Looking for a good time with your buddies and want to show off your fancy new Nintendo Switch? Look no further than this list of the 10 Best Co-op Games on Nintendo Switch. Surprisingly, not all of them are indie titles and actually use the Switch to its full potential – couch co-op isn’t just a mode tacked on at the end of these games’ development.
There are some exceptions, however. I’d like to clarify why Snipperclips and 1-2 Switch are not on this list. Snipperclips is a good co-op game, especially if you are playing with a younger gamer.
It has interesting and engaging puzzles that can take two heads to figure out. That said, Snipperclips is obnoxiously over-priced and there is no way that I, in good conscience, could recommend the game. Snipperclips is better suited as a free-to-play mobile game, not a launch title right next to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
1-2 Switch, another launch title for the Switch, is not on this list because most Nintendo fans can agree it is nothing more than a demo. A demo that should have come with the Switch, much like Wii Sports came with the Wii. If not for free, at very low cost. Instead, Nintendo has decided to charge the full $60 USD (though the price has reduced dramatically since the game’s release).
1-2 Switch demonstrates perfectly everything the Switch can do, but it is by no means a game that belongs in the living room. The 1-2 Switch is best suited for corporate parties or other events where nearly perfect strangers are forced to interact with each other. In such a context, the game can be a lot of silly fun – but it is not for the average gamer.
If you want a game that takes full advantage of Switch, not just the easy couch co-op, I suggest every game on our list of the 10 Best Co-op Games on Nintendo Switch.
Overcooked
Overcooked is an easy favorite for all co-op players. This game is purposely chaotic and difficult, but not so much that two people working together can’t have fun. Or working against each other, whatever mode you’d like to pick. If you haven’t heard of Overcooked, it’s essentially a restaurant game like Cooking Dash on mobile where you take orders from customers and cook the food for them.
It would be easy if timing and teamwork were the only challenges in Overcooked; while you and your partner are running around putting together soups and burgers, you’ll have to contend with the design of the kitchen and any obstacles the level has. For example, one level is a ship at sea that, without any warning, forces the players to switch sides by sliding the entire kitchen back and forth. Needless to say, Overcooked will make and break friendships.
Rayman Legends
Rayman Legends is a platformer that remains a popular classic to this day. The gameplay is not particularly complicated until later levels so you can be ushered that the chaos of two players will not be as stressful as Overcooked. You can have your choice of characters, each with their unique abilities to suit the play style of you and your friend.
Death Squared
If you enjoyed Unravel Two, you’ll enjoy Death Squared too. This game brings the joy of solving puzzles with a friend. Death Squared is divided into stages of increasing difficulty and story mode is coupled with humorous dialogue from the apparent creator of the game and his AI assistant.
Each stage requires careful maneuvering, as you will find that the controls can be very sensitive and falling off the level can be very easy. Death Squared is great for those players that enjoy a good puzzle and teamwork that doesn’t require putting out a fire.
Sonic Mania
Who doesn’t want to play a Sonic game with a partner? Now is your chance with Sonic Mania on the Switch! Just hand one controller off to your friend and you are on your way. It’s easy to lose track of your partner, however, as the screen invariably follows Sonic and not Tails. Keep in mind that Sonic Mania does not have a mode that requires two players; there are no puzzles or boss battles that require more than one character to solve. Even Tails’ ability to carry Sonic to new heights is not required to finish any level.
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 is certainly a favorite for multiplayer, but any Lego game on the Switch will do. Lego City Undercover and The Lego Ninjago Movie Videogame are two others that offer couch co-op. Marvel Super Heroes 2, however, possesses the winning attributes of players being able to choose their favorite characters from the almost the entire Marvel series of superheroes and villains (up to and including Loki, in case anyone was wondering).
Resident Evil Revelations 2
If shooters are more your jam for co-op play, you have at least one option in Resident Evil Revelations 2. The graphics may not be up to date like RE7, but that just adds to the camp humor the Resident Evil series is so famous for. Shoot down zombies with your buddy in Resident Evil Revelations 2 while you wait for DOOM to have couch co-op on the Switch.
ARMS
Looking to really test the Switch’s motion controls? Check out ARMS, the punch out brawl developed by Nintendo. For co-op play in this game, you’ll need two sets of Switch controllers. At its most basic, each person gets two Joy-Cons and uses the motion of punching to get their opponent. Complexity comes in the unique moves each ARMS character is capable of. Min Min, for example, can use an ultimate that turns one of her arms into a dragon, punching through any block the opponent has.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Speaking of Nintendo games, let’s not forget the most unlikely crossover to ever grace a Nintendo game. Kingdom Battle is a top-down strategy game where players must defeat the “bad” Rabbids trying to take over Mario’s world. Despite the Rabbids reputation for crude and sometimes distasteful humor, Kingdom Battle manages to bring out the best in the Rabbids to a hilarious and fun level.
Mario Tennis Aces
If you enjoyed Wii Sports, you’re sure to love Mario Tennis Aces on the Switch. Though they did not change the fundamental aspects of Mario Tennis, this game improves on some of the major problems with the previous games. For example, the motion controls are much easier to use this time around.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Last but not least is the best couch co-op game on the Switch. The replayability of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can live up only to Overcooked with the game’s variety of modes and huge selection of tracks, arenas, karts, and characters to choose from. Every character drives differently and a seasoned player will always want to challenge themselves with the more difficult to control characters.
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