30 Best Online Co-Op Games (2024 Edition): PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Switch

The best online co-op game for most groups is Baldur’s Gate 3, thanks to its four-player shared campaign and enormous freedom. If your group uses different hardware, start with Grounded or Warframe. For four-player action, choose Helldivers 2 or Deep Rock Galactic; for two people, We Were Here is the clearest puzzle recommendation.

This is a 2024 edition in the sense that it covers games available to play in 2024, not games released during 2024. The original list associated with this title was published by WIRED on December 18, 2023, and several platform and cross-play details changed afterward. The guide below flags those changes, including Sea of Thieves on PS5, Phasmophobia on consoles, Forza Horizon 5 on PS5, and Baldur’s Gate 3’s later cross-play update.

Quick picks

Online co-op does not automatically mean cross-play, a shared story, or even cooperation against computer-controlled enemies. The table separates those details so you can check your group before buying.

Player caps describe the relevant online co-op mode where possible. A game’s total online or server capacity may be different. Platform availability, store editions, subscription catalogs, and regional listings can change.

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What counts as online co-op?

For this guide, online co-op means that players can work together over the internet toward a shared objective. That includes story campaigns, survival worlds, repeatable PvE missions, and sandbox games. It does not mean that every game below has the same kind of cooperation.

• Dedicated PvE co-op: Everyone fights the game’s enemies or solves its objectives. Deep Rock Galactic, Helldivers 2, and The Outlast Trials are examples.
• Shared-campaign co-op: Players advance through a common story or world. Baldur’s Gate 3, Grounded, and Remnant II fit best.
• Sandbox co-op: The game provides systems and goals rather than a tightly scripted campaign. Valheim, Raft, Stardew Valley, and Core Keeper belong here.
• Cooperative-competitive play: Teams cooperate tactically but compete against other players. Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II are multiplayer games, but they are not equivalent to PvE co-op and are not in the main 30.
• Online party games: Overcooked! 2 and Gang Beasts support online play but are closer to party or couch multiplayer than to a shared adventure.
• Asymmetric two-player co-op: Each player has different information or abilities. The We Were Here series is built around this idea.

How to read the cross-play labels

Cross-play means players on different platforms can join the same multiplayer session. Cross-progression means saves, unlocks, or purchases carry between platforms; it is a separate feature. Cross-generation means, for example, PS4 and PS5 or Xbox One and Xbox Series players can play together.

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PC is not always one multiplayer platform. Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store PC, and Battle.net can use different account and matchmaking systems. Gang Beasts is a useful warning: its official FAQ limits cross-play to Xbox consoles and the Microsoft Store PC client, so a Steam player cannot be assumed to join an Xbox or PlayStation friend. Check the developer’s FAQ before buying.

The same caution applies to games that are sold on all four major console families. Unless an entry explicitly says cross-play is supported, assume that everyone may need the same platform ecosystem. Do not confuse cross-save, account linking, or a shared storefront with cross-play.

The 30 best online co-op games

1. Baldur’s Gate 3 — best overall shared campaign

Platforms: Windows PC, Mac, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. It is not available on PS4 or Nintendo Switch. Players: Two to four online. Cross-play: No in the original 2024 version; full cross-platform multiplayer and cross-platform progression arrived with Patch 8 in April 2025. See Larian’s Patch 8 announcement.

This is the strongest choice when the group wants a real shared campaign rather than a collection of missions. Players make consequential decisions together, explore at their own pace, and combine different character abilities in turn-based battles. The game works for two people, but four players can make conversation and decision-making wonderfully chaotic.

The main drawback is commitment. A campaign can last dozens of hours, and the player who hosts the multiplayer save effectively controls the campaign file. Everyone can keep their character, but the group should agree on who hosts and when that save is played. Mods also need to match between players, and cross-play requires following Larian’s account and version requirements.

2. Helldivers 2 — best four-player action

Platforms: PC and PS5. Players: Up to four in a squad. Cross-play: PC and PS5; there is no Xbox or Switch version in the supplied platform information. The official PlayStation page describes its cooperative squad structure.

