Welcome to the end-of-year update to the Best Cooperative Board Games list!
I used to keep all of the past lists on the site, but I’m deleting those to avoid confusion, and from now on I’m just going to keep this page updated. If you want to see some of the co-op games that didn’t make it, most of them can be found on the other board game rankings pages.
As always, to make this top 40, I created the initial list and then I made some adjustments based on my group’s feedback. It was a collaborative effort!
There are only fully cooperative board games listed here, so you won’t find any semi-cooperative games, One vs. Many games, or games with traitors.
There are a lot of great co-op board games and card games for you to look through on this page, so I’m very confident you’ll find one (or two, or 10, or 40) that you’ll enjoy playing. Whether you’re looking for cooperative board games for adults, co-op family games, or even cooperative games for two players, there are board games for everyone here!
Be sure to take a look at our Types of Board Games guide if you need some help figuring out what kind of co-op games to get. Also, I moved the Best Board Games for Kids to its own page, so if you’re looking for games to play with younger kids, that’s where you’ll find them.
With all of that out of the way, let’s get to it! Below you’ll find 40 of the best cooperative board games to play with your group!
Best Co-op Board Games (40-31)
40. The Captain is Dead
Players: 1-7 | Ages: 12+
The Captain is Dead is a cooperative sci-fi strategy game where you work together to repair your damaged spaceship after the captain’s untimely death. Everyone takes on specific roles aboard the ship, and you’ll need to manage resources, fend off threats, and complete tasks to survive.
Just about everyone in my group loves The Captain is Dead. It has a great look to it and it’s an intense mission to try to run around and fix all of those ship systems.
I usually recommend The Captain Is Dead to people who are looking for great cooperative board games that have a similar flow to Pandemic.
Read our The Captain is Dead review
Get your copy of The Captain is Dead
39. The Grizzled
Players: 2-5 | Ages: 14+
The Grizzled is a cooperative card game set during World War I where you take on the roles of soldiers trying to survive. Working together, you must navigate dangerous conditions and support each other to make it through the war without losing your resolve.
I’ve played hundreds of cooperative games at this point and The Grizzled is still one of the most unique card games I’ve experienced. It’s a war game, but it’s different than other war games because it’s all about soldiers just trying to survive during World War I rather than fight. It’s a great theme for a co-op.
If you think your group will enjoy playing a light-but-tough cooperative card game with a unique war theme, The Grizzled is a great choice.
Read our The Grizzled review
38. Champions of Hara
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 14+
Champions of Hara is an adventure game in which you play as powerful champions defending your land from some nasty monsters. Using your unique abilities and resources, you battle enemies and interact with events and rifts.
I think Champions of Hara is one of the best adventure board games around because of its awesome shifting-world mechanic, awesome characters, and very high replayability. While it has both competitive and co-op scenarios, everyone I’ve played it with agrees it’s better as a cooperative game.
Champions of Hara is a great co-op to get if you want a different type of fantasy game with unique characters and mechanics. It’s also one of the coolest-looking cooperative board games out there.
Read our Champions of Hara review
Get your copy of Champions of Hara
37. Resident Evil 2
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 14+
Based on the Resident Evil 2 video game, Resident Evil 2: The Board Game has you attempt to complete different scenarios’ objectives by moving around, collecting items, clearing out enemies, and fighting the big bosses.
Resident Evil 2 is one of the top horror board games around and one of the better video game-inspired board games out there right now. It has a great flow to it yet there are plenty of tough decisions to make throughout each scenario.
If you’re a fan of the Resident Evil 2 video game and you love co-ops, you’ll probably be a big-time fan of this one.
Read our Resident Evil 2 review
Get your copy of Resident Evil 2
36. Castle Panic
Players: 1-6 | Ages: 10+
Castle Panic is a cooperative tower defense game in which you and your fellow heroes need to fight off goblins, trolls, and orcs. The monsters charge and take down your castle bit by bit and your goal is to clear all of them out before they destroy it.
Castle Panic continues to be one of the best cooperative board games for new gamers and a great board game for families because it’s very easy to learn and it’s enjoyable for all ages. It’s also one of very few really good cooperative tower defense games out there right now.
