Although there are plenty of captivating single-player experiences to be had that have the capability to keep players up all night, it’s much easier to get dragged into a late night when playing with friends in online co-op.
Team-based competitive games such asCounter-Strike 2andLeague Of Legendsare obvious examples. However, this topic aims to cover strictly cooperative games to play with friends. These games feature everything from cooperative campaign adventures all the way to addictive horde shooters, so there should be something for all kinds of players.
Having been released all the way back in 2013,Project Zomboidhas been in Early Access for over ten years now. However, despite this alarming observation,Project Zomboidis still receiving regular, meaningful updates and support from its developers.
Project Zomboidis an open-worldsandbox simulation gameset in a zombie apocalypse. The game is ridiculously brutal and hard to learn, but mastering its mechanics and simulated elements is especially fun with friends, and the slow-paced gameplay loop is perfect for longer play sessions.
While some may balk at the mention of aLEGOgame,LEGO: The Lord Of The Ringsis a wholesome and accessible adventure that’s perfect for all ages.LEGO: The Lord Of The Ringstakes players on a journey that mirrors that of the classic film trilogy, while also letting players explore some of the lesser-known areas of Middle-earth in an open-world environment.
LEGO: The Lord Of The Ringsis great for two players, and while it can’t be played online, it does feature local co-op and Steam Remote Play. For fans ofThe Lord Of The Ringslooking for a relaxing, accessible experience to wind down for a night,LEGO: The Lord Of The Ringsis worth a shot. Furthermore, the game features natural stopping points that make calling it a night easy to do.
Many survival-craft games are suited to playing all night in online co-op. However,Valheim’sfocus on exploration, extensive base-building, and frequently engaging combat encounters make it one of the best.
Valheimcan be played with up to ten players, so it’s perfect for larger groups. Furthermore, the game’s plethora of content and slow-burning grind to access the majority of it make it a great game for longer sittings.
AlthoughPayday 3is currently available, it could be argued thatPayday 2is the better game. Furthermore, thanks to the extensive developer supportPayday 2has received over the years, it has an abundance of content to explore.
InPayday 2, players plan and execute a variety of heists, from robbing banks and jewelry stores to nabbing precious paintings.Payday 2lets players approach heists in all manner of ways, but for less experienced players it can often devolve into frantic and chaotic shootouts.
This combination of the horde-shooter and mining game genres can be played alone, but it’s best played with friends in online co-op. In the game, players take on a variety of missions, delving down into procedurally generated caverns to mine precious minerals and blast away alien bugs.
Deep Rock Galactic’stight and addictive, mission-based gameplay loop is perfect for all-nighters; the game can be played with up to four players, and the variety of objectives and procedural generation keeps things from getting tiresome for a good while. Furthermore, the game features a solid progression system that incentivizes players to keep playing.
Arguably one of the greatest sequels of all time,Left 4 Dead 2isa zombie horde-shooterthat’s best played in four-player online co-op. InLeft 4 Dead 2, players shoot and bludgeon their way through hordes of zombies as they make their way to a safe house at the end of the level.Left 4 Dead 2is perfect for groups, as the game’s AI Director and abundance of special enemies incentivize teamwork and often brew chaotic action gameplay.
Although it was released all the way back in 2009,Left 4 Dead 2is still among the best online co-op games money can buy.The game features five campaigns, most of which feature superb level design, and when players run out of content there’s always the Steam workshop to explore; even years after its release,Left 4 Dead 2is still getting updates.
Fans often praiseResident Evil 4for its action-oriented gameplay, and its predecessors for their survival-horror, butResident Evil 5is often overlooked as the game that pushed the series too far toward the action-game genre. Furthermore,Resident Evil 5is notorious for its irritating AI partner.
However, when played in online co-op,Resident Evil 5is a joy to play; the game’s campaign is a non-stop, action-packed adventure with a cheesy story and ridiculous villains.Resident Evil 5’sgameplay shows its age here and there, but it consistently provides players with engaging, intense action sequences. Players might not be able to beat the game in a single sitting, butResident Evil 5’sfast-paced gameplay and light horror elements are perfect for longer sessions.
This hyper-polished third-person shooter is a recentsmash-hit sequelthat’s perfect for playing with friends.Helldivers 2features a tongue-in-cheek,satirical atmosphere and tonethat’s similar to that ofStarship Troopers, with impressive 3D environments andwell-crafted gunplaythat’s sure to satisfy even the stingiest of shooter fans.
Helldivers 2allows players to play in squads of up to four, fighting against a variety of enemies to complete various objectives, like rescuing a science team from an army of Terminator-adjacent robot warriors.Helldivers 2also features a generous revive system that means players will never be out of the action for too long, which is perfect for playing in co-op.
