Electronic Arts and Hazelight Studios created the hit co-op action-adventure game A Way Out. The game can only be played in a two-player split-screen co-op, and it follows the exploits of two incarcerated criminals who plot their escape from prison and subsequent vengeance.
It’s an experience, but it’s a small one. Players have six hours (or up to eight) to complete the game, and they may be left wanting more.
Despite the best efforts of mainstream games to eradicate co-op play in an effort to get players to shell out more money for consoles and discs, there are plenty of developers in the gaming industry who understand the value of co-op play, even couch co-op play.
The best two-player games, including some that are cooperative like A Way Out, are here (or partners).
Article Contents
Top 24 games like ‘A Way Out ‘ (PC/ PS/ Xbox)
1. Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes
- Ratings: 9/10
- Developer: Steel Crate Games
- Publisher: Steel Crate Games
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Android, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, macOS, Linus, Microsoft Windows
You have three minutes and thirty-five seconds to defuse a sophisticated bomb in Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes.
Do you ever feel like there isn’t enough tension in your life? Or that you haven’t yet experienced the true depth of your closest friendships? Here, have a game on us! Why not pretend to be a bomb disposal expert?
The cooperative game Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes puts two people in charge of disarming a bomb. The problem arises because only one person knows where the bomb and the manual are kept.
Both players need to be crystal clear in their verbal instructions and descriptions of the bomb’s appearance.
2. Overcooked 2
- Ratings: 8/10
- Developer: Team17
- Publisher: Team17
- Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Linux, Mac
Next, if you and your co-op partner got into a heated argument in A Way Out, why not repeat the experience and further your mutual hair-pulling?
Up to four players compete in Overcooked 2’s arcade-style kitchen as they try to fulfill food orders as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Time constraints, potential dangers in the kitchen, and common misunderstandings among chefs all make this task more challenging. In addition, in the sequel, you can now lob ingredients at your teammates from a distance, which can be helpful or disastrous, depending on who you’re working with.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: Sea of Thieves video game
- Ratings: 9/10
- Developer: Rare
- Publisher: Microsoft Studios
- Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Linux, Mac
Sea of Thieves is a game that truly immerses its players in the life of a swashbuckling pirate on the high seas. Though it can be played alone, it is truly best experienced with your entire crew on board.
One significant advantage is that it supports cross-platform play for co-op, so one gamer can use their Xbox, another their PC, and a third their PlayStation! In this gorgeous action-adventure title, you must find buried treasure, kill skeletons, and battle sea creatures.
4. It Takes Two
- Ratings: 8/10
- Developer: Hazelight Studios
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Series S
Though there are no signs of “A Way Out 2,” the game released next by the same company, “It Takes Two,” received rave reviews from co-op players and even won The Game Of The Year!
It’s intended for local co-op, with two players controlling one-half of a married couple, Cody and May. The couple is trapped inside their daughter’s dolls! Their therapist, who has taken the form of a relationship self-help book, continues to try to encourage them to work together as they try to return to normalcy.
5. Portal 2
- Ratings: 8/10
- Developer: Valve
- Publisher: Valve
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Microsoft Windows
Portal 2 is another game that has a devoted following — and for good reason! It necessitates the puzzle-solving and teamwork abilities that make the non-combat sequences in A Way Out so enjoyable.
There is a story mode in Portal 2, but the multiplayer mode is equally engaging and even ties into the story from the single-player! Players will use a portal gun to create gaps between locations and attempt to solve puzzles set up by a renegade robot overlord.
6. Overcooked: All You Can Eat
- Ratings: 7/10
- Developer: Ghost Town Games
- Publisher: Team17
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox One
Overcooked: All You Can Eat is the obvious next choice if you’re looking for co-op games like A Way Out because you enjoyed yelling at each other. This fantastical game, which can be played solo or with up to four other people, tasks you with running a kitchen — on the back of a truck, in a pool, or at a park festival!
This game had two predecessors (Overcooked and Overcooked 2), and game critics adored all three cooperative titles. This newest title was released in March 2021 on Switch, PS4, Xbox, and PC (as well as PS5 and Xbox Series X), making it more accessible than ever!
7. Battleblock Theater – A Goofy Puzzler
- Ratings: 8/10
- Developer: The Behemoth · Big Timber Studio
- Publisher: Microsoft Studios · The Behemoth (Steam)
- Platforms: Xbox Series S/X, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Battleblock Theater was released eight years ago, but it still stands up as a silly, chaotic co-op experience. It was created by The Behemoth, the same studio that created Castle Crashers.
Battleblock Theater has a single-player mode as well, but the hilarious dialogue, silly opportunities for mischief, and bite-sized levels make it an excellent multiplayer experience.
The levels even change depending on whether you’re playing in single or multiplayer mode, forcing teams to coordinate and collaborate, much like in A Way Out.
8. The Escapists 2
- Ratings: 9/10
- Developer: Mouldy Toof Studios, Team17
- Publisher: Team17
- Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Android, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Classic Mac OS
The Escapists is an excellent choice for A Way Out fans because it is also about a prison break — albeit in a slightly different way. The Escapists is a top-down perspective game in which co-op players are prisoners going about their daily lives among their fellow inmates, looking for ways to escape.
