Co-op Games Like Skyrim: 13 Steam RPGs to Play With Friends

The best co-op games like Skyrim give you what made Skyrim stick: a wild fantasy land you can wander in any direction, a character who grows the way you play, and the feeling that something odd is waiting over the next ridge. The difference is that you get to share it, so the dragon fight or the dungeon wipe becomes a story you tell together. Here are 13 picks on Steam, strongest fits first, with the co-op modes Steam lists for each.

What makes Skyrim feel like Skyrim (and why it has no co-op)

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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, from Bethesda Game Studios, came out on Steam on October 27, 2016. The appeal is easy to name and hard to copy: a cold, mountainous province full of ruins, caves and towns, a main quest you can ignore for dozens of hours, and skills that improve as you use them, so a sneaky archer and a heavy-armoured mage are both valid ways to play. The Special Edition bundles the add-ons and supports Creations, which add quests, gear and places.

What it does not have is co-op. Steam lists Skyrim Special Edition as single-player only. That is why “Skyrim with friends” really means finding a different game that keeps the parts you care about. Before you pick, decide which part matters most to your group:

• The Elder Scrolls world itself: only one official option exists, covered first below.
• Open-ended exploration and building: survival sandboxes, where you gather materials, craft gear and build a base, come closest.
• Character builds and tough fights: action RPGs and boss-hunting games scratch this best.
• Story, choices and role-playing: a party RPG like Baldur’s Gate 3 is the answer.

If you are playing alone and just want more Skyrim-style worlds, our list of games like Skyrim and our role-playing games like Skyrim cover single-player picks too.

Co-op games like Skyrim with a full fantasy RPG at the heart

These four are the most traditional co-op games like Skyrim: proper RPGs with quests or a long journey, where co-op sits on top of a world built for adventuring.

The Elder Scrolls Online

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Why it fits: it is the Elder Scrolls universe, from the same publisher, set in Tamriel nearly a thousand years before Skyrim. If the lore, races and guild stories are what hooked you, nothing else on this list comes close.

What you do: create a character, travel a shared world and take quests, from mushroom forests in Morrowind to battles against Daedra in Oblivion. This edition includes the base game plus the Morrowind, Imperial City, Orsinium, Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood adventures, and new seasonal content arrives every three months.

Who it suits: groups who want an ongoing hobby rather than a single campaign. It is an MMO (a massively multiplayer online game, where you share the world with many other players), so expect other adventurers around you and in-app purchases on top of the game.

Player modes: MMO, online co-op, online PvP; Windows and macOS.

ELDEN RING

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Why it fits: FromSoftware’s Lands Between is a vast continent where open fields and huge dungeons connect seamlessly, which gives you that Skyrim urge to ride toward anything interesting on the horizon. Character building is just as open, mixing weapons, armour, items and magic.

What you do: explore, find dungeons, and fight demanding enemies and bosses where timing and positioning matter. Spells and summons give casters and support players plenty of room.

Who it suits: friends who want harder combat than Skyrim and enjoy learning a fight. Co-op means bringing friends into your world for tough stretches, and invading players are part of the online design.

Player modes: single-player, online co-op, online PvP; full controller support.

Baldur’s Gate 3

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Why it fits: if your favourite Skyrim moments were choices, factions and characters rather than wandering, Larian’s Dungeons & Dragons RPG gives you far more of them. You can choose from 12 classes and 11 races, or play an Origin hero with a handcrafted background.

What you do: lead a party across the Forgotten Realms with a mind flayer parasite in your head, deciding whether to resist the corruption or use it. Combat is turn-based, so it plays more like a tabletop session than real-time swordplay.

Who it suits: story-first groups. It is not open-world in Skyrim’s sense, but its freedom inside each area is huge.

Player modes: party of up to four online, LAN co-op, cross-platform multiplayer, Remote Play Together (Steam’s feature for sharing a local session online); Windows and macOS.

Outward Definitive Edition

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Why it fits: Skyrim’s survival-minded players will recognise the appeal. You are an ordinary traveller in the world of Aurai, not a chosen hero, and the cold, an infected wound, sleep and thirst all matter.

