Co-op games are a great way to have fun with friends as you explore new worlds and take on a variety of tasks together. Here are some recent additions to the genre that could be great options for the next group chat game night.
1. Escape the Playground
Up to four friends can work together to escape this paranormal playground, released on October 6 by AnotherBuild. The titular playground starts out sunny and innocuous, but quickly becomes far more sinister. Shadows fall, and the kids who were previously enjoying the swings and the sandbox are replaced by six frightening creatures. Each has unique rules and mechanics, including one that moves only when unobserved and another that can hear the players’ voices.
The group must make its way through a frightening maze as they learn to deal with each creature. Their goal is to find keys to open a gate, freeing them to run for the safety of the playhouse ahead. Getting caught doesn’t mean death, though. Instead, the player wakes up in a cage, with the option to escape on their own or rely on a friend to get them out.
For anyone who wants to explore a playground straight out of The Shining, Escape the Playground is now available on Steam.
2. Risk of Rain 2: Hallowed Concepts
Risk of Rain 2: Hallowed Concepts is an expansion pack to Risk of Rain 2 (2020) and dropped this week on October 8. The original game lets up to four players explore an alien planet whose monster inhabitants aren’t exactly thrilled by the incursion. Once players defeat these enemies, they can escape the world or keep fighting to see how long they can survive.
In Risk of Rain 2: Hallowed Concepts, the original game’s lore expands, offering more information about the world. New playable survivors, the Acolyte and the Enforcer, are available, along with new challenges and bosses to face. Only one person in the group needs to own Hallowed Concepts for everyone to enjoy the new monsters, levels, and other items, but players still need their own copy to use the new survivors and unlock other content.
Risk of Rain 2: Hallowed Concepts, along with the first game, Risk of Rain, and Risk of Rain 2, is available on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
3. Japanese Ramen Simulator
Released October 9 in early access, Japanese Ramen Simulator lets up to six players run their own ramen shop. Gameplay includes the typical day-to-day experience: preparing food, designing the shop, and creating the menu. That includes creating unique ramen dishes alongside traditional recipes, expanding the food on offer from rice bowls to beer, and making sure to pour with just the right amount of foam, of course.
Any day can turn on its head, with anything from an obnoxious critic to attempted robbery and potential accidents as ramen bubbles away on the stove. In-game chat is supported, so players can communicate as they prep ingredients, fight fires, or rearrange the dining room to their liking. NPC characters also serve as staff.
If you’re already imagining your first signature dish, Japanese Ramen Simulator is available on Steam.
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