Survival games are more fun when played with friends. The shared excitement of gathering resources, building shelters, and fighting off threats creates memorable gaming moments. Working together to overcome challenges makes these games both rewarding and engaging.
The best co-op survival games offer unique environments and mechanics that test players’ ability to work as a team while facing harsh conditions. From zombie apocalypses to wilderness adventures, these games provide different settings where cooperation is key to staying alive. Players who enjoy strategic planning and resource management will find plenty to love in this gaming category.
1. The Forest
The Forest is a first-person survival horror game that offers an intense co-op experience. Players find themselves stranded in a mysterious forest after a plane crash, where they must gather resources and build shelter to survive.
What makes The Forest stand out is its unique blend of survival mechanics and horror elements. During the day, players explore the environment, collect materials, and construct bases. When night falls, they must defend against cannibalistic mutants that roam the forest.
The game supports up to 8 players in co-op mode, making it an excellent choice for friends who want to survive together. Teamwork becomes essential as players divide tasks like hunting, building, and defending their camp.
The Forest features a compelling story that players can uncover through exploration. The narrative doesn’t interfere with the survival gameplay but adds depth for those interested in the lore.
The environment itself is beautifully designed, with lush forests, cave systems, and beaches to explore. The realistic graphics create an immersive experience that makes each encounter with enemies more terrifying.
Combat in The Forest requires strategy, especially in co-op play. Players can create various weapons from simple spears to more complex explosives as they progress through the game.
Building mechanics are flexible, allowing players to construct anything from simple shelters to elaborate fortresses. This creative freedom is particularly enjoyable in multiplayer, where groups can create impressive bases.
According to Steam discussions, The Forest is considered a “solid PVE that can be played in co-op.” Many players specifically seek games that are “on par with The Forest” when looking for new survival experiences, showing its status as a benchmark in the genre.
2. Green Hell
Green Hell is a challenging survival game that offers an intense co-op experience for up to 4 players. Set in the unforgiving Amazon rainforest, it tests players’ ability to work together to survive harsh conditions.
The game delivers a unique survival experience with a strong storyline, earning it an 8.5/10 rating from Techraptor. Players must navigate dangerous terrain while managing health, hunger, and other survival needs.
Unlike some building-focused survival games, Green Hell emphasizes exploration and survival in a hostile environment. This makes it perfect for friends who enjoy the thrill of overcoming environmental challenges together.
The multiplayer mode allows up to 4 players to join forces in a survival sandbox. With the V.1.6.0 update, Story Mode became available in multiplayer, adding narrative depth to the cooperative experience.
For those interested in virtual reality, Green Hell VR offers an immersive survival experience with both story and sandbox modes. The VR version brings players even closer to the perilous jungle environment.
Players searching for similar experiences might enjoy Subnautica or The Planet Crafter, which offer comparable survival challenges in different settings.
The co-op aspect of Green Hell truly shines when players coordinate to gather resources, craft tools, build shelters, and defend against wildlife. Communication becomes essential as the team works to overcome obstacles together.
With its realistic survival mechanics and atmospheric jungle setting, Green Hell provides a tense yet rewarding cooperative adventure. The satisfaction of surviving together against overwhelming odds makes it a standout in the co-op survival genre.
3. 7 Days to Die
7 Days to Die stands as one of the most comprehensive survival experiences available for co-op gameplay. This open-world zombie survival game combines elements of crafting, building, looting, and combat into a challenging package that friends can tackle together.
The game operates on a 7-day cycle where zombie hordes become increasingly difficult each week, forcing players to prepare defenses and work together. This mechanic creates natural tension and encourages teamwork as players gather resources and build fortifications to survive.
What makes this game particularly appealing for co-op is the complementary skill system. Players can specialize in different areas like construction, weapon crafting, or combat, creating natural roles within a group. This specialization encourages communication and coordination.
The voxel-based world is fully destructible and buildable, giving teams creative freedom to construct elaborate bases. Players can transform abandoned buildings into fortresses or build entirely new structures from scratch.