Every mission asks the team to coordinate loadouts, call in equipment, complete objectives, and reach extraction while hostile forces close in. Friendly fire is part of the design, so communication matters and accidental disasters are often as memorable as successful missions. Objectives are clear enough for newcomers, while difficulty and build choices give regular groups room to improve.

It is an online-first game with short-to-medium missions rather than a traditional four-player story campaign. It is an excellent recommendation for PS5 and PC groups, but not for a group split among Xbox and Switch.

3. Grounded — best cross-platform survival game

Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. Players: Up to four online. Cross-play: Yes across the supported versions. The April 2024 expansion to PlayStation and Switch is documented in Microsoft’s cross-platform announcement.

You play as shrunken children surviving in a dangerous backyard. Building a base, gathering materials, crafting equipment, and fighting insects naturally divide responsibilities without requiring a rigid class system. The campaign gives the group a common direction, while the backyard leaves room to wander and pursue separate tasks.

Grounded is unusually useful for mixed-hardware groups because it reaches PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Switch. Check account and version requirements before the first session, and remember that Switch performance and update timing can differ from other editions.

4. Sea of Thieves — best social adventure

Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5. Players: Up to four players in one ship crew. Cross-play: Yes across supported platforms. PS5 support launched on April 30, 2024; the official PS5 FAQ covers Microsoft-account linking and multiplayer requirements.

The crew shares a ship, so every player has a useful role: steering, navigating, repairing, sailing, managing sails, fighting, or boarding. Voyages and emergent encounters create stories without demanding that everyone follow the same quest marker. Crews can split up briefly, but the ship remains the group’s center.

The warning is PvP exposure. Other crews can attack, and the open-world version is not a purely cooperative experience. Safer Seas provides a quieter option with restrictions, and the PS5 FAQ says PlayStation players need PS Plus for multiplayer while solo Safer Seas access can work without an active subscription. That detail can change by edition and region, so check the current store page.

5. Remnant II — best challenging campaign combat

Platforms: PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Players: Up to three players total. Cross-play: Added in February 2024; consult Gunfire Games’ cross-play FAQ.

This is a difficult third-person action RPG with procedural worlds, build experimentation, bosses, and a campaign that changes between runs. Two or three players can cover weaknesses in their builds and revive one another through encounters that are punishing alone.

It is not a seamless shared campaign in the way Baldur’s Gate 3 is. The host’s world and quest state matter, and players should not assume that every piece of progression transfers identically to their own campaign. It is best for friends who enjoy learning boss patterns and retrying difficult fights.

6. Deep Rock Galactic — best replayable PvE co-op

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Players: Up to four. Cross-play: Not one universal pool; cross-play depends on the platform ecosystem and PC storefront. The Steam listing is useful for the PC edition, but Xbox/Microsoft Store PC and Steam should not be treated as identical multiplayer versions.

Four dwarves mine procedurally generated caves, complete objectives, and fight alien creatures. The four classes have genuinely different jobs: a Scout illuminates and reaches high places, a Driller reshapes terrain, an Engineer builds platforms and turrets, and a Gunner provides firepower and ziplines. Teamwork happens naturally because the cave itself is the puzzle.

Missions are ideal for weeknights, and the game remains replayable long after the first few assignments. Friendly fire on higher difficulties and vertical environments can overwhelm inexperienced players, but the onboarding is friendlier than many class-based shooters.

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7. Monster Hunter Rise — best for cooperative boss hunts

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Players: Up to four hunters in online hunts. Cross-play: Do not assume it; the available platform information does not establish a universal cross-platform pool.

Each hunt is a focused cooperative encounter. Players track a monster, prepare supplies, exploit weaknesses, combine weapon roles, and carve materials for stronger equipment. The combat is far deeper than a conventional action game, with fourteen weapon types and a substantial learning curve.

The limitation is campaign flow. Multiplayer is centered on hunts rather than a seamless four-player narrative, and players may need to complete introductory material or story steps separately. It is a superb long-term game for a group willing to learn, but a poor choice if everyone wants instant, effortless teamwork.

8. Warframe — best free game for mixed hardware

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Players: Up to four in a standard mission squad. Cross-play: Yes, with cross-platform progression. The official cross-platform guide explains account linking and progression rules.

