Best co-op games to play this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is all about spending time with the ones that you love, whether that be a significant other, or your closest friends.

So, why not play some games with them?

We look at some of the best co-op games that you can play together on your sofa, or online on your own setups.

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Overcooked! (Both games):

Overcooked is a chaotic cooking simulation game, in which players must work together to make an assortment of food to perfection before the customers leave unhappy.

You are able to play Overcooked on Steam, or on any console, but prices for the game vary depending on what version you are wanting to play. For example, the game on Steam is £12.99 (GBP), and the same game on the XBOX store is £12.79. This game can be played with 1-4 players, both on-screen in person, or online. Controllers and keyboard setups are both compatible with the game, so it is down to personal preference and the platform you are using.

In the game, you have a set amount of time to complete as many orders correctly as possible, and completing a level with a good score unlocks the next level. As you would expect with a cooking simulation game, things can very easily take a turn for the worse if you are not careful – so make sure everyone is communicating and has roles to ensure a smooth process. But, let’s be real, it won’t be a smooth process!

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It Takes Two:

This game takes a beloved genre and turns it into a co-op platformer, taking two players on an adventure to work together.

Hazelights action-adventure game is available on all platforms, and can be played as either couch co-op, or online with their Friend Pass feature. On Steam, this game is usually £24.99 (GBP), and roughly the same price on all consoles.

You play as Cody and May, a couple who were turned into dolls by a spell, to tackle a wide variety of puzzles and challenges and save the characters’ fractured relationship. Each level will bring you something new to work through, so make sure you are ready to work together to beat whatever is thrown at you.

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Portal 2:

As one of the most famous co-op games, Portal 2 was bound to be on our list!

Play as two unique robots who are working their way through a testing facility in order to try out new chambers that have been created. You will be led by GLaDOS around many different test chambers, where players must solve puzzles in order to progress. As well as following the story mode, there is a workshop space where you and your companion can create your own puzzles to be solved together.

The game is currently available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS3, and XBOX 360, unfortunately not available on next gen consoles as of the moment. You can purchase Portal 2 on Steam at the moment for £8.50 (GBP), or you can purchase a bundle of the original game and Portal 2 for £12.74 (GBP).

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Stardew Valley:

Want a more relaxing game to play with someone? Then Stardew Valley is your go-to!

With the capabilities to host up to four players in a multiplayer world, players can come together to build and maintain a farm just like in the single-player mode, but as a team. The game is almost identical to the single-player version, except for the cabin layouts and that players can marry each other and have children together.

The game is currently only available for multiplayer on Steam, PS4, XBOX One, and Nintendo Switch – and as with other games, the price can vary per platform. In order to play the multiplayer mode, you either have to play as couch co-op, LAN, or connect online – however you must have a subscription to online services on your console to connect to online players. 

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Sea of Thieves:

Up for more of an adventure in your co-op gaming? Why not set sail in the Sea of Thieves, and work to become Pirate Legends.

Sea of Thieves is a co-op game that can be played with up to four players at a time. The amount of players you have determines what ship you will be using, so, 1-2 players is a Sloop, 1-3 players is a Brigantine, and up to four players is a Galleon. You and your fellow pirates will be placed in a session with other crews from across the world, and you can work together to complete quests and voyages to obtain treasure. There is a PVE story mode also available if your crew would prefer that to PVP!

You are able to play the game on Steam, through XBOX Game Pass, or on an XBOX Console – where the game is £34.99 (GBP) on both Steam and XBOX.

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Minecraft:

Being a gaming classic for any situation, Minecraft is a great choice for a co-op adventure this Valentine’s. 

Whether you want to build, mine, or just explore, there’s something for everyone to do in the game, and can be a great experience for a co-op gaming session. There is no limit to the amount of people you can have in a server, so it is down to personal preference when creating the world. However, creating your own Minecraft server can be a little difficult at times, so there are many guides available to help.

Minecraft is playable on PC, PlayStation, XBOX, Nintendo Switch, and mobile – but server creation and multiplayer modes may differ between platforms. On PC, you can play via LAN connection, or invite people to your server online, and for console you can play split-screen, or online. 

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Borderlands (All games):

Whilst it is an older franchise, all of the Borderlands games are perfect for some exciting action role-playing adventure. It is worth noting that all of the games in the franchise are PEGI 18, so age restrictions are in place for who can play.

Each game in the franchise follows a series of characters on a quest to find and open a Vault, but depending on what game you are playing, you can play as the heroes, villains, or side-characters. The best game to get a feel for the franchise is Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel – as this gives more of an introduction to the wider story, and introduces you to key characters in the series.

All Borderlands games (with the exception of the TellTale Games spin-offs), can be played with up to four people, either split-screen or online. You can find the game on Steam, Epic Games, PlayStation, XBOX, and Nintendo Switch – where the prices vary depending on the title in the series. The older games are a lot cheaper than the newer releases, so start from the beginning and go on a chaotic adventure. 

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Phasmophobia:

Looking for more of a spooky co-op experience this Valentine’s Day? Phasmophobia is definitely the right pick for you.

The multiplayer ghost-hunting game takes you and your team of up to four paranormal investigators (other players) to haunted locations to try and determine what ghost is present at that location. You will have a variety of equipment to go into the building with, and use to find evidence that points to what type of ghost is at that location. During the investigation, the ghosts can become active, haunt players, and even kill players if they are hunted.

Phasmophobia is only available on Steam, but has VR compatibility to make the ghost hunting even more intense. The game can be purchased for £10.99 (GBP), and players can only join a private match online from their own setups.

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Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes:

Wanting to play a game on Valentine’s with a friend or your partner that puts your teamwork to the ultimate test? Why not immerse yourself in Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, where a bomb must be defused before it explodes.

This is a two player game that can be played in VR, or normally on a PC or console, where one person is the diffuser, and one person is instructing from afar. Players should not look at each other’s screens during the game, and only through communicating can the bomb be defused following the instructions from the manual. The instructing player will be provided with a PDF manual of every possible puzzle that is on the bomb, and the diffuser has to solve these puzzles based on the information provided by the instructing player. The aim is to defuse the bomb before the timer runs out. 

You can get this game on Steam, PlayStation 4, XBOX One, or Nintendo Switch for around £10.99 (GBP), and the PDF manual is widely available for free from the Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes website. 

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We Were Here:

This free puzzle game will keep you on the edge of your seat this Valentine’s Day, whilst you try to reunite with your fellow player.

We Were Here is a free pilot episode from the wider game series that puts two players together in a castle with only a walkie talkie to communicate. The aim of the game is to reunite with the other player and escape the castle, but you can only use your voice to help. The game requires you to have a working microphone supported within the game, as this is your only tool to help you through this adventure. On the way, you will solve puzzles and come across hurdles that need to be overcome, and this will test your ability to work as a team. 

This game is available on Steam for free, and on PlayStation and XBOX for around £4.19 (GBP), and is best played online or in separate rooms to fully immerse yourself into the situation. 

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What games are you going to play this Valentine’s Day? Let us know over on the British Esports Twitter. 

But, if you are still eager for some games that have co-op and multiplayer capabilities, check out our Competitive Games Hub to see the wide variety of esports titles available.