Finding the right co-op RPG to play with a friend is always a story about games where your choices really matter. Here, your party composition directly influences the outcome of battles, and that one friend who always plays a chaotic-evil character won’t be able to ruin everything completely (well, almost).
If you're ready to spend dozens of hours coordinating actions in turn-based sessions or in a crazy action-RPG co-op, some of these games will become the stories you'll be telling your friends for years.
Baldur’s Gate 3
🖥️ Available on: PC (Windows, macOS), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
⏳ Playtime: 75-100 hours (main story), 150-200+ hours (completionist)
It's hard not to mention BG3 in almost every RPG list, but Larian really created a co-op game that puts many other projects to shame.
This isn't just an RPG you can play in co-op mode, it's a full-on D&D-style campaign where four players can create absolute chaos simultaneously.
The story starts with you waking up on a Mind Flayer ship with a parasite wriggling behind your eyeball. You’re infected with a Mind Flayer larva that’s supposed to turn you into a tentacle-faced monster, but this time something goes wrong…
You’ll experience three large acts with a branching storyline, where every dialogue choice can lead to completely different outcomes. The combat system is based on D&D 5th Edition rules: it’s turn-based tactical combat where positioning, environmental interactions, and even a failed dice roll at the wrong moment can change everything.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| A narrative on par with the best tabletop D&D campaigns | Turn-based fights might put off action fans |
| Tactical depth of the combat system | High entry barrier to D&D mechanics |
| Huge potential for build customization | The third act is less polished than the beginning of the game |
| Memorable companions | Performance drops in big battles and cities |
| A detailed world full of secrets | Dice rolls are really, really random |
Why is Baldur's Gate 3 perfect for co-op RPG fans?
If you've always dreamed of an adventure where the wizard in your party can try to seduce an illithid while the barbarian breaks down walls and the cleric questions every decision — BG3 will give you that.
Four-player co-op gives each player complete freedom and a say in dialogues. Party composition is critically important: the presence or absence of certain companions opens or closes unique storylines.
- Full voice acting for all dialogues
- Dice rolls are visible to all group members
- Split-screen mode available
- Support for shared saves between PC and consoles
Divinity: Original Sin 2
🖥️ Available on: PC (Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, macOS, iPad
⏳ Playtime: 60-80 hours (main story), 120-150+ hours (completionist)
DOS2 came out before Larian's flagship, and the studio's signature style was already noticeable. In this turn-based co-op RPG, you find yourself in Rivellon as the Godwoken — a wielder of Source magic who the Divine Order considers a dangerous heretic.
You'll fight Voidwoken and unravel the gods’ conspiracies in a huge campaign.
The combat system revolves around using the enemies' physical and magical armor. Elemental interactions allow you to create incredible combos: rain makes enemies wet, electricity stuns them, fire turns water into steam, and so on.
Character creation is very flexible and varied: you can build anything from a serious fighter to a totally crazy hero. Companion quests are closely tied to the main story and change depending on your choices.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| Deep combat system with lots of room to master it | Complicated inventory management |
| PvP duel options within the party | The storyline gets too confusing towards the end |
| Massive amount of content | Slow game pace in some areas |
| Interesting puzzles | Mods often disable earning achievements, so you need to keep an eye on that |
| Great community and a huge number of moderators | Unique AI for companions in combat |
Is DOS2 the perfect choice for tactical enthusiasts?
DOS2 really shines when you play with friends who are ready to sit down and plan every battle with you. Co-op even lets you settle disputes in dialogues with 'rock-paper-scissors,' which is pretty funny and personally gave me a lot of laughs with my friend.
You can make builds that perfectly complement each other: for example, a summoner and an elemental mage can fully control the battlefield.
- The consequences of your actions affect the game world in the following acts
- Ability to communicate with animals through the 'Animal Friend' skill
- A multiclass system for creating hybrid heroes
- A huge number of user mods
Outward: Definitive Edition
🖥️ Available on: PC (Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
⏳ Playtime: 35-50 hours (main story), 80-100+ hours (full playthrough with DLC)
Outward stands out among co-op RPGs by making you an ordinary person. You’re not a hero from a prophecy, just a regular citizen trying to pay off a debt and survive in a harsh world. You’ll have to deal with hunger, cold, and sickness, not just monsters.
Survival mechanics play a key role here. You need to keep track of your character's food, water, and sleep. There's no fast travel, and the map doesn't show your exact location — you'll have to navigate using a compass and the landscape.