You can also turn Castle Panic into a solid gamer’s game by adding in one or more of the Castle Panic expansions.
Read our Castle Panic review
35. Roll Player Adventures
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 14+
Roll Player Adventures is a cooperative storybook game and dice-rolling game where you go on quests and solve dice puzzles. It’s meant to give you a co-op RPG feel but with easy character creation and a storybook that does the heavy lifting for the narrative, allowing you to focus on the adventure and decisions.
Roll Player Adventures takes the excellent dice play found in Roll Player and adds a fun story to play through cooperatively. Pretty much everything you do changes how the story plays out, and each hero gives you unique powers to take on the adventures.
If you like adventure games, storytelling games, and dice-rolling games, there’s a great chance you’ll end up being a fan of Roll Player Adventures.
Get your copy of Roll Player Adventures
34. Flash Point: Fire Rescue
Players: 1-6 | Ages: 10+
Flash Point: Fire Rescue is a cooperative firefighting game in which you and your fellow firefighters need to get house fires under control. You have to run into houses, put out fires, and save as many people (and pets) as you can.
Flash Point is one of the “old reliables” in my collection. I can bring it to the table for any group since everyone seems to like being firefighters, but it works especially well when different age groups are playing or it’s a group of new gamers.
If you like the firefighting theme, Flash Point is a must-have. It’s one of the family cooperative games and most people love this theme.
Read our Flash Point: Fire Rescue review
Get your copy of Flash Point: Fire Rescue
33. Hanabi
Players: 2-5 | Ages: 8+
Hanabi is a limited communication game that requires players to hold their cards facing away from themselves. You work together by giving clues to help each other play the cards in the correct order.
Hanabi is one of the best limited communication games that you can get; it’s actually the game that started the whole limited communication craze. I’ve played it many times with many groups and I still have a blast trying to put those fireworks in order.
Hanabi is one of those co-op card games that I think everyone should try at least once. It works great as a fun quick game to start your game night, or you can play it 4+ times in a single session.
Read our Hanabi review
32. Defenders of the Wild
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 14+
Defenders of the Wild is an area control game in which you play as different animal factions attempting to take back your land from invading machines. The machines alter the map throughout the game, so you have to come up with the best ways to maneuver, fight mechs, and set up your camps.
There’s a lot I like about Defenders of the Wild. I like that the different animal factions give us different strategies to use, I like how the machines keep you on your toes throughout, and I think the game looks fantastic on the table.
Defenders of the Wild has a very cool theme and some unique mechanisms for a co-op game. It’s definitely worth checking out if the theme interests you and you’re looking for next-step cooperative board games for your group to play.
Read our Defenders of the Wild review
Get your copy of Defenders of the Wild
31. One Deck Dungeon
Players: 1-2 | Ages: 14+
One Deck Dungeon is a cooperative dungeon crawler, but it’s just cards and dice. Your goal is to use your characters’ skills to get through three levels of a dungeon and then defeat the boss.
One Deck Dungeon is still one of the best two-player cooperative games, especially for those who love dice games. It’s a very portable game with a simple set of rules, challenging gameplay, and great artwork. This game has been in my game bag for a long time now and chances are it’s going to stay there a while.
You can also now get One Deck Galaxy, a civilization-building version of the game.
Read our One Deck Dungeon review
Get your copy of One Deck Dungeon
Check out our Top 10 Two-Player Co-op Games!
Best Cooperative Board Games (30-21)
30. G.I. Joe Deck Building Game
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 13+
G.I. Joe Deck Building Game is a cooperative deck builder where you play as members of the G.I. Joe team going up against the Cobra organization. By recruiting allies, building powerful decks, and strategizing together, you’ll go on missions and face off against foes from the G.I. Joe universe.
My group loves deck buildings games, so it wasn’t surprising that we were fans of G.I. Joe Deck-Building Game right away. It includes all the classic elements of the genre, but the vehicles and the cooperative missions give it a fresh, unique feel.
If you’re a fan of G.I. Joe or you usually have a good time playing co-op deck building games, you should definitely give this one a try.
