Summary
As a parent, nothing can trump quality time spent with kids and the family. There are, of course, numerous ways for parents to deepen their relationship with their children, and one sure way is through gaming.
However, when it comes to selecting the right game, it can feel overwhelming with numerous titles available and advertising themselves as kid-friendly. Some child-appropriate games may feel too advanced for some kids or maybe boring for older ones. So, where does one start? Well, thankfully, there are many fantasticcooperative games for kidsthat parents can enjoy too.
Updated on March 28th, 2025 by Chad Thesen:This article has been updated for the purpose of adding 3 additional entries. The first of which is Ratchet: Deadlocked, a game that will let players experience all the platforming and combat of the single-player Ratchet and Clank games, but with a co-op partner. The next is Minecraft Dungeons, a game that is reminiscent of the Diablo games, but a lot more child-friendly. Lastly, there is Luigi’s mansion 3, which brings this fun and wacky franchise into the co-op world.
TheLittleBigPlanetgames have always been overflowing with whimsy and creativity, and it lets its players both explore and push its boundaries through user-created content. The third mainline installment offers more content than ever before, and will give parents endless playtime with their little ones.LittleBigPlanet 3supports up to four players from a single console, with a marvelous narrative adventure, plenty of replay value, and limitless user-created content to dive into — a lot of which are inspired by other properties that the little ones might hold dear in their hearts.
As the story progresses, each level will reward players with new cosmetics for their adorable little sack people, changing their materials, clothing, accessories, and more. Players can look like animals, funky mismatches, or whatever the imagination can dream up. This means parents can have fashion shows with their kids between levels, and save their favorite designs. This is a must-have for any parent to play with their children.
If playingRayman Legendswas an utter blast, here is some great news; the game’s predecessor,Rayman Origins, is still worth playing. Origins has a much stronger focus on its platforming compared toLegends, with fewer level gimmicks and mini-games. Origins also poses more of a challenge with its level designs, requiring more reflexes. This can mean kids might get bubbled more often, but parents can hop in to save the day. The levels are still oozing with creativity and artistic designs, so all that awe and wonder from playing Legends can be extended with even more game worlds to discover.
There are so many hidden areas to explore that this game can provide weeks, even months of enjoyment, and it sees some massive discounts with it being such an old title. The game originally released all the way back in 2011 as one of the best platforming titles around — andit still holds up after all these years.
Sonic the Hedgehog and many other iconicSegacharacters can be played in this fast and fun Kart Racer. This is perfect for players that do not have a Nintendo console forplaying Mario Kart, and features all the best elements of the kart racing genre — and then some. One of the biggest pros of this game is that the entire campaign mode can be played with 3 players.
All 3 players receive all the benefits of the highest placing racer, which means it promotes teamwork over playing against one another. Whoever comes in first gets the gold for everyone else and this can mean lots of congratulating each other for doing so well. Perfect for building bonds and fostering confidence. Players will race as karts while on land, but these karts will transform into different vehicles for special parts of each course. This can have them turning into boats when falling off the track onto some water, but also turning into aircrafts to spin around spires and dive through floating rings.
Another greatLEGOgame to try out isLEGO Marvel Super Heroes. TheLEGOgames are well known for their humorous takes on established lore, making this a great choice for child fans of theMCU. THere are plenty of linear missions to follow, as well as some open world sandboxing when kids just want to have a few more minutes of fun before turning off. There are over 150 iconic Marvel characters to choose from. These include Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Wolverine, Captain America, and Black Widow — each with their own super powers.
The game features a drop-in/drop-out style of gameplay, meaning one player can hop into the game at any time — even mid-mission. The game also offers a split-screen experience, so there is no need to own multiple copies of the same title or need to play on different devices. One of the best parts of the game is that there is also a custom character creator for kids to create their very own custom superheroes to use. This is one of thebest open world superhero gamesaround, and one parents can enjoy with their kids.
Players who love the gameplay loop ofOvercookedand don’t mind a roguelike twist on the concept will love whatPlateUp!has to offer. As one would expect from reading out the title, players are tasked with decking out their restaurant and catering to as many customers as possible without messing up too many times.
Things can get chaotic in no time, which is why teamwork is imperative to ensure that players succeed at all costs. A single misstep can have dire consequences, and parents who don’t want their children screaming at them for messing up should make it a point to be efficient in every way so that their restaurant makes a ton of progress in no time.
From the same roots asLittleBigPlanetcomes a more familiar platformer:Sackboy: A Big Adventure. This game offers all the joy and charm of theLittleBigPlanetgames but streamlines it into a more traditional platforming experience. Players will encounter ever-changing mechanics, new characters, new ways to interact with the game, and plenty of fun minigames.
This game features up to four players locally, if the family has enough controllers, and playing together means that anything grabbed by one player is unlocked for all the others. Parents can congratulate and thank their children for noticing and collecting cosmetics that the whole family can enjoy.
The idea of exploring themes of loss and death with a child may seem heavy, so parents who want to check outSpiritfarerwith their kid might want to wait until they have the mental capacity to register what is happening in this title. While its charming art style makes it easy for players to get into this title,Spiritfarer’s deeper themes take a while to rear their heads.
Parents and children can have a great time gathering materials to help the spirits on their ferry remain happy and satiated, slowly revealing their stories to the player before eventually passing on. It’s a heartfelt game with charming visuals and engaging gameplay that players will be hopelessly enamored with in no time.
A lot of children these days want combat in their video games, but combat does not need to be violent.Ratchet and Clankis a long-running franchise known for offering a massive arsenal of weapons, which means each member of the family can find different weapons they enjoy using while they play. There are many bosses that will appear throughout the game, and players will each need to contribute to taking down these powerful foes. This is also a game where players don’t need to rely on a high skill level. They can increase their health to survive longer, or their damage to help topple enemies in a shorter time.
There are plenty of sections where players will need to work together to overcome obstacles, and this means plenty of celebrating as the family unites to pull through in these situations. There are lots of zany and humorous elements, such as the retro-cartoon instructional videos of how to use weapons, as well as hilarious one-liners said by the numerous characters.
Stardew Valleyis an indie gaming gem that took the world by storm, using a simple farming gameplay loop and dressing it up with wonderful pixel graphics, fun character interactions, and a myriad of interesting discoveries that players can have a great time with.
The game features a co-op mode where two farmers can combine their efforts to create a detailed farm full of life. The cozy and pleasant nature of this game makes it a perfect pick for a family to spend their time trying to scrounge materials and create the farm of their dreams, which makes for a great bonding time.
Pretty much everyone will have heard ofMinecraftat this point. Easily the biggest indie game of all time,Minecraft’s simple crafting loop and blocky aesthetic have bled into pop culture in a way no one could’ve imagined. Massive servers host custom worlds that either feature original creations or replicate worlds from established franchises.
This is a game that stimulates the mind and encourages creativity, which is why it’s a no-brainer for families who want to generate and live in a custom world of their own design. Block by block, parents and children can create something magical that they can look at proudly as a unit, which is a gameplay loop that most video games can only dream of.
