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Best Local Multiplayer Games
McFodder
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
The internet is fantastic. It lets you do lots of things. It's come a long way. It makes it easy to communicate with people, even when they are far, far away.
but
wiping the smug look off your friend's face is still best done in person.
In this thread, I'd like to talk about fantastic games you can play with your friends on a couch, on beanbags, or even standing up and waving your arms around like fools. They come in a lot of different varieties - some are party games you can play with a big group or are conducive to passing the controllers around, some are fantastic to work your way through with a couple of close mates. I'd argue party games really got started during the N64 and PS2 era with stuff like GoldenEye, Smash Bros and the Buzz quiz games (and even Mario Kart expanding out to 4 players from 2), and many fun hours have been had since then.
I'm going to start it off with a few of my favourites, a bit Nintendo biased but hey, that's mostly what I've had.
Mario Party
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7zTJLIYJds
Welcome to Mario Party, where everything is made up and the minigames don't matter. It's been a staple since back on the N64, though I didn't play any between then and the latest on Switch. Great for up to 4 players in the full board mode, and works fine in bigger groups passing the controller around when you just play through the minigames or other modes. Great for players of mixed skill levels because for the most part, it doesn't matter at all.
SnipperClips (Switch)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFH2gtPu8SM
As a Switch launch title in that brief window where there weren't a lot of games, this probably actually got the attention it deserved. It demands cooperation to get through the levels, but it's slow paced and simple enough for even novice gamers to have a go at, and it's absolutely charming. Then everyone starts snipping each other to bits and nothing productive happens for 5 minutes at least
NintendoLand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sawZZVrlsSo
Did I say the Switch had a game drought? Sorry, the Wii U would like to have a word with me. Probably the first game to show off how asynchronous gameplay on the Wii U could be done, and unfortunately this is the game my in-laws still insist we play - but it's still fun. Mario Chase and Luigi's Ghost Hunt especially, with 4v1 gameplay with each team getting different levels of info, are great fun in a group. Plus it's always fun to gang up on family.
and, for something different (though still on Wii U)
Affordable Space Adventures
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O_n_fCBZac
This is probably the most fun I've had playing on a couch with friends. You can play it solo, but you would be a madman and a criminal. Up to 3 players, each controlling separate functions of your Affordable Spaceship with wildly different control schemes through a series of challenging levels and puzzles.
Games I am yet to play, but would be happy to hear about other people's experiences with! (also, tell me about games I don't know about!)
Heave Ho (link to a giantbomb stream I saw shared here, has swearing and hilarity) - picking this one up for a games night this weekend
Lovers In a Dangerous Spacetime - I hear this is a lot of fun but don't know a lot of details yet
Jackbox Party Pack - there are now 5 different packs of minigames, with a 6th I believe not far away. Use your phone or other device to beat your friends! In the game, not RL please. But I'm not your parent.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes - this is one of the major reasons I'd like to get VR. One person gets guided through defusing a bomb. They can't see the instructions. No one else can see the bomb.
Push Me Pull You - a game about friendship and wrestling, best played 2v2. I actually got to play a bit of this with the developers at a PAX-adjacent thing before it came out and had fun, but I was fairly drunk so may have bee biased.
Okay! It's your time! Tell us what games everyone should play together!
but
wiping the smug look off your friend's face is still best done in person.
In this thread, I'd like to talk about fantastic games you can play with your friends on a couch, on beanbags, or even standing up and waving your arms around like fools. They come in a lot of different varieties - some are party games you can play with a big group or are conducive to passing the controllers around, some are fantastic to work your way through with a couple of close mates. I'd argue party games really got started during the N64 and PS2 era with stuff like GoldenEye, Smash Bros and the Buzz quiz games (and even Mario Kart expanding out to 4 players from 2), and many fun hours have been had since then.
I'm going to start it off with a few of my favourites, a bit Nintendo biased but hey, that's mostly what I've had.
