A Way Out is a co-op game that's part puzzler, part cover-shooter, part driving simulator, and wholly chaotic. It's a heart-wrenching adventure between two men escaping jail together, where working together effectively means the difference between life or death.

RELATED: The Best Open-World Games That Have Couch Co-Op

However, it's a bite-sized experience. The game can be finished in six hours (or up to eight), and players might be left wanting more. Thankfully, gaming is full of developers who realize the importance of co-op play, even couch co-op play, however badly mainstream games seem to want it to disappear, forcing gamers to purchase more consoles and disks. This list features some of the best co-op games like A Way Out that are available to play with a partner (or partners).

Updated May 6, 2023, by Gabrielle Huston: A Way Out has continued to grow in popularity since its release. Unlike other games, which often have a huge spike in player interest and media attention before leaving the spotlight, A Way Out has consistently been discovered by new players and enjoyed all over again. We've refreshed this list to keep it up to date and ensure that you're entertained even after the game ends!

17 It Takes Two - A New Kind Of Look Into Love

marriage counsel
  • Genre: Action-Adventure Platformer
  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows

Though there are no signs yet of "A Way Out 2." However, the game that the same company released next, called "It Takes Two," received rave reviews from co-op players once again and even won The Game Of The Year!

It's designed for local co-op, where 2 players control one-half of the married couple, Cody and May. The pair are trapped in their daughter's dolls! Their therapist, who is now in the form of a relationship self-help book, keeps trying to encourage them to work together as they attempt to get back to normal.

16 Portal 2 - You'll Never Finish This Puzzle Now That Player 2 Knows They Can Steal Your Head

Portal 2 - Players playing Split Screen Co Op Campaign
  • Genre: Puzzle-Platformer
  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Microsoft Windows

Portal 2 is another game that is beloved by a group of rabid fans — and for good reason! It requires the puzzle-solving and cooperation skills that make the non-combat sequences in A Way Out so much fun.

In Portal 2, there's a single-player mode with a story, but the multiplayer mode is equally engaging, and even ties into the story from the single-player! Players will use a portal gun to make holes from one location to another and try to solve puzzles set up by a renegade robot overlord.

15 Overcooked: All You Can Eat - The Good Kind Of Anxiety

Overcooked All You Can Eat jungle kitchen level
  • Genre: Indie Strategy
  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox One

If you're looking for co-op games like A Way Out because you enjoyed yelling at each other, Overcooked: All You Can Eat is the quintessential next choice. This fantastical game can be played alone or with up to four people, and tasks you with running a kitchen — on the back of a truck, in a pool, or during a park festival!

RELATED: Overcooked 2: The Hardest Recipes, Ranked

This game had two predecessors (Overcooked and Overcooked 2) and all three cooperative titles have been beloved by game reviewers. This newest title came to Switch, PS4, Xbox, and PC (as well as being available on PS5 and Xbox Series X) in March 2021, so it's more accessible than ever!

14 Battleblock Theater - A Goofy Puzzler

battleblock theater
  • Genre: Indie Platformer
  • Platforms: Xbox Series S/X, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Battleblock Theater might have been released about eight years ago, but it still holds up as a goofy, chaotic co-op experience. It was made by The Behemoth, which was the studio responsible for Castle Crashers.

Battleblock Theater is another title with a single-player mode, but the hilarious dialogue, goofy opportunities for hijinks, and bite-sized levels make it an excellent multiplayer experience. The levels even change based on whether it's in single or multiplayer mode, forcing teams to coordinate and work together, similarly to A Way Out.

13 The Escapists 2 - Prison Breaks Are Cool, Kids

Escapists 2 - Players playing Split Screen Co Op Campaign
  • Genre: Strategy-Simulation
  • Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Android, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Classic Mac OS

The Escapists is an excellent choice for A Way Out fans because it's also a prison break story — though told in a slightly different way. The Escapists is a top-down perspective game, where the co-op players are prisoners, living their daily lives among fellow inmates, looking for opportunities to escape.