While the game is a few years old, it has been released on all major platforms, including Xbox, PlayStation, PC (Windows, macOS, and Linux), and Nintendo Switch.
If you like this game, you should check out the spin-off The Survivalists, which will be released in late 2020.
9. Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime
- Ratings: 8/10
- Developer: Asteroid Base
- Publisher: Asteroid Base
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, Macintosh operating systems, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime was first released in 2015 but has recently sparked renewed interest in the gaming community. It’s become a favorite of many co-op players!
In this game, 1 to 4 players take up stations on a circular spaceship and work together to protect themselves from their enemies, similar to A Way Out. Many games like this have a dark, “cyberpunk” aesthetic, but the developers purposefully avoided it, basing their bright and adorable design on Sailor Moon and Katamari Damacy.
10. Unravel Two
- Ratings: 7/10
- Developer: Coldwood Interactive
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Microsoft Windows
Unravel Two is an indie game that is a sequel to the popular game Unravel. The “Two” in the title refers to the fact that this is the second game in the series, as well as the addition of a multiplayer mode.
Unravel Two received positive feedback from gamers, who praised the new puzzles, new characters, and more difficult gameplay. Unravel Two is the next step on your journey to the top of gaming’s best puzzlers if you enjoyed A Way Out’s co-op but are looking for a harder challenge.
11. Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- Ratings: 8/10
- Developer: 343 Industries, Bungie, Creative Assembly, Ensemble Studios
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Platforms: Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is ideal for fans of A Way Out’s co-op cover-shooting sections. While Halo isn’t a puzzle game like A Way Out, nor does it have a particular human or heartbreaking story, the coordinated combat is plentiful.
You can play Halo’s campaign cooperatively or compete against strangers via online matchmaking. If you’re tired of the standard shooting experience, Grifball has returned to the Master Chief Collection.
12. Borderlands 3
- Ratings: 9/10
- Developer: Gearbox Software
- Publisher: 2K
- Platforms: Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, macOS, Google Stadia
Borderlands 3 is the most recent Borderlands installment, so if you don’t think they can spend that much money on a brand-new game, pick up one of its predecessors. Borderlands 3 is unquestionably the best installment yet, with unabashed comedy stuffed into every corner and a vibrant open world to explore.
The shooting is less well-coordinated than in A Way Out, but no less active and entertaining with a good party. It isn’t available on the Nintendo Switch, but it is playable on Stadia, PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox Series X/S or Xbox One.
13. Don’t Starve Together
- Ratings: 7/10
- Developer: Klei Entertainment
- Publisher: Klei Entertainment
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Microsoft Windows, Linux
Don’t Starve Together is a strange game in which you must survive in a harsh environment where the night brings unspeakable horrors. Players must manage their hunger and sanity by gathering resources and staying safe!
This game is ideal for those who enjoy a gothic aesthetic and want a cooperative co-op experience where everything is at stake! Of course, you could always compete to see who can survive in this hellish dystopia the best. It’s entirely up to you!
14. House Of Ashes
- Ratings: 7/10
- Developer: Supermassive Games
- Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Microsoft Windows
If you enjoyed A Way Out’s interactive storytelling approach to games, you should try House of Ashes!
This survival horror game will challenge you to make small decisions, such as how to interact with your peers, as well as large decisions, such as whether or not to attempt to jump a gap, and then add it all up to see how well you survive a veritable underground nightmare.
Unlike A Way Out, the game is completely playable in single-player, but the co-op mode is practically seamless! Instead of having one player switch between characters, each scene will have different players assigned to different characters.
15. Snipperclips
- Ratings: 7/10
- Developer: SFB Games[
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Maybe you liked A Way Out but wanted to try something with a less intense ending the next time. Snipperclips are irresistible! It, like A Way Out, is intended to be enjoyed by two people.
Snipperclips may seem like an odd recommendation after playing a hyperrealistic, dramatic game like A Way Out. However, it will provide you with the same pleasant satisfaction of completing puzzles while reducing the stress induced by the digital environment.
16. Dying Light
- Ratings: 9/10
- Developer: Techland
- Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
- Platforms: Linux, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Techland’s Dying Light is a first-person survival horror game set in an expansive open world. The city of Harran, the setting of Dying Light, has been quarantined after an outbreak of a deadly virus that turns its victims into zombies.
Dying Light casts you in the role of undercover agent Kyle Crane, tasked with infiltrating the city in order to recover vital documents.
Dying Light’s gameplay entails venturing out into the city in search of supplies and fending off hordes of zombies. The parkour system in Dying Light is a standout feature that greatly improves the game’s mobility.
The ability to scale walls, hop from rooftop to rooftop, and even slide under obstructions is at your disposal.
17. Tango Operation
- Ratings: 8/10
- Developer: Clever Plays
- Publisher: Clever Plays
- Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
If having to communicate with your teammate to succeed is your favorite aspect of playing co-op games like A Way Out, then Operation: Tango is sure to satisfy you. The game assigns covert missions to two players, one of whom is a spy secret agent and the other a tech-savvy hacker.
