Summary
Nothing beats video games when it comes to wreaking pure, unadulterated mayhem, and only one thing makes it better. Co-op. The volatility of a group of friends makes chaos grow exponentially until it inevitably turns hilarious.
Luckily, there are quite a few games out there that lean into the chaos and let players spread as much of it as possible, whether it’s surviving hordes of zombies or saving the intergalactic Super Earth. This list is ranked not just by the quality of the game, but by the amount of chaos the co-op gameplay provokes.
Co-op zombie survival games have been in a tough spot ever since the release ofLeft 4 Dead 2because nothing has been able to surpass it in quality or carnage. The follow-up to the originalLeft 4 Deadleveraged everything great about Valve’s source engine, leaned into the multiplayer, and hadbrilliant custom campaigns.
While AI partners are mostly competent, the real fun comes with a group of four friends, particularly when they need to work together not to provoke the ire of massive mobs of zombies. Of course, they’ll fail, and the subsequent chaos is not to be missed.
To be part of a heist team,every unique heisterneeds to know their job and be able to execute it to a tee. There’s no room for error, and everyone relies on each other to be professional. Unfortunately, for the crews inPayday 2,that very rarely ends up being the case.
Instead, the game’s many, many heists have countless ways they can be messed up among a crew of co-op partners. Yet, even if perfection is elusive, it’s still a riot of a time trying to fight out of the consequences of the team’s stupid decisions.
For a brief time in the late 2010s, co-op games weren’t just popular, but completely dominant in the gaming sphere, particularly as increasingly casual games likeFall Guysencouraged non-gamers to get in on the action, andGang Beastsis one of the best games from that crop.
Essentially a wrestling game with extra steps,Gang Beastshas players take control of floppy, strange creatures with hilarious ragdoll features to fight alongside, and against, each other in a variety of wacky situations. The physics simulation is unmatched even to this day.
Recently, many games have wondered whether the traditional ideas of what video games can be should be stretched, andDeep Rock Galacticis a great example of why they should be pushed. Instead of being co-op heroes fighting hordes of villains in this game, players are… miners.
Of course, it’s not quite that simple, and between environmental hazards, monsters, and increasingly insane situations, hilarity and chaos ensue in the game’s most pressing missions. It’s hilarious how badly missions can go so fast, making it great for a little bit of hapless fun.
Casual co-op games were the king of the co-op world for a long time, but as the 2020s began, a new king arose and still sits there to this day: co-op horror games. These simple games, most inspired byPhasmophobia, plunge players into horrifying contexts with local voice chat and hilarious results, amplified bya thriving modding scene.
InLethal Company, this formula seems to have found its most perfect form. Players, employees of a hypercorporation that doesn’t particularly care whether they live or die, are tasked with exploring abandoned facilities and mines to recover valuable data and equipment, all while terrifying ghosts and creatures procedurally stalk them. It’s delightfully chaotic seeing a party get picked off one by one.
Co-op games usually take place in fantastical situations, but theOvercookedseries took inspiration from the real world and found that a lot of chaotic stress already exists, like the busy kitchens of successful restaurants. Remarkably, that was the basis for the greatOvercookedand the even betterOvercooked 2.
In the game, players (playing as adorable animal chefs) are tasked with preparing meals to order, under a time limit, while cleaning dishes, communicating with each other, and navigating increasingly chaotic levels that change at a moment’s notice. The operation inevitably breaks down, resulting in total chaos as players struggle to stay on top of their sanity.
One problem with some co-op games is that it feels like players are playing beside each other, but not with each other, not meaningfully impacting each other’s gameplay or developing unique strategies together. TheMagickaseries is all about making sure that never happens.
In theMagickagames, players can access an elemental-based magic system where different elements combine to make different effects. Single-player, this results in magic slinging fun, but in co-op, one player’s spells can interact with another player’s spells, meaning they can combine into uncontrollable blasts of magical energy, often inflicting chaotic friendly fire. It’s a lot of fun to fail at, but really satisfying to be brilliant at.
Sony has broadly struggled with getting live-service games off the ground, butHelldivers 2is nothing short of a monumental success, boasting many thousands of players every day on account of its ridiculous narrative, its satisfying gameplay, and its stunning graphical fidelity.
However, the co-op action is the magic that brings it all together. With massive airstrike stratagems, mechs, and vehicles, players have plenty of opportunities to work together to beat back the enemy, but just as often, they end up killing each other with extremely lethal friendly fire. It’s almost inevitable that players accidentally kill each other in the heat of chaotic hordes of enemies, resulting in some of the most cinematic and memorable moments in recent gaming history.
