Best Dark Fantasy Co-Op Games (2024)

One of the most popular settings for video games is in a Dark Fantasy world. From challenging Soulslike games to open-world survival games or real-time strategy titles, Dark Fantasy games encompass a wide range of genres and styles. Often featuring stunning landscapes and terrifying monsters, Dark Fantasy can blend both horror and fantasy into one setting.

What makes many of these games even more popular is the co-op option. Co-op allows groups of friends to play together, exploring incredible worlds or even helping each other out on a difficult fight. Co-op can take a basic single-player game and turn it into a fun experience for multiple friends to enjoy as well.

Updated on June 17, 2024, by Mara Cowley: Dark fantasy co-op games might not be extremely common, but there is enough interest in these types of projects to ensure there are always a few new options on the horizon. While perhaps more standard fantasy than dark (at least compared to some of FromSoftware's other releases), Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is just about to launch, and it will keep people entertained for a long while.

1 Total War: Warhammer 3

Max Players: 8

Total War: Warhammer 3 is a turn-based, real-time strategy game set within the Warhammer Fantasy universe of Games Workshop. Players can choose their favored armies and wage war on the other factions to claim overall victory.

Previous entries in the series allowed friends to co-op the main campaign, and Total War: Warhammer 3 is no different. Up to 8 players can work together with their armies to conquer the main campaign. There are 13 different factions players can choose from, ranging from human soldiers to the daemonic hordes of chaos or even rampaging Ogres.

2 Nioh 2

Max Players: 2 summons

Nioh 2 is a dark fantasy game that is influenced by Japanese mythology. Filled with strange spirits and deadly beasts, players will be challenged throughout the game. Much like Dark Souls, players can summon 2 additional people into the game to defeat tougher enemies.

The majority of the game is set as a prequel to the first Nioh, while the final chapters move forward in time and are set after the events of the first game. Set in Japan in the 1500s, Nioh 2 offers players the chance to master different weapons to defeat its various enemies.

3 V Rising

Max Players: 10

V Rising is a settlement-building survival game where players take control of a newly awakened vampire. As they explore and survive a world of many dangers, players will be able to collect materials and upgrade their character. Players will need to consume blood regularly and avoid dangers like the sun.

The game can be played in various ways, with different servers offering PvP or PvE content. Players can team up with other vampires to hunt together, either by braving the public servers or hosting private games. For friends wanting to simply play without worrying about other players, PvE servers are the way to go, with a private game allowing up to 10 people to play.

4 Lords Of The Fallen

Max Players: 2

Lords Of The Fallen is a dark fantasy Soulslike with tough gameplay and a wide range of enemies. Players can invite a friend into their world to fight through tough areas and bosses or even to complete the entire campaign. Much like other Soulslike games, the player can also be invaded by other players.

The game world is large, varied, and interconnected and allows for a lot of exploration. There is also a second world layered underneath the world you play in, accessible only with a magic lantern. The game can be a challenge, with plenty of well-designed enemies that will test players and their friends.

5 Dark Souls 3

Max Players: 3 summoned players

Dark Souls 3 can be a brutally tough and unforgiving game. Exploring the Dark Fantasy world, players will come up against a myriad of enemies that will challenge players over and over again. To help players with some of the tougher enemies in the game, Dark Souls 3 allows for co-op play.

Players can summon 3 additional friends into their world via different items. This can be for particularly tough areas or challenging boss fights. For each summoned player, the health of a boss does go up partially, but with a strong group of friends working together, few enemies can survive.

6 Path Of Exile

Max Players: 6

Considered the spiritual successor to Diablo 2, Path Of Exile is a free-to-play game set within a dark fantasy world. Players can create unique character builds, allowing for many different play styles. Path Of Exile also allows for 5 players to join together and fight through the various enemies of the game.

Set on the ruined continent of Wraeclast, players will explore several dungeons and expansive outdoor areas and battle a wide variety of enemies. With seven different classes to choose from, players can build a party of friends who have different abilities and who can fulfill different roles in-game.

