Same couch, same screen, no internet required
Couch co-op is the original way to play together: everyone in one room, controllers in hand, no accounts or crossplay to worry about. It's the most reliable game night there is - no one drops out, no one lags - and it's perfect for mixed skill levels because you're all looking at the same screen. These are the best local co-op games for 2 to 4 in one room.
Our top couch pick is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - four-player split-screen, zero learning curve, and the fastest way to get any group racing. Overcooked brings the frantic teamwork, Rayman Legends and LEGO Star Wars are the all-ages platformers, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the freshest Mario, and Portal 2 is the best two-player puzzle campaign going. Most are on Switch, the couch-co-op console; a few are on PC and other systems too.
If it's just two of you sharing a screen, our split-screen page focuses on the best two-player campaigns. For an all-ages couch night, the family games guide overlaps heavily with this list.
For the slower end of co-op - a long shared project rather than an evening of shouting - the closest equivalents to Stardew Valley, including which of them crossplay, are at multiplayer games like Stardew Valley.
One title earns a specific mention for a mixed group, because it is the only pick here that works locally, works online, crossplays and takes eight people: Human: Fall Flat, which we wrote up separately because it solves more situations than any other cheap purchase on this site.
Two practical questions about couch play have their own pages. If the screen needs to divide four ways rather than two, the list is shorter than you would expect - four-player split-screen games. And if you are unsure whether any of this needs PS Plus, Game Pass or Switch Online, the answer is almost always no: split-screen and subscriptions.
Two recent additions are worth a look if the pair on the sofa want something calm rather than competitive. PowerWash Simulator 2 added split-screen co-op that the first game never had, it crossplays, and it is one of the cheapest co-op purchases going - our reviewquotes the player caps from FuturLab's own listings. And if the evening calls for a car instead, best split-screen racing games lists which racers seat four on one console and which stop at two.
The question this list raises most often is whether any of the couch-only picks can be played with somebody who is not on the couch. For the LEGO games the answer is a flat no, and it is worth knowing before you buy one as a present - can you play LEGO games online with friends goes through what each one actually supports and the one workaround that does exist.