Mario Party
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7zTJLIYJdsWelcome to Mario Party, where everything is made up and the minigames don't matter. It's been a staple since back on the N64, though I didn't play any between then and the latest on Switch. Great for up to 4 players in the full board mode, and works fine in bigger groups passing the controller around when you just play through the minigames or other modes. Great for players of mixed skill levels because for the most part, it doesn't matter at all.
SnipperClips (Switch)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFH2gtPu8SMAs a Switch launch title in that brief window where there weren't a lot of games, this probably actually got the attention it deserved. It demands cooperation to get through the levels, but it's slow paced and simple enough for even novice gamers to have a go at, and it's absolutely charming. Then everyone starts snipping each other to bits and nothing productive happens for 5 minutes at least
NintendoLand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sawZZVrlsSoDid I say the Switch had a game drought? Sorry, the Wii U would like to have a word with me. Probably the first game to show off how asynchronous gameplay on the Wii U could be done, and unfortunately this is the game my in-laws still insist we play - but it's still fun. Mario Chase and Luigi's Ghost Hunt especially, with 4v1 gameplay with each team getting different levels of info, are great fun in a group. Plus it's always fun to gang up on family.
and, for something different (though still on Wii U)
Affordable Space Adventures
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O_n_fCBZacThis is probably the most fun I've had playing on a couch with friends. You can play it solo, but you would be a madman and a criminal. Up to 3 players, each controlling separate functions of your Affordable Spaceship with wildly different control schemes through a series of challenging levels and puzzles.
Games I am yet to play, but would be happy to hear about other people's experiences with! (also, tell me about games I don't know about!)
Heave Ho (link to a giantbomb stream I saw shared here, has swearing and hilarity) - picking this one up for a games night this weekend
Lovers In a Dangerous Spacetime - I hear this is a lot of fun but don't know a lot of details yet
Jackbox Party Pack - there are now 5 different packs of minigames, with a 6th I believe not far away. Use your phone or other device to beat your friends! In the game, not RL please. But I'm not your parent.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes - this is one of the major reasons I'd like to get VR. One person gets guided through defusing a bomb. They can't see the instructions. No one else can see the bomb.
Push Me Pull You - a game about friendship and wrestling, best played 2v2. I actually got to play a bit of this with the developers at a PAX-adjacent thing before it came out and had fun, but I was fairly drunk so may have bee biased.
Okay! It's your time! Tell us what games everyone should play together!
Switch Friend Code: SW-3944-9431-0318
PSN / Xbox / NNID: Fodder185
PSN / Xbox / NNID: Fodder185
+1
Posts
Any of the Jackbox Party Packs are excellent choices. Fan favorite games are Quiplash and Drawful. Neither of those depend on any kind of trivia knowledge since the players are responsible for the validity of the answers. Murder Party is another popular choice but suffers from the trivia night syndrome. Once you know the answers to the questions it becomes a lot less fun.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes made the rounds a few years back when it first came out and the VR version is much improved, but it has the disadvantage of being a VR game that requires setting up the headset.
SpaceTeam is a mobile game that involves a lot of shouting and cooperation. It's free to play and can host up to 8 players. It's platform agnostic as long as everyone is on the same wifi network.
PSN / Xbox / NNID: Fodder185
I like how you have to use teamwork with each player playing a different role (combat and support). There's an RPG upgrade tree and you can tackle levels in any order at various difficulty levels. Probably my fav local coop game so far
Castle Crashers
A really fun retro style beat em up for up to 4 player local coop. I had a great time playing this year's ago and it recently had a remastered release
A Way Out
This game was designed for local coop though supports online as well. It's a story based game that has a unique split screen style. This one is on my backlog admittedly, but it seems great for local couch coop
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
FYI, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes does not require VR. You just have to position the team of "experts" in such a way that they can't see the "technician's" screen.
You can literally just rotate your couch 180 degrees (if that's convenient) or have somebody play on a laptop behind a dungeon master's screen.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is one of my favorites.
Aesthetically, it's very cute and colorful. A lot of pastels.
