Best Couch Co Op Games PC: 14 Split-Screen Picks

The best couch co op games PC owners can set up turn a desk machine into a living-room console: one screen, a few controllers, and a game that only works when the people on the sofa talk to each other. Couch co-op means local cooperative play, with everyone in the same room on the same PC, either sharing one view or splitting the screen into halves. The magic is in the small moments: the rescue you pull off for your partner, the plate someone drops at the worst time, the boss you finally beat together.

Every pick in this list of the best couch co op games PC players can find on Steam lists Shared/Split Screen Co-op among its features, and the strongest fits come first. Here is the short version before the details.

One feature ties the whole list together: every game here supports Steam’s Remote Play Together, which lets the owner stream a local co-op game to friends elsewhere. More on that in the setup section.

Two-player story adventures made for one couch

If your couch co-op nights are usually you and one other person, start here. These are the best couch co op games PC pairs can pick for a shared story, where both players matter equally and neither one is a sidekick.

It Takes Two

Watch trailer

It Takes Two is the benchmark among the best couch co op games PC pairs can play, and the reason is simple: it was built purely for co-op and never repeats itself for long. You play Cody and May, a feuding couple turned into dolls by a magic spell, who have to work together through a fantastical world while their relationship hangs in the balance. Each level hands both players new abilities that only make sense in combination.

What you actually do changes constantly: fighting gangster squirrels, piloting a pair of underpants, running a nightclub’s DJ booth, bobsleighing through a snow globe. It suits couples, siblings and friends who want a story with jokes and heart. Steam lists split screen co-op, online co-op and Remote Play Together, and the store highlights Friend’s Pass, which lets the owner invite a friend to play online for free. For more in this vein, see our games like It Takes Two.

Split Fiction

Watch trailer

Split Fiction comes from the same studio, Hazelight, and plays like a bigger, stranger follow-up. Mio writes sci-fi and Zoe writes fantasy; after being hooked up to a machine designed to steal their ideas, they get trapped inside their own stories and have to rely on each other to escape. The game bounces between those two kinds of worlds, so one stretch has you taming dragons and the next has you fighting as cyber ninjas or dodging hover cars.

It fits anyone who finished It Takes Two and wanted more of the same constant switch-ups. Steam lists split screen and online co-op, cross-platform multiplayer and Remote Play Together, with no single-player mode, so bring a partner.

A Way Out

Watch trailer

A Way Out is Hazelight’s earlier co-op story, and it is more grounded and serious than the two above. Each player controls one of two prisoners, Leo or Vincent, in a reluctant partnership to break out and stay out. The store is clear that it must be played with two players, and the escape gradually turns into an emotional story about the pair.

It suits players who like crime drama and want a co-op game that feels closer to a film than a playground. Steam lists split screen and online co-op plus Remote Play Together.

Portal 2

Watch trailer

Portal 2 earns its place because its co-op mode is not an afterthought: it has its own campaign, story, test chambers and two new player characters, separate from the single-player game. Both of you can place portals, and the puzzles are built so that, as the store puts it, you have to think cooperatively rather than just act together. Expect a lot of pointing at walls and arguing about who goes through first.

It is a natural pick for pairs who like brain-teasers more than reflexes, and the oldest of the best couch co op games PC puzzle fans can still pick up today. Steam lists split screen and online co-op, Remote Play Together, Steam Workshop support and a level editor for designing co-op puzzles for your friends. Puzzle fans should also browse our best puzzle games on Steam.

Four-player party chaos for the living room

These games shine with a full sofa, and they are the best couch co op games PC groups can teach in a minute to people who rarely play. The goal is simple; doing it together under a timer is the funny part.

Overcooked! 2

Watch trailer

Overcooked! 2 is the classic shout-at-your-friends co-op game. Up to four chefs share one kitchen and race to chop, cook, plate and serve orders before time runs out, while the kitchen itself works against you. Levels shift and evolve, teleporters move you around, and you can throw ingredients across gaps to save precious seconds. The story sends you back to the Onion Kingdom to deal with a threat called the Unbread, through sushi restaurants, magic schools, mines and alien planets.

Of all the best couch co op games PC groups argue over, this one suits people who enjoy pressure and communication, and it plays on Windows, macOS and Linux. Steam lists local and online co-op, competitive PvP and Remote Play Together. Our co-op games like It Takes Two list covers more teamwork-first picks.

Moving Out

Watch trailer

Moving Out swaps the kitchen for removal jobs. You work for a small company called Smooth Moves, carrying sofas, fridges and boxes out of houses across the town of Packmore, and the physics let you take shortcuts: throw a box through a window instead of carrying it around. Two people carrying one couch through a narrow door is where the laughs come from.

