It’s February, and love is in the air. What better way to share the love than to sit down and play something fun with your other half or buddy? As you’d expect, Xbox Game Pass has you covered on that front with all sorts of games for you to enjoy, ranging from titles such as Fallout 76 to Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
We’ve selected some of the best co-op games you and a buddy/partner can pick up and play. Something worth noting is that Xbox Game Pass offers 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 Essential is $10 a month, Xbox Premium 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 $30 a month.
To keep things simple, we’ve looked at everything offered in the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier. Those subscribed to other tiers, like Essential or Premium, may not be able to fully utilize the list of games we’ve selected for you to play.
A Way Out
There’s no better way to find out if you and your partner are a good match for one another than trying to see if the two of you can break out of prison together. What’s really enjoyable about this game is how much the two of you have to work as one, because a lot of the time, if you want to get something right, you’ll both need to be on the same page to ensure it happens. Making sure the two of you work together is fun in itself. Given how tied these two characters are, it’ll be hard not to form an emotional attachment to them by the end of the game, and given how cooperation makes the impossible possible, you’re bound for a good time.
Dead Island 2
What’s more fun than killing zombies? Doing that, but with your friends. What’s great about Dead Island 2 is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously at all. The game likes to have fun with itself, and that’s reflected by the weapons and story beats you’ll encounter throughout the game. Plus, it’s filled with just enough horror to keep you on the edge of your seat but not enough to fully scare you away from the game. While making your way through a zombie-infested LA, you’ll laugh a lot and maybe cry just a little. Even if you missed out on the first Dead Island that came out in 2011, don’t worry, because the game does a great job at catching you up to speed.
Fallout 76
If you’re someone like me who just recently finished watching Amazon Prime’s Fallout, and you’re itching for more content, then Fallout 76 is for you. What’s even better about it is that it can be enjoyed with a friend. Just recently, I decided to boot up the game with my partner, and the next thing I knew, I spent a little more than an hour crafting a makeshift hut for me to live in, while she was off fighting ghouls. It’s really admirable to see how far the game has come since its original launch and how it caters to different play styles. It’s always a bonus to see how you or your friends will behave when thrown into the wasteland together.
Far Cry 6
Since we’ve established that there’s nothing more romantic than breaking out of a prison together, would you care to guess what the second most romantic thing is? If you guessed fighting against an oppressive government together, then you’d be right! That’s exactly what you’ll be doing in Far Cry 6. Not only does the game give players a huge sandbox to play around with, but it also tells a really compelling story for them to get lost in. If you’re not hanging out with Danny Trejo, you’ll be hunting down Giancarlo Esposito and all of those who side with him.
Fortnite
Fortnite is essentially the one-stop shop now when it comes to video games. Even though it is free, having an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription automatically gives players Fortnite Crew, which includes monthly V-bucks income and much more. Plus, if you and your buddy are looking to have some mindless fun together, what better way to do that than hitting the griddy as Goku and Sabrina Carpenter.
Grounded 2
If you’ve ever been asked, or asked, “Would you ever love me if I were a worm?” Then this is the game for you. Although you won’t be a worm yourself, you’ll roughly be the size of a worm. In Grounded 2, you play as a child who’s been shrunken down with the goal of becoming normal-sized again. But in your quest to do this, you’ll have to fight off various bugs, spiders, and other insects/bugs. Similar to Fallout 76, it caters to various playstyles, so if you’re someone who likes to build bases and make everything cozy, you can do just that. At the same time, the other person can go off and fight for their life in a spider-infested hole in the ground.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
It would be a crime if I didn’t mention Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. The Lego games are pure fun, and it’s hard not to smile while playing these. What makes them even more enjoyable is that you don’t really have to know much about Star Wars or even be good at video games to enjoy them. The game does a great job at breaking down the films, and it’s easy enough for anyone to pick up and enjoy. This is a great game to play if you’re trying to get someone into gaming.