Read our G.I. Joe Deck Building Game review
Get your copy of G.I. Joe Deck Building Game
29. Dungeons & Dragons Board Games
Players: 1-5 | Ages: 12+
These Dungeons & Dragons games are a series of dungeon crawler board games that bring popular characters and settings from D&D into the board gaming world. You get heroes with different stats and abilities, fight a bunch of monsters, and try to complete objectives.
One of the issues that I often have with co-op dungeon crawlers is that they’re too fiddly, but that’s not a problem with these games. They scratch the dungeon crawler itch, but they play very smoothly and were designed to play as streamlined role-playing games.
I’ve only reviewed Castle Ravenloft (still my favorite), but my group has played most of the games in the series and they’ve all been great. They’re some of my favorite three-player board games, though they play well at all player counts.
Read our Castle Ravenloft review
Buy one of the Dungeons & Dragons Board Games
28. Burgle Bros.
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 12+
Burgle Bros. is a cooperative heist game where you work together as a team of thieves to infiltrate a high-security building and steal valuable treasures. Using strategy and stealth, you navigate through rooms, avoid guards, and try to complete your mission.
If you like the idea of trying to pull off a heist with your group, Burgle Bros. is a great co-op game to get. It’s a good team challenge since everyone has to find a way to move around the building with the guards constantly moving around you.
My group has played Burgle Bros. many times and we still enjoy it every time it hits the table.
Read our Burgle Bros. review
27. Mysterium
Players: 2-7 | Ages: 10+
Mysterium is a cooperative deduction game where you work together to solve a mystery by interpreting visions from a ghost. Your goal is to uncover the murderer, location, and weapon.
Still one of the best-looking board games that you can buy, Mysterium is an excellent whodunit game. The dream and location cards look amazing on the table and they do the job of pulling you into the world. Plus, it’s kind of like two games in one since you can play as either the ghost or the investigators.
You also now have the option to get Mysterium Park, a streamlined version of Mysterium set at a carnival rather than a haunted house. They’re two of the best party board games out there.
Read our Mysterium review
26. Black Orchestra
Players: 1-5 | Ages: 14+
Black Orchestra is a cooperative strategy game set during World War II, where you take on the roles of conspirators attempting to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Working together, you must gather resources, plan your moves carefully, and navigate Nazi Germany to carry out your mission.
I think everyone in my group likes Black Orchestra even more than we did back when I posted my review for it. It has an interesting mix of mechanisms, including pick-up and deliver and push-your-luck dice play, that just work well together. It’s very hard to assassinate Hitler, but the game is never frustrating.
Black Orchestra is one of those cooperative board games that pretty much anyone can get into, a big reason for that is its theme. Like most of the other games listed on this page, it’s one of the best co-op board games because it has a cool theme and it’s a lot of fun to play.
Read our Black Orchestra review
Get your copy of Black Orchestra
25. Vagrantsong
Players: 2-4 | Ages: 14+
Vagrantsong is a co-op horror game set on a spooky train. Your goal is to help different ghosts gain back some of their humanity so they’ll stop haunting the train.
The two main things that have made Vagrantsong stand out for me and my group are the great story and the fantastic art. Sure, we also enjoy adjusting our characters and figuring out how to defeat each of the unique ghosts, but the dark, cartoony look of Vagrantsong is awesome and the snippets in the book do an excellent job of keeping you interested in what’s playing out on the board throughout each game.
Vagrantsong is easily one of the best horror board games I’ve played and it’s also one of the better storytelling games out there.
Read our Vagrantsong review
24. Daybreak
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 10+
Daybreak is an environmental co-op card game in which you work together as different world powers to fight climate change. It has tableau building similar to popular competitive games like Race for the Galaxy and Terraforming Mars, but it definitely is a unique experience.
This is one of the better cooperative board games I’ve played in recent years. The card play is unique in the co-op world, and each action makes thematic sense. Don’t be surprised if Daybreak moves up this list in the future.
Daybreak is a great co-op game for everyone, but it’s even better if the theme is important to you.
Read our Daybreak review
23. Legendary Encounters
Players: 1-5 | Ages: 17+
Legendary Encounters is a series of deck builders that let you play as characters from popular shows and movies and go up against some nasty villains. You slowly build up your decks and get stronger, but the enemies also get stronger as you play.
