10 Best Local Co-Op Games on Nintendo Switch

In the current online age of video games, it is easy to forget that a lot of the best gaming experiences occur when playing with friends locally. While it’s efficient to hop on and game with friends all over the world using the internet, the feeling of being in person playing with them simply can’t be topped. Those experiences aren’t completely lost nowadays though, thanks to systems like the Nintendo Switch. Here are the best local co-op games on Nintendo Switch right now.

Best Local Co-Op Games on Nintendo Switch

Payday 2

Have you ever wanted to rob a bank with your friends? Well, Payday 2 is the perfect opportunity to do so and not get put in jail. In this ported sequel, play with three other friends to pull off heist after heist to earn a fortune.

This sequel takes place two years after the original, following a new gang that looks to rob Washington, D.C. blind. You and your friends have a lot of different ways to go about committing these heists. Select from 21 different gang members, each with specific skills, traits, and customizable features. Go out on more than just simple bank heists as well, taking down armored cars and producing drugs and narcotics. You can be just like the crew from The Dark Knight, just don’t hire any actual clowns. It’s thanks to all this that it makes our list of the best local co-op games on Nintendo Switch.

Best Local Co-Op Games on Nintendo Switch

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Captain Toad is back with a vengeance in this updated port from the Wii U. Unlike the 2014 game, the Nintendo Switch version of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker allows two players to work together on each level to find the treasures hidden among them.

In the game’s new local co-op feature, the second player is vital for supporting player one. Their job is to rotate the camera, take out enemies with projectiles, and uncover coins hidden throughout the map. While it may not sound glamorous, it’s fun and productive. To share in the fun, be sure to take turns as Toad, who will be able to focus on beating the level since the enemies and puzzles can be taken care of by the other player, which is why it’s on our list of the best local co-op games on Nintendo Switch.

Best Local Co-Op Games on Nintendo Switch

Rocket League

Who would have thought playing Soccer with RC Cars could be such an amazing game to play with friends? In Rocket League, you and up to three friends can play with and against each other in this vehicle based soccer game, and it’s easily one of the best local co-op games on Nintendo Switch.

Unlike regular soccer, Rocket League features wacky and helpful perks, like suction cups to pull the ball closer. Unique physics and boosting also allow expert player to drive off the walls and get serious air for important positioning. As you can imagine, these perks and situations result in a lot interesting havoc.

Best Local Co-Op Games on Nintendo Switch

Super Bomberman R

Next up on our list of the best local co-op games on Nintendo Switch is Super Bomberman R. Bomberman has always been a fun series to play with friends. Running around a maze, trying to kill your friends with bombs is a blast. Super Bomberman R takes the base concept of the original and makes it even more hectic to play locally with your amigos.

Alongside a completely cooperative, 50 stage story mode, the newest installment in the series allows up to eight players to compete in 19 different battlegrounds in Battle Mode. These different arenas are filled with unique perks, including springboards, movable blocks, and ice-patterns. Dead players can even try to eliminate those still on the board, adding to the chaos. As always though, the goal is still the same: blow up everyone and survive.

Best Local Co-Op Games on Nintendo Switch

Minecraft

Minecraft is simultaneously the most simple and intricate game that has been created in generations. While the main focus is on gathering resources and building, there’s a tapestry of different activities hidden under the surface for you and your friends to uncover together.

Think of something you want to do in Minecraft with friends and it’s pretty likely that it exist in some what shape or form. Simply build a house or farm enough material to create a Kingdom. Make your own game modes with the help of redstone activated levers or fight each other to the death over and over. Minecraft is literally endless if you are creative enough, doubly if you’re playing with friends, which is why it’s on our list of the best local co-op games on Nintendo Switch.

Best Local Co-Op Games on Nintendo Switch

Kirby: Star Allies

It’s rare that a Kirby game allows you to play with friends, but Kirby: Star Allies is a blast to play together locally, and is an opportunity for the classic character to appear on our list of the best local co-op games on Nintendo Switch. You and three friends can team up to defeat the evil forces plaguing the world of Pop Star, bringing along with it an interesting gameplay twist.

This new feature turns foes into friends, resulting in a lot of variety for each player. Don’t feel like player a certain character because of their abilities? Recruit enemies by hitting them with hearts and you’ll have their powers at your beck and call. What better game to play with friends than one where everyone overcomes their differences with the power of hearts? Plus the game, like many Nintendo first-party games, which is always nice have received consistent updates and new content, which is always nice.

Best Local Co-Op Games on Nintendo Switch

Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together

Snipperclips: Cut it out, Together is a co-op puzzle game like no other. Playing as two piece of paper, you and a friend use clipping abilities to turn each other into specific shapes that are necessary for solving a variety of different puzzles. Sometimes you’ll need to be a sharp to pop a balloon, while others levels will require you to balance on the other player to reach a certain object as a certain shape. It’s frustratingly fun to play together, which is why it’s one of the best local co-op games on Nintendo Switch.

While it may be hard to get the hang of at first, fishing each puzzle comes with such a rewarding payoff, all thanks to the communication that occurs between both players. Regardless of whether you actually complete the levels or not, the real fun in Snipperclips comes from the creative solutions you and your friend can come up with throughout each level.

Best Local Co-Op Games on Nintendo Switch

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Just like any other installment in the series, playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has resulted in the start and end to many friendships. As always, you race throughout numerous courses, collecting items while racing in order to screw over everyone else and secure your victory. This port features every DLC character and track from the Wii U version, allowing up to eight players to compete via local multiplayer, and it’s a shoe in for our list of the best local co-op games on Nintendo Switch.

Racing isn’t Mario Kart 8’s only guilty pleasure though, as players can compete in the revamped Battle mode mini-games. The five different modes (Balloon Battle, Shine Thief, Bob-omb Blast, Coin Runners, Renegade Roundup) all result in complete mayhem, as skill only serves as half the battle.

Best Local Co-Op Games on Nintendo Switch

Overcooked! 2

Like most of the games on this list of the best local co-op games on Nintendo Switch, Overcooked! 2 isn’t exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. With that being said, it is the best console to play the game on, especially for co-op. The meal prep mayhem is real, as players must work together to make dinner amidst a lot of interesting circumstances. The sequel adds plenty of new stages, each containing their own unique challenges and obstacles to overcome while preparing meals.

To get over these new roadblocks in Overcooked! 2, communication is key. That is why it’s the perfect local co-op game to play with friends on the Switch. Avoid the possible miscommunication of telling someone what they need to cook over a headset by yelling at them frantically in person. Plus, whenever they make a mistake, they are well within range to angrily shake and scold.

Best Local Co-Op Games on Nintendo Switch

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Donkey Kong and crew have returned for another adventure. This time it’s frozen, as the adventurous apes bounce around palm trees and frolic across beaches. Just like any other title in the series, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is tailor-made for enjoying side by side with a friend. If you’re looking for one of the best local co-op games on Nintendo Switch that can also be extremely challenging, Tropical Freeze is your go-to game.

Veterans to the series know that Donkey and Diddy both have different attributes at their disposal, and this game is no different. DK is the powerhouse, while the smaller Kong is more agile and adept at long range. This comes into play during platforming sections in co-op, as Donkey Kong jumps around but whoever is on his back can attack and help with the platforming in unique ways. Whether it’s platforming, combos, or super attacks, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is so much fun with friends it is bananas.