The 12 best couch co-op games on PS5

There’s something special about a game where you can hear your partner groan when you drop them off a ledge. Same-screen co-op skips the lobbies and headset faff: pass over a controller and you’re playing together.

The best picks here make teamwork the point, not an afterthought. They work for mixed skill levels, they’re easy to pick up, and they reliably produce the shouting and laughing that make couch sessions memorable.

They’re roughly ranked, with the games that do co-op best up the top. Some are built for two, some for four, and a few suit a weekend-long campaign with a friend.

1. It Takes Two

This one is made for two people on one sofa, and it never lets you forget it. Every level hands each player a different set of abilities, so you’re constantly leaning on each other to get through. The ideas keep changing, from giant toolboxes to snowglobes, and each new twist makes you grin. It’s friendly to newcomers, too, with forgiving checkpoints.

Play it if: you want a co-op adventure that you and a partner can finish together.

2. Split Fiction

From the same minds as It Takes Two, this swings between sci-fi worlds and fantasy ones, sometimes within a single level. One minute you’re riding a hoverboard, the next you’re a lumbering troll. The split-screen is playful, with the view shifting and merging as the story demands. Both players always have something interesting to do, so nobody ends up carried.

Play it if: you loved a recent co-op adventure and want another that keeps surprising you.

3. Overcooked! All You Can Eat

Few games turn friends into frantic kitchen colleagues quite like this. You chop, cook, plate and wash up while the floor splits apart or the kitchen slides around. Plans fall apart in seconds, and you’ll be yelling “where’s the plate?” before long. This edition collects a huge pile of levels, so there’s plenty to burn through together.

Play it if: you want laughter, light stress and a very good reason to shout at each other.

4. Sackboy: A Big Adventure

A warm, colourful platformer that happily welcomes up to four players. Jumping, grabbing and bopping enemies feels bouncy and good, and the levels are packed with secrets that reward poking around. The music-driven stages are a highlight, and co-op adds some chaos when friends accidentally knock you into the abyss. It’s gentle enough for kids and still fun for adults.

Play it if: you’re after a cheerful platformer for family game night.

5. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Smashing things into bricks is just more fun with a buddy beside you. Co-op keeps the action lively as you wield lightsabers, swap characters and blast through iconic scenes with a cheeky sense of humour. There’s a staggering amount to collect, so you can keep playing long after the credits. The controls are simple, making it ideal for mixed ages.

Play it if: you want an easygoing adventure with a family full of Star Wars fans.

6. Baldur’s Gate 3

A giant fantasy role-playing game that lets two people share one screen and one sprawling story. You build characters, argue over dialogue choices and watch the dice decide whether your clever plan works. The results are often hilarious. Split-screen is a great way to tackle a long adventure, with each of you steering your own hero while the world reacts.

Play it if: you and a friend want a deep campaign to sink dozens of hours into.

7. Borderlands 3

Chaotic, sweary and endlessly generous with guns. Split-screen lets you and a friend pick from distinct vault hunters and blast through missions, with loot popping out of every enemy. Comparing weapons with a mate sitting beside you is half the fun. The humour is loud, but the shooting is solid and satisfying.

Play it if: you like loot-chasing and want a shooter to hammer through with a mate.

8. Sonic Superstars

Classic side-scrolling Sonic with room for four players at once. It’s fast, bright and a little frantic when everyone’s racing through the loops together. Each character has their own tricks, and the power-ups add some silliness. It won’t be everyone’s idea of precision platforming, but as a chaotic party game it delivers.

Play it if: you grew up on speedy platformers and want to share them with friends.

9. Rocket League

Football with rocket-powered cars is easy to understand and hard to put down. Split-screen lets you team up on the same side or go head to head, and the matches are short, which makes “one more game” very dangerous. A shared goal celebration never gets old. Beginners can have fun straight away, but there’s depth if you want it.

Play it if: you want quick, exciting matches that both skilled and newer players can enjoy.

10. Minecraft

Few games make a better shared project. Split-screen lets you build a house, dig a mine or survive the first night together, with no goals other than the ones you set. It’s relaxed enough for kids and deep enough for adults who want to build something ambitious. Mostly, it’s about the stories you make up as you go.

Play it if: you want a creative sandbox that works for any age.

11. Super Bomberman R 2

Plant bombs, trap your mates and hope you don’t blow yourself up. It’s a simple formula that’s still brilliant when four people are crowded around one screen. Rounds are short, comebacks are common and the trash talk is guaranteed. It’s more about friendly rivalry than teamwork, but team modes are there too.

Play it if: you want a classic party game that gets everyone laughing and shouting.

12. Moving Out 2

You play a removalist, hauling sofas, fridges and unfortunate pets out of ridiculous homes against the clock. Co-op turns it into a comedy of errors as you try to squeeze a couch through a window while somebody else holds the other end. It’s easy to pick up, and the physics keep making silly moments out of ordinary chores.

Play it if: you like cooperative chaos with a good-natured streak.