7 Days to Die offers split-screen co-op functionality, making it accessible for friends who want to play together on a single console. This feature has become increasingly rare in modern games, adding to its appeal as a couch co-op experience.
The game presents a serious challenge that becomes more manageable and enjoyable with friends. Exploring the post-apocalyptic world, scavenging for supplies, and surviving together creates memorable gaming moments that solo play simply cannot match.
Despite being considered one of the best survival games on PC, 7 Days to Die still has rough edges typical of the survival genre. However, these imperfections rarely detract from the cooperative experience, and may even add to the charm of overcoming challenges together.
4. Grounded
Grounded is an innovative survival game that shrinks players down to the size of ants in a suburban backyard. Released by Obsidian Entertainment, this game has quickly become a fan favorite in the co-op survival genre.
The premise is simple but captivating – four high school students are mysteriously miniaturized and must work together to survive in the now-massive backyard environment. This setup creates a unique perspective where everyday objects become massive landmarks and ordinary insects transform into terrifying predators.
The game supports up to four players in co-op mode, making it ideal for friends who want to team up against the challenges of the micro-world. Many players have found the multiplayer experience to be exceptional, with some even playing through the game multiple times due to its engaging gameplay.
Setting up co-op in Grounded is generally quick and simple, though there can occasionally be technical hurdles to overcome. The effort is worth it, as the cooperative elements truly shine when players work together.
The survival aspects include crafting tools and weapons from found materials, building bases for protection, and managing hunger and thirst. Players must gather resources like plant fibers, dew drops, and insect parts to create necessary items for survival.
Combat against various insects forms a significant part of the gameplay. From aggressive ants to terrifying spiders, players must develop strategies to defeat or avoid these creatures. The game’s arachnophobia mode is a thoughtful inclusion for those with fear of spiders.
For those who enjoy survival games with friends, Grounded offers a fresh take on the genre. Its unique setting and cooperative gameplay have earned it a place among the best co-op survival experiences available today.
5. Conan Exiles
Conan Exiles stands out as a compelling co-op survival game set in the brutal world of Conan the Barbarian. The game offers players an expansive open-world sandbox where they can build, explore, and survive together in a harsh fantasy landscape.
The game excels in providing a robust building system that allows players to construct impressive structures and fortresses. Teams can work together to gather resources, craft items, and defend their bases from both AI enemies and potential player threats.
Conan Exiles features particularly strong graphics coupled with diverse gameplay mechanics. While some players note that its survival elements aren’t as deep as other titles, it compensates with multiple end game activities for PVE players.
The title truly shines in small co-op groups. According to player experiences, Conan Exiles is great for 1-2 player co-op, with two friends being able to accomplish everything the game offers without limitations.
Recent updates have added sorcery to the game, expanding the available playstyles and giving co-op partners more ways to specialize. This addition complements the already existing combat and crafting systems.
The game provides a complete package with its content structure, offering various activities that keep co-op teams engaged long-term. Players can explore dungeons, fight bosses, and engage with the world’s lore together.
Some enthusiasts even consider earlier versions like Everquest Landmark as influences, noting it was possibly the best open-world survival-ish game they had experienced. Conan Exiles builds upon similar principles while establishing its unique identity.
Available on Steam and other platforms, Conan Exiles regularly receives updates and has maintained a dedicated player base interested in its cooperative survival gameplay.
6. Ark: Survival Evolved
Ark: Survival Evolved offers a unique prehistoric survival experience where players must navigate a world filled with dinosaurs and other ancient creatures. The game places survivors on mysterious islands where they must gather resources, build shelters, and tame wild creatures to survive.
One of the strongest aspects of Ark is its cooperative gameplay options. Friends can join together on official servers or create their own private sessions for a more customized experience. The game supports both online and local split-screen co-op, making it accessible for different playing arrangements.
Players who enjoy Ark in solo or co-op mode often find it highly rewarding. Some dedicated players have logged over 1,000 hours in single-player environments alone, demonstrating the game’s depth and replayability.
The core gameplay loop involves learning to survive by using cunning to either kill or tame the primeval creatures that roam the land. The taming system is particularly engaging, allowing players to capture and train dinosaurs that can then be used for transportation, protection, or resource gathering.
