Online multiplayer is pretty neat. If you were to tell me 20 years ago that I would be able to play video games with people thousands of miles away, all while being able to hear them speak and rage into their mics in a plethora of languages, I would’ve been speechless mostly because you would be talking to a 3-year-old incapable of comprehending complex sentences or containing himself from eating boogers, but still.
Jokes aside, today’s video game market is flooded with multiplayer, almost to the point of oversaturation. Apart from Nintendo, even the consoles, both PS4 and Xbox One don’t make any effort to keep it alive, which I learned the hard way while hopelessly scrolling the menu on Forza Horizon looking for the 2-player mode.
While I’m all for online multiplayer, and I do love playing a good team deathmatch in Call of Duty here and there, I sure miss the days of local split-screen multiplayer, as it provided hundreds of hours of pure fun and made for some unforgettable memories.
There’s nothing quite like sitting down with a friend and playing some Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, or inviting the whole gang over to play some 2vs2 FIFA, provided you had enough controllers (and USB ports). So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite split-screen PC games that are sure to scratch that local multiplayer itch.
#1 Blur
It’s Mario Kart with real licensed cars, what more could you want? This hidden gem didn’t really make much of an impact upon release but rather started picking up steam over time and gained kind of a mini cult following.
For those of you not familiar with the aforementioned Nintendo racer, you win races by drifting and picking up power-ups which you can use to repair your car, boost, shield yourself or launch attacks at any opponent unlucky enough to be in close proximity.
With support for up to 4 (yup, FOUR) players simultaneously, Blur should be on top of your split-screen PC racers. Even though it may be hard to find these days ever since it’s been removed from Steam, it’s still worth the effort. Happy racing!
#2 Sonic All-stars Racing Transformed
It would be a crime to talk about kart racers without mentioning this gem. Sonic All-stars Racing is a sequel to Sonic Sega All-stars Racing that improves upon pretty much every aspect of its predecessor while also adding an interesting twist.
At certain points in a race, your vehicle will alternate between car, boat, and plane modes, which keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting. Performing tricks and drifting around the track earns you boost and lets you speed past your opponents and picking up power-ups helps you stay on top. It’s pretty much the same formula used in Blur, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Featuring 4-player split-screen and a plethora of characters from Sega’s most popular franchises, this racer is a must-have, and I hope that you’re adding it to your Steam kart as we speak.
#3 Rocket League
Need for Speed or FIFA? Why not both? Rocket League is a sports/racer amalgamation that was always considered a good idea but never executed properly. Not until now, that is. Rocket League is best described as soccer with rocket-powered cars, and it’s even crazier than it sounds. The rules are simple: the team which scores the most goals wins. Your cars have the ability to boost, jump, and perform quick dodges.
Certain points on the field will provide you with a speed boost, which is fast enough to destroy the opponent’s car temporarily should he cross your path. It’s frantic, fast, and fun as hell. Although it took me a few matches to get the hang of the controls and the somewhat floaty physics engine, the payoff was immensely satisfying. I’ve spent hours playing split-screen versus my friends, and I cannot recommend it enough.
Over the years, Psyonix added a bunch of new modes through updates, so you can now play different modes based on other sports (basketball, ice hockey, etc.). There’s plenty of content for you and your friends to provide you with hours of fun, so have at it.
#4 Trackmania Turbo
Trackmania doesn’t get the love it deserves, in my opinion, and we’re here to set the record straight. If you’ve ever longed for a proper incarnation of your wildest Hot Wheels fantasies, then you’re in luck. In Trackmania, you blaze through crazy tracks filled with jumps, boosts, loops, half-pipes and many other types of obstacles.
The gameplay is the epitome of arcade racing and very reminiscent of crazy fast racers from the early to mid-2000s, which I feel are seriously missing nowadays.
The singleplayer mode provides lots of fun that combined with a well-made track creator theoretically never has to end. But like with basically every racing game ever, split-screen is where it’s at. I still occasionally invite a couple of friends over for an all-night session of Trackmania, simply to re-establish my dominance on the track.
Another brilliant feature is the Double Driver mode, in which two players take control of a single car. Communication is key here: if you turn left, and the other player turns right, the car will keep going straight. This mode was loads of fun to play, and it never fails to entertain. All in all, it’s as old school and arcadey as a racing game can get, and I mean it in the best of ways.
#5 Portal 2
Now that we got the racers out of the way let’s give some well-deserved love to this timeless classic. Portal 2 checks all the ticks that a proper sequel should, and then some. The puzzle-solving gameplay is further enriched with the addition of a co-op split-screen campaign. The puzzles are quite varied, and some of them will make you think real hard about your next steps, but two heads are better than one, am I right?
