Highlights
- Co-op RPGs can provide an excellent multiplayer experience, and there are exceptional turn-based RPGs with co-op components.
- Games like Wargroove 2 and Temtem offer fully featured co-op campaigns, allowing players to enjoy the game together.
- Final Fantasy 6 and Dragon Quest 9 allow players to share control of party members, adding a unique multiplayer dynamic to classic RPGs.
While many people have a fondness in their hearts for turn-based RPGs, there is one thing that is hard to deny: these games are often solitary experiences. Not only that, but they tend to be rather lengthy as well. However, just because that is true for many games in the genre doesn't mean that it is true for all of them.
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Many fans fondly look back on hours spent playing Halo co-op. These 10 games let people recapture that nostalgia with totally new experiences.There are, in fact, a number of exceptional turn-based RPGs that have an excellent co-op component. Some of these titles are classic RPGs, some of them are tactical RPGs, and others still, exist somewhere in-between. The one thing that unifies all of these games is that they will provide you with a stellar co-op experience.
Updated October 24, 2023 by James Kennedy: Co-op RPGs are innately pretty rare. What is even rarer, then, is when a top-tier, AAA, co-op, turn-based RPG comes around. That's a lot of things for a game to be! Yet, 2023 is the year when that happened. But that's not it! A sequel to one of the best games in the genre has just recently released as well. Both of these titles absolutely needed to be added to this list. One of them we even sent directly to the top! If the suspense is killing you, scroll down, friend.
14 Wargroove 2
While we already have the first Wargroove on this list, the sequel isn't just more of the same. While the first Wargroove has its excellent co-op campaign, Wargroove 2 has something to help separate it from its predecessor: Wargroove 2 features a fully featured campaign editor that allows for the creation of a fully featured co-op campaign.
That's right, we've finally hit the pinnacle. We have a theoretically endless source of turn-based co-op gameplay! There are already multiple campaigns for you and a friend to play through. Given how well-supported the first title was, we can say with confidence that the already excellent Wargroove 2 will only get better with age.
13 Temtem
If you are a Pokemon fan, you are probably familiar with the name Temtem. It is, essentially, an online-only take on the classic series. You could absolutely convince someone not in the know that Temtem is a Pokemon game. That is how similarly they play. And, in all honesty, it holds its own while adding a number of novel elements you can't find in a typical Pokemon game.
One of the best aspects of Temtem is that you can play through the entire campaign in co-op! As of the writing of this article, that is quite simply something that is not available in a Pokemon game. This is a fantastic experience for any hardcore monster training fan who wants to play with friends.
12 Gloomhaven
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Gloomhaven is an absolutely legendary table-top RPG. The PC adaptation takes everything that made that table-top game great and brings it to PC gamers. Better yet, it includes an excellent multiplayer mode. This entire game is playable with online co-op. In fact, that is the best way to play it. Taking control of the mercenaries in Gloomhaven has never felt so good!
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11 Final Fantasy 6
You may not have known this, but there were a few Final Fantasy games that actually gave players the ability to hand off control of party members to another player. Suddenly, the other person in the room isn't forced to simply spectate. Instead, they can flaunt a little agency too.
While it is true that this option limits the second player's engagement to just combat, it is still a great way to play through a classic with someone you care about. To keep things extra spicy, you can also agree to not strategize during battle, which would definitely add another layer to the experience.
10 Dragon Quest 9
This is a game that leaned into the multiplayer component hard. Not only is this an optional way to play the primary campaign, but it is almost certainly the optimal way to play it. In single-player, your troops will all be relatively generic mercenaries. So it is absolutely preferable to link up with other players and play in tandem.
It is safe to say that Dragon Quest 9 was built with multiplayer in mind. If you have a friend or two with an old DS kicking around, this is a fantastic RPG for people looking to go on an adventure together.
9 Culdcept
This is a bit of an odd duck choice; Culdcept is a cross between Magic the Gathering, Monopoly, and an RPG. You take squares on a grid-based map like Monopoly, and you leave a monster there to defend it. You can level that square up, also increasing the power of your monster. You have a hand of cards that can contain spells and equipment as well. This is an enthralling title that can easily become an obsession for friends.
While this is a game that can be played as a free-for-all, you can also play team matches; so it doesn't have to end friendships. Also, even if you lose, you will still be given new cards at the end; so, everyone can walk away having gained something. The Culdcept games are an absolute blast to play with friends and have been released on a ton of consoles over time. They all offer an incredibly unique experience.
