5 Best Split-Screen Multiplayer Games for Your Friends to Play Together

Anyone who played games with their siblings might remember how split-screen multiplayer was once the standard for great local co-op or competitive experiences. However, fewer and fewer games have split-screen options available, opting instead to encourage online play instead of sitting on the same couch for shared in-person adventures. Some games still retain some semblance of local collaboration, crafting memorable titles for one or more friends to gather together and complete.

“Split-screen” and “shared-screen” games both provide the same benefits to in-person multiplayer, allowing multiple people to play various titles on the same system at the same time. Some great beat-em-up games would use shared-screen, while FPS titles might opt for split-screen for multiple player perspectives. Either way, each system offers something nostalgic for those looking to experience games locally.

5. Split Fiction

Unsurprisingly, Split Fiction is a perfect split-screen title, so much so that “split” is in its name. This game is the newest from Hazelight Studios, which developed other excellent local multiplayer titles in A Way Out and Game of the Year winner It Takes Two. Each are designed for two players, who each have unique actions and approaches to various levels that promote detailed collaboration at every step of a shared journey. Split Fiction takes this approach to new heights, with a deep variety of mechanics that will keep you invested at every step.

Split Fiction follows a story where two writers are trapped in a simulation of their own stories, with both occupying significantly different genres. One tale is steeped in fantasy and magic, while another is engrossed in sci-fi and cyberpunk. Traveling to either story is done together, with each player needing to help the other in split-screen and shared-screen segments divided into story chapters. Each chapter is unique, introducing new systems and demanding close cooperation as you and your friend find appreciation in one another.

4. Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Classic beat-em-ups are excellent shared-screen experiences, with Marvel Cosmic Invasion being one of the best ones in the genre out right now. This game features iconic Marvel Comics characters, from figures like Wolverine and Spider-Man to obscure heroes like Beta Ray Bill and Quasar. Controlling these characters against the seemingly endless forces of Annihilus leads to non-stop brawling action, which can be done locally with up to four players at the same time.

The combination of heroes on screen will lead to a blast of side-scrolling fun, but it’s the co-op systems in Marvel Cosmic Invasion that elevate it. This game has a “Cosmic Swap” system that allows every player to select two characters, enabling tag-team gameplay that translates to other people you are playing with. Unique character combos and combining abilities with your friends can lead to great moments, giving you the power fantasy of superheroes fighting against all odds to defeat their foes.

3. The Escapists 2

The premise of The Escapists 2 is already enticing for multiplayer, as the game asks for you and your friends to carefully coordinate a prison escape together. With split-screen supporting up to four players, this game has you carefully balance following prison orders with stealthy crafting, exploration, and eventually, escape. With almost endless freedom in how you choose to break out of jail, each run of this title feels special, leading to memorable shared moments between those you play with.

Tons of additional features add to the multiplayer experience of this game, including the ability to participate in limited PvP. You can compete with your friends in The Escapists 2 to see who breaks out of their prison the fastest, adding a speed-running element to the title. Alternatively, the Prison Map Editor allows players to build their own prison before letting friends try to break out of it by finding its flaws. Vast character customization also add to the local fun, adding greater personalization to the prison break stories your group creates.

2. Overcooked 2

Among couch co-op games, none are as infamous as Overcooked 2 and its predecessor, which will push the bonds of your friend group to their limits. Among shared-screen titles, Overcooked 2 is still a must-play experience, demanding perfect teamwork to whip up meal after meal for hungry customers. The fun from this game comes from the careful yet crowded kitchen environment it presents, asking you and whoever you play with to work together to make meals. Assigning roles and actively communicating are the keys to success, no matter how much chaos tends to derail your actions.

As you progress in this game, your cooking environments become much harder to work around, whether its a shifting kitchen architecture or working on a moving vehicle. The stress of Overcooked 2 cannot be understated, but that is what makes victory all the more satisfying when you and your friends learn to become a well-oiled machine in meal construction discipline.

1. Screencheat

Arguably the best split-screen experiences are ones where competition is fierce, calling back to the days of Halo local multiplayer or Call of Duty 1v1 matches with friends. Screencheat captures the experience of local FPS game sessions, even with its name referring to the act of looking at someone else’s screen to find out where they are on a map during split-screen matches. “Screencheating” is a long-held tradition, but one that becomes a stand-out feature in Screencheat‘s core experience.

In this game, all characters are invisible, so you have to look at someone else’s screen to figure out where they are. With a number of one-shot weapons, even the most veteran FPS player will need to break sacred rules and look at someone else’s split screen to score kills. Fast-paced action and plenty of rage inducing moments of screen cheating will no doubt make this split-screen multiplayer experience one you won’t soon forget.

What split-screen games do you like playing with your friends locally the most? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!