Co-op Survival Games have been a gift to gamers around the world. They give us the opportunity to go on unreal adventures while experiencing an entirely new and exotic life.
Countless adventures are available to us these days. 20 years ago, the most thrilling game that friends could play together was monopoly… Now, there are games about practically anything you could possibly imagine.
Sometimes we need a taste of something different as we go through our day to day routine. Sometimes at the end of a long day, there’s nothing better than hopping onto a call with your friends, and working together as a team while you test your survival skills and natural instincts, maybe even share a laugh in the face of danger.
Whether you and your friends are a fan of zombies, vampires, dinosaurs, aliens, pixelated wizards with magic sticks that are angry with the world, you name it, there’s a game here for you.
I present to you, the top 20 greatest Co-op Survival Games available to you today. I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to come back to this list whenever you and your friends are looking for a new and exciting game to play. There’s so much that every single game on this list has to offer.
20. V Rising
PC, PlayStation
It’s time to wake up. After centuries of sleeping, your time has come. Emerge from your slumber as a weakened vampire, and go on the hunt for blood.
V Rising is a Multiplayer Vampire Survival game, featuring impressive graphics, interesting lore, and the complete vampire experience.
Hunt for blood to build your power, expand your mighty castle, convert humans to join the cause, build a powerful army and defy the almighty dracula.
Form an alliance with your friends and explore the secrets of the world on your journey to find power . Meet other players online and either show them who controls the power in these lands, or recruit them into your alliance and teach them the ways of the new world.
V Rising is a great opportunity for you and your vampire obsessed friends to immerse yourselves in the world of monsters, and rise together. Or if you don’t have anyone to play with, it’s a great opportunity to meet people with similar interests as you run into them on your adventures.
V Rising gameplay
19. Raft
PC, Switch
Whether you’re deathly afraid of the ocean, or it’s the place where you feel most at home, raft is sure to provide you and your friends with hours of comedy and entertainment.
Raft is an ocean themed multiplayer game. You (and your friends) awake floating on a small raft in the middle of the ocean, with nothing to help you survive except a plastic hook. All you can see in the vast distance is blue sky and blue water. Survival won’t come easy.
Your goal is to gather food and resources, build a floating home, find the last members of society above water, and do everything it takes to survive. You’ll go from the hungry survivor who woke up on a tiny raft, to the creator of a thriving community.
Raft can be played alone, but it’s definitely more fun to play with friends. You’ll be able to progress a lot faster with more hands on deck, and the laughs that you’ll share will be priceless. You’ll win and lose together, you’ll build your empire together, you’ll explore the ocean together, you’ll push your friends off the raft in the middle of a shark attack… (Okay, maybe don’t do that last one). There’s no telling what fun awaits you and your friends.
Raft gameplay
18. Project Zomboid
PC
It’s the end of the world. No one’s coming to save you. You’re among the last survivors, you count your days and do what you can to evade your inevitable doom.
Project Zomboid is one of those classic zombie games, but there’s something more special about it. Project Zomboid is a strategy zombie game. It takes extreme caution and a solid plan to survive the apocalypse. One mistake means one bite.
Explore the expansive map, loot abandoned houses, build a safe haven, only go out when you need to, don’t get caught.
Project Zomboid will test you and your friends ability to work as a team. There are hordes of zombies everywhere, and it only takes one of you to cause the death of your entire group. You and your friends will have to be on exactly the same page, every step of the way. There’s no other option. Survive together, die together.
Project Zomboid gameplay
17. Palworld
PC, PlayStation, XBOX
When Pokemon meets zelda. Palworld is a unique game that combines a lot of cool characteristics from other games into one. A world that looks like it’s straight out of a Zelda game, riddled with cool creatures that look like pokemon, each with their own unique power.
Catch these pokemon like creatures, and use them to improve your quality of life. The creatures act as both your soldiers, and your workers. “Pokemon” can be stationed in your base to help you with resource production. The more “Pokemon” you collect, the faster you can progress.