It suits families and casual players, since the pace is slightly more forgiving than a busy kitchen. The store says up to four players can play on one couch and that the story works solo too. Note that Steam lists shared/split screen co-op but not online co-op, so for remote friends you would rely on Remote Play Together.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

Watch trailer

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime puts the whole crew inside one neon battleship. Each player runs between stations, manning turrets, lasers, shields and thrusters, so someone always needs to drop what they are doing to cover a weak spot. You are fighting the forces of Anti-Love and rescuing kidnapped space-bunnies, with randomized level layouts and gems that change your ship’s loadout.

It suits groups who like clear roles and frantic juggling. It is a 1 to 4 player couch co-op game; a solo player gets an AI space-pet to help. Steam lists shared/split screen co-op and Remote Play Together, on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Beat ‘em ups and run and guns for the whole sofa

A beat ‘em up is a side-scrolling game where you walk through levels punching waves of enemies; a run and gun adds shooting while you move. Both were made for crowded couches, and they are among the best couch co op games PC players can share when some people just want to mash buttons.

Castle Crashers

Watch trailer

Castle Crashers is a 2D side-scrolling arcade adventure where up to four knights hack and slash their way to save the princesses. It adds light RPG growth: you spend skill points on Strength, Magic, Defense and Agility, earn new attacks, and collect animal orb companions with their own abilities. The store mentions more than 25 characters and over 40 weapons to collect.

It suits mixed groups because each person can grow their own character at their own pace, which keeps it on most lists of the best couch co op games PC brawler fans share. Steam lists local and online co-op, competitive PvP, Workshop support and Remote Play Together, and marks it as Gamepad Recommended.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

Watch trailer

Shredder’s Revenge is a side-scrolling beat ‘em up that leans hard on the Turtles’ 1987 look and pays homage to classic games like Turtles in Time. You pick Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello or Raphael, each with his own skills and moves, and brawl through pixel-art stages full of enemies with combos and ninja abilities.

It suits anyone who grew up with arcade brawlers or wants an easy-to-learn group game. Steam lists single-player, local and online co-op and Remote Play Together, on Windows and Linux. The developer is Tribute Games and the publisher is Dotemu.

Broforce

Watch trailer

Broforce is a run ‘n’ gun about an underfunded, overpowered team of action heroes. Up to four players blast through levels as dozens of different bros, each with unique weapons and specials, and nearly everything is destructible, so a single red barrel can collapse half a level. That also means chain reactions turn every session into a comedy of accidents.

It suits loud groups who like spectacle over precision. Steam lists co-op and competitive modes for local and online play, a level editor and Remote Play Together, on Windows, macOS and Linux. Separate modes include deathmatch and Explosion Run time attacks.

Cuphead

Watch trailer

Cuphead is a run and gun built around boss battles, styled after 1930s cartoons with hand-drawn cel animation, watercolor backgrounds and original jazz. One player is Cuphead, the second is Mugman, and the two of you fight through strange worlds to pay back a debt to the devil.

It is the hardest of the best couch co op games PC pairs will find here, so it suits a patient duo who enjoy retrying a boss until the pattern clicks, not a casual party. Steam lists single-player and shared/split screen co-op but not online co-op; Remote Play Together covers long-distance partners. It runs on Windows and macOS.

Gentler platformers and puzzle co-op

Not every couch night needs shouting. These picks let a mixed-skill group relax, and they include some of the best couch co op games PC families can play with younger or newer players.

Rayman Legends

Watch trailer

Rayman Legends is a bright platformer for up to four players in local co-op. You run, jump and slap through five worlds in the Glade of Dreams, rescue kidnapped Teensies, face big bosses, and play musical levels where jumps and punches land on the beat of rock and salsa tracks. A bonus football mode called Kung Foot settles any arguments.

It suits families and anyone who loves tight, cheerful platforming. Steam lists shared/split screen co-op and Remote Play Together; there is no online co-op listed. If you enjoy precise jumping, our platformer games like Celeste list is a good next stop.

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince

Watch trailer

Trine 4 is a 2.5D physics puzzle platformer where you chase a haunted prince whose nightmares are leaking into the real world. Amadeus conjures and levitates objects, Pontius fights with sword and shield, and Zoya grapples and shoots arrows. Puzzles use fire, water, light, magnets and electricity, and most can be solved in more than one way.

It suits groups who like to experiment calmly, and the store says challenges adapt to the number of players, a rare touch among the best couch co op games PC groups of different sizes can play. Play solo or with up to three friends, online or local, across all eighteen levels. Steam lists online and shared/split screen co-op plus Remote Play Together.

