The Best Co-Op Games of 2025 to Play With Your Pals

Gamers love competitive shooters-that much is obvious from the popularity of games like Battlefield, Call of Duty, and Fortnite. Cooperative games are often overlooked, though. They aren't quite as popular and can get washed away in the mix of ultra-popular competitive shooters and high-profile single-player games. But they offer an alternative to either staying offline or going online and getting stomped by people who have much more time to get good at the game than you do. They offer the connection of online games, without that sweaty competitiveness. And if you’re looking for a good way to game with family or pals during the holidays, we’ve rounded up our favorite cooperative games that dropped in 2025. The first game on our list has a PvP element, but even that one has a rep for being one of the friendliest games around right now. Otherwise, every game on our list is strictly cooperative, whether your enemy is a sheer cliff face, idea theft, or Fulghor, Champion of Nightglow. While you're at it, don't forget to check out our 2024 list of great cooperative games -they're still a blast, and given their relative age, you might find some stellar deals at this point. Editor's note: All of the games on this list are traditional "Web2" games without crypto or blockchain integrations. But you might enjoy 'em anyway! Arc Raiders (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) ARC Raiders is the latest PvPvE extraction shooter-that is, you're trying to get loot and get out of the zone, while facing off against both enemies and other players. Think Escape from Tarkov as one prominent example. ARC Raiders is seen as a much, much friendlier version of that, where it's worth trying to ally with other players rather than shooting them on sight. We'll see how that holds up as the meta shifts, but even with that aside, this is a blast for you and two friends to go in, shoot robots, and get out. The game has a great visual style, too, which helps it stand out from so many other multiplayer shooters. Borderlands 4 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) Borderlands 4-it's a Borderlands game. What more is there to say? Dive in with a team of up to four players and get a-lootin'. Borderlands 4 brings new customization options to weapons, with things like brand synergies in the mix to make you get creative with your weapons. This entry is viewed as a course correction for the series by many fans and critics, after the hit-or-miss Borderlands 3. It has its share of issues, including an incredibly clunky UI, but that doesn't spoil how good it feels to pick up new loot and watch numbers go up. Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo Switch 2) Donkey Kong Bananza's cooperative element is built right into the main game, and it's a great way to share the Switch 2 adventure with a younger or otherwise less-skilled gamer. While one player will play as DK and handle general movement and...

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