Open-world games are, justifiably, probably among the most popular video game categories ever created. The only thing that makes a good thing better is to explore these expanses with a group of friends and cause chaos over voice chat.
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Whether it be the expansive cities of the Grand Theft Auto franchise or the rolling landscapes found in some of gaming's greatest racing games, open-world games are tailor-made for cooperative action where the sky is (sometimes) the literal limit.
Note that while these games might be from other genres, they all feature open worlds.
8 Forza Horizon 5
The Sky's The Horizon
Forza Horizon 5
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Systems
- Top Critic Rating:92/100 Critics Recommend:100%
- Platform(s)
- PC , Xbox One , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X
- Released
- November 9, 2021
- Developer(s)
- Playground Games
Set in a convincing and beautiful representation of Mexico, Forza Horizon 5 takes all the lessons of the now-storied racing franchise and conjures a massive world that still stuns. Forget ideas of Mexico that are just a lazy sepia filter. Forza Horizon 5's vision of Mexico is radiant, stretching from snowy mountains to golden sands, and everything in between.
The only thing that makes this motorhead paradise even better is playing with friends. Feel free to race around the open world in ferociously fast cars with friends or enter the hundreds of bespoke races and events to test times and show who's really the best. For racing game fans who lean more on the arcade than the simulation side, it doesn't get better than this.
7 Factorio
Co-Operative Exploitation
Factorio
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Systems
- Platform(s)
- PC , Switch
- Released
- August 14, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Wube Software
When Factorio came out, its factory building and automation devising gameplay loop became infamous as an addictive gameplay look that refused to let go. Extracting resources, setting up maze-like conveyor belt systems, and automating all the manufacturing to escape the doomed planet full of bugs is some of the most satisfying gaming currently available (even more so with its incredible suite of mods).
However, Factorio has grown in reputation as a sincerely incredible experience with friends. With friends, the efficiency of the factory can reach new heights and expansion is exponential. Just be careful not to friendly fire your comrades by running them over with trains and buggies over, and over, and over again, because it's definitely not funny.
6 Valheim
Voxel-Based Base Building
Valheim
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Systems
- Top Critic Rating:85/100 Critics Recommend:90%
- Platform(s)
- Linux , PC , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
- Released
- February 2, 2021
- Developer(s)
- Iron Gate AB
Releasing with a distinct voxel-based graphical style, Valheim became the little indie darling that could. It charmed the PC audience at large with a survival game that focused on what mattered. Great base building, stunning bosses, and an addictive game loop that rewards mastery of the world.
Valheim is at its best with friends. While a lonely experience has its upsides, with friends, a simple house can turn into an entire settlement, and groups of players can make the game's distinctive and difficult bosses much more manageable. It's a lot of fun to strategize and develop a genuine home in this charming world.
5 Diablo 4
Arm-In-Arm, To Hell And Back
Diablo 4
1
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Systems
- Top Critic Rating:88/100 Critics Recommend:93%
- Platform(s)
- PC , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5
- Released
- June 6, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
Expectations were high when Diablo 4 was released, and it has largely delivered through a series of much-needed patches. The game delivers the trademark gory top-down action and looting bonanza that's inspired many games since.
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With friends, the hostile world of Sanctuary may seem a more welcoming prospect, but that's far from the case. With friends, dungeons become host to hordes of more demons and monsters, and class synergy becomes an incredibly important consideration when approaching the hardest bosses the game has to offer. With friends, Diablo 4's mechanical intricacies come alive and make it one of the most exciting co-op open-world RPGs available.
4 Sea of Thieves
Scallywags Incorporated
Sea of Thieves
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Systems
- Top Critic Rating:69/100 Critics Recommend:36%
- Platform(s)
- PC , PlayStation 5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X
- Released
- March 20, 2018
- Developer(s)
- Rare
Sometimes a video game is just about fulfilling a simple fantasy which Sea of Thieves does without fail. Taking the role of a humble pirate out to make their fortune, the player can sail the high seas in search of booty and mysterious islands full of supernatural delights and rare items that every player is searching for.
However, the true joy of Sea of Thieves comes when playing with friends. The game's biggest ships can only be effectively sailed with a full crew of 4 working in perfect (well, sometimes) synchronicity. When the stress of a naval battle hits, will players bind together, or will the chaos and confusion result in the loss of all that sweet collected booty?
3 Elden Ring
Unshattered After The Shattering
Elden Ring
1
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Systems
- Top Critic Rating:95/100 Critics Recommend:98%
- Platform(s)
- PS5 , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC
- Released
- February 25, 2022
- Developer(s)
- From Software
At first glance, Elden Ring doesn't have many of the hallmarks of a great co-op game. After all, its vast open world is usually framed through a single-player lens, and FromSoftware games are somewhat infamous for having co-op mechanics that are obtuse at best.
That being said, many players have taken it upon themselves to play the game with friends and it is a genuine pleasure, particularly for players who don't find much enjoyment in the game's brutal difficulty or who need help making an overpowered build. With a few well-chosen mods to make the co-op experience a little easier, Elden Ring becomes an epic co-operative open-world adventure where a player's unique builds can complement into mighty tornados of damage that more than match the Lands Between's mythic baddies.
2 Grand Theft Auto Online
The Ultimate Crime Playground
Grand Theft Auto Online
Systems
- Platform(s)
- PS5 , PS4 , PS3 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , PC
- Released
- October 1, 2013
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar North
Any open-world list without Grand Theft Auto: Online would be seriously suspect. Ever since its launch in 2013, Grand Theft Auto: Online has remained one of the most popular games played on every system that has it. That's for good reason too. Placing a lobby of players in the expansive world of Grand Theft Auto 5's base game, the game's trademark chaos grows tenfold.
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Things only get crazier with a suite of custom races and, after some patches, a comprehensive suite of creation tools so that players can generate content in perpetuity and more ways to make boatloads of money for the most expensive items in the game. On PC, RP servers have given the game an even bigger boost of life with a series of bespoke mods fuelling whole Twitch careers. Crazy though it is to say it, after 11 years, never bet against the strength of Grand Theft Auto: Online.
1 Minecraft
Endless Gameplay, Forever
Minecraft
1
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Systems
- Top Critic Rating:90/100 Critics Recommend:84%
- Platform(s)
- 3DS , Android , iOS , Nintendo Switch , Nintendo Wii U , PC , PlayStation 3 , PlayStation 4 , PS Vita , Xbox One , Xbox 360
- Released
- November 18, 2011
- Developer(s)
- Mojang
It couldn't be anything else. Since its initial 1.0. release in 2011, Minecraft has fundamentally changed the entire gaming industry. Responsible for both inspiring much of the survival, open world, and crafting games that were to follow that would dominate the 2010s, Minecraft's procedurally generated block-based world plays host to hundreds of millions of players every month fighting fearsome mobs and building awe-inspiring structures.
And that's just scratching the surface because Minecraft played with friends is all doing whatever the player's fancy. Do they want to build a mega-city? They can do that. Want to go spelunking for the rarest items in the game? They can do that. Want to cause chaos, or go onto servers that simulate the Hunger Games, survival horror servers, war servers, peaceful creative servers, RP servers, or anything else that can be imagined? Minecraft makes it possible.
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