Getting together with friends is always a great time, but meeting in person is not always ideal or possible. There may be concerns about the weather, the unmanageable distance between the parties, or even just a lack of motivation. But that doesn't mean you have to spend the day alone, as open-world multiplayer games provide a great space for friends to have fun together.
The best co-op games on Steam to play right now
From online multiplayer titles to local masterpieces, Steam has plenty of fantastic co-op games to play in 2026.
Open-world games continue to make waves in the multiplayer space, with several big releases landing this year and others seeing constant updates that change or enhance an already exciting foundation. If you're looking for a sandbox to play with your friends, these eight games are a great place to have fun.
Valheim
Prepare for the halls of Valhalla
This third-person survival title allows players to gather resources through foraging, hunting, mining, and farming, which can then be used to build shelters, craft equipment, and forge weapons to deal with the threats players face in the wilderness. The goal is to prove that you are ready for Valhalla, the world Valheim it's suitably deadly with skeletons and evil bosses around to stop you.
ValheimSandbox is perfect for multiplayer teams. With your viking friends in tow, gathering resources is much faster and consequently building a base is much faster. Co-op can also ease the difficulty of some missions or battles, with players able to undertake larger groups such as wolf raids or escort missions much more easily than when playing alone.
To take a more role-playing approach, more people also make it easier to specialize. One character can focus on cooking while another levels up blacksmithing, allowing players to focus on specific aspects rather than spending time becoming versatile.
Palworld
Things are more fun with friends
IN Palworldthe action mostly centers around catching new friends, which can then be used for base building, traversal and combat. Buddies can really cover a lot of bases for the player, allowing tasks to be assigned and resources to be collected without direct player intervention.
That said, playing with friends is a great way to play because not only is it easier and more efficient to build your base, but it also helps create a community for shared progress. Maybe your friend has some items you need but you can't get them with your friends, or you need help taking down some enemies – multiplayer is a great way to tackle any challenge. If you work together, you can create some truly incredible things!
Buddies can also be swapped between friends, so if a member of your team has a buddy that you really want and don't need, swapping with one of your own buddies can be done fairly easily. And don't be afraid of a little competition; arena allows friends to battle their buddies to see who comes out on top.
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Grounded 2
Cutting bugs to size
Miniature teen from Grounded 2 facing the same situation as in the first game, Grounded-must survive the environment and fight giant insects and other creatures to stay alive. Like many of the games on this list, survival is made much easier by playing with a dedicated group.
Having a party allows players to focus on their role in the party and hone in on being the best fighter or gatherer as needed. There is also safety in numbers, ants and mites are less of a threat when you work together. Plus, perhaps most important of all, it's just kind of cool to ride ants together as a posse.
The Far Far West
Big sky, bigger problems
Speaking of poses, if you're looking for something a little more wild west themed, the Early Access title The Far Far West is a great bet that has been garnering rave reviews since its release. Players take on the role of a robot cowboy to navigate endless deserts, fight reanimated skeletons and take down aliens. It is also possible to receive rewards as a group, which means that everyone will reap the reward when the job is done.
The Far Far WestThe more relaxed approach to quest length is also a bonus for busy parties, as the shorter mission structure allows players to pop in and out as needed, rather than spending hours on a single task that may not benefit everyone. Working together with your party to take on enemies, find loot and rest in the saloon is a chore.
Windrose
Take your crew and find some treasure
Cowboys and pirates seem to go hand in hand in popular culture, although they come from different places. If you're looking for a seafaring adventure, look no further than the Early Access game Windrose. Sail the high seas together and engage in ship-to-ship battles, melee combat and base building.
One of the more interesting aspects WindroseThe multiplayer game handles its loot. Each chest has a different set of loot for each player, meaning the items you get from a point of interest may differ from the items your friend gets. This can be very useful when learning crafting recipes, as you will learn when you get a new item, regardless of the source.
You can also benefit from a friend's reputation with different factions when you visit their map. If you already have a high rank in one group, but your friend is better aligned with another group, you can still buy materials or items from your friend's preferred faction. Whatever your approach, sailing the high seas with your pirate crew is a rough time.
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Elden Ring
The lands in between are a little less daunting with a friend
World Elden Ring is one of the deepest and most interesting in all of gaming, with secrets around every corner and new stories unfolding in the vast landscape of The Lands Between. Exploring the land and taking on bosses as a party is a great time for both those already familiar with the game and new players alike.
Whether you're just helping a friend through a challenging area or taking down a boss together, the fun co-op allows for shared growth, with each player earning items and runes for trouble.
An unfortunate part of gaming Elden Ring with friends is that it's not possible to play the whole thing as a team unless you have a mod for it. Multiplayer is limited to specific areas and bosses, and progression does not carry over to the player's summoned world. However, working together in the service of discovery remains a great time Elden Ring is one of the most praised games in history for good reason.
Satisfactory
Building a better future, one assembly line at a time
Satisfactory is a PvE-only game where players work together to build increasingly complex factories on an alien planet. After building a space elevator, players will unlock additional technologies that help improve the manufacturing process. Since each run does not have a final ending, players can fine-tune their factories for maximum efficiency to their heart's content.
Although it can be played solo, Satisfactory supports up to 8 players simultaneously and they work together to create the most productive rig possible. One of the benefits of playing together is that all players will share unlocks for the HUB, MAM, AWESOME shop and Space Elevator. The ease with which players can jump into the game and the variability of the co-op experience come together Satisfactory one of the best open world simulation games.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Fight as one
Ubisoft's video game connects to the Avatar universe, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandorais a priceless sight. Scrolling through Pandora on the back of your iKran is amazing, and the game's first-person perspective helps immerse you in the lush forests and blue skies you focus on. Fortunately, this type of experience can be shared with one other player at a time, allowing players to destroy RDA bases together.
Co-op is only available after a few hours of play, but once unlocked, players can join a world to play in or invite friends into theirs. Completed quests done in co-op are tracked as progress for both players, with the guest player having the option to skip completed quests they've already completed with a friend, so there's no need to double dive.
Additionally, guests will be able to keep any rewards they collect or any rewards from completed quests such as ammo, crafting materials, cosmetic items, gear, weapons, purchased items, and upgraded items. Since the game is all about embracing community, it seems fitting that co-op is such a rewarding way to play.
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