Palworld is basically a pokemon game that also lets you wield a weapon too. You don’t even need to use your “pokemon” to weaken other “pokemon” for you to catch. You can just beat them with a stick until they choose you.
Palworld can be played either alone or with friends. However, when playing with friends, you can share your team of “pokemon” together. You can also explore the world together, fight bosses together, level up your combat skills together, build your base together, etc. It’s a great bonding experience for friends who grew up on pokemon games. It’ll give you that nostalgic feel while also introducing something new.
Palworld gameplay
16. Sons Of The Forest
PC
Sent to an island to find a missing billionaire, you soon realise that there’s something wrong with this place. An innocent looking island from the outside, but inside, there’s monsters. A simple search and rescue mission just became a fight for your life.
Sons Of The Forest is brought to you by the creators of the hit game “The Forest”. It’s a brilliant Multiplayer Survival Game. Discover monsters, cannibals, and mutants, each more deadly and terrifying than the last.
Cut down trees and build a customised shelter completely from scratch. Craft weapons and tools to help you survive. Evade the deadly monsters that lurk around every corner, especially at night. Explore deadly caves, fight your way through the mutants that guard the secrets held beneath.
Sons Of The Forest is a lot more fun with friends. Sure you could fight monsters and search caves by yourself, but wouldn’t it be better to have someone watching your back? Someone to share campfire stories with, and sacrifice to the monsters so that you can escape?
Sons Of The Forest gameplay
15. Grounded
PC, Switch, PlayStation, XBOX
“Go play outside” just got a whole new meaning. If you’re afraid of spiders and bugs now, just wait until they’re the size of a semi truck, and they’re running directly at you.
Grounded is a Multiplayer Survival Game with a unique concept. You’ve been mysteriously shrunken down to the size of an ant, and sent to survive the terrors that you never knew were right in your backyard.
You used to be the one who stepped on ants and spiders like they were nothing, now the tables are turned. Are you going to let them step on you?
Learn the secrets of your backyard, build a fortress, gear up with weapons and armour, defend your base from the swarms of giant insects. Journey to find out why you’re small, who did this to you, and how.
Go grab your friend who told you that they’re deathly afraid of spiders (in confidence), and tell them that you have a new game that they’re going to absolutely love. There’s no turning back now, your friend has to get over their fear of spiders, or die trying.
Grounded gameplay
14. Rust
PC, PlayStation, XBOX
Awake naked and armed with a rock and a torch, on an island inhabited with savages and lawless mongrels. Survive.
Rust is a popular survival game where you make up the story as you go. Find yourself on the island of death, and figure out how to use that to your advantage. If you’re not on the top of the food chain, then you’re on the bottom. There’s no in between.
Build shelter, hunt your own food, survive hot and cold weather, arm yourself as a soldier, and become a mercenary of death. Don’t trust anyone you encounter, fight off wild bear attacks, explore an abandoned civilization and claim the resources left behind. Form a team with people you trust. Survive at all costs.
You and your friends will go from beach dwellers who are afraid of losing their pet rock, to soldiers at war with the entire world. Armed with turrets at the front door, machine guns in your hands, and a helicopter. Because who doesn't need a helicopter. It’s time to see what you’re made of.
Rust gameplay
13. Don't Starve Together
PC, Switch, PlayStation, XBOX
Talk about the unfamiliar… It’s going to be tough for you to remember what the word ‘normal’ means, once you’ve spent a bit of time playing Don’t Starve Together.
Welcome to a multiplayer survival experience where nothing makes sense. A biome rich world with more unknown resources and monsters than you could count. Do you dare eat that blue fruit from that tree? You’re hungry, but it might not be what it seems. Dare to taste?
Learn what the new and mysterious world holds, explore and search for mysteries and loot, watch your back for monsters that await your presence. In this world, it’s eat or be eaten. Always be ready to strike first, or you’ll be on a silver platter for tonight's dinner.
