Look, there aren't many cooperative driving games. There are even fewer that require two players. That's WheelMates from Firevolt, though, a 2-player RC car driving adventure that's built solely for co-op. Thankfully, the game includes a friend pass, so a second online player can join in for free, in addition to 2-player split-screen support. Early Steam reviews are super positive, so this could be the next big co-op game.
I'm not big on building decks, whether the decks are made of cards or planks of wood in the back yard. Thus, a deck-builder needs to be pretty unusual to peak my interest. Duo Quest from 1 plus 1 Studios and Rising Tide is just such a game. It's 2-player only (local or online), and the cards that players draw require them to ask questions about each other. Answer correctly to damage foes; fail, and the team's adventure might come to a premature end. The quest begins on Steam on September 16.
Scott Pilgrim EX, the long-awaited sequel to Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World: The Game, is probably the best new beat 'em up this year. It features gorgeous pixel art, catchy chiptunes, a diverse but manageable open world, and 4-player local and online co-op with cross-play. That's a lot to like! Well, now there's even more to like. Today, the game got a free update alongside the arrival of a DLC character pack.
The annual Steam Summer Sale started this week, and thousands of games are currently discounted. This includes plenty of games in one of our favorite genres: beat 'em ups like Rotwood! With that in mind, we've compiled a list of every beat 'em up in the Steam Summer Sale - and their co-op features! Lots of these game support Remote Play Together while the console versions have no online co-op, making these the best versions to get.
June brings lots of announcements from the big game publishers every year, and this one is no different. Microsoft's Games Showcase was stronger than usual, but what about the Big N? Well, Nintendo adopted a "more is more" approach with today's Nintendo Direct, showcasing dozens and dozens of games for brief periods of time. There are definitely lots of games to get excited about, including the impending Star Fox, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, and the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time!
Today, Microsoft held its annual Xbox Games Showcase to announce and highlight the games coming to Xbox platforms this year and next year. The lineup features some a handful of co-op games (mostly titles we already knew about, such as Gears of War: E-Day), some third-party heavy hitters, and a smattering of interesting indie games.
Rayman's 30th anniversary celebrations continue as Ubisoft announced today they are remastering their 2013 platformer Rayman Legends as Rayman Legends Retold. Alongside a graphical overhaul, a shift from the UbiArt Framework engine to Snowdrop, and fully voiced characters and cutscenes, this "reimagining" will feature a new story, new "dragon ride" levels, and a new realm to explore. I was invited to participate in a remote hands-on preview of a work-in-progress build of the game recently, and I came away feeling overall positive about the game's revitalized return.
When Absolum debuted last year (and this year on Xbox), it quickly emerged as one of the best modern beat 'em ups. A big part of Absolum's appeal is that it was the only roguelike brawler on the market. Well, that has just changed with the arrival of Mad King Redemption from Secret Mission and Pixel Doors. This one is both a beat 'em up and a roguelike, but it looks vastly different from just about any other game in the genre thanks to its bold 2.5D graphics. It also features 4-player local co-op, so it's definitely on our must-play list.
Sometimes, workers just really resent their bosses. The boss looks down on them, asks them to do too much, and never provides substantial raises. Who wouldn't want to rise up and overthrow the tyrannical boss? Well, that's not what Underling Uprising is about. Oh no, this game is about a group of test subjects who rebel against the mad scientist who empowered them. This fresh, new beat em up (and Kickstarter success story) comes from Dummy Dojo and Abylight Studios, and it features 4-player local co-op.
It seems like it was only two years ago when Taito released the first co-op console entry in the Puzzle Bobble/Bust-a-Move series, Puzzle Bobble Everybubble. That's because it was two years ago! The only major downside to Everybubble is that it was a Switch exclusive game. Other people want to play Puzzle Bobble too! Well, now some of them can, because Arc System Works has just published Puzzle Bobble Everybubble on Steam. It still features 4-player local co-op and 2-player online versus battles, not to mention plenty of bubble-popping puzzles.
In early 2025, Hit Start Studios released a plucky little spelunking game called Brave Escape on Steam. The game is all about a dude and his robot cooperating to make their way through a gigantic cave, and it's exclusively playable in co-op. No single-player escaping around here! Well, there's even more cave-climbing to do now thanks to the latest update, which adds 45 more levels. Additionally, we've learned that Brave Escape is coming to consoles this year.
Last year, we played a demo of Survivor Mercs, an upcoming bullet heaven (Vampire Survivors-style) shooter with a military theme. At the time, developer Wandering Wizard was targeting a summer release for the game. Well, sometimes things work out better than planned. Survivor Mercs is now due out on Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam (where it's currently in Early Access) on April 30. It's not much longer until we get to survive some mercs, baby!
