Co-op PC games to play with friends: how to pick one
A game is only a co-op game for your group if everyone can get into the same match, and that depends on what the game offers, what each of you owns and what the rest would pay. Most of it can be checked in a few minutes, before anyone buys anything.
Read what the store page says about players
Steam lists how a game can be played on its store page, in the features next to the screenshots. The labels that matter for a group:
- Online Co-op means you play on the same side over the internet, each on your own PC.
- Shared/Split Screen Co-op means you play on the same side on one screen, usually with controllers. It needs everyone in the same room, unless you use the remote option below.
- LAN Co-op means co-op over a local network.
- Online PvP and Shared/Split Screen PvP are versus modes: you play against each other, not together.
- Multi-player on its own says there is more than one player, but not how. Look for the labels above, or read the description.
Also check how many players the game takes. A game for two will not seat four, and the store page or the game's own description usually says.
Find out who has to buy it
In most games, every player needs their own copy. Some games let one owner invite friends who do not own it, and Steam's Remote Play Together lets friends join a local co-op game over the internet when only the person hosting owns it. Not every game supports either, and the rules are the game's and Steam's to set, so look for a note on the store page before you buy a copy for each person. A free-to-play game costs nobody anything, so it is the easiest place to start.
Everyone also needs to be on the same platform. A game on a PC store and the same game on a console are separate worlds unless the game says it supports crossplay.
See what your group already owns
You may already own more co-op games between you than you think. Put each player's Steam profile into the Play together page (two to six players, with game details set to public) and it lists:
- Ready to play: co-op games every one of you owns.
- One purchase away: co-op games some of you own, who is missing it, and the cheapest copy we found for each of them. Games the owners have played the most come first.
- Free to play: free co-op games that you can all start with.
It sorts by what Steam itself lists for each game, so a game that says only Multi-player is left out. The page keeps nothing: the profiles are used to ask Steam for the public game lists and are not stored.
Split the cost, and compare the stores
When two or three of you still need a game, the price adds up, so compare stores before buying. The same game is often cheaper as a key from another store than on Steam, and each game page here lists the stores side by side. Check the key rules first: it has to work in your region and be activated on the platform you play on, as in Steam keys or the Steam store.
Look at the price over time too. Our record began in October 2026, so for most games it covers weeks, not years, but a "Lowest tracked" label on the game page still shows whether today's price is a low one. For a game the group will not play this week, a price alert is free, and the co-op deals page lists the current co-op sales.