Games to Play With Friends Online: The Best Co-op Video Games and How to Choose

Published October 8, 2026 · By Alehundred Studios

The best games to play with friends online are co-op video games that put the whole group on the same side, let everyone talk while you play and run on the devices your friends already have: It Takes Two for a pair, Stardew Valley for a cozy farm crew, Valheim for a big survival group and Among Us for a loud party night. Playing together is now the normal way to play. The Entertainment Software Association's 2026 Essential Facts report found that 70% of U.S. players age 8+ have played with others, and 62% of those play video games online with friends they know in person. Below you will find why playing with friends feels so good, what separates a great group game from a frustrating one, proven picks by group size, and how to run a game night that people actually show up to.

Why do people play video games with friends online?

People play video games with friends online mainly to spend time together, and the research shows it pays off. In Pew Research Center's survey of U.S. teens, 72% of teens who play video games say a reason they play is to spend time with others, and 89% of teen players play with other people, in person or online. Pew puts it simply: "Socializing with others is a key part of the video game experience."

Adults say the same. In the ESA 2026 report, 49% of players 18+ say games help them stay connected to friends and family, 55% say games make lasting memories, and 47% have met people through video games they otherwise would not have met. YouGov ran that survey in February 2026 with 13,545 respondents, so these are not small numbers.

Online play also builds new friendships, not just old ones. Pew found that 47% of teen video game players have made a friend online because of a video game they both play, and 47% say playing has helped their friendships. A good co-op session is one of the easiest ways to hang out without needing a reason, a place or a ride.

What makes a good game to play with friends online?

A good game to play with friends online gives the group a shared goal, fits your group size and makes talking easy. Those three things matter more than graphics, genre or hype.

A shared goal. Researchers Ansgar Depping and Regan Mandryk tested this with a two-player puzzle game where players either cooperated or competed, and either depended on each other or did not. As summarized by Tampere University's PlayLab magazine, "both cooperating and interdependence individually increase the relatedness the players experienced during the game, game enjoyment, and interpersonal trust." In plain words: when the game makes you need each other, you feel closer.
The right number of seats. Check the player count on the official store page before you invite anyone. A two-player adventure leaves the third friend watching; a game built for ten can feel empty with three.
Easy talking. Built-in voice chat, or a voice app the whole group already uses, turns a quiet session into a shared story.
Low-friction joining. Private lobbies, quick invites and cross-platform play mean nobody spends the first 30 minutes troubleshooting.
Room for friendly chaos. Races, light sabotage and silly physics produce the moments your group will still be laughing about next week.

What are the best co-op games to play with friends online?

The best co-op games to play with friends online are the ones that match your group, so here are well-known picks sorted by the kind of night you want. Every detail below comes from the game's official store page.

**It Takes Two, for two players.** Hazelight calls it "a genre-bending platform adventure created purely for co-op." The store page promises you will "Master unique and connected character abilities in every new level," so you and your partner have to talk constantly. It is a classic pick for best friends, siblings and couples.
**Stardew Valley, for up to eight.** The farming game lets you "Invite 1-7 players to join you in the valley online!" It is cozy, low pressure and great for groups where some friends play every day and others only on weekends.
**Valheim, for big crews.** This Viking survival game is built for 1 to 10 players, and you can sail "alone or with up to nine friends," build longhouses together and take on mighty regional bosses.
**Among Us, for party nights.** A game of teamwork and betrayal for 4 to 15 players. Developer Innersloth recommends "playing with friends at a LAN party or online using voice chat," and the game supports "cross-platform play between Android, iOS, PC, and console."

Beyond these four, the same rules help you judge any new release: look for a clear shared goal, a player range that covers your crew and an easy way to invite friends.

How do you pick a game for your group size?

Pick by headcount first: count your regular crew, then keep only games whose official player range covers everyone. It sounds obvious, and it saves more game nights than any review.

Two players. Story-driven co-op such as It Takes Two works best, because the whole game is designed around two people depending on each other.
Three or four players. This is the sweet spot for most co-op games. If a favorite game only supports couch co-op, Steam Remote Play Together lets you "Share your local co-op games online with friends," with up to four players joining, or more with fast connections.
Five to eight players. Stardew Valley and other games built for eight keep a mid-size group together without splitting into two lobbies.
Nine or more. Valheim (up to 10) and Among Us (up to 15) are the safe bets when the whole friend group shows up.

Do you need voice chat to play games with friends online?

You do not strictly need voice chat, but most groups use it, and it makes co-op much easier. The ESA 2026 report found that 72% of online players age 8+ have used communication tools like in-game text and voice chat to talk to others while playing. Platform or in-game voice chat has been used by 52% of them and is the most preferred option, at 36%. Being part of a community and spending time with friends is one of the top five reasons players give for talking while they play.