Up to 4 players pilot a spaceship. You directly control your own crew-member; the spaceship is shown to you in a cross-section and you run from side to side or jump around between parts of the ship (a bit like a platformer). In order to control the spaceship, your character needs to be standing in the right spot for the component you want to control.
this gif is a little bit over our size limit but it's a good representation
For example, if you want to shoot out of the cannon on the right, you need to get your little crewman over to the right-most weapons console, press X (or the appropriate button on your controller) to take control of the console, and then you can aim and shoot.
Somebody else might steer the ship using the steering wheel in the middle, or yet another person might man a different gun.
The goal is to pilot the ship around in zero gravity, rescue space bunnies (yes, for real), and occasionally fight a big boss.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Overcooked / Overcooked 2
Stardust Vanguards
Inversus
Jackbox Party Packs
Lethal League / Lethal League Blaze
Crawl
Ultimate Chicken Horse
Puyo Puyo Tetris
Rivals of Aether
Mount Your Friends
Stick Fight: The Game
Sonic Racing All-Stars Transformed
I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting or never played. Those are all good pick up and play type things that are good for parties. There's other stuff that's probably better for more longform couch multiplayer.
Also good are fighting games, though those are 2 person. But you can swap out between matches.
This is the Switch trailer, but it's also on literally everything else. Remember Ouya? It's there too!
Not local co-op, but Magicka's always-on PVP and elemental combo system made for hilarious fun. Screaming at each other over voice, getting drunk, finally beating a hard section or boss. So fucking good
According to the Steam store page, Magicka has shared/split screen. Wouldn't that be local co-op with a little side accidental murderizing of your co-op partner?
Nine Parchments iterates on that formula and improves it in almost every way. It does lack the cartoony vibe in magicka, but the gameplay, controls, map design, character progression, etc is much improved!
Does it? I only ever played it online so I never realized! That's fuckin awesome then
It's even better on the Switch, because it's like you're holding the bomb, and touch screen.
I finally got to play TowerFall last year with some kids and it was a blast. Highly recommended.
It also has online.
Great idea for a thread! I've got a group of friends that get together once or twice a month to play a bunch of local multiplayer games.
Jackbox are always great, given that people can use their phones as controllers.
Heave Ho is the new addition as was a huge hit. It depends on your controller situation, but you could go either Switch or PC on this. Highly recommend.
Cooperative Titles:
Overcooked
Broforce
Gauntlet
Risk of Rain
River City Ransom
Monaco
Magicka/2
Mother Russia Bleeds
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Double Dragon Neon
Capcom Beat 'em Up Bundle
Competitive
Mount Your Friends
Gang Beasts
Lethal League/2
Duck Game
Dive Kick
Street Fighter IV/V
Marvel vs Capcom 3
Samurai Gunn
Towerfall Ascension
Badblood
Nidhogg/2
Laser League
Sportsfriends
Stardust Vanguards
Stick Fight: The Game
Though apparently it was announced way back at the end of last year?
Heave Ho was a massive hit on Friday, can definitely recommend. We had 6-8 people passing controllers around and all had a blast, it really hits that sweet spot of difficulty where it's not frustrating but keeps you learning.
PSN / Xbox / NNID: Fodder185
But having a set co-op group should work.
Also, other genres are also open. I love beat em ups, have castle crashers and guardian heroes (the saturn game not sure I got the name right) and she's ok with them. Anything that has a difficulty setting we can set individually is greatly appreciated. Love she can be on beginner in gears 5 and me on normal. Plus with a female lead, she just gets to be more than a bad ass. And I love that. Which reminds me. Games with female playable characters are a huge plus!
lol should have looked at the post above mine.
Highly recommend gears 5 especially if you have a gf who likes games. She gets to be the badass espeically if you let her open all the doors and such
I want to throw out one that is different from everything else so far: Divinity Original Sin 2
DOS2 is a crunchy, deep, turn-based, western fantasy RPG. If you've played Baldur's Gate or Neverwinter Nights, you're on the right track.
In-person co-op is unusual for this genre, but DOS2 knocks it out of the park.