8 Valkyrie Profile 2
This is another classic JRPG that will allow you to assign different characters to a second player. However, what makes this one a little more interesting is how timing-based the Valkyrie Profile games are.
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7 Final Fantasy Tactics: War Of The Lions
A favorite among fans of the genre, Final Fantasy Tactics is known for its riveting story and sublime gameplay. However, it also received a magnificent PSP port which included some excellent new content. One of the best additions was the ability to play co-op multiplayer missions (named "rendezvous missions").
There are 15 rendezvous missions in total. If you tackle these missions as they come available, you will find that they can actually be pretty tough. If you are looking to have to strategize with your partner, then this mode is sure to scratch the itch. You will only be able to take three characters into a co-op match, so choose wisely. All in all, this is an absolutely delightful addition and should give you and a friend a solid dozen hours of joy.
6 Wargroove
Do you like Advance Wars? Well, while that game has a limited co-op option, Wargroove, which is heavily inspired by Advance Wars, actually has an entire co-op campaign! Now we're cooking with fire. The Double Trouble campaign features a great, charming story that incorporates both players' characters.
There are ten maps in total to work through, so that is a lot of content. Also, since it is separated into maps, it gives you a natural starting and ending point for different sessions. Beyond the co-op campaign, there are also custom maps where you can play co-op against the AI. So, there is even more co-op fun to be had after the campaign is done. Wargroove is a great purchase for everyone who wants to play through a great tactical RPG with a friend.
5 Child Of Light
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While a number of the best co-op RPGs are great because they allow both players to have an equal share in experiencing the game, Child Of Light takes a different approach. Instead, the co-op here is asymmetrical. The second player will control a wisp. But fear not, both players still play an active role in this fairy tale adventure, they just perform different functions.
This wisp is able to freely move around during the platforming segments, collect things along the way, and help to solve puzzles. They are also able to participate in battle by healing and slowing the enemies. It all works really well and allows for an interesting player dynamic.
4 Brigandine: Grand Edition
Brigandine: Grand Edition is, unfortunately, the only Brigandine that never left Japan. What makes this doubly painful is that it is the one version of the game that had a robust multiplayer mode. You could compete against your friends (and up to five players could play together), you could team up with your friends, or you could pretend to team up and then backstab said friends.
There are a ton of different settings you can toggle to change the rules of the game, as well. It is a very robust game mode, and it is absolutely worth checking out. It is worth mentioning that there is a full English patch available online, as well. So it is more than possible to give this classic a go.
3 Wasteland 3
This is a title that has a lot of the things that people love about the first two Fallout games but provides a fully integrated co-op mode as well. A word to the wise; Wasteland 3 is a lengthy game, so you better make sure you can handle being around your co-op partner for dozens of hours.
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Which duos should you roll through Wasteland 3 with?Wasteland 3 allows both of you to interact with the world in a number of pleasing ways, though there will probably be times when your partner won't find your choices as pleasing. It is a great game that is better when played with others. Your protagonists are a bit of a blank slate, so having your friend roleplay your partner gives the game a lot of color.
2 Divinity Original Sin 2
If you are looking for a fully-featured, dynamic, well-written RPG experience, you really can't do much better than Divinity Original Sin 2. The co-op here is implemented beautifully. You can work alongside your friend, or you can split up and cover more ground. You will each have a multitude of options for developing your cast of characters, but despite that latitude, it feels like all the characters are well-realized and have their own distinct personalities.
So often when a game gives you a substantial amount of freedom it can feel like the story suffers as a direct result, but the magicians at Larian Studios somehow managed to write the game so that everything you do seems to align with the narrative as a whole. It is an excellent game, and it is an amazing co-op experience. This is one you need to not miss.
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Baldur's Gate 3
With turn-based games being a niche, and co-op implementation in turn-based games being a niche within a niche, Baldur's Gate 3 acts as an ambassador for the entire genre. This is the highest-profile game of this ilk ever made. But it isn't just hype, Baldur's Gate 3 is the culmination of everything Larian Studios has been working toward for decades now! It is also easily among the most fleshed-out, well-realized Dungeons And Dragons-style RPGs ever made.
You can play with a friend via split-screen, or you can go international and link up with players around the world. All participants are given the ability to make choices that affect the story, and different players are able to explore the world, splitting up whenever they feel the impulse to do so. Quite simply, no one does co-op in this genre as well as Larian and Baldur's Gate 3 is the best they've ever done it! It took the gaming world by storm for a reason, people!