Ark continues to be recognized as one of the best survival games on PC, standing alongside other notable titles in the genre. Its combination of prehistoric elements with traditional survival mechanics creates a distinctive gaming experience.
The game features multiple expansions and DLC maps that add new environments, creatures, and challenges. This extensive content library ensures that co-op players always have fresh objectives and territories to explore together.
Building complex bases, breeding dinosaurs, and taking on challenging boss fights provide long-term goals for cooperative teams. The shared experience of surviving and thriving in this dangerous world creates memorable gaming moments and tests communication and teamwork skills.
7. Valheim
Valheim has earned its place among the top co-op survival games with its unique blend of Norse mythology and survival mechanics. Released in early access, this Viking-themed game quickly gained popularity for its chill exploration vibes and amazing building system.
Players can team up with up to 9 friends in this procedurally-generated world, making it perfect for cooperative gameplay. The combat system is straightforward yet engaging, allowing players to focus on exploration and building rather than complex fighting mechanics.
One of Valheim’s standout features is its building system. Players can construct elaborate bases using a variety of materials found throughout the game world. These structures not only provide shelter but also serve as central hubs for crafting and planning expeditions.
The game divides its world into different biomes, each offering unique challenges, resources, and boss encounters. These bosses require teamwork to defeat, encouraging cooperation among players.
Valheim strikes a good balance between difficulty and accessibility. While the game can be challenging, especially in later biomes, it never feels unfair or overwhelming. This makes it approachable for both seasoned survival game veterans and newcomers to the genre.
Resource gathering and crafting form the backbone of gameplay. Players must collect materials to create better equipment, which in turn allows them to explore more dangerous areas and face tougher enemies.
The brutal exploration aspects are balanced with beautiful, stylized graphics that create an immersive atmosphere. The low-poly aesthetic gives Valheim a distinct visual identity while allowing it to run smoothly on various hardware configurations.
Currently available at a 50% discount on Steam, Valheim continues to receive updates that add new content and refine existing systems. The developers remain committed to expanding the game while maintaining its core appeal.
8. Project Zomboid
Project Zomboid stands out as one of the most detailed zombie survival experiences available for co-op play. This isometric sandbox game offers players a realistic survival scenario in a zombie-infested world where infection means eventual death.
The game excels in multiplayer mode, allowing friends to team up in their struggle against the undead. Players can build bases, scavenge for supplies, and develop skills together in a persistently challenging environment.
What makes Project Zomboid unique is its depth of simulation. Everything from electricity to water systems will eventually fail, forcing players to adapt their survival strategies over time. The game doesn’t hold back on difficulty, creating genuine tension during every expedition.
The multiplayer aspect adds a new dimension to the experience. Friends can specialize in different skills like carpentry, farming, or combat to increase their collective chances of survival. This encourages meaningful cooperation rather than just parallel play.
Recent updates have significantly enhanced the multiplayer experience. Players report that Project Zomboid is the best multiplayer game ever made due to its immersive systems and cooperative gameplay mechanics.
The game describes itself as the ultimate in zombie survival, where players can loot, build, craft, fight, farm and fish together. This comprehensive approach to survival mechanics creates countless opportunities for collaborative gameplay.
The addition of zombies as a universal threat naturally encourages cooperation between players. Unlike purely competitive survival games, Project Zomboid’s deadly environment pushes players to work together against a common enemy.
For those seeking alternatives, games like The Forest and Sons of the Forest offer similar cooperative survival horror experiences. However, Project Zomboid’s depth of simulation and focused zombie survival theme give it a unique position among its peers.
9. Sons of the Forest
Sons of the Forest is a survival horror game developed by Endnight Games as a sequel to their popular title The Forest. Players find themselves stranded on a remote island while searching for a missing billionaire, forcing them to craft, build, and struggle to survive.
The game offers both solo and cooperative gameplay options. Many players consider it one of the best co-op survival games available today, allowing friends to team up and face the horrors of the island together.
In co-op mode, players can work together to gather resources, construct shelters, and defend against the island’s mutant inhabitants. This collaborative approach adds a new dimension to the survival horror experience, as teamwork becomes essential for progress.
