By: Heidi Kwok, Staff Writer
Co-operative or multiplayer games are arguably the best way to unwind with friends and family. Indie favourites like Human Fall Flat and Overcooked 2 are among my absolute essentials due to their unique gameplay and light-hearted tone. As a casual gamer, I found it difficult to locate co-op games that are both free (or at least affordable) and playable without a heavy-duty computer setup. But worry not — I’ve spent hours scouring Steam and the Xbox game store for fun accessible games so you don’t have to. Here are three hidden gems I highly recommend if you’re a fan of puzzle-solving and engaging in heated shouting matches with fellow players.
Windows 10, MacOS 11, Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Free (on Steam)
Armed with only a walkie-talkie and your wits, you and your partner are separated inside a spooky medieval castle in the middle of a frozen wasteland. To navigate sinister rooms and hallways, you must work together using impeccable teamwork and communication skills to solve the mysteries of the castle and escape. My gameplay highlight was being trapped in the outdoor courtyard and forced to rearrange a chessboard according to the other player’s instructions to avoid a ghastly fate as a frozen popsicle. We Were Here is the first (and only free installment) in a series of narratively similar standalone puzzle adventure games.
Windows 7, MacOS 10.13, Android, Google Play
$7.79 (on Steam)
A game that feels like an escape room but without the exorbitant entrance fees, Unboxing the Cryptic Killer is a campy crime-thriller developed by the Polish indie game studio Eleven Puzzles. Also verbal communication-based, players adopt the roles of two detectives to figure out interactive puzzles (including defusing a bomb, playing an arcade game within the game, and cracking the contemporary semaphore flag system — sounds exciting, right?) in the hunt for a serial killer linked to multiple unsolved cold cases. The much shorter prequel, Unsolved Case, is available for free for those who’d like to test out the game style before committing.
SMG Studio and DevM Games
Windows 7 SP1 or 10, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Amazon Luna
$28.99 (on Steam)
Relocating and moving to a new home in itself is a stressful enough ordeal. With Moving Out, you get the privilege of paying $28.99 (regularly discounted) to pose as a professional mover, or as the game calls it: a certified Furniture Arrangement Relocation Technician (FART). While not cheap, the steeper price tag is worth it if you split it between the maximum supported four players. This physics-defying game lets players fling an entire five-seater couch down a balcony, shatter bedroom windows to fit through and transport oversized furniture, and gather up a questionable amount of flamingo lawn ornaments from someone’s yard, all without the consequential cost of back pain. Tasks must be accomplished under a tight time limit, so expect a lot of yelling and dangerously elevated blood pressure levels while attempting to traverse challenges that consistently increase in absurdity.
