The Cubold Gaming team has been obsessed with the Steam Deck these last few months. It brings back the magic of being able to play on a handheld device like the PSP or even something like the Gameboy console.
I have honestly been more motivated to buy and play more games now than I ever have because I get to play them on the Steam Deck. It’s got me always asking the question, I wonder how this will run on the Steam Deck, or, this would be so much fun to play on the Steam Deck?
To us, the device is a serious success and playing games on it is amazing. The only thing better than playing games on the Steam Deck is being able to play those same games with your friends. It brings back the couch and online co-op games genre and it’s definitely something you want to explore if you have a Steam Deck or are thinking of buying one.
So I’m going to stop gushing over the console now and show you our top 10 picks for the best Co-op games that you can get right now for your Steam Deck!
Shift Happens
Shift Happens is a local and online co-op puzzle game that essentially forces you and the other person you play with to complete puzzles together. It’s obviously highly inspired by games like Portal and It Takes Two, and sometimes even something a little older like the Little Big Planet games.
The game spans 4 different worlds to traverse and solve and they are all vastly different with new puzzles and mechanics throughout. The art style is also super satisfying in the game, it’s very cartoonish and fun. The different worlds also give a really nice contrast so the gameplay doesn’t ever get boring.
As for the puzzles and co-op gameplay, just get ready for it because there is a good chance you will rage at your friends. In some areas, you both need to be perfectly in sync to solve the puzzles and it is definitely a team effort. The good thing is that if you are the larger character in the co-op experience, you can just yeet your friend around for fun.
Overall I think this is a great co-op game to play on the steam deck, and if by chance you don’t have anyone to play this one with, the game can also be played solo.
Gang Beasts
Gang Beasts has been around for a while but the Steam Deck kinda rekindled that fire for the game. Honestly, the game is just so much fun to play normally, but having your friend next to you playing it just makes it so much better.
If you aren’t sure what Gang Beasts is, think of a fighting game with RNG knockouts and rag-doll physics and you will have a pretty good idea. It’s also a game that doesn’t take itself seriously so don’t go into it thinking you’ll be getting a competitive co-op fighting game. The game is just stupid and super random but that’s just the charm that it has.
Like I said before, the Steam Deck actually got me to play this game again because I had stopped playing it because it wasn’t really all too fun anymore on my desktop, being handheld though, I feel like the game was almost made to be played on a handheld. It’s definitely a game for both couch and online co-op and something you will find yourself revisiting for a long time.
Unrailed!
Unrailed is kind of a small and seemingly simple game but when you start to play it you slowly realize how much fun and surprisingly difficult the game can be. This is probably one of the many games on this list that you can easily poor hours and hours into once you understand the premise of the game.
So Unrailed is a multiplayer game where the main goal is to literally build a rail station for as long as you can. Now, although that may sound simple, it gets really complicated once you start to add in random elements like traversing hazardous terrain or dealing with the many obstacles that can easily pop up in your path.
I love the art style of the game and because it is procedurally generated, there are an endless amount of possibilities and ways to go about playing the game. It gets pretty intense and Unrailed is definitely a great game to have in your Steam Deck library.
Human: Fall Flat
Similar to the type of physics you’d get in Gang Beasts, Human: Fall Flat is yet another one of those ridiculous games that you’ll find yourself coming back to just because of how funny some of the scenarios can be.
The general goal of the game is to traverse the crazy amount of levels, solving puzzles and platforming your way till the end. Sounds easy and simple until you realize how clunky the movement is, but that’s the kind of the point of the entire game.
The game can be played with local co-op and online PVP with up to 8 people. If you are looking for a value game then this is one you should seriously consider. The game is so fun and there are consistent updates with new maps and experiences. The community is still vibrant and alive and I really don’t see the game going away any time soon.
Cuphead
Cuphead is a 2D puzzle platforming game that is very much boss fight centered, and when I say very much, I mean the game is pretty much known for its bosses, amazing gameplay, graphics, oh and how incredibly difficult the game is.
The game is dark souls type difficult and in some cases, more difficult, so if you don’t like boss fighting games that have the potential to make you want to break any and all electronics around you, this may not be the game for you.
If you do enjoy these types of games, this game is honestly made for the Steam Deck. It runs so well and it feels so good to play the game handheld, and you can either play with your friend online or throw your Steam Deck on the dock and play on the same screen local co-op.
