One of the oft-forgotten surprises of last year’s E3, Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a quickly approaching co-op follow-up to 2017’s The New Colossus. In the game, you play as the two daughters of series protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz and make your daddy proud by slaying every Nazi that crosses your path. Also, it’s going to be some form of the ’80s, so you’ve got that whole style thing going on. Wolfenstein goes some places. Anyway, while we await this neon-drenched future Nazi killing, you and your partner of choice have plenty of other options when it comes to co-operational gaming. Here are 10 other co-op games worth digging up.
While Youngblood‘s pitch relies on its co-op nature, we’re still not sure exactly how vital it is to the experience. Will a single player who’s enjoyed every other Bethesda Wolfenstein release be able to take this one on all by their lonesome and have a good time? It’s how most other Bethesda shooters have made their marks so hopefully Youngblood is able to both offer a good co-op experience while also not forgetting about its single-player roots.
It’s good to see Bethesda continue their trend of foregoing big DLC and instead of releasing full side games that feel more experimental. Some of them don’t completely work out as intended, such as the disjointed but still decent Old Blood. Others become standout entries in their franchises, like Dishonored: Death of the Outsider.
Even Prey got in on this action, although its Mooncrash roguelike expansion tied into the base game rather than releasing separately. Companies often spend so much building an engine and assets for just one project, so this kind of release just makes sense. Besides, with streaming just around the corner, a reliable release schedule of smaller content could come into favor over huge expansive open worlds. We’ll just have to wait and see.
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Youngblood Co-Op Games
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Wolfenstein: Youngblood and other co-op games worth digging up
One of the oft-forgotten surprises of last year's E3, Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a quickly approaching co-op follow-up to 2017's The New Colossus. While we await this neon-drenched future Nazi killing, you and your partner of choice have plenty of other options when it comes to co-operational gaming. -
A Way Out
Speaking of E3 surprises, EA's A Way Out is one of the more notable steps forward in co-op design in recent history. This joint jail escape isn't playable alone and it is praised by some for its plethora of mechanics that aren't great but impressive in their variety. Just don't mind the cheesy story and questionable voice acting too much. -
Cuphead
Cuphead's name may be on the digital packaging, but you know it's really all about Mugman. Cuphead's blue partner in crime can join in via a co-op partner throughout this retro boss rush. What better way to delve into this difficulty than with a willing friend? You can keep each other sane. -
Half-Life: Decay
Years before A Way Out, the team over at Gearbox was experimenting in similar territory. Developed as an add-on expansion for the PS2 release of the original Half-Life, Decay is a multiplayer focused experience through the halls of Black Mesa. If you know where to look, you can even find an unofficial PC port online. -
Left 4 Dead
Sticking with Valve games, Left 4 Dead pushed some serious tech when it came to playing together. From reviving down but not out teammates to relying on teammates to escape the clutches of the Special Infected, this brought some fun friendly times alongside its precise first-person shooting. -
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
You need good teamwork and some patience to make this dream work. By the dream, we're referring to the giant spherical spaceship exploring crowded galactic destinations. There's always more tasks then there are astronauts, so expect lots of yelling and running into each other as you try to avoid certain disaster. -
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
There are plenty of reasons to get into Mario's tactical adventure, and bringing a friend along is one of the best. It's a long game, but it's also not particularly challenging, so adding the unpredictability of a human partner could be the recipe for success. -
Overcooked
Speaking of recipes, Overcooked is one of those titles that just shines in multiplayer environments. It encourages yelling at your friends to get things done, the thrill of victory and the sting of defeat. There's nothing like pulling out a level with seconds left on the clock thanks to a clutch thrown plate across a pirate ship. Just be sure to grab its sequel, Overcooked 2, as it is a much more streamlined experience. -
Payday
Similar to Left 4 Dead, Payday brings extremely enjoyable shooting to a friendly environment. It's easier to strike it out on your own in this four-player heist simulator, but you'll still need to work together to make off with the objective and keep your winnings. -
Portal 2
Co-operative puzzle games are usually 2D affairs where players act as platforms to get both participants to the flagpole at the end. Portal 2's co-op campaign is similar but mindbending in a way that makes it actually engaging. It helps that Valve made an adorable pair of robots and completely new levels just for the mode. -
Trine
Whichever entry in the series you're playing (as long as you're not playing the third one), Trine is a fun way to spend an afternoon with whoever happens to be on your couch. Sure, you could switch between three different characters on your own, but it's much more fun to endlessly spam boxes as the wizard until your friend quits in frustration.