Warframe combines fast third-person combat, missions, open areas, story quests, crafting, and a huge collection of playable Warframes and weapons. Friends can join most ordinary missions quickly, and its free-to-play model makes it an easy game-night experiment.

The cost is complexity and grind. The game has years of systems layered on top of one another, and new players can feel lost when veterans race ahead. Cross-platform progression is not the same as every item being freely tradable across every account type, so read the account-linking and trading restrictions before merging accounts.

9. Stardew Valley — best cozy co-op

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Players: The cap varies by platform and version; PC supports more than the old two-to-four-player shorthand, while console limits can differ. Check the official multiplayer page and the store listing for your edition. Cross-play: No universal cross-play.

Players share a farm, divide chores, fish, mine, attend festivals, build relationships, and decide how aggressively to optimize the calendar. It is one of the few co-op games that can work equally well as a relaxed daily ritual or as a surprisingly serious farm-management project.

One player owns the farm save and must host it, while other players live in cabins on that farm. Everyone shares the in-game day and generally needs to sleep before the next day begins. It is friendly to newcomers, but the host dependence and platform-specific player caps should be settled before purchase.

10. Core Keeper — best new survival sandbox for small groups

Platforms: PC and Xbox in its 2024 edition. Players: Two to eight online on Xbox. Cross-play: Edition and platform dependent; verify the current PC and console pairing. Xbox’s store page and the Xbox Wire announcement document the 1.0 launch and Xbox co-op support.

This top-down mining and crafting game occupies the space between Stardew Valley, Terraria, and Valheim. The group digs through a mysterious underground world, builds a shared base, farms, crafts equipment, and defeats bosses. Eight-player support makes it more flexible than many survival games, while two players can still make meaningful progress.

World ownership and server behavior matter. Confirm whether your group is using a hosted world or a dedicated server, and do not assume that a console store listing guarantees cross-play with every PC storefront.

11. Valheim — best hard survival adventure

Platforms: PC and Xbox; it is not a PlayStation or Switch game. Players: One to ten. Cross-play: Official cross-play is available between supported PC and Xbox versions through join codes or dedicated servers. See the Valheim cross-play FAQ.

The group explores a hostile Norse world, gathers resources, builds settlements, sails, and defeats bosses in an order that feels guided without being tightly scripted. A good party naturally divides into builders, explorers, cooks, sailors, and fighters.

The world belongs to its host or dedicated server. Players should choose a long-term host carefully because the group’s shared base, boss state, and resources live in that world. It is still an Early Access-style commitment depending on the edition and update state being covered, so expect ongoing changes rather than a completely finished, static product.

12. The Outlast Trials — best four-player horror campaign

Platforms: PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Players: Up to four online. Cross-play: Supported across the current PC and console versions, subject to account and settings requirements. The official Steam listing identifies its four-player trial structure.

This is an online-only survival-horror game in which a group completes objectives inside nightmarish facilities while avoiding or temporarily disabling enemies. It rewards communication, route planning, item sharing, and knowing when to abandon an objective.

It left Early Access in March 2024, making it a particularly relevant 2024 recommendation. The loop is intentionally repetitive: replay trials, earn upgrades, and tackle harder versions. It is not suitable for children or players who dislike intense horror, and voice communication is far more useful here than in a quiet farming game.

13. Phasmophobia — best investigation horror

Platforms: PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Players: Up to four online. Cross-play: Yes across supported versions. Console editions launched in October 2024 after the original list was assembled; see the PlayStation listing.

Players investigate haunted locations, gather evidence, identify the ghost, and try to leave alive. The tools are simple, but the information is distributed across the team: one person may monitor cameras, another test equipment, and another risk entering the building.

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It works especially well for short sessions and mixed-experience groups because beginners can contribute immediately. The fear comes from uncertainty rather than constant combat. Console players should confirm the exact generation supported, and everyone should expect online voice communication to be central to the experience.

14. Lethal Company — best PC-only horror comedy

Platforms: PC through Steam. Players: Up to four. Cross-play: No console option; the game was PC-only in the relevant list. The Steam page identifies its Early Access status and online co-op.

A crew lands on abandoned moons, collects scrap for a quota, and tries to return before the creatures or the environment end the run. One player can stay on the ship to watch monitors and guide the others, which creates real role-based cooperation even when the group is making terrible decisions.