Together, you’ll use your skills to infiltrate secure facilities, gather intelligence, and eventually bring down an evil megacorp. Similar to A Way Out, only one player needs to own a copy of Operation: Tango in order for both people to play.
18. The Escapists 2
- Ratings: 8/10
- Developer: Rare
- Publisher: Microsoft Studios
- Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Linux, Mac, iOS, Android
We couldn’t let you go without making at least one more suggestion that involves breaking out of prison with your accomplice. The Escapists 2 is a sequel to the top-down game in which players play as prisoners going about their daily lives while trying to find a way out of jail.
To escape, players must examine their surroundings, collect and combine specific objects, and, last but not least, blow up the joint. If you like this one, we recommend playing the original Escapists as well as Team 17’s most recent title, The Survivalists.
19. Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine
- Ratings: 8/10
- Developer: Pocketwatch Games
- Publisher: Pocketwatch Games
- Platforms: Windows, Switch, Linux, Mac
Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine, a neon-drenched co-op game with a unique twist, has a very different art style than A Way Out. In it, you and up to three other players must work together to complete a series of robberies involving banks, museums, and police stations.
The game is known for its chaotic action-based combat and tactics-based gameplay, which shares many similarities with A Way Out. After all, both games revolve around communication, criminal activity, and unexpected cinematic in-game moments.
20. GTA Online
- Ratings: 9/10
- Developer: Rockstar North
- Publisher: Rockstar Games
- Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
This game requires no introduction, as the GTA series is as iconic as third-person action-adventure games get. And, while Grand Theft Auto 5 has a fantastic single-player campaign, anyone looking for a co-op-driven experience will have to turn to GTA Online.
Players, like in A Way Out, are thrust into a world of crime, where they must stay one step ahead of the cops and collaborate with other criminals to pull off increasingly high-stakes jobs.
Among these are the Heists, in which a group of players plans and executes elaborate, multilayered missions that often play out like scenes from a Hollywood film.
21. The Dark Pictures Anthology
- Ratings: 8/10
- Developer: Supermassive Games
- Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Anyone who enjoys both co-op and horror games should check out Supermassive Games’ latest project, The Dark Pictures Anthology.
Each entry builds on the success and formula of open-ended story games like Until Dawn, presenting a dark and unsettling tale with multiple branching paths depending on the player’s choices.
The series will include eight standalone games, the most recent of which, House of Ashes, is about a squad of soldiers who awaken an ancient nightmare.
While the Dark Pictures games are single-player by default, there is a movie night mode in which up to five players can take turns playing as different characters throughout each chapter.
22. We Were Here Together
- Ratings: 7/10
- Developer: Total Mayhem Games
- Publisher: Total Mayhem Games
- Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Mac
We Were Here Together, like A Way Out, is a co-op game in which two characters must navigate a complicated relationship in order to survive.
It’s primarily a puzzle game with an immersive first-person POV and an engaging story about a couple of explorers who become stranded in a mysterious castle.
You and your partner will have to guide each other through challenging puzzles that require teamwork and cooperation using only walkie-talkies. Before you start playing the game, we recommend downloading We Were Here, a free pilot episode that serves as a demo of the full game.
23. Resident Evil 6
- Ratings: 8/10
- Developer: Capcom
- Publisher: Capcom
- Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Resident Evil 6 has previously been chastised for its lack of atmosphere and traditional survival horror setup when compared to previous entries in the series.
Coming from A Way Out, you’ll probably appreciate the game’s more action-oriented approach to combat, exploration, and storytelling, especially in the co-op campaign.
The story is made up of four scenarios that revolve around the shady Neo Umbrella secret organization, with two players fighting to save humanity from a deadly virus.
In terms of horror elements, it’s admittedly scarier than A Way Out, but it spends more time developing its characters while throwing zombie after zombie at you.
24. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
- Ratings: 7/10
- Developer: Starbreeze Studios
- Publisher: 505 Games
- Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, iOS, Android
Last but not least, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a worthy recommendation for anyone who enjoyed A Way Out and wants to check out more of Joseph Fares’ work.
This story-driven puzzle-platformer follows two brothers as they embark on an epic journey to discover and secure a cure for their dying father’s mysterious illness.
The game, like A Way Out, is full of excitement and discovery, as well as copious amounts of pain, anger, and love in the face of adversity. Though it was originally intended for a single player to control both brothers, the Nintendo Switch version includes local co-op support.
In conclusion, if you are looking for an online game similar to A Way Out that you and your friends can enjoy together, there is no shortage of options.
This list includes a game that will appeal to every type of gamer, including those who enjoy action games, games focused on survival, and puzzle games. Get together with some friends, log into your account, and start playing some games!
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Rohit Yadav is a writer with passion for gaming, cosmos, and philosophy. He has a keen interest in exploring the depths of these topics through his writing, offering insightful and thought-provoking perspectives to his readers. Rohit brings a unique perspective to the world of online gaming and is well-versed in the latest developments and trends in the industry.