Trying to find the right game to play with your friends can always be a drag. Even more so when you have to convince them to drop a little bit of money for a game that they may not even like. Thankfully, Xbox Game Pass has you covered on that front. The service offers various games that can be played with friends, ranging from titles like Halo to Army of Two.
We’ve selected some of the best co-op games you and a buddy can pick up and play. Something worth mentioning is that Xbox Game Pass comes with various subscription tiers that give players access to different games. So, navigating what to play can be tricky based on what you’re subscribed to. For example, Xbox Live Gold is $10 a month, Xbox Game Pass is $15 a month, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which gives you access to both console and PC games with the option to use cloud gaming on mobile devices, is $20 a month.
To keep things simple, we’ve looked at everything offered in the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier. Those who are subscribed to the other tiers, like Core or even Xbox Live Gold, may not be able to fully utilize the list of games we’ve selected for you to play.
Army of Two
Army of Two is one of those games that I played over and over again. As the name suggests, you play as one of two mercenaries while your buddy plays as the other, and together the two of you go up against impossible odds. All while looking cool in cinematic moments. If you’re looking for a game that you don’t have to think too hard about and want to have a fun power trip, this is the game for you.
Diablo IV
Killing demons and devils is a pastime that’ll never get old, and it’s even better when you do it with a friend. Diablo IV is the franchise’s latest game and has much to offer. Even if you haven’t played the entire series, it acts as a good jumping point and does a lot to catch new players up to speed. Even if you’re invested in the story, Diablo IV does a great job at ensuring you build yourself up as a force that not even hell would mess with. A large portion of the fun is being able to explore dangerous dungeons, only to find some hidden evil that’s been locked away for some time.
Far Cry 6
The Far Cry series has always been a personal favorite of mine, and 6 only solidifies that feeling. The game is filled with plenty of over-the-top action scenes for both people to enjoy, and the story does a fantastic job of grabbing you right away. Having Giancarlo Esposito as the main villain is a nice cherry on top of it. This is one of those games that’ll keep you and your friend hooked until the very end. Then once you’ve beaten it, you’ll still have plenty of stuff to do, and fun ways to goof around.
Gears of War: Reloaded
If you’ve ever been curious about Gears of War, now is the time to check it out. This is even more so thanks to the new release Gears of War: Reloaded, a remaster of the original. During the Xbox 360 era, this game had a chokehold on people, and one of the main reasons was how compelling the story was. This was the first game where I didn’t mind playing as Player 2, and it was because of how invested I was in Dom as a character.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Perhaps once a year, I find myself doing a Halo run with my friends, and it’s because the games still hold up. If you’re unsure what game to play with friends, 9/10 times, Halo: The Master Chief Collection is the right answer. No matter how many times you play, it’s just as enjoyable as the last, if not more, because the game was designed to be played with friends.
Minecraft
Minecraft is another game that you can never go wrong with. The game costs next to no memory, and the number of things you can do in the game is only limited by what you can imagine. Even if you’re not a fan of the building aspect of the game, you can easily pawn that off to your friend while you go and explore caves to find diamonds and fight hordes of zombies. Minecraft caters to a wide range of player styles; you’re destined to find a thing or two you love about this game.
Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves is an absolute gem; nothing beats sailing out into the seas in hopes of finding adventure and all sorts of treasure. This is one of those games you can easily lose hours in, and I mean that in the best way possible. While playing, it’s extremely easy for you and your friends to start roleplaying by accident because of the roles you all assign one another with tasks like cooking, driving the boat, and even repairing the ship. Nothing will quickly make or break a friendship than getting into your first boat battle with another group of pirates after a long day of gathering treasure.
Sniper Elite: Resistance
Nothing will make you and your friend feel like the most dangerous people on earth like Sniper Elite: Resistance. And on the flip side, nothing will make both of you feel like the goofiest soldiers ever to walk the earth like this game will. When you and your friend are locked in, the highs are extremely high because of how calculated each shot and plan is. But also, half the fun comes in whenever you mess up and have to run from hordes of Nazis looking for you two while you try to come up with a Plan B and C.
Towerborne
Towerborne is a game that I can’t recommend enough. It plays similarly to Castle Crashers in the sense that you fight through a 2D area and take on hordes of enemies that have various attacks. The art style is beautiful, and the music is great. It’s a perfect game if you want to have fun with a friend and not have to worry too much about anything. What’s nice about Towerborne, too, is that for as simple as it is, the game has a lot of mechanics to it, too. Such as building out the right loadout for a class, knowing what perks to unlock, and which moves to use. So if you and a friend are looking for a challenging game, Towerborne has you covered on that front, too.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Nothing will quickly bond you and your friends than surviving an onslaught of Papa Nurgle and his minions, all in the name of the Imperium of Man. Darktide plays a lot like the Left 4 Dead series, but it does it in a way that doesn’t feel like a carbon copy of others. It adds its own flair to it, while telling a fun story for those invested in the 40k universe. With everything the game throws at you, it does a great job at ensuring you’re still strong enough to withstand the hordes of monsters and demons coming your way, often creating some really fun moments for you and your friends to enjoy. Even if you know nothing about Warhammer, the game does a solid job of explaining what you need to know.
