Co-op For The Holidays

Whether you’re heading home to see family over the next couple of months, or you’ll only be able to link up with friends from far away, cooperative gaming is an ideal way to reconnect, tackle a shared challenge, and wile away the hours while you catch up. We’ve selected some of our modern favorites for great cooperative gaming, with an eye toward offering options for local or online, family-friendly or grown-up friends, and even partner play versus larger groups. All our selections are playable on current release platforms, but we also have some slightly older suggestions if you’d like to delve into some of the established mainstays of playing together.

Absolum

Two friends save the world with fists, swords, and magic

While this excellent roguelite fantasy brawler can be played solo, it’s at its best with a friend at your side. With four intriguing characters to choose between, precision melee combat, dozens of unique power combos to build-craft, and multiple splitting paths across the map to explore on each of your runs over dozens of hours, this brawler is a high-water mark for the genre. Gorgeous art, captivating music, and fascinating world-building are the icing on the cake. Read the full review.