We are not totally against the use of AI here at Co-Optimus Headquarters. Quite the contrary: Claude helped us quite a bit to improve the rather old code base of the site after that whole PHP-fiasco a couple of weeks ago. Talking about games, however, we do draw the line at generative AI being used for asset creation. Not just because it puts talented people out of jobs. It also significantly increases the amount of worthless slop produced and put on store shelves. Asset flips were already a nightmare, especially in the "Survival Horror" genre, but after what we have witnessed during Steam Next Fest, we almost wish to go back to these simpler times.

Own a Nintendo Switch 2? Then the last few months were very good in terms of new releases. More and more titles are getting a dedicated release for the console, while older ones are being ported over. This month alone, we've seen 14 co-op titles hitting store shelves - almost half of the amount of PC releases (33)! In total our release calender lists 57 entries across all platforms. So, as always, there's so much to play and not enough time to do it - and autumn has only just begun.

What would a world without gas stations even look like? Dead cars as far as the eye can see, dogs and cats living together... It would be complete anarchy! Well, The Last Gas Station from Alawar dares to imagine just such a brave new world. That world just got a little less lonely because the game has been updated with 2-player online co-op. The station is open right now on Steam.

Almost two hundred! That's the number of new entries added to our database in August, many of which were just announced during this year's Gamescom festivities. While everyone keeps eyeing Grand Theft Auto VI (still no co-op announcement!) as the biggest game release of the decade, there will actually be a ton of interesting co-op titles coming out over the next few months and going into 2027.

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.

You know what? Even our Database Master learns something new from time to time! Yes, we were just as surprised as you. Even he didn't know that Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspirary featured a unique co-op mode when it was released back in 2004. But thanks to the games re-release on PlayStation this month, he finally discovered the crazyiness of trying to control the main character in a third-person-shooter with two people: one player handles movement, while the other takes care of weapons and Psi Powers.

Since Tripwire's Killing Floor 3 arrived last year, the game has received several big updates. That's how things have to be if a developer wants a game's multiplayer modes active. The game launched with "perks" (classes) being locked to specific character skins, and fans weren't having it. Well, that issue has since been fixed, and the new "Operation: Shadow Hunter" update primarily adds lots of new content for loyal floor killers to enjoy. We took the game's 6-player online co-op for a  fresh spin and had a blast with it.

What a month, eh? Our database saw an increase of a whopping 212 new entries.  Not just, but mainly, thanks to all the announcements made in the 29 showcases that took place during this year's "Not-E3" season. And yes, our Database Master had to scan each game shown for possible co-op features. That's literally hundreds of games!

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 is upon us and with it comes the yearly no-longer-E3 barrage of game showcases. Place your bets now on how many titles with co-op features will be announced! Will it be all of them? Our Database Master hopes not, but why should we care what he wants?

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.