You can find many small lists here and there on reddit but I think this one is the most comprehensive.
There are 2 mains sections :
* A) Games I’ve tried (with my kids)
* B) Games I’ve not tried yet
Section B is divided into 2 main sections :
* i) 2 players
* ii) 4 players
I’ve started to add the minimal age I recommend for each game (e.g. : 6yo). All games are available on **Nintendo Switch** unless specified. I try to focus on games that gets above average reviews. I’m probably going to put this in an Excel spreadsheet at some point to make it easier to filter by genre, by age rating or by max number of players. I plan on updating this post regularly.
# A) Games I’ve tried
**2 players max (kinda ranked, from favourite to least fav)**
* Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker : action-puzzle
* Luigi’s Mansion 3 : action adventure
* Horizon Chase Turbo (7yo) : arcade racing
* Snipperclips Plus (7yo) : puzzle (there is a 4 player mode)
* BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! (7yo) : puzzle
* Portal 2 (8yo) : puzzle (PC + XBOX360 + PS3 only)
* Yoshi’s Crafted World (5yo) : similar to Kirby Star Allies
* Puyo Puyo Tetris (6yo)
* Sport games (7yo) : NHL, FIFA, etc
* Rocket League (same as Minecraft, splitscreen or online multiplayer, which I prefer)
* Guacamelee 1,2 : action-platformer
* Kirby and the Forgotten Land (6yo) : platformer, a bit too easy and linear
* Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 (7yo) : graphics are meh in split screen on Switch so go PS4/etc
* Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze (8yo) : platformer, a bit too hard before that age
* Door Kickers: Action Squad (8yo) : side scroller, similar to Broforce, a bit violent for 8yo
* Paw Patrol on a Roll (5yo) : action platformer, great for young kids
* Unravel Two : puzzle platformer
* Racing games (7yo) : Forza, Gran Turismo, F1, NFS Hot Pursuit, Dirt, etc. Rarely on Switch.
* A Hat in Time : 3d platformer, cute for kids but the second player is limited a bit
* Portal Knights (8yo) : mix of Minecraft and RPG
* It Takes Two (8yo) : not available on Switch
* Kinect Disneyland Adventures (5yo) : action adventure (PC+XBOX only), great for young kids
* Stick Fight The Game : fighting, repetitive but so funny! similar to Duck Game
* Cat Quest 2 : action RPG similar to Minecraft Dungeons
* Monaco (8yo) : top down stealth
* Diablo 3 Eternal Collection (12yo)
* Divinity: Original Sin 2 (13yo) : not really my cup of tea but it’s popular
* Asterix and Obelix: Slap them All! (8yo) : beat ’em up
* Phogs! : puzzle, movements are limited by the other player, it annoyed me a bit
* Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle : turn based strategy game, not my cup of tea
* Animal Crossing New Horizons : very popular but I don’t like it, not enough action
* 20xx : run&gun, looks cool and could be great but was average
**Up to 4 players or more (kinda ranked, from favourite to least fav)**
* Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (6yo) : platformer
* New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (6yo) : platformer
* Just Dance (5yo)
* Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (6yo) : fighting
* Boomerang Fu (5yo) : fighting
* Duck Game (7yo) : fighting
* Towerfall Ascension (7yo) : action
* Hidden in Plain Sight (7yo) : stealth party (great especially with kids)
* Broforce (8yo) : run&gun, a bit violent/gore but my 7yo liked it
* ARMS (7yo) : fighting
* Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime (8yo) : space shooter, a bit too hard before that age
* Minecraft (7yo) (splitscreen but prefer online with 1 person on PC and 1 on console)
* Minecraft Dungeons (8yo) : dungeon crawler
* Littlebigplanet 1,2,3 + Sackboy (8yo) : platformer, a bit too hard before that age (PS4/PS5 only)
* Rayman Legends (8yo) : platformer, a bit too hard before that age
* Tricky Towers (6yo) : similar to Tetris