The Legendary Encounters games are easily some of the best deck building games that I’ve played. The Alien version is still my group’s favorite one in the series, but Upper Deck has also put out games for Firefly, The X-Files, Predator, and quite a few others. The games are very thematic, there’s plenty of cooperation, and every deck-building choice you make feels very important.
If you’re a fan of deck building games, you’ll probably love this Legendary Encounters system. Just choose the movie or TV show theme your group likes most.
Read our Legendary Encounters: Alien review
Get a copy of Legendary Encounters
22. Just One
Players: 3-7 | Ages: 8+
Just One is an easy-to-learn word game in which everyone gives the guesser one-word clues for the word on the card in front of them. The catch is that matching clues get canceled.
You’re not going to do much better than Just One if you’re looking for a word game to play with your group. It’s one of the best board games for larger groups and one of the top affordable games you can get right now.
Read our Just One review
21. Endangered
Players: 1-5 | Ages: 10+
Endangered is a cooperative worker placement game in which you play as conservationists who are tasked with helping endangered species survive. Each conservationist has a unique deck of cards with abilities you’ll use to keep the animals safe and complete the ambassadors’ objectives.
I fully expect Endangered to stay on this list for a while because the “save the endangered species” theme is perfect for a co-op and the difficulty is just right for replaying it over and over again.
I’ve played with the base game’s species (tigers and otters) many times and had a chance to play with the seven new species included in the Endangered: New Species expansion. All of the scenarios are fun to play and mix up the gameplay enough to keep it fresh.
Read our Endangered review
Check out our Top 10 Co-op Family Games!
Best Co-op Board Games (20-11)
20. Marvel Champions
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 14+
In Marvel Champions, you play as different Marvel heroes going up against popular villains. It’s a cooperative card game that lets you build your heroes’ unique decks, ideally in a way that works well against the villain and their minions.
Marvel Champions was my pick for the 2019 Co-op Game of the Year because the Marvel theme shines through everything you do and it’s a lot of fun tweaking your decks to give yourselves the best chance to defeat the villains.
Give this one a try if you’re a Marvel fan or if you’re looking for a challenging co-op card game that’s great for both adult groups and families.
Read our Marvel Champions review
Get your copy of Marvel Champions
19. Paleo
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 10+
In Paleo, you play as a Stone Age tribe that has to complete missions by exploring and creating new technologies so you can survive. It’s a high-tension card game with an excellent exploration mechanic, plenty of cooperation, and very high replay value.
Paleo has been a hit for my group because, on top of being a great cooperative adventure game, it has awesome mechanisms that you won’t find in other co-op games. It’s just a ton of fun slowly gathering what you need and then using your new skills to try to complete your missions.
If you like exploration games at all, I highly recommend playing Paleo.
Read our Paleo review
18. Mechs vs. Minions
Players: 2-4 | Ages: 14+
Mechs vs. Minions is a co-op programming game in which you move around different maps attempting to defeat groups of minions. You do that by using your cards to program your mechs to do different actions, including moving, rotating, and shooting.
If you enjoy playing programming games like Robo Rally, you should look into playing Mechs vs. Minions. Drafting cards for your mechs is a lot of fun and the missions ramp up in difficulty in a satisfying way as you move through them.
Read our Mechs vs. Minions review
Get your copy of Mechs vs. Minions
17. Sky Team
Players: 2 | Ages: 12+
Sky Team is a two-player cooperative game in which you work together as a pilot and co-pilot who are attempting to land a plane. Both players have unique roles and you’re trying to use your dice to operate different parts of the plane. There is limited communication in this one, which definitely ratchets up the difficulty.
Sky Team is one of my favorite cooperative board games in recent years because it’s almost perfectly challenging, both roles have to do their jobs well in order to pull off the wins, and it has massive replay value.
If you’re looking for a strictly two-player cooperative game, you’re not going to find many better than Sky Team, especially if this theme interests you.
Read our Sky Team review
16. Legends of Andor
Players: 2-4 | Ages: 10+
Legends of Andor is a fantasy adventure game where you take on the roles of heroes defending the kingdom from invading enemies. The game uses a blend of storytelling and strategic puzzles, and you have to work together to complete quests and protect Andor from various threats.