Go grab your friends, and do everything together. Adventure together, battle together, farm together, build together, don’t starve together. Enjoy a wacky experience where the only thing that makes sense is the teamwork you have with your friends.
Don't Starve Together gameplay
12. Terraria
PC, XBOX, PlayStation, IOS, Android, Switch
Welcome to the complicated world of Terraria. Spawn with nothing but a weak copper sword, copper tools, and a useless orange haired companion that may or may not be sacrificed later (he definitely will be).
Terraria is a brilliant Survival Adventure Game that can provide hundreds of hours of entertainment to you and your friends. Corruption is spreading, so move quickly, before the entire world goes dark.
Play as either a Melee, Ranger, Mage, or Summoner Class. Choose from a wide variety of weapons and accessories to help you grow your power and abilities.
Take to the underground and light up the dark as you search for hidden chests that may contain some very useful items. But watch out for the various monsters and the sneaky poison dart traps.
Turn your house into a hotel so that NPCs can move in completely for free, and sell you things that you absolutely (most likely) do not need, and get absolutely robbed by a greedy goblin. If you’re lucky, you might get a visit from the mighty travelling merchant who might sell you the greatest item in the entire game. The mighty Lawn Flamingo. Spend your life savings and paint the world pink.
Slaughter deadly bosses as you become more powerful. Knock down the doors of the dungeon and loot everything. Build an elevator to hell and make a sacrifice. Destroy the Wall Of Flesh and unlock Hard Mode. Things are just getting started.
Invite your friends to the journey of utter chaos as you learn the game together. One of you will build an amazing house, one of you will go out exploring for gear and resources, and one of you will accidentally press left click while holding a bomb in the house. From that day on, every guest will wonder why there’s a sign at the front door that says “no bombs in the house”.
Terraria gameplay
11. DayZ
PC, PlayStation, XBOX
Has the world ended? Or has it just begun? The event that everyone’s feared has finally started. The apocalypse is upon us.
DayZ is a Multiplayer Hardcore Survival Game. Hardcore meaning when you die, you die. There’s no respawning with all your items. You just start over.
Your goal is to survive for as long as you can. Everything’s different now. No more worrying about money or material. The only precious resources now are food and weapons.
Fight off hordes of zombies, loot abandoned cities, kill other players or form alliances with them, etc. This is your life now, forge your own path and fill the pages of your own story.
On your journey of survival, you’ll run into other players from around the world. The only question is, can you trust them? Can you take the risk that they might not stab you in the back? Or will you eliminate them now so that they never get the chance?
DayZ gameplay
10. Valheim
PC, XBOX
When Thor comes knocking on your door…
Welcome to Valheim. A game inspired by Norse Mythology. Play alone or with up to 10 players, learn how to live as a viking, and rid the world of monsters.
Embrace the way of the Viking as you travel distant lands in search of answers. Answers to the mysteries that have plagued the lands. Travel with a squad, and watch each other's backs. Powerful beings lie in wait for you.
Arm yourself with the finest armour and weaponry, farm food and eat it to gain buffs, learn to fight like a warrior, and get ready for a boss battle that you might not walk away from.
You and your friends will have a blast as you enter the realm of the ancient gods. Discover the lore behind the most fascinating mythology. Explore the vast world and become the mightiest fighter.
Valheim gameplay
9. Aliens: Fireteam Elite
PC, Switch, PlayStation, XBOX
Let’s just say, you’re not walking away from this one alive, without the help of your friend.
Welcome back to the hit horror concept that was brought to us in the late 70’s. Alien.
Did you enjoy the movies? Well you’re going to love this.
Your time has come soldiers. Play with up to two other people, or an AI, and follow your mission objective: Destroy the hive.
Aliens have become a major problem, and someone has to deal with them. You’ve been selected to annihilate their race and bring peace back to the universe.
