Best Cooperative Board Games
Shared problems that make teamwork feel essential.
The complete ranking
20 games to consider
Top cooperative board games where players coordinate toward a common objective.
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01
2015
Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
Why it made the listCoordinate roles through a campaign where the board permanently changes.
8.5 rating 2–4 players 60–60 min 2.8/5 weightView game details -
02
2017
Gloomhaven
Why it made the listChoose cards for tactical dungeon fights and long-term character growth.
8.6 rating 1–4 players 60–120 min 3.9/5 weightView game details -
03
2020
Gloomhaven: Jaws Of The Lion
Why it made the listLearn a streamlined campaign through tactical card combat and scenario choices.
8.5 rating 1–4 players 30–120 min 3.6/5 weightView game details -
04
Board game
Spirit Island
Why it made the listCombine spirit powers to repel invaders and protect the island.
8.4 rating 1–4 players 90–120 min 4.1/5 weightView game details -
05
2018
Nemesis
Why it made the listSurvive hidden objectives, ship failures, and alien threats with uncertain allies.
8.3 rating 1–5 players 90–180 min 3.5/5 weightView game details -
06
2016
Arkham Horror: The Card Game
Why it made the listBuild investigator decks and resolve branching Lovecraftian scenarios.
8.1 rating 1–2 players 60–120 min 3.5/5 weightView game details -
07
2011
Mage Knight Board Game
Why it made the listBuild a hand of actions to explore, battle, and conquer a fantasy map.
8.1 rating 1–4 players 60–240 min 4.4/5 weightView game details -
08
2021
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea
Why it made the listComplete cooperative trick-taking missions with limited communication.
8.2 rating 2–5 players 2.1/5 weightView game details -
09
2017
Too Many Bones
Why it made the listBuild dice-driven characters through tactical encounters and branching adventures.
8.4 rating 1–4 players 60–120 min 3.9/5 weightView game details -
10
2022
Frosthaven
Why it made the listFight scenarios and develop an outpost in a persistent tactical campaign.
8.9 rating 1–4 players 30–120 min 4.3/5 weightView game details -
11
2019
Marvel Champions: The Card Game
Why it made the listBuild hero decks and combo powers against modular villain scenarios.
8.1 rating 1–4 players 45–90 min 2.9/5 weightView game details -
12
2021
Sleeping Gods
Why it made the listExplore an open story map through quests, combat, and crew choices.
8.3 rating 1–4 players 60–1200 min 3.2/5 weightView game details -
13
2020
Pandemic Legacy: Season 0
Why it made the listRun covert missions through a Cold War campaign of evolving objectives.
8.4 rating 2–4 players 45–60 min 3.2/5 weightView game details -
14
2017
Pandemic Legacy: Season 2
Why it made the listExplore a collapsing world through supply routes, outbreaks, and campaign reveals.
8.0 rating 2–4 players 3.3/5 weightView game details -
15
2016
Mansions Of Madness: Second Edition
Why it made the listInvestigate app-driven mysteries while rooms, clues, and horrors unfold.
8.0 rating 1–5 players 120–180 min 2.7/5 weightView game details -
16
2019
The Crew: The Quest For Planet Nine
Why it made the listSolve cooperative trick-taking tasks with strict communication limits.
7.8 rating 2–5 players 2.0/5 weightView game details -
17
2019
Cthulhu: Death May Die
Why it made the listInterrupt rituals with wild dice combat and escalating investigator powers.
8.2 rating 1–5 players 90–120 min 2.4/5 weightView game details -
18
2016
Mechs Vs. Minions
Why it made the listProgram mechs together through chaotic scenarios and cascading command lines.
8.0 rating 2–4 players 60–120 min 2.4/5 weightView game details -
19
2015
Kingdom Death: Monster
Why it made the listHunt monsters and develop a settlement through brutal campaign choices.
8.5 rating 1–4 players 60–180 min 4.3/5 weightView game details -
20
2016
Aeon's End
Why it made the listBuild a no-shuffle deck to coordinate spells against a shared nemesis.
7.9 rating 1–4 players 2.8/5 weightView game details
Buying advice
What makes a strong pick?
Great cooperative games turn table talk into play. They give everyone information, responsibilities, or risks worth discussing and make a win feel earned by the group.
Who this list is for
Groups that prefer solving a problem together, as well as mixed-skill tables where direct competition can be a barrier.
What stands out
The list ranges from approachable crisis management to demanding campaigns and tactical missions.
What to consider
Some cooperative games allow one confident player to dominate decisions; look for role separation or hidden information if that concerns your group.
Our methodology
How this guide is built
Games must carry the Cooperative Game mechanism. Ranking favors catalog quality, rating confidence, and designs with meaningful coordination rather than parallel solitaire.
Ratings and rank are useful signals, not the whole recommendation. ABG keeps the URL stable and refreshes the ordering as its catalog evidence improves.
Questions, answered
About this list
How were the games on this list chosen?
Games must carry the Cooperative Game mechanism. Ranking favors catalog quality, rating confidence, and designs with meaningful coordination rather than parallel solitaire.
Who is this list most useful for?
Groups that prefer solving a problem together, as well as mixed-skill tables where direct competition can be a barrier.
How often is this list updated?
ABG refreshes official lists as catalog rankings, ratings, specifications, and classifications improve. The URL stays stable when the order changes.