Single-player gamesare all fine and dandy, with well-written narratives and pretty visuals. Multiplayer titles have also carved out their own massive space in the industry and are here to stay for as long as video games exist. If there’s one feature that is on life support, however, it’s split-screen co-op, which was, at one point, a part of nearly every game, single-player or multiplayer. Sadly, as online multiplayer became dominant, developers slowly started to remove it from their games.
7 Best Competitive Local Multiplayer Games
Competitive local multiplayer games can ruin friendships if not played carefully, and these titles are the best in the business.
There are numerous instances where playing a game with a friend or family member over the internet just doesn’t work, and the inclusion of a split-screen mode come in clutch in such moments. Here are eight games with split-screen co-op on a console that’s on life support itself, the Xbox One.
8Darksiders: Genesis
Horsemen Ride Together, Even in Split-Screen
Darksiders Genesis
Taking a fresh approach to the Darksiders franchise,Genesisbrings its signature apocalyptic action to an isometric perspective while adding full split-screen co-op support. It also marks the first time players can take control of Strife, the gun-slinging Horseman of the Apocalypse, while his brother War, the protagonist of the first game, returns with his heavy-hitting swordplay.
The combat system maintains the series' depth through unique abilities like War’s blade geyser and Strife’s shadow clone, which can be combined between players for devastating team attacks. Throughout the campaign, both players level up independently and can customize their characters through the creature core system, collecting cores from defeated enemies to enhance different attributes and create specialized builds. The game also features puzzles and traversal challenges that often require both Horsemen to work together, making cooperation a necessity.
7Rocket League
Soccer, But with Boosting Battle Cars
Rocket League
There’s nothing quite like Rocket League when it comes to sheer competitive fun in split-screen. This high-octane mix of soccer and demolition derby has been a hit since its release, offering fast-paced matches where players use rocket-powered cars to knock a giant ball into the opposing team’s goal. Built from the ground up with local multiplayer in mind, Rocket League’s split-screen mode supports up to four players on a single Xbox One, with the screen dividing cleanly whether playing with two, three or four participants.
The local multiplayer extends beyond casual matches, allowing friends to team up in ranked matches, participate in special modes like Snow Day’s ice hockey variant, or practice complicated aerial maneuvers in the free training mode. The physics-based gameplay creates endless possibilities for teamwork, from basic passing plays to advanced techniques like ceiling shots and flip resets that friends can practice together.
6Borderlands 3
Loot and Shoot with a Friend, Just Like the Good Old Days
Borderlands 3
The Borderlands series has always been synonymous with cooperative chaos, and Borderlands 3 continues that tradition. Taking full advantage of the Xbox One’s capabilities,Borderlands 3’ssplit-screen mode lets two players experience the entire story campaign together, including all DLC content and endgame activities. On the newer-gen consoles, the game supports up to 4-player split screen.
The split-screen experience does come with some performance trade-offs, especially on older Xbox One models, where frame drops can be noticeable. The ability to dive into the looter-shooter action with a friend, however, completing missions and taking down massive bosses together, makes it well worth it. Each player maintains their own character progression, skill trees and inventory, and the signature humor and over-the-top action, especially inside quests, is tons more fun when there’s a friend laughing at the jokes right next to you.
5Gears of War 4
Gears Together, Strong
Gears of War 4
Since the original Gears of War, the series has always prioritized cooperative gameplay andGears of War 4continues that tradition with both its campaign and Horde mode supporting split-screen. Set 25 years after Gears of War 3, the game follows JD Fenix, the son of Marcus Fenix, as he and his squad fight against a new enemy known as the Swarm, with the second player taking control of Del or Kait throughout the story.
The cover-based combat system works seamlessly on asplit screen, with both players able to execute perfect active reloads and chainsaw executions without any performance drops. Beyond the campaign, local players can team up against AI enemies in Horde mode, fighting through fifty waves of increasingly-difficult enemies while building defenses and collecting power to upgrade their abilities. The versus mode supports a 2-player split-screen even in online matches, making Gears of War 4 one of the best options for a split-screen shooter on Xbox One.
4It Takes Two
A Game That Can’t Be Played Alone (It’s in the Name)
It Takes Two
Hazelight Studios’It Takes Twois one of the most unique and well-crafted co-op experiences ever made, designed entirely around two-player gameplay. The story follows Cody and May, a married couple on the brink of divorce who are magically transformed into tiny doll-like versions of themselves by their daughter’s tears, and now must work together through wildly creative levels where each character gets unique tools and abilities that complement each other perfectly. One level gives Cody a nail gun to create climbing points while May uses a hammerhead to swing across them, while another arms one player with time control as the other clones themselves to solve puzzles.
Players must communicate and cooperate to solve puzzles, defeat bosses and traverse environments that range from a clocktower to a snow-covered village inside a snow globe, and in doing so, help Reconciliate Cody and May’s marriage.
Solving Puzzles with Science, Portals and Friendship
While the single-player campaign of Portal 2 is a masterpiece in its own right, its cooperative mode is an entirely separate experience that offers some of the most mind-bending puzzles ever created. Playing as two robots, Atlas and P-Body, players must work together to navigate chambers designed specifically for two-person puzzle solving using abilities like gesture commands to point out portal locations and countdown to synchronized actions.
Although Portal 2 was originally released on the Xbox 360, it remains playable on Xbox One through backward compatibility. The split-screen co-op feels just as fresh as it did at launch, with each robot being able to create two portals of their own color, allowing for complex four-portal solutions that would be impossible in single-player. The writing remains sharp and the puzzles as challenging as ever, making Portal 2 a must-have for fans of co-op games.
2A Way Out
No Split-Screen, No Escape
Another game built exclusively for co-op play,A Way Outfollows inmates Leo and Vincent as they plan and execute their prison break. Unlike mostco-op gameswhere players are often doing the same thing simultaneously, A Way Out frequently splits the action asymmetrically, where one player might be distracting a guard while the other sneaks past, or one might be in a high-speed car chase while the other fires from the passenger seat, and both players must coordinate their movements. Even simple activities like playing piano in the prison yard or competing in a game of horseshoes help build the bond between both the characters and the players controlling them.
10 Best Couch Co-Op Games on Xbox Game Pass
With these couch co-op experiences on Xbox Game Pass, you’ll be laughing, cheering, and maybe shouting at your co-op partner all night long.
While the game can be played together locally via split-screen, it also allows online co-op, where only one player needs to own the game thanks to the friend pass feature that lets the owner invite anyone to play.
1Stardew Valley
Farming, Fishing and Friendship
Stardew Valley
While not originally designed with split-screen in mind, Stardew Valley’s console versions include full co-op support that lets up to four players build their dream farm together on the same screen. Each player gets their own house, money and relationships with the town’s NPCs while sharing the farm space and contributing to its overall growth.
Unlike many co-op games that push players toward constant action, Stardew Valley allows for a more relaxed experience, where players can split tasks and progress at their own pace. One player might focus on farming while the other heads into the mines to battle monsters and gather ore. The day-night cycle affects all players simultaneously, requiring communication and planning to make the most of each in-game day. With endless replayability, charming pixel art and an ever-growing list of features thanks to continued updates, Stardew Valley isn’t just the best split-screen game on Xbox One, but one of the best cooperative experiences in gaming, period
8 Best Co-Op Games on Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch was created with co-op in mind, and these eight games make the best use of this console’s multiplayer capabilities.