Legends of Andor is still one of the best adventure board games around. It has a great look to it, it tells good stories, and there are some tough puzzles to work through. It’s also really cool how it ramps up the tension and challenge as you play through the adventures, keeping everyone engaged throughout.
Legends of Andor is still one of the first cooperative board games I recommend to people who are huge fans of the fantasy genre.
Read our Legends of Andor review
Get your copy of Legends of Andor
15. The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
Players: 1-2 | Ages: 13+
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is a cooperative card game where you go on quests across Middle-earth. Each player builds a deck of characters, events, and items, and you work together to overcome challenging scenarios inspired by Tolkien’s world.
Every fan of The Lord of the Rings should at least try this awesome two-player cooperative game. The base game has enough cards to construct decks with, but the dozens of expansions created for the game allow you to play with all of the popular heroes and in all of the well-known locations in that world. It’s simply one of the best co-op card games that you can get.
If you want a cooperative Lord of the Rings game that is great at higher player counts, you’ll want to check out Journeys in Middle-earth.
Read our The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game review
Get your copy of The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
14. Pandemic
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 8+
In Pandemic, you play as specialists working together to stop outbreaks and find cures for deadly diseases. By traveling to hotspots and using each character’s unique skills, you try to contain infections and discover cures before time runs out.
I’m using this spot to represent all of the great games in the Pandemic line, including the classic original game, Pandemic Legacy, Pandemic Iberia, Pandemic: The Cure, and the others that Matt Leacock has designed.
All of the Pandemic games are fantastic strategy board games, though I’d still recommend the original Pandemic (along with the excellent On the Brink expansion) to newer gamers and anyone else who hasn’t played any version of Pandemic yet. It’s also still one of the best co-op games to get someone who is just getting into board games.
It’s one of the most popular board games in the world for a reason!
Read our Pandemic review
13. The Mind
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 8+
In The Mind, you work together to play cards in ascending order without speaking or signaling to each other. The key to the game is reading each other’s plays so you can complete each level and beat the game.
The Mind has gone over well with just about everyone I’ve taught it to, and I’ve taught this to a lot of people. It’s a small, straightforward game, but to my group, it’s still one of the best cooperative card games around.
When you read the rules you’ll probably think it’s going to be too simple to be special, but chances are you’ll be surprised by how unique the experience is once you get it to the table. It’s one of the best cheap games out there and it has been one of my go-to quick card games for years now.
12. Sleeping Gods
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 13+
Sleeping Gods is a cooperative, open-world adventure game in which you play as the crew of a ship lost in a strange world. There’s exploration, quests, and a unique combat system, and the choices you make change how the story plays out.
In my experience, most storytelling games focus a bit too much on story and lack in the gameplay department. Well, that is certainly not the case with Sleeping Gods. It has an excellent campaign, the writing is top-notch, and the art is fantastic.
If you have a group that can commit to a campaign game, Sleeping Gods is a must-try.
Read our Sleeping Gods review
Get your copy of Sleeping Gods
11. Codenames Duet
Players: 2 | Ages: 11+
Codenames Duet is a cooperative word game where two players work together to identify secret agents in a grid of words. By giving each other clever one-word clues, you try to locate all of the agents while avoiding dangerous assassins.
Codenames Duet continues to be one of the top two-player cooperative games around and arguably the best version of Codenames you can get. It’s also one of the best filler games out there, so it gets to the table a lot.
If you’re a fan of word games or you’re always on the lookout for great deduction games, you really have to give Codenames Duet a play.
Read our Codenames Duet review
Get your copy of Codenames Duet
Check out our Top 10 Co-op Deck Building Games!
Top 10 Cooperative Board Games
10. Chronicles of Crime
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 14+
In Chronicles of Crime, you work as a team of detectives solving complex cases by exploring crime scenes and gathering clues. Using an app to interact with suspects and examine evidence, you attempt to piece together each mystery to uncover the truth.
Chronicles of Crime is one of quite a few excellent detective games that have come out over the years. The cases my group has played through have all been interesting, and the app works well to tell the stories and to help you investigate the crimes.
The base game is great and the Welcome to Redview expansion is also solid, but the Noir expansion and the standalone game Chronicles of Crime: 1900 have been my group’s favorite Chronicles of Crime experiences so far.
