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Essays 06 July 2023, 17:22

The Best Couch Co-op Games For Single Screen (Updated for 2023)

Although for years on the decline because of online games, couch cooperation hasn't died out yet, and it's till possible to still find a lot of great titles to enjoy in front of the same screen .

The growing importance of online aspect of the computer games has brought tremendous changes – from replacement of physical releases by digital distribution, through the renaissance of independent games, to the spread of paid additional content. These changes have also greatly affected the way we play with our friends.

Today, the concept of "multiplayer" is associated almost exclusively remote gameplay, without meeting other people per se. Until a decade ago, however, a "couch" multiplayer mode, in which participants huddled in front of a single screen, fought battles against the AI or faced off against each other.

This article focuses on joint expeditions against forces controlled by AI (or other players). Couch co–op, while it remains in the shadow of its online cousin, is not dead yet – in recent years there have been several games that have made excellent use of this gameplay mode, perfect for playing with a girlfriend or close friends. When selecting the games for this text, we were guided by two factors – the co-operation in the individual games had to be as enjoyable as possible, and the productions themselves available on any of the current generation devices or modern operating systems.

2023 UPDATE

Diablo 4 has replaced Diablo 3 – this is the only change in this update. The change, which wa sonly natural, was handled by Matt Lugowik.

IT'S NOT ALL!

Local co-op is in withdrawal, and yet there are quite a few games still offering this kind of gameplay, especially created by independent developers. So when choosing the best of them, we had to make some calls compromises, and we didn't write about all the good games of this type out there. If you feel that a particular game is missing, make sure to mention it in the comments. When we update the article again, your most mentioned games will also get a chance to be added to the list.

The Borderlands Series

Co-op type: a campaign designed for 1-2 players (1-4 in The Handsome Collection version), local split-screen co-op only in console versions

INFORMATION
  1. Genre: FPS
  2. Platforms: PC, PS4, XONE, PS3, X360, XSX, PS5
  3. Release date: October 2009 (first installment)

You can dislike Gearbox Software for many things, not least the tendency of its longtime Chief Executive, Randy Pitchford, to blame everyone but his own studio for the failures of his games. But there is one thing you have to give this team credit for – the Borderlands series.

Unusual hybrids of role-playing games and shooter games can be easily played solo, but the game is most fun when shared with friends. During such playthroughs, the unique characters' skills become even more important as they complement each other on the battlefield. Thus, players can explore further locations, take on tasks from twisted NPCs, murder hundreds of enemies (mostly mutated animals and Mad bandits), and collect weapons that are available everywhere in bulk, varying in terms of random parameters.

In contrast to other games, the series has cartoonish visuals, giving the Mad Max films a unique style and atmosphere. In addition, the wide variety of characters and their interesting skills and perks to develop on the next levels allows you to enjoy Borderlands even during the third and fourth playthrough. Finally – the shooting itself is fun and deeply satisfying.

  1. More about Borderlands series

Don't Starve Together: Console Edition

Co-op type: full game available on split screen

INFORMATION
  1. Genre: survival
  2. Platforms: PS4, XONE, Switch
  3. Release date: September 2016

Don't Starve is not only one of the best survival games on the market, but also a representative of that genre (one of the first) that has actually been completed rather than being available as form of early access. Don't Starve Together was originally the same only with the online multiplayer variant. Subsequent updates expanded the game, however, with content from the first official single-player supplement, Reign of Giants, and brand new attractions. Console editions of DST also allow two players to play together on a split screen.

We wake up in a strange world and, as the title suggests, try not to starve. And not to die in general, because after a fairly peaceful beginning, when we mainly stockpile food and firewood, we quickly find that almost anything can kill us here. Giant spiders, werepigs, living trees, hellhounds, and even bees and penguins – there are many dangers waiting for the protagonists of Don't Starve.

Plus, you need to keep an eye on your mental health, eat regularly, prepare supplies for winter, avoid staying in total darkness at night, and protect yourself from moisture and heat. It's not easy! But the satisfaction of each survived Winter is incredible. It's so incredible that I've already spent three hundred hours in different versions of Don't Starve. And I still want more!

Cooperative not starving on PC

Although officially we won't play the game with anyone on PC, players can use the rich mod library, among which we will find a modification that allows for a local multiplayer for up to three people. Interestingly enough, it is for Don't Starve Together but for the regular Don't Starve.

  1. Don't Starve Together in our encyclopedia

Michael Grygorcewicz

Michael Grygorcewicz

He first worked as a co-worker at GRYOnline.pl. In 2023 he became the head of the Paid Products department. He has been creating articles about games for over twenty years. He started with amateur websites, which he coded himself in HTML, then he moved on to increasingly larger portals. A computer engineer, but he was always more drawn to writing than programming, and he decided to tie his future with the former. In games, he primarily looks for stories, emotions, and immersion that no other medium can provide - hence, among his favorite titles, are games focusing on narration. Believes that NieR: Automata is the best game ever made.

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