Best Cooperative Board Games to Play Together

The best cooperative games turn a table into a team: you win or lose together, and the tension comes from the game, not from each other. They are ideal for couples, families and groups who prefer teamwork to rivalry.

This list ranks ten proven cooperative games, from a short flight for two to a campaign that unfolds over many evenings. Each one tells you how many players it suits, how long it takes, how hard it is to learn and who should skip it.

Cooperative games at a glance

A short game for two? Sky Team. A quick team game for a family? The Crew and Pandemic. A story to follow? Pandemic Legacy: Season 1, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion and Arkham Horror: The Card Game.

The ranking

1. Pandemic Legacy: Season 1

A cooperative campaign across 12 to 24 sessions that evolves with each play. Stickers are applied, cards are destroyed and your choices permanently change the game.

It plays 2–4 players, is best with 4, and takes about an hour. It can only be played once and needs a consistent group.

Pick it if you have a regular gaming group.

Skip it if you want a game to replay.

2. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion

A standalone game that is a faster, friendlier entry into the Gloomhaven card-based tactical combat. It has four new characters and a self-contained campaign.

It plays 1–4 players, is best with 2, and takes about two hours. The campaign has fewer scenarios than the full Gloomhaven.

Pick it if you want a tactical campaign with an easier start.

Skip it if you do not want to commit to a campaign.

3. Arkham Horror: The Card Game

A Lovecraftian mystery that blends deck building with cooperative scenario play. Each investigator has a customizable deck, and choices carry from one scenario to the next.

It plays 1–2 players, is best with 2, and takes about two hours. It is limited to one or two players here, and new content costs extra.

Pick it if you want a story over many evenings.

Skip it if you want a single stand-alone game.

4. Pandemic

Four virulent diseases have broken out across the globe, and players are disease-fighting specialists racing to treat outbreaks and discover cures. It is one of the best gateway cooperative games.

It plays 2–4 players, is best with 4, and takes about 45 minutes. A dominant player can end up quarterbacking the group, and the base game has limited long-term replayability.

Pick it if you want an easy first cooperative game.

Skip it if one player tends to take charge.

5. Slay the Spire: The Board Game

A cooperative deck-building adaptation of the popular video game, in which you craft a deck as you fight bizarre creatures and hunt for powerful relics.

It plays 1–4 players, is best with 2, and takes about two and a half hours. Rogue-like permadeath can feel harsh, and deck variance can swing difficulty.

Pick it if the group loves video game-style deck building.

Skip it if they dislike losing a run.

6. Sky Team

One of you flies the plane and the other is co-pilot, and together you land safely at airports around the world. Each round you secretly and silently assign dice to cockpit controls.

It plays exactly 2 players and takes about 20 minutes. It is strictly for two players, and dice luck can occasionally undercut your planning.

Pick it if you are buying for a couple.

Skip it if you need a game for a bigger group.

7. Marvel Champions: The Card Game

Players become iconic Marvel heroes who team up to stop notorious villains. Each hero has a customizable deck, and the rules are approachable for one to four players.

It plays 1–4 players, is best with 2, and takes about 90 minutes. Growing the hero and villain pool costs more, and deck building can feel daunting at first.

Pick it if the group loves Marvel and deck building.

Skip it if you want everything in one box.

8. Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood

A narrative-driven cooperative adventure following a free company battling supernatural horrors in a corrupted forest. A branching gamebook leads to cinematic boss fights.

It plays 1–4 players, is best with 4, and takes about 90 minutes. The campaign needs a long commitment and setup time, and it is aimed at a niche audience.

Pick it if the group wants a big, story-rich campaign.

Skip it if you want a casual, quick game.

9. The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine

A cooperative twist on trick-taking across 50 escalating missions. Astronauts complete shared goals with very limited communication.

It plays 2–5 players, is best with 4, and takes about 20 minutes. Restricted communication can frustrate players who like open discussion.

Pick it if you want a quick team game for the family.

Skip it if a dominant player would direct everyone.

10. Cthulhu: Death May Die

A team of increasingly unhinged investigators races to summon and destroy an Elder God before their sanity unravels. Players roll dice to resolve actions and combat, with dramatic boss miniatures.

It plays 1–5 players, is best with 3, and takes about two hours. Miniature assembly can be a barrier, and a dominant player can quarterback decisions.

Pick it if the group wants a chaotic, miniature-driven night.

Skip it if they dislike assembling miniatures.

How to choose a cooperative game

Start with the group size. Sky Team is for two, The Crew and Pandemic suit families, and Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion and Arkham Horror: The Card Game are best with a regular partner or small group.

Then think about time. Sky Team and The Crew fit in about twenty minutes, while Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 and the campaign games deserve a season of evenings.

For more ideas, see our best board games for families, the guide to gifts for couples or the best horror board games. To compare more games by player count or play time, browse the full Hobbli catalog.