While the game is a few years old, it has been released on all the essentials: Xbox, PlayStation, PC (Windows, macOS, and Linux), and the Nintendo Switch. If you enjoy this title, you can also try the spin-off called The Survivalists, which was released in late 2020.

12 Sea Of Thieves - Pirates Of The Caribbean, The Video Game

Sea of Thieves Xbox Series X Optimization Xbox Series S
  • Genre: Action-Adventure
  • Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows

Sea of Thieves is a game that truly makes its players feel like a swashbuckling pirate out on the open water. Though it can be played alone, it's truly best experienced with a full crew on your ship.

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One big advantage is that it features cross-platform play for co-op, so one gamer can be on their Xbox, another one can use their PC, and a third could use PlayStation! Find buried treasure, kill skeletons, and take on sea creatures in this gorgeous action-adventure title.

11 Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime - If You Don't Steer, No One Will

Lovers In A Dangerous Space-Time - Players playing Split Screen Co Op Campaign
  • Genre: Space Shooter
  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, Macintosh operating systems, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime was first released in 2015 but has earned new interest from the gaming community more recently. It's become many co-op players' go-to game!

In this title, 1 to 4 players take up stations on a circular spaceship and work together to protect themselves, like in A Way Out, from their enemies. Many games like this feature a dark, "cyberpunk" aesthetic, but the developers specifically wanted to avoid it, basing their bright and adorable design on things like Sailor Moon and Katamari Damacy.

10 Unravel Two - Surprisingly Tough But Undeniably Cute

Unravel 2 - Players playing Split Screen Co Op Campaign
  • Genre: Puzzle-Platformer
  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Microsoft Windows

Unravel Two is an indie game and a follow-up to the popular game Unravel. The "Two" in the title is a play on the fact that it's the second game, and that it also added a multiplayer mode to the mix.

Unravel Two received rave reviews from gamers, who adored the new puzzles, new character, and more challenging gameplay. For those who enjoyed A Way Out's co-op but are itching for a harder challenge, Unravel Two is the next step on your journey to the top of gaming's best puzzlers.

9 Halo: The Master Chief Collection - A Classic First-Person Shooter

Halo Image of players playing campaign split screen
  • Genre: First-Person Shooter
  • Platforms: Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is perfect for people who preferred the co-op cover-shooting parts of A Way Out. While Halo isn't a puzzle game like A Way Out, nor does it feature quite a human, heart-wrenching story, the coordinated combat is abundant.

RELATED: Halo The Master Chief Collection: Mods You Need To Try

You can play Halo's campaign cooperatively or join online matchmaking to compete with strangers. If you ever get bored of the regular shooting experience, Grifball has made a return in the Master Chief Collection.

8 Borderlands 3 - Good Luck Keeping Your Party On Track

Borderlands 3 Promo image of combat against sabertooth monkey creatures
  • Genre: Looter-Shooter
  • Platforms: Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, macOS, Google Stadia,

Borderlands 3 is the newest Borderlands installment, so if you don't feel like they can pour so much money into a brand new game, just grab one of its predecessors. However, Borderlands 3 is undoubtedly the best edition so far, with unabashed comedy stuffed into every corner and a vibrant open world to explore.

The shooting is a little less coordinated than A Way Out, but no less active and fun with a good party. It's unfortunately unavailable on Nintendo Switch, but can be played on Stadia, PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox Series X/S or Xbox One.

7 Don't Starve Together - You'll Certainly Try

Don't Starve Together Oasis Birch Trees Stone Walls Wormwood Mushlamp
  • Genre: Indie Survival Simulation
  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Microsoft Windows, Linux

Don't Starve Together is a quirky game where you're forced to survive in a harsh environment where the night brings unimaginable horrors. Players have to manage their hunger and sanity by collecting resources and keeping themselves safe!

This game will be great for people who enjoy a gothic aesthetic and are looking for a cooperative co-op experience where everything is on the line! Of course, you could always compete a little and see who does better at surviving in this hellish dystopia. Up to you!