It is ideal for a PC group that wants short, unpredictable sessions, but it is not a polished shared campaign. Early Access means features, balance, and platform plans can change. Mods can also make joining friends harder if everyone is not using the same setup.

15. Don’t Starve Together — best unforgiving survival game

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch versions exist. Players: The maximum depends on the server configuration and platform rules; verify the cap for the exact edition. Cross-play: No universal cross-play should be assumed. See Klei’s official game page for the current platform information.

Players gather, craft, cook, build a camp, and survive increasingly dangerous seasons. Character abilities complement one another, but no class system protects the group from bad preparation. Food, sanity, weather, monsters, and permanent consequences all demand planning.

This is a poor choice for players who want a forgiving first co-op game. It is excellent for a regular group that enjoys learning through failure. World and server ownership are important, and the Switch version may differ in performance, player limits, voice arrangements, and update timing.

16. Terraria — best huge sandbox

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch. Players: Up to 16 in the broadest supported sandbox configuration, although the practical cap depends on platform, server, and edition. Cross-play: Do not assume a universal cross-platform lobby.

Terraria starts as a simple mining and building game and expands into exploration, boss progression, automation, building, fishing, and equipment specialization. It supports everything from a focused two-player adventure to a large server where different players pursue separate projects.

The game explains relatively little. New groups should agree on whether they are progressing bosses together or allowing experienced players to race ahead. A hosted world also means that the player who owns the save may become the group’s bottleneck.

17. Astroneer — best relaxed exploration sandbox

Platforms: PC and console editions are available, but the exact platform and feature set varies by edition. Players: Up to eight in the broad cooperative setup cited by current coverage. Cross-play: Check the specific store version rather than assuming all platforms connect.

Teams reshape planets, build bases, research technology, automate resource production, and travel between worlds. There is little pressure to fight, so it suits groups that prefer exploration and engineering over combat.

Its systems can be opaque at first, and a shared base can become cluttered when too many players build without a plan. The strongest experience comes from assigning responsibilities and using a shared destination rather than scattering across planets.

18. V Rising — best vampire survival RPG

Platforms: PC and PS5 in the relevant 2024 pool. Players: A co-op clan can contain up to four players; total server capacity varies with server settings. Cross-play: No universal cross-play should be assumed.

Players build a vampire castle, hunt bosses for new powers, gather materials, and choose how to manage daylight and blood. Private or PvE servers let friends focus on progression, while PvP servers add raids and competition between clans.

Server settings determine much of the experience, including rates, rules, and how persistent progression feels. Make sure everyone joins the same private or PvE server if the goal is cooperative play. It is a poor match for players who want a short, self-contained campaign.

19. Forza Horizon 5 — best cooperative racing game

Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5. The PS5 version launched on April 29, 2025, after the original 2024 platform information was written. Players: Convoys support up to six in the relevant group play. Cross-play: Xbox, PC, and PS5 cross-play is supported; see the PS5 release announcement and official FAQ.

This is co-op in a looser sense than a campaign RPG. Friends can form a convoy, explore Mexico, complete events, and race together, with some activities placing the group in competition against one another. The enormous car roster and open world make it easy to play for twenty minutes or an entire evening.

It is not a shared story campaign, and the distinction between cooperative events and ordinary competitive online racing matters. There is no Switch edition in the supplied platform information.

20. World War Z — best for spectacular zombie hordes

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch editions exist, although features vary by edition. Players: Four-player campaign co-op. Cross-play: Available across supported platform groups, but check the exact edition and storefront.

Rank #4

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Teams push through cinematic zombie outbreaks, hold defensive positions, escort objectives, and manage ammunition while enormous swarms climb over one another. Compared with Back 4 Blood, its appeal is the scale and spectacle of the horde rather than a card-driven build system.

Campaign chapters are easy to understand and fit regular sessions. Difficulty rises quickly, however, and the Switch edition may have different performance and update conditions from PC and current consoles.

21. Back 4 Blood — best card-based zombie campaign

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Players: Four-player online co-op in the campaign; its separate Swarm PvP mode supports eight players. Cross-play: Yes. The official FAQ distinguishes the four-player co-op from the eight-player competitive mode.