If you and your group enjoy mysteries and deduction games, I highly recommend checking out Chronicles of Crime.
Read our Chronicles of Crime review
Get your copy of Chronicles of Crime
9. Ghost Stories
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 12+
Ghost Stories is a cooperative strategy board game where players take on the roles of Taoist monks defending a village from some nasty spirits. Working together, you use your unique abilities to try to defeat the ghosts before they overwhelm the village.
Ghost Stories is still one of the toughest cooperative board games out there. My group’s overall win percentage after over 100 games is only about 20 percent, but that just makes us want to keep playing it and it makes each win ultra-satisfying. The artwork is excellent, the game plays smoothly once you know the rules, and the random village layout and the ghost cards help to make each game feel different.
If you like difficult co-ops or you’re a fan of horror board games, you’ll probably love Ghost Stories.
Ghost Stories is often out of print, but luckily there is a fantasy version called Last Bastion that is usually available. It plays pretty much the same way but with a new theme, a better rulebook, and a few new mechanics.
Read our Ghost Stories review
Get your copy of Ghost Stories or… Get a copy of Last Bastion
8. Too Many Bones
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 12+
Too Many Bones is a co-op dice game where you take on the roles of Gearlocs battling through dangerous encounters. It has a unique dice system that has you tweaking your heroes’ skills in hopes of having builds that can help you defeat the monsters and tyrants you’ll face.
Too Many Bones has some of the nicest components that you’ll find in a board game, and the gameplay is awesome as well. It does take some time to get used to all of the characters’ unique abilities and the “dice-building” concept, but it’s worth it.
I still play Too Many Bones three or four times a year, and most of my group considers it to be one of the best co-op board games ever put out.
Read our Too Many Bones review
Get your copy of Too Many Bones
7. Spirit Island
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 13+
Spirit Island is a co-op area control game where you play as powerful spirits defending their island from invading colonizers. By using the spirits’ unique powers, you work together to push back the invaders and protect the island’s inhabitants.
I’m a huge fan of the asymmetrical spirits and the twist on the colonization theme in Spirit Island. It’s one of those games that I know I’ll own for a very long time because it’s a uniquely awesome experience and it’s very replayable.
Spirit Island is a complex game, but in my experience, most players find it rewarding to learn the strengths and weaknesses of each spirit. It’s a must-have if you love cooperative board games and think your group can handle a meatier game.
Read our Spirit Island review
Get your copy of Spirit Island
6. 5-Minute Dungeon
Players: 2-5 | Ages: 8+
5-Minute Dungeon is a fast-paced cooperative card game in which you work together to defeat monsters and obstacles within a five-minute time limit. Each player controls a unique hero with their own deck of cards, using their abilities to overcome challenges before time runs out.
We’ve had so many exciting 5-Minute Dungeon gaming sessions over the years. I think I’ve personally played it about 75 times and I still haven’t beaten all of the bosses! It’s just so much fun trying to take down all of those enemies as quickly as possible while also making sure everyone’s using their powers and cards at the right times.
5-Minute Dungeon is my group’s top real-time game and something pretty special would have to come along to replace it. It’s also one of the best party board games around.
If you don’t mind the stress that a lot of these types of games bring, chances are you will have a great time playing 5-Minute Dungeon. It’s fast-paced, it’s challenging, the narration in the app is fantastic, and it’s highly replayable. If you’re specifically looking for a team-building board game, 5-Minute Dungeon would be a great choice.
Read our 5-Minute Dungeon review
Get your copy of 5-Minute Dungeon
5. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 14+
Set in the Gloomhaven universe, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a cooperative dungeon crawler board game in which you explore and battle through a series of tactical scenarios. Using a unique card-based action system, you work together to fight enemies and complete quests while developing your characters’ abilities.
Both the original Gloomhaven and Jaws of the Lion used to share this spot on the list, but I now rate Jaws of the Lion slightly higher. It’s easier to get to the table, takes up less space, and doesn’t require as much time to get through, but it still has that amazing action-selection system, which is the best part of both games.
That said, if you have a group that can commit to it, the original Gloomhaven is still a fantastic choice. It offers more content and a longer campaign, so if you’re looking for a massive adventure, it’s definitely worth picking up. Jaws of the Lion is the better option for those looking for a more manageable experience.
