10 Best Couch Co-Op Games On Xbox Game Pass

As gaming moves more towards online play with multiplayer and co-op, it feels like couch co-op games are becoming more and more scarce. The ability to sit in the same room with your friends and family and work together on a game towards a common goal feels like it’s become a lot more rare over the years, but thankfully there’s plenty of excellent couch co-op games on Xbox Game Pass for subscribers to enjoy.

With that in mind, we’ve decided to list the best couch co-op games you can play on Xbox Game Pass. We haven’t ranked them, just because couch co-op is such a wide genre that can lead to many different titles, but we have listed them alphabetically at least. Due to how games come and go from Game Pass, this list will also be updated and changed over time.

 

Couch Co-Op Games On Xbox Game Pass

10. Tetris Effect Connected

Developer: Monstars, Resonair
Publisher: Enhance Games

Tetris might not be players’ first thought when it comes to excellent co-op games, but Tetris Effect Connected is unlike other Tetris games that have come before or since. The game is an audio-visual marvel, combining wonderful visuals with some fantastic music to create an experience like no other. The main game alone is worth checking out, but if you’ve got a few puzzle fans to play with locally, Tetris Effect Connected has you covered.

The 3-player co-op mode, literally called Connected, sees each player able to join their playfields together while trying to play Tetris like you normally would. However, the team of three is also in competition with a series of increasingly difficult AI controlled bosses.

It might not be the most fleshed out couch co-op game on this list, but Tetris Effect Connected is definitely up there with the best of them.

 

9. Unravel Two

NOTE: Requires EA Play/Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Developer: Coldwood Interactive
Publisher: EA

Unravel caught the attention of many when it first launched due to the fact it was an imaginative little platformer with plenty of style and charm, so the announcement of a sequel was always going to be met well. Fortunately, Coldwood Interactive refused to rest on their laurels, and they changed the formula in Unravel Two to include two playable Yarnys. While the game can be played solo, controlling both characters at once, Unravel Two comes alive in couch co-op.

The game sees two Yarnys joining their strings together through the power of magic and friendship. The two will then travel across an island, completing levels and solving puzzles. The game’s mechanics make use of the string that binds the two Yarnys, and Coldwood Interactive introduce enough mechanics and ideas to ensure that players are never bored.

If you want an excellent couch co-op game to play with friends or family, Unravel Two deserves your attention.

 

8. Minecraft Dungeons

Developer: Mojang Studios, Double Eleven
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios

The decision for Minecraft developers Mojang to create an action RPG spin off of their hit survival/creation sandbox is one that certainly turned a few heads. With games like Path of Exile and others already occupying the space, along with the fact that Minecraft’s appeal has always been the building, Minecraft Dungeons had plenty of reasons why it shouldn’t have succeeded, and yet, the results are pretty fun regardless.

Minecraft Dungeons sees players travelling through the various biomes you can find in Minecraft, like villages, dungeons, snow caves and more, killing hordes of monsters to earn better loot and items along the way. With multiple difficulties and even DLC levels too, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into.

While the action and gameplay is a bit basic as far as action RPGs go, there’s an endlessly enjoyable couch co-op game here that’s worth checking out.

 

7. Goat Simulator

Developer: Coffee Stain Studios
Publisher: Coffee Stain Studios

Physics-based sandboxes like the ones seen in Goat Simulator are the perfect opportunity for some couch co-op nonsense, so it’s just as well that Goat Simulator comes with 4 player couch co-op as standard. If you’ve got some fellow players who you’re looking to cause some mischief with, there’s few games more fun or enjoyable than Goat Simulator, even if the joke does get a bit old after a while.

Goat Simulator allows players to jump into one of two sandbox environments and complete quests, find secrets and wreak havoc on an unsuspecting populace. While the main game only features two maps, there’s a host of DLC on offer too that includes new levels, quests, cosmetics and opportunities for a bit of bedlam.

If you like your couch co-op games on the chaotic side, Goat Simulator is the game for you.

 

6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

Developer: Tribute Games
Publisher: Dotemu

The beat ‘em up genre has been flying the flag for couch co-op since the early days of Final Fight and Streets of Rage, so it’s no surprise that the genre is still going strong on Xbox Game Pass. While titles like Streets of Rage 4 have been and gone from Game Pass, Dotemu are still holding it down, with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge being up there among the best couch co-op games on Xbox Game Pass.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is a throwback to both the 1980’s animated TMNT series, along with beat ‘em up games like Turtles In Time. You’ll control all four turtles, Splinter, April O’Neil and an unlockable Casey Jones as you travel from New York City all the way to Dimension X, battering villains and Foot Clan goons as you go.