The humor in Portal 2 is definitely less artsy and subtle and leans more on the slapstick side, but I find it quite suiting for an exciting puzzle game.
Collaboration is key if you plan on making any progress in the game, and it’s a pretty neat choice to play with your significant other if you’re looking for a game to strengthen bonds, emphasize teamwork and maybe check whether your soulmate isn’t as smart as he seemed. The campaign is quite lengthy, so there’s loads of fun to be had here. Did I forget to mention that this is even more fun when played as a couch co-op game? Most recommended!
#6 The LEGO Series
I struggled to find the one LEGO game to put on this list, so eventually, I decided on putting the whole series on the list. Each game brings something unique to the table that sets it apart from the rest, whether it’s the story, theme, or a slightly different approach to gameplay. It all depends on what franchise you bow down to. Star Wars, Marvel, Lord of The Rings, DC… there’s something for everyone!
At its core, every LEGO game is an action platformer that’s simple enough for even the youngest of gamers to enjoy, so they make for a great choice to play with kids and/or younger siblings.
Going through levels, collecting studs, unlocking new characters and repeating the process sounds very repetitive in theory, but in practice they somehow made it stay fun and enjoyable in the long run.a Hats off to Telltales Games for keeping the series consistently fresh and exciting to play.
#7 Rock of Ages II: Bigger Boulder
A tower defense racing game? What? How? As weird as it sounds, this unique game is a hell of a good time, especially in split-screen. Players must build boulders and roll them into each other’s gates as fast as possible while avoiding obstacles, traps and other lines of defense along the way.
The simple premise is this game’s strongest point is it’s easy to pick up and play and is an excellent choice for a party game. The 4-player split-screen is amazingly fun, and the Monty Python art style is hilarious, the replayability is off the charts… This one better is in your collection by the end of this article.
#8 Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 6 is highly favored over its predecessor, and for no good reason, in my opinion. Aside from the darker setting and a veeeeeery slightly creepier atmosphere, it has nothing else going for it when compared to Resident Evil 5, and the proof is in the review scores pudding. Oh well…
RE 5 was built from scratch with split-screen co-op in mind. Chris Redfield is joined by agent Sheva Alomar on their mission to contain and neutralize the spreading of a deadly zombie virus in Africa. The developers gave Sheva the dumbest A.I. imaginable just to get you off your hiney and looking for a friend to take the CPU’s place.
No other developer cares about your social life like Capcom! Once you do find a co-op partner, everything clicks, and you’re in for a pure action shooter that pulls no punches from start to finish. Whether you and your partner are a fans of frightening horror games or survival titles, you’re gonna love this.
#9 Serious Sam 3: BFE
Time to get serious! Croteam’s Serious Sam is considered a staple among the admittedly few arena shooters out there, but that shouldn’t lower its value in any way. The third installment features an all-new split-screen co-op mode that my best friend and I have played a couple of hundred hours more than we should have.
It’s bloody, frenetic, addicting, and incredibly fun – need I say more?
#10 Divinity: Original Sin 2
Divinity: Original Sin was a classic turn-based fantasy RPG that laid the groundworks of what a proper classic RPG should look and play like. The sequel simply amped up the good stuff, took out the bad stuff and added more stuff – this game is great stuff!
Extensive combat is backed by an incredible character creation tool and an incredibly rich fantasy world in which DD players will feel right at home. The icing on this fantasy cake is a brilliantly crafted co-op mode for up to 4 players that turned me into a co-op RPG fanatic if there ever was one. Guess it’s time to reinstall this bad boy and call some friends over. See you in a couple of weeks!
#11 A Way Out
A Way Out is the second co-op only video game directed by Josef Fares after the brilliant Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (strongly recommended!) that combines a brilliant cinematic narrative with a highly-engaging local multiplayer experience.
You must cooperate with your partner in solving puzzles, gaining valuable info, and getting each-other out of dangerous situations. No co-op game made me as tense and as immersed to the screen like this one. Bromance incarnate!
#12 Earth Defence Force 5
EDF 5 doesn’t stray far off the beaten path of 4.1 by sticking to the core elements of the well-known third-person shooter series and implementing a few improvements here and there. The mission count goes up to a whopping 110 and delivers plenty of hordes to plow through, with a co-op option that allows up to 4 players simultaneously.
There’s loads of fun for you and your friends to be had with Earth Defence Force 5.