What you do: plan expeditions across untamed land, reach new cities, take missions and find hidden dungeons. The Definitive Edition includes The Soroboreans and The Three Brothers content plus quality of life improvements.

Who it suits: a pair who like slow, deliberate adventure and do not mind failure. It is also the rare pick here with couch co-op.

Player modes: single-player, online co-op, shared/split-screen co-op, Remote Play Together; full controller support.

Survival sandboxes: co-op games like Skyrim for exploring and building together

Survival sandboxes drop you in a big world with little, then let you gather, craft, build a base and take on bosses at your own pace. For many groups these are the most satisfying co-op games like Skyrim, because the “go anywhere” feeling is the whole point. For more in this style, see our realistic Minecraft-style survival picks.

Enshrouded

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Why it fits: it pairs a handcrafted fantasy kingdom, Embervale, with a deep skill tree that lets you become an armoured juggernaut, a ranger, a battlemage or a mix. That build freedom is very close to Skyrim’s spirit.

What you do: push back the Shroud, a corrupting fog, while exploring forests, dunes, snowy peaks and ruins with a grappling hook and glider. You rescue survivors who turn your hut into a settlement, and you can build and reshape terrain almost anywhere.

Who it suits: friends who want swords-and-magic RPG combat with a strong building side.

Player modes: single-player, online co-op; full controller support.

Valheim

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Why it fits: its procedurally generated afterlife (a world assembled by the game rather than drawn by hand, so each one differs) is inspired by Norse myth, which sits right next to Skyrim’s Nordic mood.

What you do: craft weapons, build longhouses, sail to new lands and hunt down regional bosses called the Forsaken. Each biome has its own resources and dangers, and skills improve with axes, blades and bows as you use them.

Who it suits: bigger friend groups, since it supports up to ten players in one world.

Player modes: 1 to 10 players, online co-op; Windows, macOS and Linux.

Soulmask

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Why it fits: it trades Skyrim’s lone hero for a leader of people, but keeps the sprawling open world, with two realms (Cloud Mist Forest and Shifting Sands) full of rainforests, deserts and snowy mountains.

What you do: a mysterious mask lets you possess any of your tribespeople, recruit barbarians with distinct talents and grow an automated civilization.

Who it suits: groups who enjoy management as much as adventure. Steam Workshop support adds community content.

Player modes: single-player, online and LAN co-op, online and LAN PvP.

V Rising

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Why it fits: Skyrim players who loved its vampire storylines get a whole game of it: a gothic open world, villages to pillage and supernatural bosses whose blood grants new powers.

What you do: wake as a weakened vampire, hunt for blood, avoid the sun, build a castle and turn humans into thralls, then challenge Dracula.

Who it suits: friends who want punchy action with base building. Servers can be co-op or PvP, so pick one that matches your group.

Player modes: single-player, online and LAN co-op, online and LAN PvP.

Nightingale

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Why it fits: a gaslamp fantasy (Victorian-era style mixed with magic) with portals into the Fae Realms, dungeons and bosses. It keeps the crafting and home-building that Skyrim’s Hearthfire fans enjoyed.

What you do: reignite Crossway portals, travel through procedurally generated realms shaped by Realm Cards, and build a furnished estate between expeditions.

Who it suits: groups who prefer PvE only. Steam lists it under Early Access, meaning it is still in development.

Player modes: single-player, online and LAN co-op.

Bellwright

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Why it fits: a grounded medieval story with a personal hook: you were framed for the Prince’s murder and return to lead a rebellion against the Crown.

What you do: build and expand settlements, help villagers, recruit followers and command them in battle while uncovering your family’s secret.

Who it suits: friends who like Skyrim’s civil war side and want to raise an army. It is in Early Access and supports Steam Workshop.

Player modes: single-player, online co-op.

Boss-focused co-op games like Skyrim for players who live for the fight

If your best Skyrim memories are dragon fights and grinding for better armour, these trade open-ended wandering for focused, demanding combat with friends.

Monster Hunter: World

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Why it fits: it is the purest version of “fight the dragon, wear the dragon.” Elder dragons migrate to the New World, and you use what you carve from fallen monsters to craft stronger weapons and armour.

What you do: take quests, track monsters through living habitats and use the landscape to gain an edge.