Get your copy of Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
4. Atlantis Rising
Players: 1-7 | Ages: 10+
Atlantis Rising is a cooperative worker placement game in which you’re attempting to get the resources you need from your island and escape before it floods. As you work together to build devices and gather supplies, you’ll face constant pressure from the rising waters and limited time.
Atlantis Rising is just an all-around amazing game. It has some very nice-looking components, it plays smoothly, it requires great teamwork to win, and it’s a rare co-op that plays well at both low and high player counts.
If you enjoy playing competitive worker placement games and you’re also a fan of cooperative games, I’d say there’s a good chance that you’ll end up being a big fan of Atlantis Rising.
Read our Atlantis Rising review
Get your copy of Atlantis Rising (Second Edition)
3. Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
Players: 1-8 | Ages: 13+
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective is a cooperative mystery game where players take on the roles of detectives solving complex cases in Victorian London. Using clues, interviews, and logic, you work together to unravel the mystery.
It’s going to take a pretty special game to replace Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective as my group’s top crime-solving game. The writing is insanely good, the cases are tough and memorable, and the game does a great job of making every player feel like a real detective throughout each case.
If you’ve been a fan of co-op mystery games or you just like the murder mystery genre in general, you’ll want to check this one out. You might not be able to solve some cases, but chances are you’ll talk about them for a long time afterward like my group always does.
There are now a lot of new cases that you can check out for this system, including the cases found in Jack the Ripper & West End Adventures, Carlton House & Queen’s Park, and The Baker Street Irregulars.
Read our Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective review
Get your copy of Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
2. Aeon’s End
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 14+
Aeon’s End is a cooperative deck building game where players take on the roles of powerful mages defending their city from different creatures. You have to strategically manage your cards and combine your abilities to defeat the enemies before they overwhelm you.
Aeon’s End has been my group’s top cooperative deck building game for a while now, and it’s my favorite two-player co-op (it also plays well at three and four). It has a super-satisfying spell-casting mechanism, the variable turn order adds a lot of extra tension, and each boss gives you a different puzzle to solve as a team, which encourages a lot of communication.
If you enjoy deck building games, Aeon’s End is a great co-op board game to get. There are plenty of awesome co-op deck builders, but this is usually the first one that I recommend.
If you’re specifically looking for the best cooperative fantasy board games, it doesn’t get much better than Aeon’s End.
There’s a lot of Aeon’s End content out there now, including War Eternal, Legacy, The New Age, and some small-box expansions. They’re worth knowing about if you get the base game because there’s a very high chance you’ll want even more Aeon’s End content.
Read our Aeon’s End review
1. Robinson Crusoe
Players: 1-4 | Ages: 14+
Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island is a cooperative survival game where you find yourselves stranded on a dangerous island, working together to gather resources and build shelter. Facing unpredictable events, wild animals, and harsh weather, you need to use your skills and teamwork to survive.
There still isn’t a better survival game or adventure game than Robinson Crusoe. After every win or loss (mostly losses), my group spends some time talking about how the story played out because the game does such a great job pulling you onto the island and not letting you go until you either succeed or fail; it’s very cinematic in that way.
This is a pretty complex game at first since there are a bunch of steps to go through each round, but you get used to it pretty quickly and then you’re able to get fully immersed in its world.
Even if the game only came with the first scenario in the box—the newest version has seven scenarios—Robinson Crusoe would probably still sit in this top spot. It’s highly thematic, every decision you make feels important, and you have to work hard as a team to have a chance to win. Yeah, it’s amazing and I think it’s one of the best board games of all time.
Read our Robinson Crusoe review
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What are your favorite cooperative board games? Any that you’d recommend that aren’t on this list?
Be sure to check out our other Cooperative Board Game Rankings!
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No Marvel United on this list?
Marvel United has moved on/off the list multiple times. It’s right there in the 35-45 range.
Thanks for this interesting list. We are really enjoying Dice through time, the Back to the Future game. The tougher modes are pretty challenging, though also relying on kind cards and dice rolls at a higher level.
Could you do a list similar to this, but with only semi cooperative games? Such as games with traitors and hidden objectives?
