Playing with friends can be a lot more fun than a single-player experiences, as evidenced by some of the best free co-op games available on Windows.
Most humans love socializing. When people get together they can share ideas, make memories and build things together. While socializing was once seen as a face-to-face activity though, it can now be done online with social media, YouTube, and, of course, video games leading the charge.
Exploring a virtual world can be incredibly enjoyable by oneself, but even more so when it’s done with friends. It needn’t be an expensive pursuit either thanks to the ever-increasing number of high-quality free-to-play games that are available online. As a result, the only thing that players really need to invest is some quality time with their friends.
Updated September 18th 2023, by Amy Cowley: The gaming business is an industry that never sleeps, and thus are always churning out new and great titles to play on brand new shiny consoles. But all these new technologies come with a shocking price tag that many gamers simply can’t afford. But this doesn’t mean there is any shortage of games for these gamers to enjoy, as the PC comes with many free to play games with optional purchases without sacrificing quality. As such, this list has been increased to add more entries as well as the genre and devlopers of the games so players don’t need to waste time researching and can immediately jump in and play. 1 Smite (80)
Another excellent MOBA for players to rope their friends into is Smite, with one of its big draws being the cool godly themes of the game that incorporates many different pantheons such as Greek, Egyptian, Norse and many more. Though it is often compared to League as MOBA fans are wont to do, Smite stands out as its own excellent game with its own unique features.
Players will pick one of five character archetypes and battle it out against AI or other players. And with this game now released on multiple platforms, gamers can also enjoy this free-to-play game on consoles as well, and even team up with friends that play on a different platform. 2 Guild Wars 2 (90)
By now the market is oversaturated by many MMO’s all boasting unique worlds with different themes, and as such it can be quite difficult to decide which one to go for. But offering free play and a fantastic game experience at the same time should be enough to sway players in the direction of Guild Wars 2.
Filled with unique races and classes that all feel fun and different to play and a rich world full of fantastical lore, GW2 is a masterclass in MMO excellent, and made even more fun with friends. Plus, it is free to play, what more could gamers want? 3 League of Legends (78)
For some exciting fun with friends, players don’t need to look any further than League of Legends, one of the most competitive games on the market with a highly successful e-sport tournament. In this MOBA game, teams of five split across three lanes to advance on the enemy’s territory and take down their defenses, each player assuming a different role to assure perfect party balance.
With one of the biggest character rosters in gaming, gamers are left with many viable choices to ensure there are multiple champions that fit their preferred style of play. Whether they like to take on a more supportive role healing and buffing allies of deal out hefty amounts of damage themselves, there is something for everyone in LoL. 4 Warzone 2.0 (80)
Released in November of 2022, Warzone 2.0 is the latest iteration of Infinity Ward’s free-to-play FPS title, allowing players to tear it up on their own or team up with their friends in a bloody and brutal battle royale. With up to 64 players per game, things really can get quite hectic.
Though Warzone 2.0 has its fair share of problems, the game still offers an incredibly fun experience when played with friends. More than 125 million people have tried Warzone since its launch back in 2020, and although the number of active players is significantly smaller, players will never need to wait long in order to get into a game. 5 Dauntless (78)
Given that most free-to-play games tend to revolve around team-based combat, Dauntless is somewhat refreshing. It’s an action RPG title centered around co-op gameplay, with a light sprinkling of crafting and survival mechanics just for good measure.
