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The Switch has proven to be an all-time great for Nintendo, thanks to a variety of factors. Multiple designs that address specific needs, one of the best first-party game libraries ever, and a hybrid approach to gaming have helped make it a success, but it’s the multiplayer functionality of the console that has helped it reach record sales numbers. Whether you’re using a Joy-Con or a Pro Controller, the Switch has ample options available for having someone join you for a gaming session. And while it’s fun to play against friends and family, some of the best gaming experiences happen when we have a shared goal. We’ve rounded up the best Nintendo Switch co-op games.
Our list of the best Switch co-op games includes a bunch of Nintendo Switch exclusives as well as some standout third-party games that truly shine when playing cooperatively. A lot of the biggest hits from Nintendo itself have cooperative gameplay modes on Switch that are particularly great for parents and kids to play together. From Super Mario Odyssey and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe to Yoshi’s Crafted World and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, there’s no shortage of charming Nintendo games that support co-op throughout the entire adventure. Third-party games such as Monster Hunter Rise, Minecraft Dungeons, and Diablo 3 have also earned spots on our list.
For more Nintendo Switch game recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Switch games, best Switch games for kids, and best Switch multiplayer games.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
One of the best-selling games on the Switch, Animal Crossing: New Horizons set a new benchmark for the series during the early days of the pandemic era. Getting cozy, building your island, and meeting three other friends in local co-op is a blast, but the game really opens up with its online mode that supports up to eight players. The potential to create is truly impressive in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and there’s always something to do with your friends in this classic virtual life experience.
Read our Animal Crossing: New Horizons review.
Cuphead
Jaw-dropping visuals inspired by a bygone age of animation are best shared with a friend, and Cuphead has that option locked down. Still a highly challenging experience when someone joins you for a two-player co-op session, Cuphead and Mugman’s adventure is a tag-team of terrific design and danger.
Read our Cuphead review.
Diablo 3
Slay demons, collect a ton of shiny loot, and experiment with different classes in Diablo 3 on Switch, a game that makes devil-hunting better with a fellow warrior–or three!–by your side. Featuring one of the best loot-driven grinds in the genre today, Diablo 3 is a devilish blast of fun to play with friends in either online or local co-op.
Read our Diablo 3 review.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
A Wii U classic given a second chance on the Switch, this updated version of the 2014 game is blast of frozen fun in solo mode and even better when a friend joins the chaotic ruckus in local co-op. Each member of the Kong stable plays differently, and when their talents are combined, the end result is a well-oiled monkey machine.
Read our Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze review.
Don’t Starve Together
Darkness eventually wins in Don’t Starve Together, but at least you’ll be facing and succumbing to the unknown with friends in this sequel to the beloved original. Two players can gather resources in this survival game through local co-op, although if you’re feeling brave, you can expand the terror to four survivors in the game’s online mode.
Good Job
Think you’ve got the office job from hell? Good Job will put that claim to the test as you and a fellow co-op lackey work your way up the corporate ladder. Failing upwards is the way to go, and while getting a task done can be messy, this collection of white-collar puzzles are both charming and engaging.
Read our Good Job review.
Haven
Teamwork is a must in Haven, but the co-op action also extends to providing plenty of support and relationship-building between action sequences. A beautiful sci-fi RPG from the creators of Furi, this tale of star-crossed lovers exploring a dangerous planet makes for some fantastic couch co-op between you and a partner.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
The latest Kirby adventure is the pink blob at his most creative and terrifying best. Swallowing objects whole and transforming into them while battling rogue pooches makes for a great time, but throw in a kid-friendly local co-op mode that let’s a partner play as Bandana Waddle Dee and you’ve got the recipe for a terrific family-friendly on the Switch.
Read our Kirby and the Forgotten Land review.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
Very silly, very cosmic, and very welcoming to a gang of four players for online and local co-op, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime tasks your team with keeping a space station running as danger is thrown at it. Something is always breaking as you dash between rooms to start a few repairs, and there’s fun to be had as you wait for the end while planning to take down as many enemies as possible with you in the cold vacuum of space.
Luigi’s Mansion 3
While Mario dominates the list below, we’re not leaving Luigi out in the cold here. Teaming up with an ectoplasm clone by the name of Gooigi, you’ll be able to bust some ghosts as the lovable plumber in green in co-op play. The genius of Luigi’s Mansion 3 is that the co-op mode works well for less-experienced players, making this a fantastic game for families to play.
Read our Luigi’s Mansion 3 review.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order
If the Marvel Cinematic Universe wasn’t enough to satisfy your appetite for superhero action, then Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 certainly has plenty of blockbuster brawling to offer. With up to four players able to throw down with Thanos and his Black Order on a single screen or across the world, a vast roster of heroes, and plenty of colorful powers to unleash, this game is pure Marvel comfort food.
Read our Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order review.