#13 Clone Hero
Rhythm games were all the rage back in the late 2000s, but the sheer overabundance of Guitar Hero and Rock Band games made the audience grow tired of it real quick. Thankfully, we have Clone Hero to save the day!
Clone Hero is a free rhythm game that can be played with the keyboard or any game controller that you have lying around, and therein lies the beauty of it. The gameplay is identical to the Guitar Hero games, with an option of playing your own song charts from your PC.
If you run across a cheap deal for one of those old guitar controllers, then all the better! You can download it for free from the Clone Hero website, so it costs you literally nothing to give this ambitious project a try.
#14 Road Redemption
Considered by many as a spiritual successor to Road Rash, Road Redemption picks up the mantel of the motorcycle-racing opponent-bashing series and delivers the motorbike combat racing experience that we’ve been longing for ever since the early 2000s, while also adding a couple of new features to prevent the formula from getting stale.
This time you can invite your friends to join – all 3 of them (buuurn!). Fast and violent racing awaits!
Shared-screen PC games
It seemed only natural to mention shared-screen games since they can also be played on the same PC by two or more players simultaneously. Here are some gems that may satisfy those local multiplayer cravings.
#1 Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
This game is severely underrated, and I almost never see it mentioned in any split-screen game lists, which is a shame. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is a top-down action-adventure that features Lara (obviously) and a 2000-year-old Mayan warrior named Totec.
Together, they must stop the evil spirit Xolotl and retrieve the Mirror of Smoke. Slaying enemies, solving booby-trap puzzles and relying on each-others skills and unique weapons make for a good time. The sequel is also worth a playthrough if you’re yearning for more of the same.
#2 Broforce
Now, this is how you make a proper run ‘n’ gun shooter! Paying homage to the great Hollywood action flicks of the 80s and the 90s, Broforce is a challenging but incredibly fun local co-op experience for up to 4 players simultaneously.
If the punny action hero names such as Rambro, Brommando or Double Bro Seven aren’t enough to charm your pants off, the pixelated 2D explosive action certainly will be.
#3 Marvel: Ultimate Alliance & Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2
I bundled these two together since I hold them equally close to my heart. Both are classic action RPG beat-em-ups featuring your favorite Marvel characters such as Iron Man, Captain America, Ghost Rider, and many others. Both are chock-full with over-the-top clashes against hordes of mindless minions, gigantic boss battles and 4-player co-op.
In short: both are more than worth your and your friends time.
#4 Overcooked! 2
From the creators of the highly-renowned (and highly recommended) Worms series comes Overcooked! 2, a sequel to the very successful chaotic cooking extravaganza. As was the case with its predecessor, the key to success in Overcooked! 2 is being fast, responsive, and a great team player.
It’s very hard to describe the gameplay without experiencing it for yourself, but be prepared for a highly addictive escapade that will have you and your three friends going back to it time and time again.
#5 Cuphead
Cuphead is a 1930s cartoon adventure in the form of a crazy difficult run and gun action game that essentially requires to be played in co-op if you even think of progressing further than the first couple of levels.
Instead of being frustrating; however, the difficulty somehow makes you repeatedly bash the continue button in hopes of finally beating that insufferable boss and advancing through. I don’t think I’ll celebrate the birth of my future child as much as I celebrated beating level 3, I’m dead serious.
#6 Brawlhalla
Super Smash Bros is a franchise that we’ll sadly never get to experience on PC (excluding emulators), and that’s the fact that I can hardly come to terms with. Luckily, there are alternatives that do the job equally well, if not even better.
Brawlhalla is a charming Smash Bros clone that features the same platform fighting experience that you’d come to expect from the aforementioned Nintendo exclusive, packed in with over 40 characters to choose from, as well as an astonishing eight-player local multiplayer to boot. The best part? It’s free to play! There’s an option of buying a Collectors Pack, but that choice is up to you and you alone.
It goes without saying that you should stay as far away from this game as possible during exam time, for your own sake.
Honorable Mentions
This article could virtually go on forever, so some tough choices had to be made, and certain games couldn’t make the cut due to the sheer number of local multiplayer PC gems out there. Still, it would be a tragedy not to at least mention them. So, in no particular order:
Gears of War 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Dungeon Defenders, GRIP: Combat Racing. Sonic Adventure 2, F1 Race Stars, Crimsonland, Alien Shooter, GRID 2, GRID Autosport, Dogfight 1942.
If you’re one of those people who keep buying people stuff that they themselves would like to get, split-screen games might help. Purchase one of these titles for your friend as they can be considered an awesome gift for gamers that also provokes some bonding time.