Co-op Games Better Than Helldivers 2 That Somehow Avoided the Spotlight

It’s no secret that Helldivers 2 hasn’t had the best reputation since it reached its original ludicrous player numbers. The game struggled a lot with player retention and, while that isn’t unheard of, it can be a bit of a problem, especially for a live service game.

There are a lot of great co-op games out there, and while most of them aren’t about killing hordes of enemies, some of them are a bit more beloved than Helldivers 2. While Helldivers 2 does offer up a lot of really interesting mechanics and ways to play, sometimes it takes a bit more to keep players engaged.

All the games below are rated better than Helldivers 2 on Steam based on reviews, but none of them really get the credit they deserve. Enjoy the list and make sure to give some of the games a fair shot, since they do have pretty impressive reviews.

10

Roboquest

Rambunctious Robot Rage

While it may not offer the same sort of overarching world-building and number of players that Helldivers 2 did, Roboquest still manages to be a phenomenal game. It takes a more action and speed-based gameplay style as you zip all around the maps blasting away at foes.

You can play solo or with a friend in co-op and have a great time as you blast your way through different bots and get plenty of upgrades to make you that much stronger. There are also several characters to play as, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.

Roboquest was very beloved by the people who played it, but it never reached the level that Helldivers managed to achieve. It’s a real shame because the game is ludicrously fun when you give it a few runs.

9

Barotrauma

Submarine Sabotage

Co-op horror games typically fly under the radar for a number of reasons, but something about Barotrauma managed to get some people very attached. It’s a weird sort of game, building on the backs of giants like Dwarf Fortress and Space Station 13.

You and your friends are in control of a submarine as you explore an underwater world with some interesting ragdoll physics governing the world. Whether your friends are helpful is up to them, as they could simply cause problems just to be funny.

Barotrauma really hones in on the idea of teamwork in a unique setting, but sadly, that wasn’t enough to really push the game to the forefront. It’s a great little co-op survival horror game for a group of friends to enjoy, especially if they’re going to have a bit of fun with each other through nefarious means.

8

Grounded

Very Small Problems

The original Grounded was a fantastic survival game that played on the idea of being shrunk down to an incredibly small size and left in a backyard. It’s clearly inspired by Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, but it does manage to be its very own thing with its own story.

Despite the visuals being rather cartoony, the game actually offers up a rather dark story about survival in the miniature world, with more than a few disturbing discoveries. The game was overall received fairly well, enough to garner a sequel with Grounded 2, but it felt like the co-op portion of the game wasn’t given its due credit.

Since you play as individual characters with different personalities and stories, playing in a group adds a lot more layers to the game. That’s not something that we often get to see in sandbox-style games, so it was great to have that and add another reason to play with a group rather than playing alone.

7

GTFO

Who Let the Prisoners Out?

GTFO really felt like it came and went compared to something like Helldivers 2. It’s a good game that got some good praise, but never seemed to catch on much with the regular crowd of gamers.

That may be in part due to its more tactical, hardcore gameplay style that required a team to work together more closely. Regardless, it made for an intriguing game that pushed the boundaries of the traditional co-op shooter game.

With tons of mechanics and weapons to use, the game has a lot on offer to enjoy, even if it might require a bit more focus from mission to mission. The atmosphere in this co-op shooter remains unmatched, and hopefully, it can take some of the credit it’s earned. It’s much more serious than the tongue-in-cheek silliness of something like Helldivers 2, but is no less action-packed for it.

6

Enshrouded

Fantasy As You’ve Never Seen

Yet another co-op crafting survival game that didn’t get nearly as much attention as it should. It was fairly enjoyed when the Early Access period launched back in 2024, but it couldn’t maintain that much due to all kinds of different issues.

The game has set a new standard for building in survival games, but what might be more impressive is the number of people you can play with. Supporting up to 16 people, players can live out some wild fantasies in a world that offers a number of different ways to play.