Minecraft Dungeons
Dungeon-crawling Minecraft works exceedingly well, as this spin-off let’s you grab some blocky pals to join you for the adventure. Up to four players can start punching their way through mines in either local or online co-op, with the difficulty, enemy count, and the loot drops adapting to the number of players involved so that the game remains consistently challenging and rewarding.
Read our Minecraft Dungeons review.
Monster Hunter Rise
What’s better than hunting down a dreaded beast, battling it, and eventually using its remains to fashion some trendy new gear for your hunter? Doing so with a friend, and sharing the spoils of the hunt. Limited to online co-op only, Monster Hunter Rise’s multiplayer and quests are well worth experiencing with a fellow tracker at your side for some of the deadlier hunts that you’ll embark on.
Read our Monster Hunter Rise review.
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
In the first of several games starring Mario on this list, we’re taking a look at a modern-day masterpiece that harkens back to the past. Like classic Super Mario Bros., you’ll be able to bust bricks and Bowser with the Italian brothers, or three of your pals can join you on the couch and online as other Mushroom Kingdom citizens for some timeless fun.
Read our New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe review.
Overcooked 1 + 2
Beware the allure of Overcooked, as this game is just as good at uniting friends and family as it is at dividing them. The premise of running a kitchen with up to four players in local and online co-op is simple enough, but once those orders start getting more complex and a few fires in the kitchen break out, there’s a very real chance that your culinary dream becomes a kitchen nightmare.
Read our Overcooked 2 review.
Rayman Legends
Almost a decade after it was released, Rayman Legends is still a brilliant combination of platforming and co-op action featuring Ubisoft’s fan-favorite hero and pals. The definitive edition on Switch has full couch co-op support for up to four players, and there’s also some drop-in and out co-op features for when you’re looking to find someone to join you for the wonderfully colorful campaign.
Read our Rayman Legends review.
Snipperclips
Once you start working your way through some of its wonderfully devious puzzles, Snipperclips makes you feel like a genius. That experience is amplified when you and up to three other friends share those mutual “Eureka!” moments of puzzle-solving, and the game’s campaign even supports two players.
Read our Snipperclips review.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley has been a must-play on the Switch for a number of reasons, and you can add solid co-op to that list. Growing your own farm, exploring a local town, and uncovering a few mysteries are great, but doing so with up to three other players? That’s farming magic, made all the better by robust online and LAN systems that enhance the appeal of the game on a social level.
Read our Stardew Valley review.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
One of the best Wii U games eventually made its way to the Switch, but few people were prepared for just how much better Super Mario 3D World would be on Nintendo’s hybrid system. Brilliantly designed and bursting with content, the port of Super Mario 3D World is playable with up to four players in local co-op. The brand-new Bowser’s Fury campaign supports two players–one as Mario and the other as Bowser Jr.–and follows the duo’s journey to tackle a Kaiju-sized Bowser.
Read our Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury review.
Super Mario Maker 2
Playing a game with a friend is great, but actually building something together and then playing the end product? Absolutely magical and possible in Super Mario Maker 2. The game allows for up to four players to play a custom level, but the real charm is undoubtedly in the two-player create-a-course mode, with each player using a Joy-Con to build a level that could be an all-time classic or a torture chamber designed in tandem.
Read our Super Mario Maker 2 review.
Super Mario Odyssey
There’s no shortage of Mario games on the Switch currently, but Super Mario Odyssey is still the gold standard on that console. With one player taking control of Mario, the other playing as Cappy the sentient hat, the tag team can combine platforming and level interactions together in blissful harmony. Or they can cause chaos, but it’s still fun to watch the mayhem unfold. Odyssey is especially great for co-op with a youngster, as playing as Cappy isn’t mechanically intensive.
Read our Super Mario Odyssey review.
Unravel 2
EA’s adorable wooly hero Yarny got a friend in Unravel 2, and together the two are a team of cotton co-op fun. You’ve got the choice of local or online two-player co-op in Unravel 2, and once players are linked by a thread of yarn, Unravel 2’s charming mysteries and puzzles feel brilliant when a friend is along for the ride.
Read our Unravel 2 review.
WarioWare: Get It Together
WarioWare: Get It Together is all about sharing mini-game fun, but it’s worth noting that this game is limited to local co-op. Up to four players can try out a number of weird and fun mini-games here, which incorporate gauntlets of strange action with platforming. The games are colorful, the characters are full of personality, and there’s more than enough content here for an evening of Wario fun.
Read our WarioWare: Get It Together review.
Yoshi’s Crafted World
With level design that is a delight to gawk at and platforming that classic Yoshi at its very best, Yoshi’s Crafted World is downright pleasant to look at and relaxing to play. Two-player co-op mode adds to the charm as the Yoshis explore an artisanal papercraft world, and even if it is limited to local co-op, it’s a treat to work your way through these levels with a fellow Yoshi by your side.
Read our Yoshi’s Crafted World review.
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