In a cooperative game the players are a team against the game itself. Nobody loses alone, so they are great for families, couples and anyone who dislikes cutthroat competition.
Every game here won or was shortlisted for a major prize. They range from twenty-minute card games to long campaigns.
Designed by Matt Leacock
2–445′8+Great for a first serious co-op game
Medics travel the world together to cure four diseases before they spread out of control. The game that made cooperative games popular.
2009 Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) nominee
Designed by Matt Leacock
2–430′10+Great for families
Adventurers grab four treasures from a sinking island. Short and easy; a perfect first cooperative game.
2010 Mensa Select
Designed by Thomas Sing
2–520′10+Great for card game lovers
A cooperative trick-taking card game across 50 space missions. It won the Kennerspiel des Jahres.
2021 As d'Or Expert Grand Prix winner
Designed by Antoine Bauza and Albertine Ralenti
2–525′8+Great for a small, clever gift
Players hold their cards facing out and give careful clues to build a fireworks show. It won the Spiel des Jahres.
2013 Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) winner
Designed by Luc Rémond
220′10+Great for couples
Two pilots land a plane together without talking. It won the Spiel des Jahres.
2024 Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) winner
Designed by Ludovic Roudy and Bruno Sautter
3–720′8+Great for parties
Help one player guess a word with one-word clues; identical clues are cancelled. It won the Spiel des Jahres.
2019 Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) winner
Designed by Hisashi Hayashi
2–530′10+Great for a tense team challenge
A team of bomb-disposal experts cut the right wires in the right order. It won the Spiel des Jahres.
2025 Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) winner
Designed by Kasper Lapp
1–815′8+Great for a fast, chaotic group game
Heroes rob a mall in real time, each player controlling one direction of movement, without talking.
2017 Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) nominee
Designed by Peter Rustemeyer
1–445–60′10+Great for experienced players
Stone Age people explore, gather food and craft tools together. It won the Kennerspiel des Jahres.
2021 Kennerspiel des Jahres (Connoisseurs' Game of the Year) winner
Great for strategy fans
Spirits defend their island from colonisers. A deep cooperative game for experienced players.
2019 Deutscher Spiele Preis, 4th place
Pandemic is the classic. For families, Forbidden Island; for two players, Sky Team; for experienced players, Spirit Island.
Yes. They teach teamwork and avoid tears, and there are many for young children, like Outfoxed! and Mr. Wolf.
A game played over many sessions in which the board and rules change permanently as the story unfolds, like Pandemic Legacy.
