting friends, and a few provide you with enough ridiculous moments to break ice of any thickness. Whatever your preferred genre or style of co-op play, you’ll find something on this list that’ll have you coordinating, competing, and celebrating with your pals.
It Takes Two
- Developer: Hazelight Studios
- Release Date: 26 March, 2021
- Players: 2
Few games embody the spirit of cooperation as fully as It Takes Two. Designed from the ground up to require two players, this award-winning adventure blends platforming, puzzle-solving, and genre-hopping creativity into one of the most joyful (but also emotionally-devastating) couch co-op experiences available.
Every chapter introduces new mechanics, from magnet-powered abilities to time-manipulation sequences. These developments often echo the emotional journey of the two emotionally fraught characters, and progress demands communication, synchronization, and trust. It Takes Two’s Friend’s Pass makes it even more accessible, allowing one purchase to cover both players, or to experience a demo if you’ve not yet taken the plunge. Whether you’re battling giant squirrels in the wild or navigating miniature worlds inside a child’s room, the adventure confronts you with themes of unity, loyalty, and the depths of familial love. It Takes Two remains one of the best co-op experiences not just on Xbox, but in gaming as a whole.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- Developer: 343 Industries
- Release Date: 11 November, 2014
- Players: 1-4
Halo has long defined cooperative shooting on Xbox, with many entries in the series still regarded as the best shooters by many, and The Master Chief Collection stands as the definitive way to experience the franchise with friends. This massive compilation includes six full campaigns, all playable cooperatively (although cross-play only works for Halo 3-4 main campaign and ODST).
Each entry offers a slightly different flavour of teamwork, from the tense corridors of the original to the squad-based vehicular chaos of later games, and offers more than 120 multiplayer maps as well as community-created co-op content.
Online co-op allows up to four players in many campaigns, while local play supports two, making it ideal for both couch and online sessions. While still a good nostalgic time, performance improvements and quality-of-life updates have polished the experience significantly since launch. Whether you’re revisiting the series or discovering it for the first time, The Master Chief Collection remains a benchmark for cooperative FPS gameplay and an essential piece of Xbox history. Why not play it on the console it was made for?
Powerwash Simulator 2
- Developer: FuturLab
- Release Date: 23 October, 2025
- Players: 1-6
Powerwash Simulator 2 builds on the surprisingly addictive formula of the original by expanding environments, tools, and multiplayer options into a full-fledged shared experience in online, shared, and split-screen co-op. The premise is simple (you just clean things) but the game’s simplicity gives way to relaxing, collaborative gameplay that’ll see hours pass by as if they were minutes. Working together to restore derelict vehicles, muddied murals, and crusty old houses, turns into a calming blend of methodical cleaning and quiet teamwork. You could even use it to catch up about the day’s events.
The sequel features more intricate multi-stage jobs, improved water physics, and new powerwasher customization options. Co-op lets you divide and conquer or tackle hard-to-reach angles together, and communication naturally emerges as you and your partner strategize how to approach each mess. It’s the kind of game that encourages conversation, turning long sessions into both a chill hangout and a satisfying completionist exercise. If you’re looking for low-stress, feel-good co-op where you can yap over low-stakes gameplay, Powerwash Simulator 2 is an excellent choice. Keep an eye out for new DLC, updates, and free content coming in 2026.
Totally Reliable Delivery Service
- Developer: We’re Five Games
- Release Date: 24 June, 2019
- Players: 1-4
Chaotic, unpredictable, and consistently hilarious, Totally Reliable Delivery Service is a physics-based sandbox where the goal of delivering packages is often less central than the floppy hijinks that happen along the way.
Up to four players can join forces to race, tumble, awkwardly grapple, and ragdoll their way through a world packed with toys, vehicles, and interactive objects. The intentionally wobbly controls mean getting just about anything done is a bit of an adventure, whether you’re desperately hanging onto a helicopter carrying a fragile box or launching your team into orbit with explosive machinery. Have you delivered anything in one piece? Probably not. Did you have fun doing it? Absolutely. Totally Reliable Delivery Service rarely punishes failure; in fact, failure is often the best part. It’s a reliably funny pick for friend groups who are happiest when embracing the absurd.
F1 25
- Developer: Codemasters
- Release Date: 30 May, 2025
- Players: 1-2
While Formula 1 might initially seem like a solitary sport, what with being alone in the cockpit of a car for most of it, F1 25 brings in an element of competitive and cooperative racing thanks to solid online functionality and couch co-op modes.
Whether you want to compete on the same team or join a full multiplayer grid, the sense of shared progression makes the game a bit more immersive than just blasting through countless races on your own. Although we missed an F1 game in 2026, the game’s refined physics, snappy circuits, and broadcast-quality vibe make it feel every bit the modern game. It’s not bad for first-time drivers, either, with accessible assists ensuring new players can keep up. F1 25 can also be played in VR, so if you’re a fan of great VR games, you can literally put yourself in the driver’s seat for this one.
Split Fiction
- Developer: Hazelight Studios
- Release Date: 6 March, 2025
- Players: 2
We don’t often give games 10/10 but in our Split Fiction review, we had to award this highest of accolades. This game truly is an unmissable co-op experience on Xbox. It has to be played to be believed.
Split Fiction is a two-player adventure from the creators of It Takes Two, another that made the list. Like the studio’s earlier title, every element–from puzzle design to narrative progression–requires genuine teamwork. It’s not just a slapped on multiplayer mode, but a game built for two.