The game features impressive graphics and a terrifying atmosphere that builds on the foundation established by its predecessor. Dense forests, dark caves, and mysterious structures create an immersive environment for players to explore.
For those new to the game, there’s an ongoing debate about whether to begin solo or with friends. Solo play allows more time to learn mechanics at your own pace, while co-op provides safety in numbers and shared workload.
Sons of the Forest includes extensive crafting systems, allowing players to create weapons, tools, and structures needed for survival. From simple shelters to elaborate bases, the building options are substantial.
The game was released with a 50% discount during certain promotional periods, making it accessible to more players. Its blend of survival mechanics and horror elements has garnered positive reviews from the gaming community.
Players seeking a challenging cooperative experience will find Sons of the Forest delivers intense gameplay moments that test both survival skills and nerves. The unpredictable nature of the island’s dangers ensures no two playthroughs are exactly alike.
10. Subnautica
Subnautica offers a unique underwater survival experience that stands out in the genre. While primarily designed as a single-player adventure, it has become a popular choice for friends who enjoy sharing their experiences while playing separately.
The game drops players onto an alien ocean planet after their spaceship crashes. Your goal is to survive by gathering resources, building underwater bases, and crafting equipment while exploring a vast, beautiful ocean environment.
Although Subnautica doesn’t have official co-op functionality, many players have found creative ways to enjoy it together. Some take turns controlling the character while sharing the same screen, while others play simultaneously on different devices and share their discoveries.
The underwater world of Subnautica is filled with diverse biomes, strange creatures, and mysterious structures to discover. The game balances survival mechanics with an intriguing storyline that slowly unfolds as players explore deeper into the ocean.
For those who enjoy the Subnautica universe, there are exciting developments on the horizon. Subnautica 2 is currently in development as the next chapter in this underwater adventure series.
Players looking for games with similar appeal might enjoy Forever Skies, Planet Crafter, or No Man’s Sky, which offer comparable experiences with different settings. Some of these alternatives do feature built-in cooperative play options.
Understanding Co-op Survival Game Mechanics
Successful survival in multiplayer environments requires mastering both resource systems and effective team coordination. These elements form the foundation of most popular cooperative survival experiences.
Resource Management
Resource gathering and management are critical elements in co-op survival games. Most games feature day-night cycles where players must collect materials during safer daylight hours to prepare for more dangerous nights.
Effective teams typically divide resource responsibilities based on player skills. One player might focus on gathering food while another collects building materials or crafts weapons.
Games like 7 Days to Die implement scarcity mechanics that force strategic decisions about what to collect and when. Players must prioritize essential resources such as:
- Food and water for sustaining health
- Building materials for shelter construction
- Weapons and ammunition for defense
- Medical supplies for healing
Resource sharing systems vary between games, with some featuring shared inventories while others require manual transfers between players.
Team Dynamics
Communication forms the backbone of successful co-op survival experiences. Teams that coordinate through voice chat or in-game communication systems generally survive longer than those who don’t.
Role specialization emerges naturally in many games. In titles like The Forest or Green Hell, players often develop specialized skills:
- Builders who focus on shelter construction
- Hunters who gather food and resources
- Defenders who protect the base from threats
- Explorers who scout new territories
Shared progression systems reward teamwork by allowing players to contribute to common goals. Many games implement complementary skill trees that encourage players to develop different abilities.
Decision-making becomes more complex with larger groups. Successful teams establish clear leadership or democratic systems for making critical choices about resource allocation and expansion priorities.
Strategies for Thriving in Co-op Survival Games
Working together effectively can make the difference between survival and failure in co-op games. Strategic teamwork allows players to overcome challenges that would be impossible alone.
Communication and Coordination
Clear communication is the foundation of successful co-op survival gameplay. Players should establish a reliable communication channel, whether through in-game voice chat or external platforms like Discord.
Regular check-ins help teams stay informed about individual statuses, resource levels, and potential threats. Establishing a base camp early provides a central meeting point for coordinating activities and sharing resources.