* Mario Kart 8 (6yo) : it gets repetitive quickly imho but I liked it when I was a kid so
* Ultimate Chicken Horse (6yo) : competitive platformer
* Tetris Effect Connected (6yo)
* Mario Party Superstars (6yo) : not a fan but my daughter likes it
* Super Mario Party (6yo) : see above, Superstars is the newest edition
* Cake Bash (6yo) : fighting, not a fan but my daughter liked it, she can play solo
* Astro Bears Party (6yo) : snake game (might be funnier with 8yo+ kids)
* Fly Punch Bloom : fighting
* WarioWare Get It Together! (7yo)
* Gang beasts : fighting, I did not like it
* Urban flow : a bit like with Phogs!, when too much cooperation is needed, it kills it for me
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# Single player
**Single player games** to play with kids (not multi but can be great to compete or watch) :
* Super Mario Odyssey : there is a coop mode but the 2nd player is limited (cappy)
* Lonely Mountains Downhill
* Ring Fit Adventure
* Paper Mario: The Origami King
* Super Mario Maker 2 : there are some coop levels apparently
* Super Mario 3D All-Stars
* Little Nightmares : 13yo+ in theory but I think it’s fine for 7yo
* Shovel Knight : very good game but might be a bit hard for kids
* Zelda BOTW
* Pinball FX 3
**Solo Puzzle games** (can work together since it can be complicated for young kids) :
* The Talos Principle
* The Witness
* Baba is you (9yo)
* The Incredible Machine (7yo) : very old classic **PC game** but still worth it
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# B) Games I have not tried yet
# i) 2 players
* Aqua Kitty UDX : arcade shooter
* Astral Chain (10yo) : hack and slash
* A Way Out (14yo) : not available on **Switch**
* BattleBlock Theater : only available on **PC/xbox**, up to 4 players in Arena mode
* Biped (8yo) : action puzzle, requires a lot of collaboration
* Borderlands (13yo) : might be good with mouse/kb but not a fan of FPS using controllers
* Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons
* Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer (9yo)
* Dodgeball Academia (7yo) : sports RPG
* Fitness boxing 2
* Goat Simulator (10yo)
* Golf Story (7yo) : golf RPG
* Haven (12yo) : third-person RPG with survival game elements
* Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (10yo) : hack and slash
* Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition (10yo) : hack and slash
* Hyper Light Drifter (11yo) : 2D action RPG
* Katamari Damacy REROLL (7yo)
* Knack 2 (8yo) : **PS4/PS5 only**
* Knights and Bikes : action-adventure
* Mutant Mudds Collection
* Never Alone : puzzle-platformer
* Nobody Saves the World (10yo) : action RPG dungeon crawling
* Pang Adventures : collection of arcade video games
* Part Time UFO : physics-based puzzle
* Pokemon Let’s Go
* Pode : puzzle exploration
* Pikmin 3 (8yo)
* Salt And Sanctuary (11yo) : 2D action RPG
* SEGA Genesis Classics : compilation of over [50 retro games](https://www.co-optimus.com/game/4994/playstation-4/sega-genesis-classics.html)
* Spiritfarer (10yo) : tried it solo, did not like it
* SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated
* Starlink: Battle for Atlas : open world space combat
* Super chariot : 2D platform
* The Adventure Pals (5yo) : platforming with beat ’em up style combat and light RPG elements
* The World Ends with You Final Remix (12yo) : action RPG
* Unsighted : top-down hack ‘n slash mixed with shoot em up and RPG elements
* Untitled Goose Game : puzzle stealth
* Vitamin Connection (7yo)
* Wand Wars : fast-paced, top-down, magical sports game
* What the golf? : silly physics-based golf parody
* Wild Guns Reloaded (9yo) : fast-paced arcade-style shooter
* Yooka-Laylee : second player limited gameplay
**LEGO games**, the best ones on Switch seem to be (ranked) :
1. Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
2. DC Super Villains
3. City Undercover
