The Best Couch Co-Op and Multiplayer Games for the ROG Ally
The ROG Ally drives amazing AAA and indie gameplay experiences, but sometimes you just want to sit on the couch and enjoy some game time with friends. Luckily the Ally supports up to four controllers and can easily connect to a TV with an adapter like the ROG Gaming Charger Dock. Once your games are on the big screen, these are the ones we recommend you enjoy together.
This is part of our ultimate guide to the ROG Ally series of articles. For more great games, check out our best-of roundups.
Rocket League
Rocket League takes the tried and true mechanics that make soccer so popular around the world and adds a spicy mix of high octane driving and aerial acrobatics for a truly addictive experience. This game is incredibly easy to pick up and play, and even if you don’t understand how to time the perfect air jump or boost, you’re likely to quickly score a goal. Whether you’re a novice or have thousands of hours behind the wheel, the skill ceiling rewards you. Just go easy on the newbies next to you. Rocket League is free to play and available now.
Street Fighter 6
Image source: Gamesplanet
Some of the greatest rivalries are forged among friends who beat the crap out of each other. Street Fighter 6 refreshes the franchise with a brand-new in depth tutorial cleverly disguised as a single player campaign...after which your friends are over and the gloves come off. Even if you aren't a veteran of classic fighting games, the addition of two new control modes will help you find your footing. Essentially reducing the button count from six down to three, it makes picking up a new character and getting some satisfying combos much easier, especially when you just want to dunk on your friend. Classic characters like Guile, Chun-Li, and Zangief all look fantastic, and with 18 characters at launch, you’re both sure to find someone to suit your style. (Just make sure to change the "Maximum Frame Rate to 60 or 120 in the game's graphics settings before you start.) You can find Street Fighter 6 on Gamesplanet.
FIFA 23
What better way to settle arguments about skill than challenging your friends to the World’s Game? FIFA 23 continues the legacy of bringing football (aka soccer) into the living room, with a great mix of seemingly superhuman special moves and highly rewarding teamwork to get the edge over your friends. FIFA 23 is available now.
NBA 2K23
Image source: Gamesplanet
For our American readers, NBA 2K23 might be a more familiar title to curl up on the couch with. Whether you are all about the modern era or prefer to relive the multiple Golden Ages of NBA teams and players long past, this game has a team with your name on it. Challenge your friend in a head to head, and maybe rewrite history with classic matchups. You can pick up NBA 2K23 on Gamesplanet.
It Takes Two
Image source: Microsoft
If heated competition isn’t your thing, you could opt for a game that builds on the power of teamwork instead. We’ve written about It Takes Two before, because this game was an instant classic. In a modern “Honey I shrunk the kids” adventure, you and your partner must navigate a larger-than-life world full of puzzles, corny comedy, and real emotion. If you’re looking to find an excuse to forge a deeper bond and explore what makes relationships so priceless, you can play It Takes Two on Xbox Game Pass.
Overcooked! 2
Image source: Microsoft
If you really want to throw your friends straight into the fire, consider Overcooked! 2. This simple yet painfully difficult game simulates the life of a line cook and the pressures of the restaurant industry with wacky locations and a thoughtful attention to detail when prepping your next meal. You’ll need to coordinate carefully with your teammate in order to keep your customers happy, even if that sometimes means yelling “THERE ARE NO CLEAN PLATES!” or “WHERE ARE MY @#&$% HAMBURGER PATTIES?!" You can grab Overcooked! 2 on the Xbox store or play it on Game Pass.
Cuphead
Image source: Microsoft
If testing friendships is your thing, Cuphead might be a nice addition to your game library. This lovingly drawn and animated side-scrolling shooter has an instant “Steamboat Willie” curb appeal, but quickly reveals its true nature in the first boss fight. Execute your jumps and shots with pixel-perfect precision or get sent to the grave by giant carrots, mosquitos, and more in this crazy adventure. You can find Cuphead on the Xbox store.
Stardew Valley
Image source: Microsoft
We get it, those last few games really drained you. When you need to take a load off and recharge, Stardew Valley will be your happy place. This magical farming simulator sandbox RPG now supports up to four-player cooperative play, allowing you to relax in one of gaming’s most idyllic villages with up to three friends. Work together to harvest food, crawl dungeons, or romance the townsfolk – the world is your oyster. You can find Stardew Valley on the Xbox store or Game Pass.
Moving Out
Image source: Microsoft
How did we get to Stardew Valley? Maybe we hired the Smooth Moves company, Moving Out's fictional corporate moving firm that enlists you and up to three friends as “expert” movers (I’m sorry, “Furniture Arrangement & Relocation Technicians”). This otherwise dreadful real-world task has been transformed into a truly enjoyable group activity thanks to vibrant characters and animations, unique items, and the occasional fart when lifting something too heavy. L-shaped couches and sectionals are one thing, but wrangling chickens and pigs onto a moving truck on a farm or dodging conveyor belts in a factory to pack up are truly a challenge that requires careful coordination and some colorful language. Get your move on at the Xbox store.
A Way Out
Image source: Microsoft
Ever wanted to break out of prison with a friend, but don’t want to worry about all the hassle that comes with serving jail time? A Way Out is a cinematic, co-op adventure that tracks what a pair of friends might go through if they got locked up together in the 1970s. A huge variety of tasks ensure that you’ll always feel like you're on an adventure, and even the dialogue choices make the characters feel distinct in this ambitious story. As an added bonus, you only need to buy one copy of the game, and simply invite your friend along for the ride. If you feel the need to escape the clink, you can find A Way Out on Game Pass.
Divinity: Original Sin II
Divinity: Original Sin II evokes all of the best features of a tabletop RPG in a simple, streamlined, compelling game. With nearly limitless freedom, you and your friends can create your characters exactly how you want. Whether your plans for a fire breathing stealth mage ninja work out or not remains to be seen, you can create a truly unique party to dungeon crawl with. Sit back, relax, and roll a few digital D20’s with your friends. Divinity: Original Sin II (Electric boogaloo) is available now.
There are more excellent co-op and multiplayer games than we could possibly list here — from the classic platformers like Rayman Legends to my favorite side scroller of all time, Castle Crashers, there’s something for everyone on the ROG Ally. Be sure to peruse our other favorite games for the ROG Ally too, and share your favorites with us on our Discord.