It won’t be easy. The aliens are professional killing machines. It’s your job to make sure that you’re better at killing than them. Exterminate the aliens before they exterminate you. The fate of humanity lies in your hands.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite gameplay
8. Conan Exiles
PC, PlayStation, XBOX
If Arnold Schwarzenegger can do it, you can too. Get ready to take a hike in the world that featured Conan the Barbarian.
Grab your friends and get ready to recreate the world. Find a chunk of the world to call home, and claim it. Build a small home, or a massive city. But walls aren’t enough to keep you safe, so be sure to place some traps and defences strategically, so that you can go to sleep without worrying about being attacked.
Embrace the strange mysticism that infects the world, and learn how to use it to your advantage as you become the group’s sorcerer. But be careful, magic can be just as dangerous to you as it is to your enemies.
Engage in brutal combat against monsters and other players alike through the use of a combo based combat system. Learn how to dodge attacks and master your weapon of choice.
Meet other players and invite them into your home, or slaughter them where they stand. It’s just business.
Conan Exiles has so much to offer to you, from ancient ruins, to mysteries and treasure, to a giant and open world with endless opportunities for sightseeing, to the possibilities to ascend to godship, etc. You might as well get your group of friends together and try it for yourself.
Conan Exiles gameplay
7. ARK: Survival Evolved
PC, XBOX, PlayStation, Switch
Awake to a blinding sun to find that you have a weird stone carved into your wrist. You hear the ground shaking behind you, something really big is moving. You turn around to see it… It’s a massive dinosaur. You look in amazement and then you see something else in the corner of your eye. Another dinosaur, and then another, and another… The world is infested with extinct creatures.
Ark: Survival Evolved is the perfect survival game for people who are craving a long and challenging adventure, and who love dinosaurs.
Spawn on the beach with nothing but your fists, and learn how to survive and conquer. Find rocks and wood and turn them into tools. Build an awesome base to help you survive from wild carnivores. Tame up to 160 different types of dinosaurs, and ride into battle leading an army of T-Rex’s.
Learn different skills on your travels, gear up with guns and metal armour, and build your army so that you can be powerful enough to destroy the bosses that hold the answers to why you’re here.
There are a couple ways to play ARK: Survival Evolved. PVP, or PVE. Both can be played with or without friends, and both have their advantages and disadvantages.
PVE means you have your own world with just you and your friends, and you work to beat the game together.
PVP means that you join a server with other players in it and try to become the most powerful tribe on the server. Making sure that no other players raid your base and steal your stuff.
Both options can be very fun, but if you don’t have a lot of free time on your hands, then play PVE. PVP requires that you always be on alert, even when you’re not playing the game. You could spend hundreds of hours building a strong army of dinosaurs, go to sleep for the night, and log on in the morning to find that everything is destroyed and killed. Sure that’s the thrill of PVP, but it’s not for everyone.
ARK: Survival Evolved gameplay
6. Medieval Dynasty
PC, PlayStation, XBOX
Medieval Dynasty brings you back to the times before there was a society. Before we had cities that lined the skies with tall buildings, before we had governments who ruled the lands, before we had life as we know it today.
In Medieval Dynasty, you are the pioneer. You’re among some of the first people to start building a community. This is an important time for you. How you govern your village will determine the future of the new world.
Welcome to Medieval Dynasty, where your goal is to build and run your village, protect what’s yours, hunt for your own food, get a family, and teach your children how to take over when you’re gone.
The world is a dangerous place, someone needs to begin to control it. You and your friends will enjoy the values of hard work and creativity, as you build a village your way, and protect it from the dangers of nature.
Medieval Dynasty gameplay
5. 7 Days to Die
PC, PlayStation, XBOX
Experience a nightmare that you can’t wake up from. Gone are the days where loved ones bury their dead. The meaning of death has forever changed. Now the dead try to kill you.