Magic requires long preparation: you can't just press a button and cast fire, you need to draw runes and gather ingredients. The game has a faction system with different endings, and auto-saves make every mistake final. If you lose a fight, the game will offer a defeat scenario: your character may end up captured or wake up in a nomad camp.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| You're just a denizen of the world, not some chosen one | Very high difficulty and steep learning curve |
| Survival mechanics create real tension | The lack of quest markers can be frustrating |
| Playing co-op with friends makes overcoming challenges more fun | The graphics look pretty budget |
| Branching faction storylines | Autosaves don’t let you fix mistakes |
| Real consequences for every decision you make | Some roughness in the combat system |
| Unique magic system | Empty world between key locations |
| Definitive Edition includes all expansions | Gameplay design aimed at hardcore players |
You’ll enjoy Outward if you appreciate hardcore challenges
This game isn’t going to help you. You’ll have to learn to plan routes, pack gear according to the weather, and accept the fact that you can die from a simple cold. Playing co-op is way more fun since two players can split roles: one manages resources and healing, while the other handles close combat. If you would rather work towards a place of your own between adventures, these RPGs with base building explore that side of progression; multiplayer support varies by game.
- Local split-screen co-op
- Backpack and gear weight directly affects mobility
- Dynamic weather and seasons
- Enemies don’t scale to your level
Wartales
🖥️ Available on: PC (Windows), Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S
⏳ Playtime: 45-60 hours (main story), 100+ hours (completionist run)
Wartales throws you and your band of mercenaries into a medieval world ravaged by the aftermath of the plague. There’s no forced storyline about saving the world — you decide who to be: honest protectors of the weak, ruthless bandits, or wealthy traders. It’s a true open-world sandbox.
Turn-based battles take place on tactical maps, where the right positioning of your fighters often makes all the difference. Your mercenaries are living people with their own personalities: they interact in the camp, make friends or enemies, which affects their effectiveness.
You constantly need to gather food, treat wounds, repair armor, and pay wages, or the squad will simply scatter. Professions allow characters to become cooks, blacksmiths, or thieves, benefiting the whole group.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| Deep tactics and the importance of pre-battle preparation | Sharp difficulty spikes in later stages |
| Live management of your squad and relationships between members | Overloaded interface, can be tricky for beginners |
| Complete freedom of action without a storyline | No clear goal or ending |
| Epic stories you can create yourself | Some mechanics feel unfinished |
| Good balance between combat and group management in camp | Routine resource gathering can get boring quickly |
| High replayability thanks to squad composition | Difficulty balancing certain classes |
| Squad progression feels especially satisfying | Repetitive quests in some regions |
Is Wartales suitable for co-op?
If you want to build your story with friends from scratch, Wartales is a great choice. In co-op, you control a single squad of mercenaries, deciding together which contracts to take and how to split the loot. It’s important to negotiate here: who will take the tank role and who will flank the enemy.
Battles require clear communication, and managing the camp adds depth to the process. You can even skip fighting and focus on trading. But remember, the game is tough and doesn’t forgive mistakes in resource planning.
- Setting up the camp for bonuses and rest
- Crime system and interaction with guards
- Ability to tame animals for combat and carrying loads
- Unique factions in every region of the world
V Rising
🖥️ Available on: PC (Windows), PlayStation 5
⏳ Playtime: 40-50 hours (main story), 80-120+ hours (completionist run)
In V Rising, you play as a vampire trying to reclaim your former glory. After a long slumber, you’re weak, hungry, and afraid of sunlight. You’ll need to gather resources, build a massive castle, command minions, and hunt bosses to absorb their power.
Combat happens in real-time and feels like an action-RPG, where you need to dodge attacks and use your abilities wisely. The day-night cycle is its own mechanic: during the day, you’ll have to hide in the shadows, or else the sun will quickly turn you to ash.
Castle construction is worked out in detail. You design the rooms and defensive structures yourself. Enemy blood replaces classes: by absorbing the blood of a warrior or mage, you gain the corresponding stat bonuses.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| Fast-paced combat that depends on your skills | Linear gear progression |
| The clan system is perfect for co-op with friends | Player toxicity on PvP servers |
| Huge space for base building | Quest progression stages aren’t always shared in co-op |
| An interesting take on the vampire theme | Possible lag on crowded servers |
| Diverse biomes and beautiful locations | High difficulty of some bosses |
| Fun to play both solo and in a group | Requires a lot of time grinding resources |
| Frequent updates from the developers | Endgame content can get boring quickly |
Is it worth playing V Rising?
V Rising successfully combines elements of action-RPG and survival. The game shines best in co-op: you can design a castle together, divide responsibilities when gathering resources, and coordinate actions while hunting powerful bosses. If PvP isn’t your thing, you can always play on a private server with just friends, enjoying the building process and character progression.
