Co-op games are a dime a dozen in this day and age, but sometimes there are games that manage to break the mold for one reason or another. It can be difficult to overcome some of the early ratings from critics, but not impossible.
When a game doesn’t exactly reach critical acclaim, it’s not all that big of a deal because what truly matters is how the players feel about it. If almost everyone who plays it likes it and rates it well, then that can be quite the feather in a cap.
These may not be some of the very best co-op games on offer, but they all bring something to the table. Whether it’s something like a survival game or even just a good co-op shooter, you’ll find yourself enjoying these games immensely with friends.
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10
Risk of Rain
A 2D Fever Dream
The original Risk of Rain is a wild ride that in a lot of ways shaped the direction of modern co-op games. It really brought a lot of chaos to a genre that was not typically known for chaotic moments.
As a co-op 2D shooter roguelike, players can choose from a slew of characters to play as. These characters had to be unlocked by completing challenges during runs, along with various items that can be equipped during a run to do ludicrous things.
While Risk of Rain topped out around 77 for Critic Scores, it managed to reach a solid 80 for User Scores. Mostly thanks to the fun and ridiculous world that Risk of Rain had combined with some interesting mechanics that played very well into that chaos.
While it may not have been one of the strongest games out there, it garnered a cult following and some years later, Risk of Rain 2 was released along with an updated version of the original titled Risk of Rain Returns.
9
Terraria
A Blocky Surprise
Steam / Re-Logic
An oldie but a goodie, Terraria was sort of the 2D version of Minecraft, but really only in description. It made a name for itself with some unique mechanics and a whole lot of updates that expanded the game beyond what it originally was.
While the game can be played entirely solo, it is a much more enjoyable game to play with a group of friends. It’s been quite a while since this game was released on Consoles and even longer since it came out on PC.
That doesn’t stop the game from being a staple of the gaming world, and that’s certainly noted in the strong 81 Critic Score the game received, along with a stronger 84 User Score. It’s pretty clear that the game is worth your time, especially if you have a group of friends to play with.
8
Human: Fall Flat
Sometimes Physics is Cruel
If you’ve never played Human: Fall Flat, you’ve probably at least seen or heard of it at this point. While it didn’t pioneer the idea behind a physics-based co-op puzzle game, it did bring the world of ragdoll physics more to the forefront.
Human: Fall Flat would go on to be an interesting game that saw many updates and received some general praise from groups who played it, although it wasn’t much to play by yourself. The game would go on to inspire a lot of other games and has a sequel currently in the works.
While only ever reaching some above-average reviews with a 70 Critic Score, the game managed to bump that up slightly with a 72 User Score. Not the most impressive one on the list, but still a net positive for Human: Fall Flat.
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7
Astroneer
Cuteness in Space
Astroneer felt a lot like No Man’s Sky except without all the wildness of the game not living up to expectations. It was mostly a fun and cute little game that you and some friends could get together to enjoy the sandbox the game offered.
That was both a blessing and a curse for Astroneer, and unlike No Man’s Sky, the game didn’t receive too many life-changing updates. Even with that, it seems players liked this one just a bit more than critics.
While the game was generally good, it topped out at a Critic Score of 71 and a User Score of 72. It may not happen often, but it seems like there wasn’t as big a difference in how players and critics saw this one.
6
LEGO Marvel Superheroes
Cuteness in Space
LEGO Marvel Superheroes was a LEGO game that really stepped out of the comfort zone that LEGO had with its other games. It didn’t just offer a linear story to play through and instead offered up an open world for players to run around in.
This was a move in the right direction, and would go on to inspire similar games to take on an open-world ideology. While the world may still have been made of LEGOs, that didn’t stop it from making a lasting impact in the gaming world.
You could play as virtually any of your favorite superheroes and run around the map wreaking all kinds of havoc. Playing with someone else just made that havoc all the more fun.
Sitting at a very strong 80 Critic Score, the game manages to get just a little better with the 81 User Score. Almost everyone can agree that the first version was overall much stronger than the second iteration of the game.
5
A Way Out
Does Crime Pay?
A Way Out comes from one of the most prolific studios in recent years, Hazelight Studios. Not only did this game quietly reinvent the genre, but it also led to an incredibly beloved game and GOTY winner, It Takes Two.
Oddly enough, A Way Out was never seen as much outside of a good game until recent years, when games like It Takes Two and Split Fiction came into the picture. The game featured an interesting story with some comic book-style animation at times, while performing actions in-game.
This game can only be played co-op, and you might think that’s a problem, but it turned out to be a real sticking point for this and future games. It tells the story of two criminals trying to break out of jail in some ridiculous ways, but it managed to be a good time.
This co-op game managed to reach a 78 Critic Score and a 79 User Score at a time when games like this weren’t particularly well received. Thankfully, it did reach that point, and we got some incredible co-op puzzle games out of it.
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4
LEGO Jurassic World
A Roaring Good Time
LEGO games in general are pretty generic, and many of them only ever really get played for the IP they cover. While that has changed in recent years with things like LEGO Batman: Dark Legacy, it’s still a beloved series of games.
Even when the games don’t do particularly well, it seems like there are always people to champion them, and LEGO Jurassic World is no exception. The co-op adventure through the world of dinosaurs offers pretty much exactly what you might expect from a LEGO Jurassic World game. The sense of humor, the recognizable set pieces, it’s all there.
With a small difference, the game sits at a 70 Critic Score and a 73 User Score. It’s definitely a game that people enjoy more than critics, not the deepest experiences but collectathons full of content.
3
Castle Crashers Remastered
Chaos, Friends, and Lots of Silliness
Back in a time long ago, the original Castle Crashers was released on the Xbox 360 in the ancient year of 2008. The game offered an incredible couch co-op experience filled with lots of ridiculous humor and chaotic moments.
In 2015, the game was released again with Castle Crashers Remastered, and managed to repeat the same success as the original on a brand-new generation of consoles. Picking from the various Knights and using their abilities to wreak havoc was clearly a formula that worked well.
It worked so well that the remaster sat at an 83 Critic Score and an 84 User Score. If you’ve never played this intense couch co-op game before, you should really give it a go, if only to experience the colorful chaos for yourself.
2
Killing Floor
Shoot Everything You Can
Another one from a time long past, but it was one of the early versions of the co-op shooter genre that’s become so much more prominent today. The game took notes from things like Left 4 Dead without feeling like it was a direct copy, and that struck a chord with people.
The game would go on to get two sequels, with the most recent, Killing Floor 3, having some issues at launch, but eventually working those out. It’s a game all about shooting monsters and making it through to the end of the round; there is some story and such, but it’s mostly about blowing through tons of enemies.
With one of the biggest differences between critics and users, the game slides in at a 72 Critic Score and an 82 User Score. The ten-point difference here clearly comes from how much people enjoyed messing around with their friends against waves of monsters.
1
7 Days to Die
Sometimes It’s Just Bad
And for our final spot on the list, one of the largest discrepancies between users and critics, although it doesn’t seem like that would’ve mattered all that much to begin with.
7 Days to Die was a survival horror sandbox game that came out and immediately blew up the internet because the game was just so bad. It’s not uncommon to see these kinds of sandbox co-op games nowadays, but back then, this was truly a masterpiece of a disaster.
From things just not working to some funky game design choices, the game just couldn’t catch a break. Critics rated it as one of the worst games of all time, though that’s up for debate in this more modern era of gaming.
The game received a whopping 47 Critic Score, and even with a twelve-point difference putting the User Score at 59, the launch made such an unfortunate first impression. That counts so much in this industry.
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