Stardew Valley

Watch trailer

Stardew Valley is the cozy option. You inherit your grandfather’s overgrown farm and turn it into a home: growing crops, raising animals, crafting machines and helping restore a struggling town. Co-op players share a farm and resources, and there is an option to scale profits down for a tougher challenge.

It suits pairs who want a relaxed, long-running game rather than a short adventure. Steam lists shared/split screen co-op, LAN and online co-op, and the store says up to eight players can farm together online. For more like this, see our best cozy games on Steam.

Best couch co op games PC setup: controllers, screens and Remote Play

Getting a PC ready for the best couch co op games PC players own takes a few minutes. These steps cover what usually trips people up.

1. Count controllers first. Sharing one keyboard rarely works. Plan for a controller per player, or one person on keyboard and mouse where a game allows it. Steam Input recognises most common gamepads.
2. Use Big Picture mode on a TV. Steam’s controller-friendly interface lets anyone on the sofa browse and launch games without touching a mouse.
3. Check the store page features. Look for “Shared/Split Screen Co-op” specifically. “Online Co-op” alone means each player needs their own PC.
4. Know shared screen from split screen. Split screen gives each player their own half, as in It Takes Two. Shared screen keeps everyone on one camera, as in Overcooked! 2 or Castle Crashers, which works better on smaller monitors.
5. Use Remote Play Together for distant friends. The host launches the game and invites friends from the Steam friends list; the game streams to them and they play with their own controls as if they were sitting beside you. Only the host needs to own the game.

Want something solo for the nights your co-op partner is busy? Browse the best games on Steam by genre.

How to pick for your group, and mistakes to avoid

The best couch co op games PC nights can have depend more on who is holding the controllers than on any ranking. A quick worked example shows how to choose.

A worked example

Say you have three different evenings coming up:

• Weeknight with your partner: two players, a few hours, wants a story. Start It Takes Two, then move to Split Fiction. If your partner prefers puzzles, the Portal 2 co-op campaign is the better first pick.
• Saturday with three friends: four players, drinks, short attention spans. Overcooked! 2 or Moving Out for teamwork, Broforce or Castle Crashers when people want to fight instead.
• Family afternoon with kids: mixed skills. Rayman Legends or Trine 4, where a stronger player can carry a weaker one without anyone feeling left out.

Common mistakes

• Buying an online-only co-op game for the couch. Check for the Shared/Split Screen Co-op feature before you buy.
• Assuming four players. It Takes Two, Split Fiction, A Way Out, Portal 2’s co-op and Cuphead are two-player experiences.
• Starting a newcomer on Cuphead. Its boss fights can sour a first co-op night. Save it for players who enjoy a challenge.
• Expecting online play everywhere. Moving Out, Cuphead, Rayman Legends and Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime do not list online co-op on Steam, so remote friends need Remote Play Together.
• Forgetting the long game. Short party games are great for one night; Stardew Valley rewards a pair who return week after week.

Once your couch crew has worked through the best couch co op games PC players can share on Steam, our best indie games on Steam and best story games on Steam lists are good places to find what to play next, and the games like the ones you love hub helps you branch out from any favourite.

Questions and answers

What is the best 2 player couch co-op game on PC?

It Takes Two is the easiest recommendation for two players. It was built purely for co-op, gives each player connected abilities that change every level, and supports split screen on one PC. If you have already finished it, Split Fiction comes from the same studio, Hazelight, and A Way Out is an earlier two-player story from the same team.

Can you play split screen co-op on a PC?

Yes. Many Steam games support local co-op on one PC, either by splitting the screen into halves or by keeping everyone on one shared view. Check a game's Steam store page for the Shared/Split Screen Co-op feature, connect a controller for each player, and start the game. Big Picture mode makes this easier on a TV.

What are the best 4 player couch co-op games on PC?

For four players on one sofa, Overcooked! 2, Moving Out, Castle Crashers, Broforce, Rayman Legends, Trine 4 and Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime all support up to four players according to their Steam pages. Pick Overcooked! 2 or Moving Out for frantic teamwork, Castle Crashers or Broforce for action, and Trine 4 for calmer puzzle solving.

Can I play couch co-op games online with friends on Steam?

Often, yes. Steam's Remote Play Together feature lets the person who owns a local co-op game stream it to friends, who join with their own controller or keyboard as if they were on the same couch. Every game in this list supports Remote Play Together on Steam, which helps for local-only games like Cuphead and Rayman Legends.

Do I need controllers for couch co-op games on PC?

In practice, yes. One keyboard rarely works well for two or more people, so plan on a controller per player, or one player on keyboard and the rest on pads where a game allows it. Steam Input recognises most common controllers, and most games here list Full controller support on their Steam pages.