My group hasn’t played many semi-cooperative games, so it’d be a pretty short list at this point.
My personal favorites are Battlestar Galactica, Forgotten Waters, and Dead of Winter.
A well thought out and researched list with a single massive hole. While Defenders of the Realm might seem to be simply a re-themed version of Pandemic, its not. It actually features improved mechanics and has much more varied game play than its progenitor. And it avoids that re-gurging of the original out-break cards that always annoy me in Pandemic.
You’re right that it’s not just a fantasy-themed version of Pandemic, but they are very similar and it’s actually Pandemic’s save-the-world theme that makes a lot of people prefer it. You can also get a game of Pandemic finished in about half the time. Still, I’d never turn down a game of Defenders of the Realm.
I’m really looking forward to playing Freedom Five, which uses the same core system found in Defenders of the Realm!
I’m honestly not sure I can take this list very seriously without seeing “Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game” in the top 10. It is absolutely the best cooperative game I have played (I haven’t played Robinson). The cases are fantastic – well written and challenging. The Antares Database (web app) adds a lot to the theme. Expansions are great. My favorite game!
Take it seriously!! 🙂
Detective is a really good game, but I didn’t like all of the filler text (made some of the cases much longer than they needed to be) and I thought they should have come up with a better end-game system than multiple choice questions. I agree with you that the web app is awesome and that the cases themselves are well-written (besides the filler text).
Detective ranks behind Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, Chronicles of Crime, and Deadline for my group in the crime-solving genre.
Can’t wait for the next updated list! This list helped my friends and I a lot over the summer.
Yeah, we’ve had to delay it a couple of times so we could get more 2020 games played and reviewed. The update will be posted soon!
It’s now been updated!
If you are looking for a challenging, heavy strategy deck-building game I would recommend Sentinels of the Multiverse (the base package).
Sentinels is fantastic. It actually used to be on this list, but pretty much everyone in my group has the app now and the physical version no longer hits the table. The app does away with the fiddliness (most people’s biggest complaint) and it’s quite a bit quicker. Still, I’d never turn down a game of Sentinels!
What’s your opinion on Xcom? my group plays it a lot, and the app runs it pretty smoothly for us 😀
Hey Ronan! Just about everyone in my group had a good time playing XCOM. We just enjoy Space Alert a bit more when it comes to big-box, sci-fi, real-time games.
And, you’re right, XCOM’s app is excellent.
I can only get my hands on Aeon’s End: War Eternal, not the original Aeon’s End. Would you say it’s just as good and can similarly sit in 2nd place? Thanks
War Eternal is definitely just as good. It’s pretty much the same game just with different characters and arguably better art.
The fact that Robinson Crusoe is #1 in this list makes it it 100% correct. My favorite game.
The Captain is Dead is an awesome co-op board game.
Agreed! It just missed the top 40, but it’s one of our favorite sci-fi games and it’s great at higher player counts.
Great job with this detailed list. I have used your reviews to help make decisions on which games to first test out the co-op genre and we have not be disappointed. If you decide to, I would be interested in the notes on your updates to this list. Keep up the great work. Thank you!
Glad the reviews have helped! I’m going to try to have the spreadsheet completed soon, hopefully by the next list update.
Very inspired by this well written great sounding list! Would like to try Robinson Crusoe (love the theme and production values) but it might be too heavy for us since we’re still fairly new to board game mechanics. Do you guys not like Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition? That was our first board game so I might be a bit biased. I really like the classic horror theme and story telling – it was also fairly easy to learn with the app too. Might be a bit too light a game for serious gamers though.
Hey Kyle! We were pretty burnt out on Lovecraft/Cthulhu games right around when Mansions of Madness: Second Edition came out, so we didn’t end up playing it. We did have a lot of fun playing The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth, though, which has similar mechanics.
Thanks! I just bought Ghost Stories board game based on this article and your feedback on it. Recently new to board game world myself. My roommates and I have played Catan too many times (our only game ATM), so hoping this will be a little change of pace. Any suggestions on Ghost Stories? Just hoping it’s fun and somewhat challenging.
Nice! Ghost Stories is an awesome co-op and VERY challenging. The rulebook can be a bit confusing at first, but you should be good to go once you play two or three games. Have fun!