- Full customization of the castle’s appearance and interior
- A servant system for automating tasks
- The ability to tame horses for travel
- Regular themed events and activities
Sea of Stars
🖥️ Available on: PC (Windows), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
⏳ Playtime: 25-30 hours (main story), 40-50 hours (full completion)
Sea of Stars is a love letter to classic 90s JRPGs. You control two Children of the Solstice who wield the magic of the sun and the moon.
They must join forces to stop the minions of an evil alchemist. In 2024, the game received a major update with a full cooperative mode.
Battles are turn-based but with interactive elements: if you press a button at the right moment while attacking or defending, you deal more damage or take less. Characters’ magical abilities mix really well, and in three-player co-op there are joint combo attacks.
Between battles, you can play the board game "Wheels," go fishing, or cook food.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| Stunning pixel art | Not available on GOG |
| Dynamic turn-based combat | Strange hero distribution in co-op |
| Well-implemented co-op | Slow pacing in the middle of the story |
| Heartwarming story and character development | Few difficulty settings to suit your playstyle |
| A world that’s actually fun to explore | Some puzzles might feel tedious |
| Perfect for retro RPG fans | Lack of content after the story ends |
| Shared combo attacks in co-op battles |
Is it suitable for fans of classic JRPGs?
Sea of Stars gives you the chance to go on an adventure in the spirit of Chrono Trigger together with your friends. Co-op requires teamwork, as attack timings become a shared task. This is primarily a story-driven adventure, where story and atmosphere matter more than complex mechanics.
If you miss the SNES era but want to play with the comfort of modern games, this game is exactly what you need.
- No random encounters on the map
- Smooth transitions between locations without loading screens
- Convenient save system
- Extra settings are provided for comfortable gameplay
Children of Morta: Complete Edition
🖥️ Available on: PC (Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, macOS, Linux
⏳ Playtime: 15-20 hours (main story), 30-40 hours (full completion)
The plot of Children of Morta tells the story of the Bergson family, who defend their home from the encroaching Corruption. You don’t create a character, but choose one of the family members. Each has their own fighting style: Dad John uses a shield, daughter Linda shoots with a bow, and Kevin relies on speed and daggers.
The gameplay is an action-roguelike with clearing procedurally generated dungeons. The unique feature of the game is that progress is shared — leveling up one hero unlocks passive bonuses for the whole family.
The story is presented through scenes in the family mansion, where you see their daily life, joys, and sorrows. The plot is naturally woven into the gameplay and makes you empathize with the characters.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| Stunning pixel art and animations | Noticeable early-game grinding |
| An emotional story about family ties | Imbalance of power between characters |
| Diverse play styles for each hero | Frequent synchronization errors in co-op |
| Pleasant character control | At first, there was no online co-op |
| Replayability due to level generation | Repetitive locations during long playthroughs |
| Perfect for playing with a buddy, chilling on the couch | Challenging bosses |
| Difficulty adapts to the player's level | Not all dialogues are fully voiced |
For those who value story and narrative in action-RPGs
Children of Morta is a great example of local co-op, where you and your partner pick heroes that complement each other. Thanks to the story, you’re not just clearing rooms—you’re trying to save your loved ones. If a small party no longer feels like enough, these MMORPGs worth playing move the shared adventure into larger persistent worlds.
- A voice-over narrator accompanies the entire adventure
- The difficulty level adjusts to your progress
- Lots of secrets and items in the dungeons
- Bosses have interesting attack patterns
Borderlands 4
🖥️ Available on: PC (Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
⏳ Playtime: 30-40 hours (main story), 80-100+ hours (completionist)
Released in September 2025, Borderlands 4 takes players to the planet Kyros. The formula remains the same — crazy shooting, piles of loot, and quirky humor. The game was designed with co-op in mind, so you and your friends can take out everything around you as efficiently as possible.
The combat system combines shooter and RPG: Every Seeker of the Vault has their own skill tree and unique abilities. You'll be hunting for the best guns among billions of possible options. Movement has also become more free — cat hooks and double jumps have been added, making combat even more dynamic.
The auto-leveling system allows players with big level differences to play together comfortably. A seamless world without loading screens makes the game more immersive.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| A cohesive open world without load times | Interface issues in split-screen mode |
| Co-op as the core of the gameplay | Key shortages in some regions |
| Auto-leveling for players of different levels | Controversial balance at the game's release |
| Lively and fully voiced main characters | Humor has become more restrained |
| Excellent movement dynamics | Demanding on hardware power |
| Customizable difficulty settings | Awkward menu navigation on consoles |
| Full crossplay between all devices | Too much loot dropping |
Is it worth playing for shooter fans and Borderlands series fans?
The fourth installment develops the series' ideas: even more weapons, even more chaotic four-player battles. Thanks to crossplay and split-screen, you'll always find someone to play with. The story here is more of a backdrop for endless shootouts, but the shooting itself and character progression are really addictive.