4. Harry Potter Collection
5. Marvel Super Heroes 1
6. Jurassic World
**Platformers :**
* Cave Story+ (7yo) : 2D platformer
* Explosionade DX : 2D shoot-em-up platformer
* Mutant Mudds Collection
* VVVVVV : 2d action platformer
**Fighting :**
* BLAZBLUE CENTRALFICTION (12yo)
* Mortal Kombat 11 (16yo) : great single player
* Nidhogg 2 (10yo)
* Ultra Street Fighter IV (13yo)
**Run & gun :** I would say minimum 9 years old
* Blazing Chrome (10yo)
* Blaster Master Zero
* Bleed 1,2 (9yo)
* Contra Anniversary Collection
* Cuphead (9yo)
* Huntdown
* Metal Slug X
* Metal Slug 1,2,3
* Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection (12yo)
* Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2 (11yo) : **up to 4 players**
* Gunstar Heroes : not available on **Switch**
* Sunset Riders : **up to 4 players**
**Shoot em up / bullet hell :** I would say minimum 9 years old
* 1993 Shenandoah
* AngerForce: Reloaded
* Astro Duel Deluxe (**up to 3 players**)
* Binarystar Infinity
* Blazing Star
* Crimzon Clover World EXplosion
* Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade
* Deathsmiles
* DoDonPachi Resurrection
* Dragon Blaze
* G-darius hd
* Gunbird 2
* Ikaruga
* Jamestown+ (**up to 4 players**)
* Mushihimesama
* Nuclear Throne (10yo) : tried it quickly, we did not like it
* Psyvariar Delta
* Raiden IV x MIKADO remix
* R-Type Dimensions EX
* Shikhondo Soul eater
* Shoot 1UP DX
* Sky force Reloaded
* Sky Force Anniversary
* Steredenn: Binary Stars
* Super Hydorah
* Strikers 1945
* Tengai
* Zero gunner 2
**Twin stick shooters** (8-9 yo) **:**
* Archvale
* Assault Android Cactus Plus (**up to 4 players**)
* Geometry wars 3 : not available on **Switch**
* Helldivers : not available on **Switch**
* Neon Chrome
* Neurovoider
* Nex Machina : not available on **Switch**
**Games with roguelike elements :** I would say minimum 9 years old
* **2 players :**
* Blazing Beaks : roguelike shoot em up
* Caveblazers (12yo)
* Crypt of the Necrodancer : hardcore roguelike rhythm game
* Children of Morta (12yo) : story-driven action RPG
* Enter the Gungeon : bullet hell dungeon crawler
* Kingdom: Two Crowns : side-scrolling micro strategy game
* One Step from Eden : combines strategic deck-building and real-time action
* Wizard of Legend : fast paced dungeon crawler
* Young Souls (9yo) : 2D brawler with story-rich action RPG.
* **4 players :**
* Binding of Isaac (13yo) : randomly generated action RPG shooter
* Crawl (12yo)
* Death Road to Canada (12yo) : randomly Generated Road Trip Action-RPG
* Lost castle (9yo) : action RPG beat’em up
* Moon Hunters : roguelike action RPG
* Nine Parchments
* Risk of Rain : action platformer, this game appears to be **lan**/**online coop** only
* Spelunky 2 (9yo)
* Streets of Rogue (12yo)
* Vagante
————————————————————————————
# ii) Up to 4 players or more
* Art of Balance : physics-based puzzle
* Baron: Fur is Gonna Fly (7yo) : air combat, **up to 8 players**
* Collection of Mana : **up to 3 players**
* Conga Master Party : snake game
* Death squared : puzzle
* Flat Heroes (7yo) : puzzle platformer with bullet hell elements
* Fly Together! : explosive airplane action
* For the King (9yo) : **up to 3 players**, strategic RPG that blends tabletop and roguelike elements
* Just Shapes & Beats : action rhythm
* Killer Queen Black : platform strategy game
* Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order (11yo) : top-down dungeon crawler
* Mini metro (7yo) : strategy subway puzzle simulation
* Mr. Driller DrillLand : action puzzle
* PICO PARK : cooperative action-puzzle
* Pix the cat : mash-up of Snake and Pac-Man
* Radical Rabbit Stew : competitive arcade action
* Retimed : arena shooter
* RISK Global Domination : board game of strategic warfare
* Shipped : naval game
* Skies of Fury DX : flight simulator
* Stardew valley (8yo) : farming simulation RPG game
* Super Bomberman R : action-maze game
