We are optimizing for fun with other people, co-op or competitive. I'm ignoring some incredible games that are purely single player, or have a barrier to fun that requires some skill or experience with a particular game-type. Some of the games are very hard, but are fun to fail together.
Ranked roughly in order of chill experiences to stressful shenanigans…
🎮: 1-2, 🤝
The smash hit farming sim plays very well on switch. Lots of things to do and explore, and very little stress unless the fishing mini-game stresses you out.
🎮: 1-2, 🤝
Extremely chill RTS based around riding around a pixel kingdom and spending your coins wisely.
🎮: 1-4, 🤝
Very upbeat and pleasant platformer where everyone helps fly a cute spaceship and free bunnies. Way more fun than you think.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
🎮: 1-2, 🤝
Cute but somber story on a clever puzzle platformer where your two characters are tied together.
🎮: 1-4, 🤝
Hilarious simple but demented sokoban-style puzzle game with heavy Portal-inspiration and lots of clever laughs.
🎮: 1-4, ⚔️
It's Mario Kart.
🎮: 1-4, ⚔️
One of the cleanest and most fun competitive party games available. You'll die a lot, learn quickly, and want everyone to play with you. There's several cooperative story modes if you don't want to fight each other.
🎮: 1-4, ⚔️
A simple bomberman style game with one twist: everyone is invisible until they shoot. Very similar to Towerfall, but harder to master.
🎮: 2-?, 🤝
One person can defuse the bomb. The other has the manual. You must talk. Nobody must explode. I use this one for marriage counseling.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
🎮: 1-4, 🤝
Straightforward, joyous, and gorgeous platformer.
🎮: 1-4, 🤝
It's America. Riotous Metal Slug inspired game with tons of 80s movie references.
🎮: 1-4, 🤝
Overcooked, but with home improvement.
🎮: 1-4, 🤝
A party FPS where you have to look at the other screens to see your foes location because everyone is invisible.
🎮: 1-4, ⚔️
It's smash bros.
🎮: 1-4, 🤝
The quintessential stress-laden co-op game. Fantastic.
🎮: 1-2, ⚔️
Two enter the arena, one leaves and is eaten by the world worm. The weirdest, laugh inducing fighting game you've never played.
🎮: 1-2, 🤝
Very hard but 80s action movie pun-laden
🎮: 1-4, 🤝
A strangely addictive Indiana Jones inspired roguelike. Very frustrating but satisfying to see the systems come together.
I absolutely recommend the following. Everyone should have them:
- Towerfall
- Overcooked
- Death Squared
- Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime