Best Co-Op Video Games to Play with Your Kids (2026)
Stop fighting your kids online — play WITH them. The best cooperative video games that are actually fun for dads and age-appropriate for kids.
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Competitive gaming with your kids usually ends one of two ways: you destroy them and feel guilty, or you let them win and they know it. Co-op games fix this. You’re on the same team, working together, and everyone has fun.
Switch Games (Best for Families)
1. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Ages: 5+ | Players: 4 local co-op
The best Mario game in years. New power-ups, Wonder Flowers that change the entire level, and forgiving multiplayer where nobody gets left behind.
2. Minecraft
Ages: 6+ | Players: 4 local / 8 online
Build anything together. Survival mode teaches resource management. Creative mode is pure imagination. Either way, your kids will spend 400 hours on this.
Dad hack: Build a family house together in Creative mode. Let each kid design their own room. Save it as a world you can revisit.
3. Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Ages: 5+ | Players: 2 local co-op
Player 2 is Bandana Waddle Dee — slightly easier to control. Perfect for younger kids jumping into 3D platformers.
4. Overcooked! All You Can Eat
Ages: 7+ | Players: 4 local co-op
Cooperative cooking chaos. You’ll be yelling “I NEED THE TOMATO” at your 8-year-old. Hilarious, stressful, and perfect.
Photo from the Seattle Party Bus archive
PlayStation / Xbox Games
5. It Takes Two
Ages: 8+ | Players: 2 co-op (required)
Game of the Year winner for a reason. Every level has completely different mechanics. Play as a married couple trying to save their relationship — it’s actually a great conversation starter.
6. Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Ages: 6+ | Players: 4 local co-op
LittleBigPlanet vibes but smoother. Great level design, fun costumes, and some levels require teamwork to complete.
7. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Ages: 6+ | Players: 2 local co-op
All nine films in Lego form. Drop-in/drop-out co-op. If your kid is into Star Wars, this is 80+ hours of content.
PC Games (Dad + Older Kids)
8. Stardew Valley
Ages: 8+ | Players: 4 online co-op
Farm simulator that’s actually relaxing. Fish, mine, garden, and build together. No violence, no pressure, just vibes.
9. Deep Rock Galactic
Ages: 10+ | Players: 4 online co-op
Space dwarves mining rocks and fighting bugs. Surprisingly wholesome community. “ROCK AND STONE!“
10. Portal 2 Co-op
Ages: 10+ | Players: 2 co-op
Physics puzzles with portals. The co-op campaign is separate from single-player and requires actual communication and teamwork.
Gaming Rules for the Family
- Time limits matter — set them before you start, not after
- Play together first — solo gaming earns screen time after co-op
- Age ratings exist for a reason — ESRB ratings are more reliable than “but everyone at school plays it”
- Celebrate teamwork — “great job covering me” > “I got more kills”
- Dad plays too — don’t just supervise, participate
The Best Investment
A Nintendo Switch with 2-3 co-op games is about $350. That’s maybe 200+ hours of quality family time. Compare that to $350 on a single trip to an amusement park.
What co-op games does your family play? Share your picks!
Written by Nick Reef
Nick is the Pacific Northwest dad behind OpsHQ Go — software engineer by day, parent of three by night. Everything here is tested first-hand by our family of five (plus three labs and an orange cat): recipes cooked in our kitchen, trails hiked on real weekends, games played at our table.
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