Considering that Shredder’s Revenge can support six players locally, it’s undoubtedly a brilliant couch co-op title.

 

5. Gears of War 3

Developer: Epic Games
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios

The Gears of War series has always been one of Xbox’s crown jewels when it comes to co-op, and the same is true for Xbox Game Pass too. Aside from Gears Tactics, the strategy spin-off of the series, the entire Gears of War series is playable with some kind of couch co-op, meaning you can join up with your friends and family to take down the Locust hordes. Or the Swarm, if you feel like playing the modern games.

Depending on which game you play, the local co-op options you have will vary. The first game, along with the Ultimate Edition remake, only contain two-player campaign co-op, while later games in the series allow you to play around with Horde mode. However, Gears of War 3 is typically seen as the best one, as it even includes Beast Mode, for players looking to play as the Locust instead of the COG. The Gears of War series is pretty close to the top of the mountain when it comes to the best couch co-op games on Xbox Game Pass.

 

4. Human Fall Flat

Developer: No Brakes Games
Publisher: Curve Digital

Using physics shenanigans to cause mayhem is always fun, and Human Fall Flat certainly gives you plenty of opportunities in that regard. This is especially true in local co-op play, as trying to find the solution to a certain puzzle can often quickly devolve into who can throw the other off the edge first. Get past that initial urge, however, and Human Fall Flat becomes a compelling and enjoyable couch co-op puzzler.

The premise of Human Fall Flat is simple. You control a small, customisable human-shaped blob who is dropped into a series of themed levels. In order to progress, you’ll need to use physics and a bit of ingenuity to figure out how to navigate through the various obstacles.

The genius of Human Fall Flat is that there’s often more than one solution to a situation, even if the alternative tends to be “stack up some crates and leap over the wall”.

 

3. Overcooked 2

Developer: Team17, Ghost Town Games
Publisher: Team17

Less of a couch co-op game and more of an intense test of the bonds between you and your friends or family, Overcooked 2 is definitely not a couch co-op game for the faint of heart. The stress that comes with trying to nail a perfect Overcooked 2 level can often lead to frustration and panic, making it a much more punishing couch co-op game than others on this list, but the rewards are so worth it.

Overcooked 2 sees players heading to a variety of kitchens that definitely wouldn’t pass any form of health and safety regulations, and must complete orders from the hungry public in a limited amount of time. The twist is that most levels require coordination and communication from the team, otherwise mistakes begin to pile up and your time dwindles away, leading to plenty of failed runs.

If you’re the type to shine under pressure, Overcooked 2 is one of the best couch co-op games on Xbox Game Pass.

 

2. Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Developer: 343 Industries, Bungie
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios

The other crown jewel in Xbox’s couch co-op library, Xbox players have been enjoying split-screen Halo since the console’s inception, so it makes sense that Halo: The Master Chief Collection is one of, if not the best couch co-op game on Xbox Game Pass. The reason is simple: it actually contains four of the greatest couch co-op games ever made, while your Game Pass subscription means you receive two more for good measure.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection includes Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4, with the local multiplayer matches and co-op campaign all available. Game Pass subscribers also have access to the brilliant Halo 3: ODST and Halo Reach, which pushes an already excellent collection of local co-op games into the stratosphere, as both titles are exemplary when it comes to co-op play.

The Master Chief Collection is a sterling example of couch co-op on Xbox Game Pass, especially if you love shooting grunts in the face.

 

1. It Takes Two

NOTE: Requires EA Play/Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Developer: Hazelight
Publisher: EA

Arguably one of the most inventive co-op games ever made, It Takes Two’s brilliance comes from the fact that the co-op gameplay isn’t limited. Most likely would have experienced the game online with a friend, but the whole game can be played the same in local couch co-op too. Given that you can always see the other player’s perspective anyway, there’s functionally no difference between online and offline play, except there’s no chance of getting disconnected when playing locally.

Couch co-op play stays winning.

It Takes Two features a bickering married couple, Cody and May, who are accidentally transformed into miniature toys and forced to explore a more magical version of their own home in order to find a way back. Admittedly, the story isn’t the best, especially with the world’s most annoying book in tow, but it’s the varied and challenging gameplay that makes It Takes Two one of the best couch co-op games on Xbox Game Pass.

READ MORE: 12 Best Platformers On Xbox Game Pass