6 House Of Ashes - Horror's More Fun When Your Friend's Character Dies

A character holds a torch to illuminate a cave in House of Ashes
  • Genre: Survival Horror, Interactive Drama
  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Microsoft Windows

If you liked the interactive storytelling approach to games that A Way Out displays, try out House of Ashes! This survival horror game will ask you to make some small decisions, like how to talk to your peers, and some big decisions, like whether or not to try to jump a gap, and add it all up to see how well you survive a veritable underground nightmare.

RELATED: House of Ashes: All Playable Characters, Ranked

The game is totally accessible in single-player, unlike A Way Out, but the co-op mode is basically seamless! Instead of one player switching between characters, the various players will be assigned to characters in each scene.

5 Snipperclips - Cute, Simple, Successful Fun

snipperclips characters moving a pencil together
  • Genres: Puzzle
  • Platforms: Nintendo Switch

Perhaps you enjoyed A Way Out but were hoping to play something with a less intense ending next time. You can't go wrong with Snipperclips! Like A Way Out, it's designed to be best enjoyed by a pair.

After playing a hyperrealistic, dramatic game like A Way Out, something like Snipperclips may seem like an odd recommendation. However, it'll give you that same pleasant satisfaction of completing puzzles with less of the stress fabricated by the digital environment.

4 Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes - Raise The Stakes In Your Relationships

There are three minutes and thirty-five seconds left to disable a complicated bomb in Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes.
  • Genres: Puzzle Indie
  • Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Android, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, macOS, Linux, Microsoft Windows

Ever gotten the sense that your life just isn't stressful enough? Or that you just haven't tested your closest relationships enough yet? Well, have we got the game for you! Play as an actual bomb-defuser, why not?

Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes asks two players to defuse a bomb together. The challenge comes from the fact that only one person can look at the bomb, and only one person can look at the instruction manual. That player will need to give really clear verbal instructions to the other, and the other will need to be really clear about what they're seeing on the bomb.

3 Untitled Goose Game - Be A Bother

Two geese in a garden honking at a cross-armed woman
  • Genres: Puzzle Indie
  • Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Android, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, macOS, Microsoft Windows

Untitled Goose Game is for people who love to be set free in a world to explore. If you were always wandering around in A Way Out, looking for the minigames or just admiring the scenery, you'll like this one.

RELATED: The Best Co-Operative Puzzle Games

It sounds strange to compare this indie game to the Elder Scrolls series, but it's reminiscent of the feeling you get when you finally leave the tutorial in Oblivion or Skyrim and are faced with so many opportunities! Untitled Goose Game doesn't do anything on that scale, of course, but you'd be pleasantly surprised at how many item combinations can have an effect on the world and characters around you.

2 Among Us - You'll Never Trust Your Family Again

Among Us: Crew members sitting and discussing
  • Genres: Co-Op Indie Survival
  • Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Cloud Gaming

If you haven't heard of Among Us, we'd love to hear about how that rock you've been living under has been treating you. This little indie game exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for people to engage with each other even over vast distances.

The game is pretty simple. You play as the crew of a spaceship, and must complete various tasks onboard. However, one player is the imposter, and slowly murders the rest. The crew's goal is to either figure out who the imposter is and throw them out the air duct (harsh, we know) or to finish all their tasks before the imposter can kill everyone.

1 Raft - If You Can Keep It Out Of A Shark's Mouth For Five Seconds

A person building a wall on a raft with the open ocean and a shark behind them in Raft
  • Genres: Indie Survival Adventure
  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS

Raft can be played all alone, but it's infinitely better with friends. In this survival game, you need to build a raft (duh) with things you find in the ocean! How did you get there? Will you survive through the night? Don't even worry about it.

Your rafts can actually become pretty impressive if you put some time and dedication into them, with multiple levels and lots of modern conveniences (don't get us started about the fire on the boat made entirely from driftwood). Just be sure to watch out for shark attacks!

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