Steam Deck has become the primary gaming machine for many players. Playing PC games on the fly has been the selling point for this handheld. Not only can you enjoy games yourself, but you can also even play co-op with your friends.
There are tons of amazing co-op games, both local and online, on the Steam Deck where you can party up with your buddies.
14 best co-op games to play on the Steam Deck:
- Deep Rock Galactic
- Divinity: Original Sin 2
- Risk of Rain 2
- Overcooked 2
- Stardew Valley
- Remnant: From the Ashes
- Cuphead
- Streets of Rage 4
- Moving Out
- A Way Out
- Don’t Starve Together
- Guacamelee! 1 & 2
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
- Castle Crashers
Deep Rock Galactic
Deep Rock Galactic features everything a first-person shooter needs to be great: excellent mission variety and character design, an engaging gameplay loop, smooth co-op, and a huge amount of content.
New players will feel a little overwhelmed by the various customization options, but those willing to invest time in learning all of the gameplay systems will find an extremely polished experience that will keep them engaged for a very long time. These dwarves are a little rowdy, but they are tough, and they are here to stay.
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is simply the pinnacle of the CRPG genre and one of the best co-op games to ever get ported for the Steam Deck. It offers a campaign with memorable characters, interesting role-playing options, and excellent systemic combat. The environments are beautiful and the soundtrack is solid.
All of this would put this game at the top of the heap, but then the developers also added offline and online coop, a PVP arena mode, and Game Master mode, the greatest throwback to the Dungeons & Dragons pen-and-paper games that underpin the entire genre.
There might be small issues here and there, but Divinity: Original Sin 2 is one of the best if you are into these kinds of games.
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Risk of Rain 2
Risk of Rain 2 is a top-of-the-line roguelike. No matter how familiar you get with the controls, you’re never comfortable, as death is always one or two mistakes away. The vast number of enemies, items, and abilities make for an endlessly replayable experience.
The game stayed in early access for the longest time and came out swinging hard. There is endless chaos on the screen to tackle at any given time and with the help of a buddy, this arduous shooter can be easily tamed.
Overcooked! 2
With simple controls, cute cartoon characters, and vibrant kitchen designs, Overcooked! 2 is a great game for the whole family. But be warned, it can get competitive, even when you’re supposed to be working together. There will be people screaming ‘chop the onions’ or ‘I need some milk’, but it is all in good fun.
With a range of game modes – story, arcade, and versus, there is endless replayability, particularly as you’ll want to collect the allotted three stars (or four stars after completing the story mode), and will keep the family entertained.
Stardew Valley
With so many interconnected systems, from the farm simulation to simple combat and cooking to crafting, and each driving the others forward in some way, it’s a deeper and more complex game than you’d expect after the first day on the farm.
There’s plenty to do while you wait to uncover more of the Valley’s secrets, and the prospect of filling your days with new adventures or just a better harvest is too enticing to pass up. Not to mention all of this can be done with a friend, a perfect representation of the more the merrier!
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Remnant: From the Ashes
Remnant: From the Ashes is a tough, co-op-centric third-person shooter hiding a surprising amount of depth in both its combat and narrative. Its weapons and abilities are diverse and fun to use, allowing for a variety of unique builds.
While its difficulty can feel uneven, victory over a tough boss is always satisfying. Fiercely challenging even in a group, Remnant’s clever use of procedural generation makes subsequent playthroughs as satisfying as the first one.
Cuphead
A special, once-in-a-generation type of game. Cuphead has a brilliant art style and visual aesthetics. A gameplay loop that constantly throws more and more unique ideas at the player; a soundtrack that energizes the maddening antics of its visuals even further.
The game’s bosses are some of the best designs out there in gaming. Having a friend play it with you turns this experience into a magical journey of comradery and overcoming the menacing odds stacked against you.
Streets of Rage 4
Whether you are a veteran of the franchise or not there is a fun game here to be had by all. Plenty of characters to unlock and pick from, a 2-player online co-op, a 4-player offline co-op, and a couple of different modes to venture into after you complete the story.
The art style is magnificent and the satisfaction you get when you do start to feel out the combo system and the enemy’s weaknesses is second to none.
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Moving Out
Moving Out is a joyous experience and one of the best co-op games you can play on the Steam Deck. The chaos is ever-present, but the chill approach ensures that everyone is having a good time instead of gradually wanting to tear each other apart.
The number of levels is just right, and the presentation is appealing. It serves as a perfect complement to other co-op titles and belongs in the library of anyone who enjoys the genre.
A Way Out
A Way Out is without a doubt the most satisfying coop experience you will ever have. It’s a superb experience made from the ground up to be purely cooperative, and it creates a unique synergy that even coop classics like Left 4 Dead can’t come close to achieving.
The truth is, A Way Out not only holds itself alongside the best coop titles out there – it surpasses them. It’s best to go into this game without much information beforehand so that you are blown away by its presentation.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Between the co-op, collectibles, challenges, achievements, and upgrades, there are more reasons to keep going back to Shredder’s Revenge than probably any other game in the genre has ever provided. This is all on top of fun and fantastic combat and a nostalgia overload that most should love.
But even those who weren’t necessarily fans of the Ninja Turtles, still have a great scrolling beat ’em up to make their way through.
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Don’t Starve Together
Don’t Starve Together isn’t a game for everyone. It has a high difficulty level and focuses on survival, those things probably will discourage casual gamers. On the other hand, gamers who like challenges and Minecraft or Terraria-like gameplay should consider buying Don’t Starve.
A complex crafting system, random worlds, and pretty, handmade graphics are the real selling points of this game. Add a friend to share this misery with and you are looking at quite an experience.
Guacamelee! 1 & 2
Fans of the first title will be thrilled that there’s more Guacamelee in the world, and there are new mechanics and challenges to play with. New players should go back and experience the first Guacamelee and enjoy that, but there’s enough backstory and tutorial in Guacamelee 2 to make any player comfortable with playing.
The only downside is that this may be one of the harder platforming experiences out there. Playing co-op just adds to the coolness of this Lucha libre adventure.
Castle Crashers
The game’s difficulty will frustrate you at times but if you are looking for a game to play with friends, it’s hard to not recommend Castle Crashers.
The length of the game is perfect for an Arcade title and the customization of characters also gives the game a lot more depth. It can be played as a couch co-op with up to 4 friends which just brings a whole different level of fun.
These are some of the best co-op games on the Steam Deck. Ranging from local couch co-op to online co-op, you can enjoy it with friends in any way you want. You can hook up controllers to the Steam Deck on an external screen to make the experience even grander. Most of these games are heavily discounted on Steam so you can get them quite cheaply.