If you're looking for bright action with RPG elements and love collecting the perfect gear, this is a great option.
- Full split-screen mode
- Ability to play one character across different platforms
- Huge variety of weapon brands, each with its own perks
- Challenging raids for high-level players
Remnant 2
🖥️ Available on: PC (Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
⏳ Playtime: 20-25 hours (main story), 70-90+ hours (completionist)
Remnant 2 is a third-person shooter often called “Dark Souls with guns.” You’ll explore worlds full of monsters and dangerous bosses. The game stands out with its archetype system, letting you create flexible and powerful builds for co-op play.
Combat requires focus: you need to dodge on time and shoot accurately. Archetypes can be combined — for example, you can make your character both an engineer and a dog handler to get both tech support and a loyal pup.
The world is generated randomly. With each new run through a location, bosses and even story events can change. A huge number of rings and amulets lets you fine-tune your character to your playstyle.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| Tons of secrets and tricky puzzles in the world | The story isn’t very deep |
| Really cool and interesting mechanics with the bosses | Optimization issues still pop up |
| Interesting weapon and ability designs | Enemies in co-op sometimes get way too tanky due to increased health points |
| Huge variety when creating builds | No proper chat for talking with random players |
| High replayability thanks to world generation | Recent tweaks weakened defensive armor |
| Challenging but fair gameplay | Some of the gear is useless |
| Good puzzle integration for co-op play | Few talent points for character progression all at once |
Works if you like Souls-style games
Remnant 2 takes the best from dungeon crawlers and adds firearms. Three-player co-op allows you to tackle even the toughest bosses by smartly dividing roles: one heals, another tanks, and the third deals damage. Procedural generation ensures you won’t see all the content at once, encouraging you to keep coming back to the game.
- Unique battle conditions with each world boss
- Special mode for farming resources in separate worlds
- One-life mode for the most hardcore players
- Regular weekly events
For the King
🖥️ Available on: PC (Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, macOS, Linux
⏳ Playtime: 10-15 hours (per campaign), 60+ hours (full completion of all scenarios)
For the King combines a board game, a role-playing system, and roguelike elements. You control a group of three heroes moving across a world map. All actions, whether combat or skill checks, depend on virtual dice rolls. It's a digital version of classic fantasy-themed board games.
Dice add an element of unpredictability to the game: your best fighter might miss three times in a row, while a weak enemy could land a critical hit. Battles are turn-based, and hero classes resemble classic fantasy roles (Blacksmith, Hunter, Scholar).
The game has a Chaos mechanic — over time the world becomes more dangerous, forcing you not to stay in one place. For completing runs, you earn lore points, which let you unlock new classes and items for future runs.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
| Unique board game adventure atmosphere | Highly luck-dependent |
| Organic co-op for three players | Randomness can be extremely unfair |
| Interesting progression system between runs | Small font in handheld Switch mode |
| Pleasant low-poly visual style | Sluggishness on the world map in some versions |
| Great soundtrack that sets the mood | Rare but annoying game crashes |
| Tactical depth with simple rules | Difficulties finding players online |
| Diverse scenarios and adventures | Some classes are noticeably stronger than others |
Perfect for fans of tabletop RPGs
For the King works best with friends who are ready to laugh at their own bad dice rolls. You decide together where to go, how to spend gold, and when to fight. It's a slow, thoughtful game where strategy matters more than reflexes. Each defeat makes you a little stronger in the future by unlocking new possibilities.
- The "one life" mode raises the stakes in the game
- Shrines on the map provide temporary bonuses
- The ability to explore seas on ships
- Many unlockable classes through achievements
Which game to choose for co-op play with friends?
I recommend starting with Baldur’s Gate 3 if you and your friends are into great lore and tactical battles where every move matters. Four-player co-op constantly creates funny situations when someone’s failed dice roll during negotiations turns a peaceful stroll into a bloody mess.
I recommend starting with Baldur’s Gate 3 if you and your friends want awesome lore and tactical battles where every move counts.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 remains a favorite for those who prioritize tactical combat and interaction with the environment. Here, your plans can either work perfectly or blow up in your face because of a single spark. The game offers huge depth for anyone who loves spending hours tinkering with character stats and abilities.
Wartales — for when you want freedom and squad management without strict story boundaries. Building your own mercenary band, keeping track of their condition, and surviving in a harsh world — it's a unique kind of pleasure. Here, you write your own story, and the tactical battles keep you on your toes until the very end.
These three projects cover different needs: BG3 — story and choices, DOS2 — pure tactics, and Wartales — sandbox and management. Pick what suits you and your friends best.