The campaign combines familiar first-person zombie shooting with a card system that changes health, ammunition, weapons, and specializations between runs. Players need to cover one another, manage resources, and build complementary decks.

It remains a valid recommendation, but it is an aging live-service-style game rather than a new 2024 release. Choose it for a group that wants structured missions and replayability, not for players seeking the freshest active shooter community.

22. Warhammer: Vermintide 2 — best melee PvE combat

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Players: Up to four. Cross-play: Not universal across all platforms.

Four players cut through hordes of Skaven and other enemies using melee weapons, ranged attacks, careers, and tightly timed abilities. The game rewards formation, target priority, and reviving downed teammates. Its weighty close combat makes it feel very different from a typical zombie shooter.

The difficulty and violence are significant, and a group with one veteran can create a steep experience gap. Platform-specific matchmaking means friends should confirm their ecosystem before buying.

23. Risk of Rain 2 — best roguelike co-op runs

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch. Players: Up to four online. Cross-play: The platform versions exist, but the available information does not establish a universal cross-play promise; assume same-platform play unless the current edition confirms otherwise. See the Steam listing for the PC version.

Each run combines frantic third-person shooting, randomized items, escalating difficulty, and character-specific abilities. Players can explore separately, but staying aware of one another matters because time increases the threat level and loot decisions affect the whole run.

Runs can be short enough for a weeknight, yet the game is intentionally repetitive and punishing. It is better for groups that enjoy experimenting with builds than for players looking for permanent campaign progression.

24. Overcooked! 2 — best low-commitment party co-op

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch. Players: Up to four online. Cross-play: Edition dependent; the All You Can Eat edition has broader cross-play support than every original base-game combination. See Team17’s game page and verify the exact edition.

Players prepare meals in kitchens that move, rotate, flood, catch fire, or otherwise obstruct the simplest possible task. The cooperation is immediate: one person chops, another cooks, another washes dishes, and everyone must communicate when the plan collapses.

It is excellent for mixed-experience groups and short sessions, but it is frantic rather than relaxing. Online and local multiplayer support can differ between the original game and All You Can Eat, so buying the same edition is often the safest choice.

25. We Were Here series — best two-player puzzle co-op

Platforms: Varies by entry; PC and console availability is not identical across the series. Players: Exactly two. Cross-play: Varies by entry. Use the official series site to check the specific game, especially We Were Here Forever.

One player may see a symbol, mechanism, or map that the other cannot. The pair must describe what they see accurately and solve the puzzle through communication rather than shared-screen awareness. That makes it one of the best games for couples or two long-distance friends.

There is no useful way to fill an empty slot with AI, and voice communication is effectively mandatory. Choose the same series entry and check platform compatibility before purchasing; older descriptions of console availability are no longer reliable.

26. Halo: The Master Chief Collection — best Xbox/PC campaign collection

Platforms: Xbox and PC. Players: The cap varies by individual Halo campaign and mode; supported campaigns can allow up to four players. Cross-play: Xbox and PC cross-play is supported for the collection, but campaign rules vary by game. See Halo Waypoint.

The collection gives a group several classic science-fiction campaigns rather than one new shared story. Shooting, vehicles, enemy encounters, and difficulty options make the games accessible to a wide range of players, while the package offers exceptional value for an Xbox or PC group.

It is not a PlayStation or Switch recommendation, and the phrase campaign co-op should be read per Halo title. Some games have different player limits or feature support, so check the individual campaign before arranging a large group.

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27. Crusader Kings III — best strategy co-op

Platforms: PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Players: Up to 12 multiplayer participants according to the PC listing, although the console editions and multiplayer arrangements may differ. Cross-play: Do not assume PC-to-console cross-play.

This is cooperative in the sense that friends can manage neighboring rulers in the same sprawling medieval simulation, agree on goals, and help one another survive wars, marriages, succession crises, and political disasters. It is not a conventional campaign in which everyone follows the same quest line.

The learning curve is steep. A group should decide whether it is playing competitively, cooperatively, or simply sharing a story before starting. A session can last hours, and desynchronization, DLC differences, or incompatible versions can ruin a multiplayer game, so everyone should update and match their installed content.

