14 New & Upcoming Video Games With Local Co-op Modes | Game Rant
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 of Among Us, Fall Guys, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons; games that enable players to stay connected with one another are growing in popularity. There are plenty of cooperative games designed to bridge distance gaps.
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 and exciting games for local co-op fans.
14 Fight Crab
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch and PC
- Release Dates: July 29, 202o (PC) and September 15, 2020 (Switch)
Developed by Calappa Games, Fight Crab is a 3D action-adventure game where players take control of a giant crab and fight off other large crustaceans. There is only one rule in Fight Crab, and that is "flip your enemy over to win."
Players can take advantage of a range of equipment to take down opponents, from jets to swords. The game features 23 different types of crustaceans, 48 different weapons, and 11 unique battle stages. Fight Crab offers several battle modes including 1 v 1 and 2 v 2 offline battle modes.
Fight Crab is available on Windows, Steam, and Nintendo Switch.
13 Clumsy Rush
- Platforms: Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Macintosh
- Release Dates: December 23, 2019 (Switch) and September 4, 2020 (XBO)
With forty-seven random levels, Clumsy Rush is a competitive party game featuring twenty-seven hippos. The game is also packed with 25 modifications such as walking backward, bounce, backward, and more. Players compete by attempting to reach the golden crown first while choosing dynamic or simpler controls.
Clumsy Rush offers a local multiplayer that supports 2-4 players on Xbox consoles and up to 2 players on the Nintendo Switch. Developed by NerfGame and RedDeerGames, Clumsy Rush is a fun-filled game that will have players laughing for hours.
Clumsy Rush is available on the Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
12 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
- Release Date: November 13, 2020
Along with its single-player campaign, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War also features fun multiplayer options. Players can experience the iconic zombie mode with up to four players with a local cooperative option. The co-op mode offers new methods of progression, perks, and weaponry to help face off against the hordes of the undead. Classic perks such as Speed Cola and Juggernog make a return, while players can also deploy field upgrades and craft items to add to the squad-based tactics required.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's split-screen option is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, but not PC.
11 Cake Bash
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Stadia
- Release Dates: October 15, 2020 (PS4, XBO, PC, Stadia) and November 19, 2020 (Switch)
Cake Bash is a four-player party game, where players fight to become the tastiest cake around. Players can choose between seven classic treats, including cupcakes and donuts. Developed by High Tea Frog, Cake Bash offers a variety of minigames and lifelike arenas each with its own unique goal.
Players can even customize their cakes with a variety of frosting skins. Cake Bash is equal parts mouth-watering treats and Mario Party.
10 Haven
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Release Dates: December 3, 2020 (PS5, PS4, XBX/S, XBO, PC) and February 4, 2021 (Switch)
Players can take on the role of two lovers who escape to a lost planet, where the only goal is to stay together. Haven is 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.
9 Outward: The Three Brothers
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
- Release Dates: December 15, 2020 (PC) and May 18, 2021 (PS4, XBO)
Developed by Nine Dots Studio, Outward is 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. Outward offers survival mechanics coupled with factions and the ability for players to forge their own combat style.
The Three Brothers DLC 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.
8 Knight Squad 2
- Platforms: Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Release Date: April 14, 2021
The eight-player chaotic arcade game filled with eccentric knights made its debut in 2021. Knight Squad 2 keeps 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.
Developed by Chainsawesome Games, Knight Squad 2 is 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 2 is meant to be experienced while surrounded by friends.
7 Samurai Warriors 5
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Release Date: July 27, 2021
Omega Force's Samurai Warriors has typically existed in the shadow of the Dynasty Warriors franchise, but the former has gained quite a dedicated following over the years. The fifth entry will center around the Honnō-ji Incident and present 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 5 also 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.
6 KeyWe
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Release Date: August 31, 2021
As suggested by its name, KeyWe centers 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.
KeyWe is 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 will be released during Summer 2021.
5 Just Dance 2022
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia
- Release Date: November 4, 2021
Ubisoft's Just Dance is 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 2022 is one of the biggest titles set to come out this year.
Supporting up to six players at once, Just Dance 2022 offers 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.
4 The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
- Release Date: November 4, 2021
SuperMassive Games' next entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology will take place during the Iraq War, with a Special Forces unit taking center stage. The game features five playable characters as the soldiers end up finding something unexpected and dangerous in a Sumerian temple.
While the story can be experienced solo, House of Ashes also 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.
3 Screaming Chicken: Ultimate Showdown
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: TBA
Screaming Chicken: Ultimate Showdown is 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 in Screaming Chicken is 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.
2 Shrine's Legacy
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: TBA
Developed by Positive Concept Games, Shrine's Legacy is 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 Legacy allows 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 Legacy will 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 Q1 2023.
1 Codename Mallow
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: TBA
Codename Mallow is 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 Mallow is still currently in development so a release date is still to be announced. The game will be available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Every Game Coming Out In 2021 (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:
- Every Video Game Release Coming Soon For PS5 And PS4
- Every Video Game Release Coming Soon For Xbox Series X|S And Xbox One
- Every Video Game Release Coming Soon For Nintendo Switch
- Every Video Game Release Coming Soon For PC
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