* Taiko no Tatsujin Drum ‘n’ Fun! (7yo) : rythm music party
* Tales of Berseria (13yo) : JRPG, not available on Switch
* Tales of Vesperia (12yo) : JRPG
* The Ascent (16yo) : action-shooter RPG
* The Escapists 2 (7yo) : prison escape strategy sim
* Tower of Babel – no mercy : physics-based tower building
* Trine Enchanted Edition : **up to 3 players** : side-scrolling, action platform-puzzle
* Trivial Pursuit Live! 2 (12yo) : trivia
* Wargroove : turn based strategy
* Wingspan : board game
* Worms WMD : 2D artillery turn-based tactics
**Platformers :** (6yo)
* Kirby Star Allies (6yo) : platformer
* Heave Ho : platform party
* Home Sheep Home: Farmageddon Party Edition : platform puzzle
* Human: Fall Flat : platformer
* N++ : momentum-based platformer
* Runbow : platform racing
* Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania : platform party game
* Super One More Jump : arcade platformer
**Sports :** (6yo)
* ClusterPuck 99 : **up to 8 players,** soccer game
* Golf With Your Friends
* Grand Mountain Adventure: Wonderlands (7yo) : open-world skiing & snowboarding game
* Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
* Mario Golf : Super Rush
* Mario Tennis Aces
* Nintendo Switch Sports : game got mixed reviews but it might improve
* Stikbold! : over-the-top action dodgeball game
* Super Mega Baseball 3 : up to 2 players
* Super tennis blast : up to 2 players
* Windjammers 2 (7yo) : up to 2 players, flying disc sport game
**Beat em ups** : (9yo)
* Castle Crashers (9yo)
* Full Metal Furies
* Rampage Knights (9yo) : up to 2 players
* River City Girls (9yo) : up to 2 players
* Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (10yo)
* Son of a Witch (9yo)
* Street of Rage 4 (10yo)
**Fighting :** (7yo)
* Brawlhalla
* Knight Squad 2
* Lethal League Blaze (7yo)
* Invisigun Reloaded (8yo) : stealth battle
* Tilt Pack
* Unspottable
**Racing :** (6yo)
* Fast RMX
* GRID Autosport : **up to 2 players**
* Hotshot Racing
* Hot Wheels Unleashed : **up to 2 players**
* Riptide GP Renegade
* Speedrunners
* Team Sonic Racing
* Trackmania Turbo : **up to 2 players**, not available on Switch
* SEGA AGES Virtua Racing
**Party mini games**
* 12 Orbits (7yo) : **up to 12 players**
* Big brain acadamy (8yo)
* Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
* Drawful 2
* The Jackbox Party Pack (3 and 7 are the most recommended)
**Multitasking / coordination / simulation / time management games:** (8yo)
* Conduct Together!
* Good Job! **(2 players)**
* Moving Out
* Overcooked 1,2 + All You Can Eat
* The Stretchers **(2 players)**
* Tools up
* Totally Reliable Delivery Service
* Unrailed! : too repetitive imho, a bit hard and stressful for young kids
**On a side note, games that requires the most collaboration :**
* the multitasking ones from the category above
* Snipperclips Plus
* BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL!
* Portal 2
* Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
* It Takes Two
* Biped
* Phogs!
———————————————————————————–
**A few links :**
* For more information, this is a great list : [https://old.reddit.com/r/eShopperReviews/wiki/couchcompetitive](https://old.reddit.com/r/eShopperReviews/wiki/couchcompetitive)
* If you want to see the recommended age for kids : [https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews)
* For more info about coop games : [https://www.co-optimus.com/games.php](https://www.co-optimus.com/games.php)
* If you still want more ideas :
* [https://www.nintendo.com/search/en-ca/?p=6&cat=gme&sort=df&f=corePlatforms&f=playerCount&corePlatforms=Nintendo+Switch&playerCount=2%2B](https://www.nintendo.com/search/en-ca/?p=6&cat=gme&sort=df&f=corePlatforms&f=playerCount&corePlatforms=Nintendo+Switch&playerCount=2%2B)
* [https://store.steampowered.com/tags/en/Local+Co-Op#p=0&tab=ConcurrentUsers](https://store.steampowered.com/tags/en/Local+Co-Op#p=0&tab=ConcurrentUsers)
*Anything I should add ? ;-)*