Oh, and the entire game is hand drew, which is just insane to me. The time it must have taken to develop this game had to have been a very long and thorough process. The game is beloved by many and it’s one of the best platforming boss fighting games you can ever play so this is definitely worth playing on Steam Deck with a friend.
We Were Here Series
If you’ve never played any of the We Were Here games, you are seriously missing out because these games are truly some of the best puzzle co-op games out there. A great way to get into the We Were Here Games is by playing the first one that was released, which is actually completely free on Steam.
The first We Were Here, although short, is an amazing free game for your Steam Deck, and the paid We Were Here games only get better. Now, you do need to have someone else to play with as the game’s core gameplay mechanic is solving puzzles with the other person, and depending on each other to traverse the puzzles.
There is sort of an underlying lore and story here too which keeps things interesting but I wouldn’t expect a full fledge story. The main pull for the games is the incredible puzzles and the unique experience. The We Were here games are some of my favorite puzzle games of all time and if you can get a friend to get them with you, these are well worth the money.
Deep Rock Galactic
Deep Rock Galactic is honestly such an incredible game that most of you probably already know about considering how well-received the game is. It’s definitely an incredible game and yet another that excels on the Steam Deck.
The game has you deploy into procedurally generated cave systems at various different difficulties, gathering and sending back resources. Although you aren’t alone in these caves and you often have to fight off hoards of spiders and enemies.
The graphics, the theme, the feel and the general light-heartedness nature of the game makes for an extremely fun game to play with friends. Oh, and the worlds are completely destructible. The game also has 4-different classes, all with their own unique abilities and strong points, so it helps to keep team play as an important and vital element of the gameplay.
I could sit here and continue to tell you about how great this game is for a very long time but I’ll just summarize by saying that this is an incredible game to play with friends and it’s a great option to add to your Steam Deck arsenal of games.
Stardew Valley
I don’t think I need to explain to most of you how iconic and incredible Stardew Valley is, it’s one of the most beloved games in its genre, and it almost seems like it was made for the Steam Deck, most games that have this art style and gameplay style feel incredible on the Steam Deck.
Although the game describes itself as a simple farming game, almost everyone who has played it knows that the game is much more than that. If you can imagine a game that just screams “Labour of love”, this game is that.
There is just so much to this game and there is a reason it’s so beloved by many. I almost don’t want to describe it all that much for anyone who hasn’t played it because there is just something about starting this game out thinking it’s just a farming game and being blown away by the experience you walk away with.
What I’ll say is this game is incredible, fun, charming, and overall wholesome and it’s an excellent choice of a game for your Steam Deck.
Sackboy A Big Adventure
Sackboy A Big Adventure is honestly a game that means a lot to me, and I was so happy to hear that the game was finally coming to Steam. If any of you grew up as I did, a huge part of my childhood was playing Little Big Planet and especially Little Big Planet 2.
LBP2 was like a second life for me back in the day and the community was unlike anything I have ever seen. I created levels, had friends, and met in-game micro-celebrities, it was crazy how that game had created the world and community that it did.
Although I never played Sackboy A Big Adventure, I heard great things about it and the game is the type of polish and charm that really only a true Sony exclusive could offer. It is honestly such a charming and cute game and playing it on the Steam Deck and with friends is almost how I would say is the only way to play this game.
It Takes Two
Our last game on the list is It Takes Two. Honestly, this game absolutely blew me away, I still can’t even believe the level of dedication and polish the devs poured into this game. I recently finished this game playing it completely on the Steam Deck with my Girlfriend, she was on her Steam Deck as well, and aside from the annoying Origin login workaround, the game ran absolutely perfectly.
The best way I can describe the game is being in a wholesome Pixar movie. The premise of the game is that you play as one of the two parents of a little girl. Those parents are getting a divorce and they magically get turned into these small little doll things and have to traverse this massive adventure to find the meaning of love again.
The voice acting, the set pieces, and the places you get to explore are just so incredible. I don’t know, maybe it has been a while since I have played a full-blown co-op story mode game is this caliber but man this game was just so charming and such a refreshment from all the other games out there.
I can gush on and on about this game but if you haven’t played it, I seriously recommend picking this game up with a friend and playing through the entire story. This one will stick with me for a while and it’s an excellent choice for you and your Steam Deck.