Each player takes primary control of one hero. When your heroes are together, you share a screen. When they're far apart, the screen splits and you can adventure independently.
When your hero recruits a friendly NPC to your party, you get control of that NPC as well by default. You can pass control over to the other human if you want.
Combat is complex enough that both humans have plenty of think about. There are a lot of environmental effects, too. An enemy might spray poison everywhere, but your magic-user can summon a storm to rain the poison away. But be careful - you don't want to be standing in a puddle of water when you cast lightning. This isn't the gonzo chaos of Magicka; rather it's a system that rewards communication and creativity.
You can create custom characters, but the prebuilt ones are not only well-balanced, they each have a personal storyline and sidequests to complete.
Also, it controls great on either KBAM or gamepad.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Quite a few options on Xbox 360 (the PS3 seemed to have fewer local co-op games? Or that's just my aging memory failing me). Every Halo game before 5 (and by extension, the whole of the Master Chief Collection), Left for Dead on different platforms, and Borderlands (the first two games, at least?). Resident Evil 5 was literally designed around a co-op shooting experience (though, like Gears of War it's third person and not actually very "scary") as is 6. Both have outstandingly fun Mercenaries modes if the campaigns don't interest you.
All of these Xbox 360 games are playable on Xbox One, either through BC or re-release, retaining the local co-op.
Plus, there's always Metal Slug.
PSN / Xbox / NNID: Fodder185
Also, if you can find enough people, Killer Queen Black is coming out this month on consoles and PC. A two Switch match is the easiest to pull off, but it requires eight people.
If you both can handle it though, it's a great choice.
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
My favourite Bomberman for Vs is still Bomberman 64, I have a lot of fond after school memories of that game.
Excited for KQB, I’ve heard it get hyped up for a long time.
Our regular group is 4-6ish though, not 8. I assume it will still support that okay.
PSN / Xbox / NNID: Fodder185
This goes all the way back to when I first played Gyromite on NES with a friend, and it blew my mind that one player controlled the guy, and the other controlled the level.
Borderlands series. All 4 games support local split screen, with the caveat that 3 runs like complete ass at the moment until they get a patch out. I mean like holy shit who let the college senior thesis project stand in for an actual gameplay mode garbage.
Super dungeon Bros. In the same vein as Castle Crashers, simple but fun.
Marvel ultimate alliance 1 and 2. Haven't played 3 so I can't vouch for it but those two are a blast to play and with the current gen releases are not quite so ugly.
Dead island series. Bit of a mixed bag here as the developers are kind of shitheads, but the games are still fun in my opinion. Going to need an older crowd for these as you murder your way through the population of a small city in zombies.
Earth defense force 4.1 and 5. These 2 are available on current hardware and are good mindless fun. You play as a dude or dudette tasked with protecting the Earth from invading aliens who are mostly just giant Earth insects.
Gauntlet Slayer edition. This a throwback to one of the original multiplayer hack and slash games. You and your friends do your best to cut your way through hordes of evil nasties.
PSN:Furlion
Versus or co-op, always a good time, and you'll go from smugly watching a replay of your half-court backwards goal to being ridiculed for bouncing the ball backwards into your own net in the span of thirty seconds
Picked up Boomerang Fu for the Switch on the weekend and that's a fun time.
Up to 6 players on one Switch (we had 4), cute and chaotic slaughter for everyone. Each round is generally over pretty quick so if you get killed quickly it doesn't matter, winner is first to a certain number of kills over however many rounds it takes. Only 3 buttons and the control stick so easy to learn but a suprising amount of depth there, especially once you start getting combinations of powerups - but also random since you don't know what the powerup is until you pick it up.
Highly recommend!
PSN / Xbox / NNID: Fodder185
There’s been a few the last couple months on game pass, so here they are
Android Cactus
Neon Chrome
Darksiders Genesis
Gears 5 Horde/Escape
Castle Crashers (as mentioned above)
For party games, Marooners is fun for all ages and reminds me of a favorite Dreamcast game I can’t remember the name of. Maybe Ooga Booga?