20 Co-Op Games Like ‘A Way Out’ You Need to Try

By Abdullah AminUpdated on December 30, 2024

Abdullah Amin is a certified Google Data Analyst.

In the world of gaming, few experiences match the thrill of a well-crafted cooperative adventure. A Way Out set a benchmark for such games, offering a unique split-screen experience that required two players to work in tandem, each from their own perspective but towards a common goal.

If you’ve successfully broken out of prison and are itching for more games that foster teamwork, camaraderie, and perhaps the occasional friendly squabble over tactics, then you’re in luck.

Here’s a list of 20 games that, like a well-mixed cocktail, blend the right amount of cooperation with a dash of competition—just enough to keep things interesting without spilling over into a full-blown argument about who forgot to press the right button at the crucial moment. So, grab a partner, and let’s dive into a world where ‘together’ means more than just sharing the couch.

So without any further ado, let’s jump straight into the list of 20 Co-op games similar to A Way Out.

1. It Takes Two

Story & Setting: It Takes Two is a co-op adventure that follows the story of Cody and May, a couple transformed into dolls by a magic spell. They must navigate through a series of challenges orchestrated by a love guru book to fix their fractured relationship.
Mechanics: The game combines various gameplay elements like platforming, puzzle-solving, and action sequences, requiring players to work together to progress.
Synopsis: With its heartwarming narrative and innovative co-op mechanics, It Takes Two offers a unique blend of storytelling and gameplay that encourages teamwork and communication.
Genre: Action-Adventure Platformer
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows

2. Portal 2

Story & Setting: In Portal 2, players explore the dilapidated Aperture Science Labs, encountering ingenious puzzles and a darkly humorous story involving GLaDOS, the AI antagonist.
Mechanics: The game’s core mechanic involves using a portal gun to create interconnected portals to solve puzzles and navigate the environment.
Synopsis: Portal 2 expands on its predecessor’s formula with a more extensive single-player campaign and a separate co-op campaign that challenges players to think creatively.
Genre: Puzzle-Platformer
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux

3. Overcooked: All You Can Eat

Story & Setting: This chaotic cooking simulator puts players in the shoes of chefs in increasingly bizarre and challenging kitchens.
Mechanics: Players must work together to prepare and cook orders under time pressure, often dealing with obstacles and changing environments.
Synopsis: Overcooked: All You Can Eat combines the content of Overcooked and Overcooked 2, offering a feast of cooperative culinary chaos that tests communication and teamwork.
Genre: Indie Strategy
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch

4. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Story & Setting: This narrative-driven adventure tells the story of two brothers on a quest to find a cure for their ailing father, set in a world filled with myths and fairy tales.
Mechanics: Players control each brother with a different analog stick, requiring coordination to solve puzzles and overcome obstacles.
Synopsis: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a moving single-player experience that captures the essence of cooperation through its unique control scheme.
Genre: Adventure
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, iOS, Android

5. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

Story & Setting: In this high-stakes bomb-defusing game, one player is trapped in a room with a ticking bomb while the other players have the manual to defuse it.
Mechanics: Communication is key as the defuser describes the bomb, and the other players guide them through the defusal process without seeing the device.
Synopsis: Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is an intense cooperative experience that requires clear communication and problem-solving under pressure.
Genre: Puzzle
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS

6. Payday 2

Story & Setting: Payday 2 is a cooperative first-person shooter where players take on the role of a member of the Payday gang, pulling off heists and big scores.
Mechanics: The game focuses on teamwork, with players choosing different roles and coordinating their actions to successfully complete various criminal objectives.
Synopsis: With a variety of heists and a strong emphasis on cooperative play, Payday 2 offers a thrilling experience for those looking to engage in some virtual criminal activity with friends.
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Linux

7. Sea of Thieves

Story & Setting: Sea of Thieves is an open-world multiplayer game that puts players in the role of pirates sailing the high seas in search of treasure and adventure.
Mechanics: The game emphasizes exploration, combat, and cooperation as players manage their ship, engage in naval battles, and hunt for treasure.
Synopsis: Sea of Thieves offers a vast, shared world full of opportunities for cooperative play, making it a perfect choice for those who love the pirate life.
Genre: Action-Adventure
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows

8. Divinity: Original Sin 2

Story & Setting: Set in the fantasy world of Rivellon, players embark on a quest to become a god in this critically acclaimed RPG.
Mechanics: The game features deep turn-based combat, a rich story, and the freedom to explore and interact with the world and its inhabitants.
Synopsis: Divinity: Original Sin 2 is renowned for its complex systems and cooperative gameplay, offering a rich and rewarding experience for RPG fans.
Genre: Role-Playing Game
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, macOS

9. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

Story & Setting: This colorful and quirky game has players piloting a spaceship through a neon galaxy, rescuing animals, and fighting off enemies.
Mechanics: Up to four players must work together to control different parts of the ship, from navigation to weapons, to overcome challenges.
Synopsis: Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a fun and frantic co-op game that emphasizes teamwork and coordination in a vibrant and whimsical setting.
Genre: Action
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux

10. Unravel Two

Story & Setting: In Unravel Two, players control two Yarnys—small creatures made of yarn—as they navigate through beautiful natural landscapes.
Mechanics: The game combines platforming and puzzle-solving, with players using their yarn to swing, climb, and solve environmental puzzles.
Synopsis: Unravel Two is a charming and visually stunning platformer that can be played solo or with a friend, offering a serene yet challenging co-op experience.
Genre: Puzzle-Platformer
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows

11. The Escapists 2

Story & Setting: The Escapists 2 is a strategy game where players plan and execute daring escapes from some of the toughest prisons in the world.
Mechanics: It involves crafting, stealth, and strategy as players find ways to break out without getting caught.
Synopsis: With its pixel-art style and sandbox environment, The Escapists 2 offers a humorous take on prison life and the challenge of escaping.
Genre: Strategy, Simulation
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch

12. Cuphead

Story & Setting: Cuphead is set in a 1930s cartoon universe and follows the story of Cuphead and Mugman who make a deal with the devil and must repay their debt.
Mechanics: The game is known for its challenging run-and-gun gameplay and boss battles.
Synopsis: Cuphead stands out with its hand-drawn animations and jazz soundtrack, offering a tough yet rewarding co-op experience.
Genre: Run-and-Gun
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch

13. Castle Crashers

Castle Crashers | The Behemoth

Story & Setting: In Castle Crashers, players embark on a quest to rescue princesses and defeat an evil wizard in a medieval fantasy world.
Mechanics: The game features hack-and-slash action with RPG elements, allowing players to level up and unlock new abilities.
Synopsis: Castle Crashers offers a mix of humor, action, and RPG mechanics, making it a great co-op game for all ages.
Genre: Action, RPG
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch

14. Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince

Story & Setting: Trine 4 follows three heroes on a quest to stop the Nightmare Prince, set in a beautiful 2.5D world of fairy tales and magic.
Mechanics: Players use the unique abilities of each character to solve puzzles and combat enemies in a physics-based environment.
Synopsis: With its enchanting visuals and cooperative puzzle-solving, Trine 4 is a magical adventure best enjoyed with friends.
Genre: Puzzle, Platformer
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch

15. Rayman Legends

Story & Setting: Rayman Legends is a platformer set in a whimsical world filled with music and lore, where Rayman and friends embark on an adventure to save the Teensies.
Mechanics: The game combines traditional platforming with rhythm-based levels and cooperative play.
Synopsis: Rayman Legends is praised for its creative-level design, stunning visuals, and seamless co-op integration.
Genre: Platformer
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch

16. Human: Fall Flat

Story & Setting: This physics-based puzzle game has players navigating dreamscapes as a wobbly human character.
Mechanics: The game focuses on exploration and creativity, with players manipulating the environment to solve puzzles.
Synopsis: Human: Fall Flat is a hilarious and open-ended game that encourages experimentation and teamwork in co-op mode.
Genre: Puzzle, Platformer
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch

17. Don’t Starve Together

Story & Setting: Don’t Starve Together is the multiplayer version of the survival game Don’t Starve, where players are dropped into a dark, gothic world and must survive.
Mechanics: Players gather resources, craft items, and fend off creatures to stay alive.
Synopsis: With its Tim Burton-esque art style and challenging survival mechanics, Don’t Starve Together is a co-op experience that tests players’ resourcefulness.
Genre: Survival
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux

18. Helldivers

Story & Setting: Helldivers is a top-down shooter set in a dystopian future where players are part of an elite unit fighting for humanity’s survival.
Mechanics: The game emphasizes cooperative play, with players working together to complete objectives and survive against overwhelming odds.
Synopsis: Helldivers offers a mix of intense action and strategic gameplay, with a strong focus on teamwork and player coordination.
Genre: Shooter
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Microsoft Windows

19. Gauntlet: Slayer Edition

Story & Setting: Gauntlet: Slayer Edition is a modern reboot of the classic dungeon crawler, where players choose from different classes to battle through hordes of enemies.
Mechanics: The game combines hack-and-slash action with RPG elements, allowing for character progression and loot collection.
Synopsis: Gauntlet: Slayer Edition is a tribute to the original, offering a co-op experience that’s both nostalgic and fresh.
Genre: Action, RPG
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows

20. Moving Out

Story & Setting: Moving Out is a physics-based moving simulator that turns the mundane task of relocating furniture into a fun and chaotic experience.
Mechanics: Players work together to move objects from various locations to a moving truck, dealing with obstacles and time limits.
Synopsis: With its humorous scenarios and cooperative gameplay, Moving Out is a lighthearted and engaging game perfect for co-op play.
Genre: Simulation, Puzzle
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch