The 10 Best Cooperative Video Games for Families
This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids.
Cubby. Real solutions for unreal times.
Join us for a weekly dose of fresh, modern ideas for life at home with your kids.
When I was a kid, family game night usually ended with someone toppling the board, hurling tokens and fake money, and stomping to their room in anger and frustration at losing AGAIN to a craftier player. (When I say “someone” I mean 4-year-old me.) Thank goodness things have come A LONG way since the days when playing against one another was the most popular mode of play. Today, many digital games allow players to go at their own pace, work together to solve problems, and actually laugh at the folly of it all, making gaming more like an experience — one designed for families to enjoy as a united front.
You’ve probably heard the expression “children learn through play.” When you interact with your kids through games, you’re not only modeling good gamesmanship, you’re acknowledging that the very act of playing is important. And spending time with your kids is never wasted. These things will make it easier for you to discuss and manage your kid’s gaming activities as they get older and choose friends to play with over parents.
Fortunately, the trend toward family-friendly games is going strong and here to stay — as evidenced by the 10 cooperative-style games listed below. Each one is designed for families whose kids are around 4-10 and rated E for Everyone by the ESRB ratings board. Have fun!
Nintendo Switch
“Animal Crossing: New Horizons” lets players grow a virtual civilization — following only their own whims and pace — and chillax with up to three other players on the same system. There’s gardening, fishing, and even furniture design (one must be comfy in paradise!). The in-game time mirrors the actual time of day and offers new and interesting things to discover depending on when you play.
Buy the game: Animal Crossing: New Horizons
PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, XBox One
Based on the phenomenally popular Disney Jr. show, “Gigantosaurus The Game” lets up to four players team up or compete against each other to solve puzzles, race on karts, and explore an enchanting prehistoric world as they work to save dinosaurs from extinction. Just like on the show, each character (Bill, Mazu, Rocky, and Tiny) has strengths and weaknesses that allow them to teach and learn from each other.
Buy the game: Gigantosaurus The Game
PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, XBox One
If you’ve never played “Just Dance,” get it quick while your kids can still tolerate seeing their parents gettin’ their funk on. Seriously, dancing is the game we all need right now, and this version has bomb music from all the hottest artists like Ariana Grande and Blackpink. You also get eight songs and new choreographies that are totally family friendly.
Buy the game: Just Dance 2021
PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, XBox One
Oh great, someone needs help moving. Fortunately, it’s for this madcap simulation game that blends physics, time-management, and ingenuity as you work on teams of up to four players to carry furniture all over the town of Packmore. Jobs get tougher as you go, escalating the need for diplomacy and grace under pressure (if you can manage it through the laughter).
Buy the game: Moving Out
PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, XBox One
If your kid can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, they’re ready for this chaotic cooking game, which ekes as much fun as possible out of the kitchen. Working in groups of up to four, teams must beat the clock as they prepare orders — all while avoiding wacky obstacles and managing ever-changing environments.
Buy the game: Overcooked 2!
PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, XBox One
Designed from the ground up as a family-friendly, cooperative game, Pile Up! is a side-scroller with simple controls that allows up to four players to work their way through open-ended levels, collecting boxes and using them in creative ways to progress. Along the way, teams will encounter puzzles and other challenges, all of which are meant to be solved together.
Buy the game: Pile Up! Box by Box
Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite
Using a toolkit packed with everything from swinging claws to coin-shooting cannons, players design their own Super Mario-style side-scrolling courses as they strengthen imagination, critical thinking, and even learn basic coding principles. Various multiplayer modes allow plenty of opportunities to work together or compete, providing near-limitless gameplay.
Buy the game: Super Mario Maker 2
PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, XBox One
With its motto, “play as a team, win as a team,” this kart racing game featuring the iconic Sonic the Hedgehog rewards those who work well together. Though each player controls their own character, they have to support each other and share power-ups to get ahead.
Buy the game: Team Sonic Racing
PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, XBox One
Borrowing elements from Lego and Minecraft, “Unrailed!” requires players to gather raw materials and build railroad tracks to keep their train from derailing. Sounds simple — but the obstacles, including unbudging cows, bandits, and hot lava — add constant challenges. Plus, you must work as a team and continually negotiate priorities, responsibilities, and strategies.
Buy the game: Unrailed!
PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, XBox One
“Unravel Two” updates the original single-player “Unravel” with two “Yarnys” — magical creatures created from a single strand of yarn that also connects the duo in an unbreakable bond. Two players control their Yarny as the pair goes on adventures, performs acrobatics to dodge threats, and solves unique challenges as they recover a family’s lost memories.
Buy the game: Unravel Two