7 Diablo 4

Max Players: 4

The newest entry into the long-running Diablo franchise brings players back into the popular dark fantasy setting. Players can work together to explore ancient dungeons, defeat demonic beasts, and find all the good loot. There are five classes to choose from in the game and a large number of abilities to learn and improve.

Diablo 4 is at its best with a good group of friends. With a maximum of 4 players in a party, the game offers a great co-op experience for players looking for a classic dark fantasy adventure.

8 Vermintide 2

Max Players: 4

Vermintide 2 is set within the Warhammer: Age Of Sigmar universe. The game pits players against the unending hordes of Skaven and the grotesque worshipers of the chaos god of rot, Nurgle. Set over various levels, Vermintide 2 is a fun hack-and-slash game that offers a decent upgrade system and numerous collectibles to wear or use.

Vermintide 2 can be a challenging game. Players will get quickly overwhelmed by the numerous enemies if they don’t work together, especially on the harder difficulties. With a good number of abilities and weapons to choose from, Vermintide 2 encourages co-op play and supplies hours of brutal fun.

9 Valheim

Max Players: 10

This open-world survival sandbox game is ideal for larger groups of friends looking to build a settlement and go out on adventures together. Valheim places players into a Viking afterlife where they need to prove their worthiness for entry into Valhalla. The goal is to defeat six bosses scattered around a large procedurally generated world.

Players can construct buildings, farm the land, forage or hunt, and level up their gear and characters as they work together in the game. Valheim is the perfect game for spending time with friends, going out on missions, or just simply hanging out.

10 Remnant 2

Max Players 3

This action dark fantasy game replaces swords with guns and plunges players into a post-apocalyptic environment to explore. In the game, players need to stop The Root from destroying the multiverse. The game is filled with randomly generated enemies and bosses and takes a lot of inspiration from Soulslike games.

Remnant 2 is a solo game but also allows up to 3 people to play in co-op. Players can choose from 11 different character classes and can choose these as primary or secondaries for their character. This allows for a lot of variety in gameplay styles.

11 Bloodborne

Max Players: 3

Bloodborne is a Gothic visual feast for the eyes, taking clear inspiration from the Victorian era with its breathtaking environments. As with other Soulsborne games, the mettle of the players will be tested time and time again, as they fight their way through the various grizzly minions that barely resemble humans, to even more grizzly monsters.

But players need not struggle alone and can summon up to two friends with the Beckoning Bell to help give them an edge throughout the tough combat. Most games can be enjoyed with friends more, but this is especially true of Bloodborne, as it prevents bouts of gamer rage.

12 Hunted: The Demon's Forge

Max Players: 2

Despite being published by Bethesda, Hunted: The Demon's Forge might have flown under the radars of many gamers, despite it offering up a more than satisfactory dark fantasy experience, complete with vicious, monstrous, foes, dungeons to plunder, and plenty of fun to be had, for those who enjoy dark fantasy worlds with rich lore and in-depth gameplay.

Unfortunately, the online segment of Hunted was discontinued in 2014 with the closure of GameSpy, but players have found workarounds to play online, and local friends can still enjoy a split-screen cooperative experience. Hunted is a bit rough around the edges, but the campaign is lengthy, fun, and designed specifically around co-op.

13 Grim Dawn

Max Players: 4

Four is somewhat of a magic number when it comes to co-op, especially amidst games in the fantasy genre, and Grim Dawn is no different. Humanity is on the brink of complete and utter extinction as an apocalyptic scenario threatens to end everything. Iron has become the most valued currency, and no one knows who they can truly trust, as this dark world is filled with dark hearts.

This is the hopeless world of Grim Dawn that players are mercilessly thrown into, and they must learn to acclimate and develop their powers, or risk dying. But by teaming up with friends, players can find some light in this dark world, and face the threats and turmoils together. With up to four possible players together in one party, this epic dark fantasy ARPG can be shared and overcome.