Hopefully, when Enshrouded launches a bit later this year, the game will see a resurgence and offer up an experience that everyone can enjoy. Until then, you can still get in on the Early Access period of this stellar survival game.

5

Necesse

2D Blocky Adventure

As far as procedurally generated games go, there aren’t all that many that manage to be worth the price of admission. With Necesse, they didn’t just offer up an alternative to a genre-defining game; they made something interesting and incredible.

The game never really found a massive audience even though it can support up to 250 players on a single server. It’s genuinely a very impressive feat of design and offers up some very silly things while maintaining a focused gameplay loop. If you’re a big fan of experiences like Terraria, you’ll know what to expect here, and you’re sure to have a blast with it.

Necesse still receives updates to this day, with a recent romance update being implemented. That kind of dedication and silliness adds a layer to games that would otherwise feel very cookie-cutter.

4

Strange Brigade

Indiana Who?

Strange Brigade was a game that really leaned into that name, with all manner of ridiculous abilities and items. Much like Helldivers 2, the game is a third-person shooter that relies heavily on your team playing well together to succeed.

It might be a bit older, but it has a concise story and campaign mode to follow, along with some additional modes to make things a bit more interesting. With up to four players, you can experience an incredible 1930s-style shooter and blow through hordes of enemies with all sorts of weaponry.

And what sort of adventuring game would be complete without some engaging puzzles to complete? Strange Brigade really offers a lot of fun despite being a bit long in the tooth by now.

3

Killing Floor 2

Sometimes it Takes an Army

The Killing Floor series in general has had a bit of a reputation for some less than optimal launches in recent years, but that doesn’t detract from the series too much. A game all about shooting monsters with a large group of people makes for some hilarious moments.

Killing Floor 3 may have had some issues due to changing the formula from what many fans of the series deem its peak, Killing Floor 2. This co-op shooter wasted no time getting you into the action in teams of six (and in certain modes teams of up to 12), making things incredibly chaotic.

While it is a little more contained, the game still manages to put you through some high-intensity moments where your skills will be put to the test. Working together is great, but sometimes just getting together with a big group of friends and taking out hordes of enemies is the best thing there can be. For some, this title is unrivaled at delivering just that.

2

Ravenswatch

Grimm Fairy Tales Fight

Ravenswatch was a really strange game because it took some very well-known fairy tale characters like Little Red Riding Hood and Aladdin and made them into killing machines. This roguelike ARPG leaned heavily into some modified history for these characters to give them all sorts of power-ups.

Either solo or in a group of four, you can tackle the darkness and fight back against evil as you explore the map and uncover all kinds of goodies. Each run is separated into three Acts that have their own boss to conquer at the end, but you’ll need to come very prepared.

Ravenswatch never took off like it probably could have since it started in Early Access, but fans of similar games will easily find themselves sucked into the world. It’s dark and eerie, but each run will see you fight back just a bit more as you navigate this spectacular roguelike. It also has a bit of wicked sense of humor.

1

Gunfire Reborn

Cute, Cuddly, and Dangerous

Adorable characters? Check. Interesting Weapons? Check. A whole lot of explosions? Check. Gunfire Reborn was such a delightful departure from the normal sort of roguelikes we typically saw, and, sadly, that just wasn’t enough.

It was a surprising game for what it brought to the table, with some very fast movement and a lot of crazy combinations, especially when you played with other people. The cartoony look made the playable characters much more enjoyable without feeling like it was sacrificing anything in terms of performance.

Much like other great roguelikes, you could play this game virtually indefinitely as you unlocked new things every run. This is the perfect game to play with a few friends as you shoot your way through levels until you wipe out a boss with some absurd combination you discovered.

You really can’t go wrong enjoying any of the games on this list or any other games for co-op out there, but if you’re looking for something similar to Helldivers 2, these games might scratch that itch. Just remember that whatever you like playing is always the right answer when deciding what to play.