7 Days to Die is the ultimate Zombie Survival Game. From the moment you log in, the clock starts ticking. You have 7 days to fortify your base, arm yourself with all the firepower you can muster and get ready. For on the 7th night, the blood moon rises. Hordes of zombies will attack your home. If you aren’t prepared, you’ll quickly be destroyed.
But why survive alone? Grab your friends and finally settle the long standing debate of which one of you would survive the longest in a zombie apocalypse. Build and fortify your base together, fight nearly 60 different types of zombies, spread out and loot nearby cities, Craft from more than 500 possible recipes, go on quests, build and drive motorised vehicles.
These are just some of the features that the game has to offer. There are so many ways to survive a zombie apocalypse. Go find out if your friends have what it takes.
7 Days to Die gameplay
4. Necesse
PC
The complicated and expansive world of Necesse awaits your presence.
Necesse is a 2-D Adventure/Survival Game with so much to offer. Got a big group of friends? No problem. Necesse has dedicated servers with hundreds of other players, waiting for your tribe to join the party.
Chop down the forest and use the wood to build a massive community for you and your friends to call base camp. Conquer the lands around your village as you expand your horizons.
Go mine ores underground, pick herbs from your crops, harvest the corpses of dead monsters, and use all the resources you find to craft your way to victory. Craft gadgets, gear, weapons, and potions.
Once you and your tribe are ready, gear up and take on a variety of challenges and boss fights that are sure to test your fighting skills, your teamwork skills, and your computer’s processing abilities.
Necesse gameplay
3. Barotrauma
PC
Humanity finally screwed up the earth, and had to flee to Jupiter. Unfortunately, on Jupiter, the only way to live is underwater. No more can you be deathly afraid of the deep ocean, because it’s time to face the abyss.
Barotrauma takes survival to a new and interesting level, where your goal is to survive on your submarine. Crowd your submarine with up to 16 players, and assign yourselves with the roles of either Captain, Engineer, Mechanic, Medic, Security, Officer, or Assistant. Enjoy fighting over Captain.
Learn what life looks like as a submarine operator living full time in the dangerous and mysterious depths. Do you think it’s scary that we only know about 5% of the earth’s ocean? Well that’s nothing compared to how little we know about Jupiter's ocean.
The submarine is your home, and you must do everything you can to keep it safe from the many predators that lurk in the deep dark shadows.
Outside the walls of your little sub lies a huge ocean. Gear up and go on an away mission any time you desire. Discover underwater dungeons, abandoned outposts, caves, submarine wrecks, and the mysteries that lie in the ruins of an ancient alien civilization.
You’ll be spending a lot of time with the people living in your submarine, so you best be sure that they’re your closest friends. It would be unwise to choose someone you don’t trust, as betraying you might earn them the path to their own survival.
Barotrauma gameplay
2. Core Keeper
PC, Switch, PlayStation, XBOX
Get ready to never see the sun again. You live underground now. You better learn how to thrive here quickly, or you’ll quickly be consumed by the mysterious cave.
Core Keeper is a multiplayer survival game for 1-8 players, featured in a foreign underground environment.
Alert your friends, you’re going on a mission. Set forth and mine resources, craft expert tools and equipment, develop your home, and unearth what this cave has to offer.
You’ll quickly come to realise that this isn’t your average cave. This cave features diverse and foreign ecosystems, abandoned civilizations, and powerful Titans that hold all the secrets. Your key to understanding is received when you take them down.
Core Keeper gameplay
Enshrouded
PC
Shame fell upon the world when your ancestors' greed for magical power released a pestilence that has plagued this once normal world.
Invite up to 15 friends and get ready for the journey of your lifetimes. Evade the beasts that want so badly to enjoy you for dinner. Search the surface, caves, and dungeons, for secrets and power. Learn the art of strategic combat. Get your hands dirty and build incredible structures from the ground up.
Unlock the untold secrets of the once great lands. Discover why everything went wrong, and how you can revive your family's legacy. The story isn’t yet lost to legend. Find out what truly happened before it’s too late.
Enshrouded gameplay