Protagonists Mio and Zoe are full of character and charm, traversing beautifully realized realities that shift between sci-fi structures, fantastical landscapes, and surreal dream spaces, each introducing new mechanics that emphasize collaboration, and each written or imagined by the leads themselves. It’s a literary tale of friendship and creative identity, bringing together two disparate characters and their inner worlds. Whether you’re manipulating time, controlling gravity, or using asymmetric abilities to bridge gaps, both players remain equally essential throughout the experience. We can’t sing its praises enough.
The Hazelight Friend Pass returns, allowing two people to play with only one copy of the game, and lowering the barrier to entry. You’ve really got no excuse not to play one of 2025’s best games on Xbox.
Grounded 2
- Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
- Release Date: 29 July, 2025
- Players: 1-4
Grounded 2 is still in development so while you can play it on Xbox GamePass, and it’s one of the best current Xbox GamePass games, it might have plenty of… bugs (sorry). It’s a tried and tested formula, though, by shrinking players to insect size and dropping them into a backyard teeming with danger, Grounded 2 transforms everyday blades of grass into towering forests and ants into territorial predators, expanding on the groundwork established by the original game.
Co-op is where the game’s survival-crafting elements truly shine. Up to four players can work together to build bases, craft survival tools, and explore the expansive yard, discovering secrets and confronting increasingly hostile creatures. The dynamics of survival feel more approachable and enjoyable when shared, and it’s a nice light-hearted alternative to usually gloomy survival games. With ongoing updates until the game leaves early access, Grounded 2 continues to expand its world, so now is the perfect time to jump in with both feet.
Vampire Survivors
- Developer: Poncle
- Release Date: 20 October, 2022
- Players: 1-4
Vampire Survivors lets up to four players combine chaotic builds as they face endless waves of monsters in increasingly wild arenas. Cooperative play drastically alters the game’s single-stick shooter rhythm–abilities overlap, bullets multiply, and strategic synergy becomes more important as enemies flood the screen. It. Is. Chaos.
Local co-op for up to 4 players makes it easy to team up and introduce new friends to this bullet storm breakthrough. You can revive each other, share pickups, and lean into different upgrade paths to balance damage, defense, or support roles. The game’s quick sessions make it ideal for players looking to jump in for fast, intense runs without heavy time commitments. Despite its simple, retro aesthetic, Vampire Survivors delivers one of the most engaging co-op loops on Xbox thanks to its unpredictability, progression system, and endlessly satisfying power curve. Also: big walls of bullets are always fun.
Overcooked! All You Can Eat
- Developer: Ghost Town Games
- Release Date: 7 August, 2018
- Players: 1-4
Overcooked! remains one of the definitive couch co-op series thanks to its frantic kitchen chaos, escalating absurdity, and teamwork that pushes friendships to their limits. Overcooked! All You Can Eat combines both games into one delicious dish, along with plenty of new content and a full remaster.
Up to four players must coordinate to chop ingredients, cook dishes, wash plates, and serve recipes under increasingly ridiculous scenarios–just try not to lose your cool, it’s surprisingly easy to do so. Communication becomes both your greatest weapon and source of silliness as plans fall apart and the group scrambles to salvage orders before the timer runs out. The addition of online multiplayer broadens accessibility, while new recipes, mechanics, and cooperative abilities enhance the game’s replayability. Whether you’re cooperating to serve a dish you’d be proud of, or accidentally sabotaging each other in the heat of the moment, Overcooked! is one of the best value for money party games on Xbox where just about anyone can instantly enjoy.
Abiotic Factor
- Developer: Deep Field Games
- Release Date: 22 July, 2025
- Players: 1-6
Set within a sprawling, disaster-stricken research facility, Abiotic Factor blends survival, crafting, base-building, and exploration. Up to six players can work together as brilliant scientists navigating dangerous anomalies, otherworldly creatures, and the remnants of failed experiments. The game encourages players to take on complementary roles, from security teams and engineers to phytogenic botanists, each contributing unique skills to group survival.
Co-op builds naturally as you divide tasks like defending choke points, researching new tools, or expanding secure safe rooms–remember, you do have to live here too. Environmental puzzles and randomized threats keep sessions unpredictable, while its emphasis on exploration rewards groups who communicate and plan. Abiotic Factor is a co-op Xbox game that’ll have you hooked right from the start with its ridiculous tongue-in-cheek humor and limitless possibilities.
Terraria
- Developer: Re-Logic
- Release Date: 16 May, 2011
- Players: 1-16
A timeless sandbox classic and all-round cozy game, Terraria transforms into an entirely different experience when played cooperatively. With friends, its vast 2D world becomes a shared playground where you can collaborate on ambitious structures, share resources, and tackle bosses that benefit from coordinated combat. The Paladin’s Shield accessory, for example, functions best in multiplayer, bolstering the team’s defences with a buff that pulls damage onto the wearer.
The game’s progression system encourages players to split up tasks–mining for ores, exploring biomes, gathering rare items, or defending home bases, for example–while coming together for major milestones like defeating the Wall of Flesh and advancing into Hardmode. Co-op amplifies the game’s sense of discovery as players uncover secrets and generate shared stories, structures, and in-game lives. Even more than a decade after release, Terraria remains endlessly replayable thanks to frequent updates, deep crafting systems, and open-ended creativity.
