With the next generation of consoles beginning to make waves, plenty of single-player exclusives will be hitting shelves around the world. Multiplayer games can not be overlooked, however, with the success ofAmong Us,Fall Guys, andAnimal Crossing: New Horizons; games that enable players to stay connected with one another are growing in popularity. There are plenty ofcooperative games designed to bridge distance gaps.
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However, games that bring players closer together with family, significant others, and close friends are just as impactful. With gaming entering a new generation, there are plenty of new andexciting games for local co-op fans.
Haven
Players cantake on the role of two loverswho escape to a lost planet, where the only goal is to stay together.Havenis an RPG developed by The Game Bakers, that offers a local cooperative mode ideal for couples and friends. Players explore an unknown and eerie world in search of ship materials.
However, users will need to synchronize actions in combat, cook meals together, and engage in meaningful conversations. The planet is filled with creatures and the story gives players a chance to decide what is worth sacrificing to stay together.
Outward: The Three Brothers
Developed by Nine Dots Studio,Outwardis an open-world RPG where the cold nights are just as dangerous as the creatures roaming the land. Players can travel with a friend in the split-screen local mode. The base game and previous DLC (The Soroboreans) offer tons of replayability and rewarding challenges.Outwardoffers survival mechanics coupled with factions and the ability for players to forge their own combat style.
The Three BrothersDLC expands upon that world, adding city-building mechanics inside a new area equipped with plenty of dungeons. A new skill tree and new weapons such as grenades and elemental arrows are also on the table. This DLC is considered to be quite a grind, so it might not be for everyone.
The eight-player chaotic arcade game filled with eccentric knights made its debut in 2021.Knight Squad 2keeps everything that worked in the first game and adds a ton of new arenas and game modes. The online mode also allows for cross-play across available platforms.
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Developed by Chainsawesome Games,Knight Squad 2is accessible and easy to learn, and the title offers a variety of customization options to fit any playstyle. Although it is possible to play solo,Knight Squad 2is meant to be experienced while surrounded by friends.
Samurai Warriors 5
Omega Force’sSamurai Warriorshas typically existed in the shadow of theDynasty Warriorsfranchise, but the former has gained quite a dedicated following over the years. The fifth entry centers around the Honnō-ji Incident and presents Akechi Mitsuhide and Oda Nobunaga as the main characters. Historically, this event led to Oda Nobunaga’s assassination.
While it is possible to team up with another player online,Samurai Warriors 5also has a split-screen option. The co-op limit is set to two concurrent players. By combining forces, the duo can wipe out thousands upon thousands of enemies. Sure, they can also do that pretty easily by themselves, but it’s more fun with a friend.
KeyWe
As suggested by its name,KeyWecenters around two kiwi birds who are in charge of (various) mailrooms. Controlling either Jeff and Debra, players must work together to solve puzzles to make sure all the mail arrives in time and at the right destination.
KeyWeis a puzzle game through and through, one that hopefully will use its unique protagonists and setting to great effect. Developed by Stonewheat & Sons, this title was released during Summer 2021 to a decent reception.
Just Dance 2022
Ubisoft’sJust Danceis a staple of the gaming scene. The series might not be for everyone, but for those who love a good old-fashioned rhythm game,Just Dance 2022is one of the biggest titles set to come out this year.
Supporting up to six players at once,Just Dance 2022offers a dedicated co-op mode. Here, the goal is for a team of players to join forces on the dance floor so they can try and take their scores to even higher highs.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
SuperMassive Games' most recent entry inThe Dark Pictures Anthologytakes place during the Iraq War, with a Special Forces unit taking center stage. The game features five playable characters asthe soldiers end up finding something unexpected and dangerous in a Sumerian temple.
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While the story can be experienced solo,House of Ashesalso supports local co-op up to five players. This means every person can control a different character, making choices that could theoretically help or hinder the other players.
The Two Of Us
Afree-to-play co-op game,The Two of Ushas up to two players combining forces to put together a missile that can then be shot at oncoming threats. A puzzle game that emphasizes teamwork and communication,The Two of Uslooks like it could be enjoyable and stressful; the fact it is free also helps make it easier to recommend.
It should be noted thatThe Two of Usdoes not support Englishas the game’s interface is only available in Japanese. From what has been revealed of the co-op game, it should not be too difficult to figure out what is going on once the gameplay gets going.
Zorya: The Celestial Sisters
Madlife Divertissement’sZorya: The Celestial Sistershas a fascinating concept at its heart: two players control the sun and night goddesses so they can complete puzzles. Solveig, the sun deity, has to carefully position shadows to allow Aysu, the night goddess, to walk in the darkness.
A game designed specifically with co-op in mind,Zorya: The Celestial Sistersboasts lovely visuals, a charming narrative, and playable characters that have widely different gameplay styles. Along with local co-op,Zoryaalso supports online play.
Tiny’s Tina Wonderlands
Borderlandsis set to receive a spin-off in 2022 that builds upon the second entry’s belovedTiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon KeepDLC. An RPG shooter,Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsdrops players into a tabletop-inspired world and gives them a whole lot of weapons to cause as much mayhem as they like. Players can create their own characters and the game will launch withsix classes.
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Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandssupports split-screen on both current and last-gen systems, although the PS4 and Xbox One are limited to just two players while their successors can handle four.
Screaming Chicken: Ultimate Showdown
Screaming Chicken: Ultimate Showdownis a multiplayer party game with round after round of chaos. Players can use a variety of weapons and the laws of physics to throw other players around the arena. Each map inScreaming Chickenis completely destructible, to take down opponents.
The game offers over one hundred maps with 2-4 player local or online cooperative action. The wacky multiplayer game is developed by Bug Inventors, but news regarding the game has died down considerably since 2020. The developer has yet to announce anything after thedemo’s testing period concluded.
Shrine’s Legacy
Developed by Positive Concept Games,Shrine’s Legacyis a retro SNES-like action-adventure RPG. The game is set in a fantasy world filled with fast-paced gameplay and elemental magic.Shrine’s Legacyallows players to freely switch between single-player and two-player co-op throughout the entire story. Hidden mysteries and Metroid-style map systems offer plenty of exploration opportunities. The colorful and bright world is also full of interesting and hilarious characters to meet, puzzles to solve, and enemies to fight.
Shrine’s Legacywill be available on Windows PC but a release date has yet to be announced; however,Steam currently has the game’s release date listed as Q2 2023.
Codename: Mallow
Codename Mallowis a fast-paced multiplayer versus game featuring marshmallow-ninjas. Players will compete against friends in armless melee battles, filled with plenty of weapons and traps, across unpredictable stages. The arcade-style fighting game allows up to four players in its local cooperative mode.
Stages challenge players to think outside the box, to find creative ways to use the arenas to defeat their enemies. Developed by Ancalabro Entertainment,Codename Mallowis still currently in development so a release date is still to be announced. The game will beavailable on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Every Game Coming Out In 2022 (And Beyond)
These titles are just a sample of the games that have been released recently or are set to drop in the near (or far) future. It doesn’t matter if someone owns a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, or PC – their calendar is one packed with exciting games. For summaries of all the projects announced for each platform, please check out these articles:
