Best Nintendo Switch Co-Op Games In 2026

The Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 now exist side by side in 2026, with both systems benefiting from Nintendo’s long-running focus on accessible hardware and shared play. While the original Switch boasts a massive install base built over nearly a decade, its defining strength has always been its co-op library. From local multiplayer built around shared Joy-Cons to online teamwork across genres, Nintendo’s hybrid platforms continue to deliver some of the best cooperative experiences in gaming.

Our list of the best Nintendo Switch co-op games highlights a mix of Nintendo exclusives and standout third-party titles that remain essential across both generations. From accessible, family-friendly adventures like Super Mario Odyssey, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder, to deeper cooperative experiences such as It Takes Two, Haven, and Diablo III, there’s something here for nearly every type of player.

Absolum

Absolum is built from the ground up as a cooperative experience, leaning into classic beat-’em-up fundamentals while layering in modern roguelike progression that works best with a partner. Players team up to carve through enemy-filled arenas, combining character abilities, positioning, and crowd control to survive increasingly punishing encounters.

Co-op play emphasizes awareness and synergy, as coordinating attacks and managing space becomes essential once enemy density ramps up. The game’s readable combat and shared-screen design make it easy to jump into together, while its escalating challenge encourages communication and experimentation across repeated runs.

Check out our Absolum review.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe

Pikmin 3 Deluxe stands out as one of Nintendo’s strongest cooperative experiences thanks to its flexible approach to shared play and emphasis on coordination. The game’s co-op mode allows two players to work simultaneously, splitting tasks like directing Pikmin squads, managing resources, and solving environmental puzzles under a shared time limit.

Success depends on communication and planning, as players decide how to divide labor efficiently across each area. At the same time, the controls remain intuitive enough to welcome newcomers, making it easy for players of different skill levels to contribute. Whether you’re tackling the main story together or teaming up in Mission Mode, Pikmin 3 Deluxe turns its strategic, time-based structure into a satisfying and genuinely collaborative co-op experience.

Check out our Pikmin 3 Deluxe review.

Kirby Air Riders

Kirby Air Riders leans fully into fast and accessible multiplayer design, making it a natural fit for cooperative play whether you’re racing side by side or coordinating strategies across its varied modes. Building on the pick-up-and-play appeal of the original, Air Riders emphasizes quick decision-making and chaotic fun that’s easy for newcomers to grasp while still rewarding coordination between players.

Local multiplayer shines in particular, with matches that encourage communication and teamwork as players adapt to shifting conditions and power-ups in real time. It’s the kind of co-op experience that thrives on the couch, where laughter is just as important as winning the race.

Check out our Kirby Air Riders review.

Donkey Kong Bananza

Donkey Kong Bananza features a unique local co-op mode that is an ideal option for younger players or more casual partners. One player takes full control of Donkey Kong, handling movement, platforming, and combat, while the second player jumps in as Pauline or Odd Rock, perched on DK’s shoulder. From there, the supporting player uses voice blasts or simple cursor-style aiming to destroy obstacles, stun enemies, and interact with the environment, creating a steady stream of low-pressure fun.

The mode functions as an accessible helper system rather than a traditional split-responsibility setup, encouraging shared play without overwhelming less experienced players. Starting co-op is straightforward: players can pause the game and select Co-op Play, then choose Share Controllers for same-screen couch co-op or GameShare for two consoles, with Pauline or Odd Rock relying on intuitive, mouse-like controls to fire materials and assist throughout each level.

Check out our Donkey Kong Bananza review.

Yoshi’s Crafted World

With level design that is a delight to gawk at and platforming that classic Yoshi at its very best, Yoshi’s Crafted World is downright pleasant to look at and relaxing to play. Two-player co-op mode adds to the charm as the Yoshis explore an artisanal papercraft world, and even if it is limited to local co-op, it’s a treat to work your way through these levels with a fellow Yoshi by your side.

Read our Yoshi’s Crafted World review.

Esophaguys

One of the stranger and more delightful surprises on Switch this year, Esophaguys casts you as elder citizens with absurdly stretchable necks–your primary tools for traversal and cooperation. Esophaguys’ physics-driven mayhem makes for a unique multiplayer session. The sound design is just as distinctive: The game features over 3,000 mouth-originated sound effects.

It Takes Two

It Takes Two is a masterclass in cooperative gameplay, designed entirely around two-player teamwork. Each player controls one of the inventive protagonists, solving puzzles, navigating platforming challenges, and using unique abilities that require constant coordination. With its clever level design, humor, and story that thrives on collaboration, It Takes Two is a must-play co-op experience on Switch for friends, couples, or anyone who loves working together.

Read our It Takes Two review.

Pode

Pode is a charming puzzle-adventure built entirely around teamwork, letting two players explore a vibrant world filled with hidden secrets and environmental challenges. One player controls a rock spirit and the other a tiny star, and success depends on coordinating abilities to solve puzzles and progress through the levels. With its relaxing visuals and clever design, Pode is an intriguing adventure on Switch.

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a cooperative delight on Switch, letting up to four players team up online or locally to restore a dying island. You can tackle dungeons, craft, fight, and gather resources together, or just explore and customize the world as a team. Each player can pick from 14 different Lives, so every teammate has a unique role to play. With its mix of shared adventure and creative freedom, it’s one of the best co-op experiences for friends on Switch.

Boomerang Fu

Boomerang Fu is a chaotic, couch‑friendly co-op game in which up to six players throw boomerangs, dodge hazards, and slice each other across colorful, food-themed arenas. Every match is frantic and full of laughs. With simple controls, vibrant arenas, and endless replayability, Boomerang Fu is a perfect pick-up-and-play game for parties and family game nights on Switch.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

One of the best-selling games on the Switch, Animal Crossing: New Horizons set a new benchmark for the series during the early days of the pandemic era. Getting cozy, building your island, and meeting three other friends in local co-op is a blast, but the game really opens up with its online mode that supports up to eight players. The potential to create is truly impressive in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and there’s always something to do with your friends in this classic virtual life experience.

Read our Animal Crossing: New Horizons review.

Cuphead

Jaw-dropping visuals inspired by a bygone age of animation are best shared with a friend, and Cuphead has that option locked down. Still a highly challenging experience when someone joins you for a two-player co-op session, Cuphead and Mugman’s adventure is a tag-team of terrific design and danger.

Read our Cuphead review.

Diablo 3

Slay demons, collect a ton of shiny loot, and experiment with different classes in Diablo 3 on Switch, a game that makes devil-hunting better with a fellow warrior–or three!–by your side. Featuring one of the best loot-driven grinds in the genre today, Diablo 3 is a devilish blast of fun to play with friends in either online or local co-op.

Read our Diablo 3 review.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

A Wii U classic given a second chance on the Switch, this updated version of the 2014 game is blast of frozen fun in solo mode and even better when a friend joins the chaotic ruckus in local co-op. Each member of the Kong stable plays differently, and when their talents are combined, the end result is a well-oiled monkey machine.

Read our Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze review.

Don’t Starve Together

Darkness eventually wins in Don’t Starve Together, but at least you’ll be facing and succumbing to the unknown with friends in this sequel to the beloved original. Two players can gather resources in this survival game through local co-op, although if you’re feeling brave, you can expand the terror to four survivors in the game’s online mode.

Good Job

Think you’ve got the office job from hell? Good Job will put that claim to the test as you and a fellow co-op lackey work your way up the corporate ladder. Failing upwards is the way to go, and while getting a task done can be messy, this collection of white-collar puzzles are both charming and engaging.

Read our Good Job review.

Haven

Teamwork is a must in Haven, but the co-op action also extends to providing plenty of support and relationship-building between action sequences. A beautiful sci-fi RPG from the creators of Furi, this tale of star-crossed lovers exploring a dangerous planet makes for some fantastic couch co-op between you and a partner.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

The latest Kirby adventure is the pink blob at his most creative and terrifying best. Swallowing objects whole and transforming into them while battling rogue pooches makes for a great time, but throw in a kid-friendly local co-op mode that let’s a partner play as Bandana Waddle Dee and you’ve got the recipe for a terrific family-friendly on the Switch.

Read our Kirby and the Forgotten Land review.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

Very silly, very cosmic, and very welcoming to a gang of four players for online and local co-op, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime tasks your team with keeping a space station running as danger is thrown at it. Something is always breaking as you dash between rooms to start a few repairs, and there’s fun to be had as you wait for the end while planning to take down as many enemies as possible with you in the cold vacuum of space.

Luigi’s Mansion 3

While Mario dominates the list below, we’re not leaving Luigi out in the cold here. Teaming up with an ectoplasm clone by the name of Gooigi, you’ll be able to bust some ghosts as the lovable plumber in green in co-op play. The genius of Luigi’s Mansion 3 is that the co-op mode works well for less-experienced players, making this a fantastic game for families to play.

Read our Luigi’s Mansion 3 review.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

If the Marvel Cinematic Universe wasn’t enough to satisfy your appetite for superhero action, then Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 certainly has plenty of blockbuster brawling to offer. With up to four players able to throw down with Thanos and his Black Order on a single screen or across the world, a vast roster of heroes, and plenty of colorful powers to unleash, this game is pure Marvel comfort food.

Read our Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order review.

Minecraft Dungeons

Dungeon-crawling Minecraft works exceedingly well, as this spin-off let’s you grab some blocky pals to join you for the adventure. Up to four players can start punching their way through mines in either local or online co-op, with the difficulty, enemy count, and the loot drops adapting to the number of players involved so that the game remains consistently challenging and rewarding.

Read our Minecraft Dungeons review.

Monster Hunter Rise

What’s better than hunting down a dreaded beast, battling it, and eventually using its remains to fashion some trendy new gear for your hunter? Doing so with a friend, and sharing the spoils of the hunt. Limited to online co-op only, Monster Hunter Rise’s multiplayer and quests are well worth experiencing with a fellow tracker at your side for some of the deadlier hunts that you’ll embark on.

Read our Monster Hunter Rise review.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

In the first of several games starring Mario on this list, we’re taking a look at a modern-day masterpiece that harkens back to the past. Like classic Super Mario Bros., you’ll be able to bust bricks and Bowser with the Italian brothers, or three of your pals can join you on the couch and online as other Mushroom Kingdom citizens for some timeless fun.

Read our New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe review.

Overcooked 1 + 2

Beware the allure of Overcooked, as this game is just as good at uniting friends and family as it is at dividing them. The premise of running a kitchen with up to four players in local and online co-op is simple enough, but once those orders start getting more complex and a few fires in the kitchen break out, there’s a very real chance that your culinary dream becomes a kitchen nightmare.

Read our Overcooked 2 review.

Rayman Legends

Almost a decade after it was released, Rayman Legends is still a brilliant combination of platforming and co-op action featuring Ubisoft’s fan-favorite hero and pals. The definitive edition on Switch has full couch co-op support for up to four players, and there’s also some drop-in and out co-op features for when you’re looking to find someone to join you for the wonderfully colorful campaign.

Read our Rayman Legends review.

Snipperclips

Once you start working your way through some of its wonderfully devious puzzles, Snipperclips makes you feel like a genius. That experience is amplified when you and up to three other friends share those mutual “Eureka!” moments of puzzle-solving, and the game’s campaign even supports two players.

Read our Snipperclips review.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley has been a must-play on the Switch for a number of reasons, and you can add solid co-op to that list. Growing your own farm, exploring a local town, and uncovering a few mysteries are great, but doing so with up to three other players? That’s farming magic, made all the better by robust online and LAN systems that enhance the appeal of the game on a social level.

Read our Stardew Valley review.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

One of the best Wii U games eventually made its way to the Switch, but few people were prepared for just how much better Super Mario 3D World would be on Nintendo’s hybrid system. Brilliantly designed and bursting with content, the port of Super Mario 3D World is playable with up to four players in local co-op. The brand-new Bowser’s Fury campaign supports two players–one as Mario and the other as Bowser Jr.–and follows the duo’s journey to tackle a Kaiju-sized Bowser.

Read our Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury review.

Super Mario Maker 2

Playing a game with a friend is great, but actually building something together and then playing the end product? Absolutely magical and possible in Super Mario Maker 2. The game allows for up to four players to play a custom level, but the real charm is undoubtedly in the two-player create-a-course mode, with each player using a Joy-Con to build a level that could be an all-time classic or a torture chamber designed in tandem.

Read our Super Mario Maker 2 review.

Super Mario Odyssey

There’s no shortage of Mario games on the Switch currently, but Super Mario Odyssey is still the gold standard on that console. With one player taking control of Mario, the other playing as Cappy the sentient hat, the tag team can combine platforming and level interactions together in blissful harmony. Or they can cause chaos, but it’s still fun to watch the mayhem unfold. Odyssey is especially great for co-op with a youngster, as playing as Cappy isn’t mechanically intensive.

Read our Super Mario Odyssey review.

Unravel 2

EA’s adorable wooly hero Yarny got a friend in Unravel 2, and together the two are a team of cotton co-op fun. You’ve got the choice of local or online two-player co-op in Unravel 2, and once players are linked by a thread of yarn, Unravel 2’s charming mysteries and puzzles feel brilliant when a friend is along for the ride.

Read our Unravel 2 review.

WarioWare: Get It Together

WarioWare: Get It Together is all about sharing mini-game fun, but it’s worth noting that this game is limited to local co-op. Up to four players can try out a number of weird and fun mini-games here, which incorporate gauntlets of strange action with platforming. The games are colorful, the characters are full of personality, and there’s more than enough content here for an evening of Wario fun.

Read our WarioWare: Get It Together review.

POPUCOM

POPUCOM is a co-op-focused puzzle-platformer that thrives on communication and timing. Designed entirely around cooperative play, the game tasks players with coordinating movement, color-based mechanics, and environmental interactions that can’t be solved alone.

Each level pushes partners to think together, calling out switches, lining up actions, and adapting on the fly as new mechanics are introduced. Its bright, inviting presentation makes it approachable, but the puzzles themselves demand real teamwork. Whether played locally or online, POPUCOM turns cooperation into the core of the experience, making every successful solution feel like a genuine shared accomplishment.

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