Players should develop simple callouts for common situations to respond quickly to dangers. For example, using “Enemies north!” instead of lengthy explanations during combat situations.
Map awareness is crucial. Teams that share information about resource locations, danger zones, and unexplored territories maintain a strategic advantage.
When facing enemies, coordinated attack patterns are more effective than individual efforts. In games like Contractors VR, players should take turns drawing enemy attention while others heal or reposition.
Role Allocation
Splitting up duties based on player strengths creates efficient team dynamics. Common roles include:
Resource Gatherer: Focuses on collecting essential materials for crafting and survival.
Builder/Crafter: Transforms raw resources into structures, tools, and equipment.
Combat Specialist: Handles threats and protects team members during resource gathering.
Explorer: Scouts new areas for resources and potential dangers.
Role rotation prevents burnout and ensures all players develop diverse skills. Teams should periodically reassess role assignments based on changing game conditions and player preferences.
Popular co-op survival games like Valheim and Don’t Starve Together reward specialized roles with unique equipment options that complement team strategies.
Players should understand the basics of all roles to provide backup when teammates are unavailable. This flexibility helps maintain team functionality even when facing unexpected challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Players have many questions about co-op survival games across different platforms. The gaming community seeks specific recommendations based on console preferences, game mechanics, and thematic elements.
What are the top-rated co-op survival games for Xbox Series X?
Xbox Series X players can enjoy several standout co-op survival titles. The Forest offers an immersive experience with its realistic environment and complex building mechanics.
7 Days to Die provides a zombie apocalypse scenario with deep crafting systems that shine on the Xbox Series X hardware. The enhanced graphics and faster loading times make the experience more fluid.
Grounded, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, takes full advantage of the console’s capabilities. The “honey, I shrunk the kids” inspired backyard adventure supports up to four players in co-op mode.
Which co-op survival games on PC offer the best multiplayer experience?
PC remains the premier platform for co-op survival games with its flexibility and control options. Green Hell provides one of the most challenging survival experiences with its realistic approach to jungle survival.
7 Days to Die shines on PC with regular updates and mod support that console versions don’t receive. The community-created content extends the gameplay significantly.
Conan Exiles offers an expansive open world with robust building mechanics and server options. The dedicated server capability on PC allows for larger player groups and persistent worlds.
Can you recommend highly-reviewed co-op survival games for PS5?
PS5 owners have access to several highly-rated survival titles. The Forest runs exceptionally well on PS5 with improved loading times and visual fidelity compared to previous console generations.
Green Hell challenges players with its realistic survival mechanics while taking advantage of the PS5’s haptic feedback features. The immersion is enhanced through the controller’s capabilities.
Conan Exiles received PS5 optimization that improves frame rates and visual quality. The game’s vast open world benefits from the faster SSD loading times.
Which co-op survival games are the most popular among reddit gaming communities?
Reddit communities frequently discuss several co-op survival favorites. Discussions about open-world survival craft games often highlight The Forest for its unique horror elements and story progression.
7 Days to Die maintains a strong following for its blend of zombie combat, base building, and RPG elements. The regular developer updates keep the community engaged.
Grounded has garnered significant praise for its unique setting and polished gameplay. The distinctive art style and creative premise make it a frequent recommendation.
What are the best survival games with zombie themes for PC?
Zombie survival games remain extremely popular on PC. 7 Days to Die leads the pack with its combination of voxel-based building and zombie horde mechanics.
Project Zomboid offers an isometric zombie survival experience with incredibly detailed systems. The game’s depth and realism make it a standout in the genre.
DayZ continues to maintain a dedicated player base years after release. The open-world zombie survival game focuses on player interactions and tense encounters.
Are there any engaging co-op survival games available on Android devices?
Mobile survival games have improved dramatically in recent years. Minecraft offers a complete survival experience with cross-platform co-op capabilities on Android.
Terraria provides a 2D survival adventure that works surprisingly well on touch screens. The mobile version supports multiplayer through local Wi-Fi or online servers.
Don’t Starve Together has been adapted for Android with touch controls that work effectively. The distinctive art style and challenging gameplay translate well to mobile devices.