28. Satisfactory — best PC factory-building co-op

Platforms: PC. Players: Up to four in the co-op setup covered here. Cross-play: No console cross-play. See the Steam listing for the PC edition.

Players establish an industrial operation on an alien planet, automate resource extraction, design production lines, and expand from hand-built machines to enormous factories. Cooperation is naturally divided between exploration, logistics, construction, and optimization.

The game is a serious time commitment, and one player’s save or server can become the group’s shared project. Mods and version mismatches can complicate joining. It is ideal for PC friends who enjoy building systems together, not for a group seeking a guided story or quick matches.

29. Raft — best PC survival voyage

Platforms: PC through Steam. Players: Up to eight online according to the Steam listing. Cross-play: No console cross-play because the relevant version is PC-only. See the Steam page.

The group begins on a tiny floating platform and expands it while collecting debris, fishing, exploring islands, and following a story across the ocean. The raft is a shared home, so players can specialize in steering, farming, cooking, construction, or expeditions.

Its simple opening can become a long-running world. As with many survival games, the host or server owns the main progression, and the group should decide who maintains the world. It is a good PC-only alternative to Valheim for players who prefer ocean exploration and base design.

30. Gang Beasts — best chaotic party game

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch. Players: Up to eight online. Cross-play: Officially limited to Xbox consoles and the Microsoft Store PC client; Steam, PlayStation, and Switch should not be assumed to connect. The developer FAQ is the authority for current compatibility.

Players control floppy characters in short brawls across hazardous arenas, grabbing, throwing, climbing, and knocking one another into danger. It is technically cooperative only in the broad online-multiplayer sense: most modes are competitive party games, though friends can team up in team modes.

That makes it an excellent low-commitment game-night option and a poor substitute for a shared campaign. The platform warning is unusually important; an eight-player listing does not mean eight friends across every platform can join the same lobby.

Other worthwhile picks from the original list

The original WIRED selection had useful genre range, but its December 2023 publication date explains why some entries now need a different label. Darksiders Genesis remains a good two-player online action game on PC and consoles, while Styx: Shards of Darkness is an older two-player option whose current storefront and server availability should be checked before purchase. Absolver has online co-op through its Downfall mode, but it is primarily a niche martial-arts PvP game with a smaller audience.

Apex Legends is excellent if the group wants three-player squads competing against other teams, but it belongs under team-based competitive games rather than PvE co-op. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II has cooperative Spec Ops and Raid content, but the commonly quoted figure of up to 32 players refers to competitive multiplayer contexts, not a shared co-op campaign. God’s Trigger should be treated as a verification-needed deep cut because its age and current platform availability make the original online co-op claim difficult to generalize.

Other retained candidates can be worthwhile for the right group: Dying Light offers four-player co-op on older hardware, Halo is especially strong for Xbox and PC, and Monster Hunter Rise, Risk of Rain 2, Vermintide 2, and Back 4 Blood all reward repeat play even though they are not seamless shared-story games.

Platform, subscription, and account checklist

• Check the exact edition. A Steam PC copy may not play with a Microsoft Store PC or console copy. This is particularly important for Deep Rock Galactic, Gang Beasts, and Overcooked! 2.
• Check console online requirements. Paid online-console multiplayer usually requires the relevant PlayStation Plus or Xbox subscription, while free-to-play games often have different rules. Policies and subscription catalogs change, so use the current platform store page rather than copying an old price or inclusion claim.
• Check external accounts. Sea of Thieves requires Microsoft-account linking on PlayStation, and Warframe has account-linking rules for cross-platform progression. Other games may require publisher accounts or platform permissions.
• Check age and content. Phasmophobia, Lethal Company, The Outlast Trials, World War Z, Vermintide 2, and Helldivers 2 contain horror, violence, or both. Baldur’s Gate 3 includes mature themes and substantial dialogue. Cozy does not necessarily mean every game is suitable for every child, so consult the official regional rating.
• Check voice-chat needs. Voice communication is central to We Were Here, highly valuable in Helldivers 2 and Phasmophobia, and less important in a relaxed Stardew Valley farm.
• Check the save model. In Stardew Valley, Grounded, Valheim, Raft, and similar survival games, the host or server may own the main world. Ask whether the host can be online for every session and whether non-host players retain their personal progress.