Who it suits: a regular group of up to four who enjoy learning weapons and repeating hunts for gear.

Player modes: single-player, co-op for up to four hunters.

REMNANT II

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Why it fits: it is darker and gun-heavy, but the loop of exploring strange worlds, choosing gear and toppling huge bosses suits groups who want Skyrim’s dungeon crawling with more bite.

What you do: travel across multiple worlds with mixed ranged and melee combat, adapting builds to each biome.

Who it suits: trios. The store page says you can play solo or with two friends.

Player modes: single-player, online co-op; full controller support.

DARK SOULS III

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Why it fits: a dying, ruined dark fantasy world with colossal enemies and environments, for players who found Skyrim’s draugr tombs the best part.

What you do: fight through dangerous areas and bosses, with friends joining through the series’ summoning system.

Who it suits: friends who enjoyed Elden Ring or want something more linear and intense.

Player modes: single-player, multiplayer, co-op; full controller support.

How to choose the right co-op game like Skyrim for your group

The biggest mistake is picking the game with the best trailer instead of the one that matches how your group plays. A worked example: three friends who loved Skyrim’s exploration but play at different times would struggle with Baldur’s Gate 3, where the story moves when the party moves. Valheim or Enshrouded fit better, because anyone can log in, gather wood or explore, and the shared base keeps growing.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Ignoring player limits. Remnant II takes three, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Monster Hunter: World take four. Check before a fifth friend buys in.
• Mixing PvE and PvP expectations. V Rising, Soulmask and ESO all have PvP. Agree on the server or mode first.
• Forgetting Early Access. Nightingale and Bellwright are still in development, so expect changes.
• Assuming split-screen. Most of these are online co-op. Outward is the one with listed split-screen; our best 2-player co-op games on Steam list has more duo options.

Still undecided? Our open-world games like Skyrim roundup and the wider games like the ones you love hub are good next stops, and survival fans should try our games like Don’t Starve list.

Our pick of the co-op games like Skyrim

For most groups, start with Enshrouded or Valheim: they deliver the open fantasy world, flexible character growth and shared adventures that make co-op games like Skyrim worth hunting for. If the Elder Scrolls lore is what you truly miss, The Elder Scrolls Online is the only official way back to Tamriel with friends. And if you want a story your party will argue about for months, Baldur’s Gate 3 is the one. Each card above links to its Steam page, with screenshots and the official trailer, so you can compare them side by side before your group commits.

Questions and answers

Does Skyrim have co-op multiplayer?

No. On Steam, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition is listed as single-player only, with no official co-op or online mode. If you want to share an Elder Scrolls world with friends, The Elder Scrolls Online is the official option: it is an MMO set in Tamriel about a thousand years before Skyrim, with online co-op, group content and optional PvP.

What is the closest co-op game to Skyrim?

The Elder Scrolls Online is the closest in setting and tone, since it is the same universe and the same publisher. If you care more about the feeling of wandering a wild fantasy land, picking fights and building a home base, Enshrouded and Valheim come closest among co-op survival games. Elden Ring is the pick if you mainly want an open fantasy world with tough combat and character builds.

Which Skyrim-like games work best for a big group of friends?

Valheim is the standout, since its store page says it supports 1 to 10 players in one shared Norse world. The Elder Scrolls Online is an MMO, so group size is less of a limit there. Survival sandboxes such as Soulmask and V Rising also suit groups who like building a shared base, while Baldur's Gate 3 and Monster Hunter: World cap a party at four.

Are there co-op games like Skyrim with split-screen on PC?

Among these picks, Outward Definitive Edition is the one Steam lists with Shared/Split Screen Co-op, so two players can explore its world of Aurai on one PC. Baldur's Gate 3 and Outward also support Remote Play Together, which lets a friend join a local co-op session over the internet through Steam. Most of the other games here are online co-op.

Is Elden Ring a good co-op game like Skyrim?

It is a strong one if you like challenge. Elden Ring has a huge open world of fields and dungeons, flexible character builds mixing weapons, spells and summons, and Steam lists both online co-op and online PvP. Co-op works by bringing friends into your world for tough areas and bosses rather than as a constant shared campaign, so it feels different from a survival sandbox.