A few habits make voice chat better for everyone:

Use a headset so your speakers do not echo into everyone else's microphone.
Turn on push-to-talk if you play somewhere noisy.
Agree on a few callouts (like "coins left," "help me" or "go go go") so the group reacts fast.
If one friend cannot talk, make sure the game has text chat or quick pings so they still feel included.

Can friends on different devices play together online?

Yes, as long as the game supports cross-platform play or the host streams it to everyone. That matters, because most groups are mixed: Pew found that "Many teens play video games on multiple devices," with 27% playing on at least four of the five devices the survey asked about.

There are two ways to bridge devices:

Native cross-platform play. Games like Among Us run on phones, PCs and consoles and put everyone in the same match.
Streaming from a host PC. With Steam Remote Play Together, one PC runs the game and friends join through a stream. Steam lists "cross-platform play, even when the game doesn't natively support mobile devices" as one of the benefits, and friends can even join from a phone through the Steam Link app.

Before game night, check each game's store page for the platforms it supports and make sure everyone has the right app installed.

How do you run a great online game night with friends?

A great online game night has a fixed time, a game picked in advance and a private lobby with people you trust. Here is a simple routine that works for most groups:

Pick a regular slot. Same day, same time every week beats "let's play sometime."
Choose the game a day early. Everyone installs and updates before the session, not during it.
Test voice in the first two minutes. Fix mics and volume before the first match starts.
Start with something short. A quick round warms the group up and lets late friends join in.
Play in a private lobby. Pew reports that 80% of all teens think harassment over video games is a problem for people their age. Playing in a private game with friends you know keeps the night about fun.
Rotate who picks. Letting a different friend choose each week keeps the list fresh and keeps everyone invested.
End on a high. Stop after a great win or a great disaster, so the group wants to come back next week.

Where does Coins Catcher: Co-op Lands fit?

Coins Catcher: Co-op Lands is an online co-op 3D platformer for up to 8 players, with voice chat for everyone, built for exactly this kind of game night. PC (Steam), mobile and VR players join the same match, so the friend on a phone and the friend in a headset can play together. It is not on PlayStation, Xbox or Switch.

You are 10 cm (about 4 inches) tall. The group meets in The Ale, a sacred forest with giant mushrooms and glowing butterflies, then travels through magic portals into giant dioramas of seven real historical eras, from Italy 1956 to Alexandria 300 BC. Everyone collects themed coins and spends them in the game on talents such as jump height, run speed and ability power, and on unlocking the next eras. Each era has enemies and a giant beast to defeat, from a wolf in Italy to a giant spider in Alexandria, and when the group gathers 100 coins the era's tower opens and a race to the top begins; the first one up takes the Magic Gem that opens the next era. Fire, ice, oil and bubble spells keep it chaotic, and yes, you can hit a friend with fire and steal their coins.

The game is made by Alehundred (Alejandro Friant, a solo developer) in Unreal Engine 5 and has been in Early Access on Steam, open to suggestions from the community.

FAQ

What are good games to play with your friends online?

Good games to play with your friends online give everyone a shared goal and fit your group size. Proven picks include It Takes Two for two players, Stardew Valley for up to eight, Valheim for up to ten and Among Us for big party nights of 4 to 15 players.

What are games with friends that everyone can join?

Look for cross-platform games, which let phone, PC and console players share one match. Among Us supports play between Android, iOS, PC and console, and Steam Remote Play Together lets friends join a host's game through a stream, even from a phone.

How many friends can play together online?

It depends on the game. Many co-op games support two to four players, Stardew Valley supports up to eight, Valheim up to ten and Among Us up to fifteen. Always check the player count on the official store page before inviting people.

Do you need voice chat to play games with friends?

No, but it helps a lot. According to the ESA, 72% of online players have used text or voice chat while playing, and platform or in-game voice chat is the most preferred way to talk.

Is playing video games with friends online good for friendships?

Surveys suggest yes. Pew found that 47% of teen players say video games have helped their friendships, and the ESA reports that 49% of adult players say games help them stay connected to friends and family.

Sources

Entertainment Software Association. 2026 Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry. ESA, 2026.
Gottfried J, Sidoti O. Teens and Video Games Today. Pew Research Center, 2024.
Drobna B. How to Design Games That Promote Social Closeness Between Players? PlayLab! Magazine, Tampere University, 2021 (summary of Depping and Mandryk, CHI PLAY 2017).
Valve Corporation. Steam Remote Play. Steam, 2026.
Hazelight Studios, Electronic Arts. It Takes Two on Steam. Steam store page, 2026.
ConcernedApe. Stardew Valley on Steam. Steam store page, 2026.
Iron Gate AB. Valheim on Steam. Steam store page, 2026.
Innersloth. Among Us on Steam. Steam store page, 2026.