How to choose the right game for your group

1. Start with hardware. If the group includes all four target platforms, shortlist Grounded and Warframe first. Sea of Thieves covers PC, Xbox, and PS5 but not Switch. Baldur’s Gate 3 covers PC, PS5, and Xbox Series but not Switch or PS4.
2. Decide whether you want PvE. Choose Helldivers 2, Deep Rock Galactic, World War Z, or The Outlast Trials for cooperation against the game. Choose Apex Legends only if competing against other teams is the point.
3. Match the party size. Two players should consider We Were Here, Baldur’s Gate 3, Remnant II, or Darksiders Genesis. Four players have more options. Larger groups should look at Terraria, Core Keeper, Raft, or Crusader Kings III, subject to platform caps.
4. Choose a session length. Phasmophobia, Deep Rock Galactic, Risk of Rain 2, and Overcooked! 2 work well for short sessions. Valheim, Satisfactory, Stardew Valley, and Crusader Kings III reward a recurring group.
5. Set expectations about failure. Don’t Starve Together, Monster Hunter Rise, Remnant II, and Vermintide 2 expect practice. Grounded and Stardew Valley are more forgiving starting points.
6. Agree on ownership and communication. Pick the host, decide whether the world is private or public, install the same mods and DLC, and test voice chat before starting a campaign.

Why the 2024 label needs a note

The title traces back to a genuine WIRED gallery with 30 identifiable games, but that page was published in December 2023 and updated that same month. It is better understood as a late-2023 recommendation list marketed as a 2024 edition than as a fully updated guide to every game available throughout 2024.

Several later changes materially alter the buying advice. Phasmophobia gained PS5 and Xbox Series versions in October 2024; Grounded added PlayStation and Switch with cross-platform play in April 2024; Sea of Thieves reached PS5 on April 30, 2024; Remnant II added cross-play in February 2024; Core Keeper reached version 1.0 on August 27, 2024; Forza Horizon 5 gained PS5 cross-play in April 2025; and Baldur’s Gate 3 gained full cross-play and cross-progression in Patch 8 in April 2025. Those updates are why a copied platform list can now be misleading.

Prices, Game Pass and PlayStation Plus catalogs, console online requirements, regional storefronts, and active-service content are volatile. This guide therefore avoids stale price claims and recommends checking the linked first-party listing before purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does online co-op mean a game has cross-play?

No. Online co-op only means players can cooperate over the internet. Cross-play is a separate feature that lets different platforms share a session. A game can be available on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Switch while still requiring everyone to use the same platform ecosystem.

Which games on this list support PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Switch cross-play?

Grounded and Warframe are the clearest mixed-hardware choices in this guide. Confirm the exact edition, account requirements, and current cross-play settings before buying. Sea of Thieves supports PC, Xbox, and PS5 cross-play but has no Switch version in the covered platform information.

What is the best online co-op game for two players?

Choose We Were Here for communication-heavy asymmetric puzzles, Baldur’s Gate 3 for a long shared campaign, Remnant II for challenging combat, Stardew Valley for relaxed play, or Darksiders Genesis for a shorter action game.

Do all players need a console subscription?

Paid online console multiplayer commonly requires the platform’s online subscription, but rules differ for free-to-play games, solo modes, and specific services. Sea of Thieves’ official PS5 FAQ, for example, says PS Plus is required for multiplayer while solo Safer Seas access can work without an active subscription. Check the current regional store page.

Are these games releases from 2024?

No. The 2024 label describes a recommendation edition covering games available in 2024. It is not a list of games released that year. The original page associated with the title was published in December 2023, and the guide also notes later platform changes.

The Bottom Line

For the safest recommendation, choose Grounded when everyone owns different hardware, Baldur’s Gate 3 for a substantial shared campaign, Deep Rock Galactic or Helldivers 2 for repeatable four-player action, We Were Here for exactly two people, and Stardew Valley for a relaxed long-term world. Before purchasing, verify the exact edition, cross-play pairing, player cap, subscription requirement, and who owns the save.

Quick Recap

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.