Sometimes, playing a video game alone just doesn't cut it. For the times you want to play with friends, a good co-op game can be hard to come by. So here's a list of games that are sure to make for a good time.
1. Ibb and Obb
Ibb and Obb is deceptively simple in its premise, but it opens up a huge store of puzzle obstacles that brings players together in a challenging platform-style game. In this 2D side scroller, play as either Ibb or Obb, cute gumdrop-looking sprites, who can pass through a platform that divides the upper and lower halves of the world. While on the lower half, the gravity is reversed. You have to work together with your teammate to progress through the world, but obstacles will test your brain and your ability to cooperate with your teammate. Figuring out these puzzles is rewarding even for the third party that might join in by watching it.
2. Battleblock Theater
Collect character customizations and use them to beat platforming levels where you face off against an army of cat policemen. Work together with your partner, who you rely on for a leg up here and there, and race the clock to progress to the next stage. It has a little comedy, a little satire and whole lot of nonsense.
3. Risk of Rain
While you can play this game single-player, it's well worth convincing someone to tag along. Gather weapons and supplies to face off against countless bosses as you work out why you are stranded in the middle of space.
4. Broforce
Few action platformers bring Broforce’s level of ridiculousness. Play as semi-random action movie stars, who have unique abilities, and fight your way to the chopper at the end of the level. The best part about this game’s co-op is that it functions much like Donkey Kong, so you always have the option to either save your teammate or troll him or her into rage quitting.
5. Portal 2
Just playing around with the portals in this game is a rewarding enough experience to justify buying the game, but the puzzles are on a whole new level of fun. The friend I played with was doing his second playthrough of the co-op campaign, yet it was still difficult for us to figure out how to beat most of the levels. You and your teammate play as either P-body or Atlas, who are both equipped with portal guns. Exploit momentum and your surroundings to forge a path to difficult-to-reach places, all while thinking with Portals.
6. Borderlands 2
If you're looking for a game that doesn't care what you think and doesn't apologize for it, play BL2. Be a Vault Hunter, choosing one of four main characters (six with the DLC), and shoot your way into the Vault, a mysterious place located somewhere on the planet Pandora. I've played this game all the way through three times, and the times I played it with friends were not only more fun, but more interesting as well. With two perspectives, you're more likely to find all of the nuances the developers hid in the game, and when you find them you have someone to share the experience with. It's still good single-player, but it's best with friends.
