The Best Co-Op Management Games, Ranked

Co-op games as a whole have had ups and downs over the past decade. Following a long lull, the genre has had a revitalization period with games like It Takes Two and Lethal Company being super successful and welcomed by both fans and critics alike. A fun niche of co-op games players can’t seem to get enough of is co-op management games. These are often fun and breezy games players can play with their friends, slowly building up resources and progressing throughout the game’s trials and tribulations.

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There have been some really good co-op management games in recent times, with some of the biggest games of recent years falling neatly into the genre. Overall, there are some incredible management games players can sink dozens of hours into with their friends without it getting stale or feeling like a chore at all. Here are some at the pinnacle of the genre.

6 Northgard

Metascore: 81

Northgard is one of the best-looking real-time strategy games to come out in years. Steeped in Norse mythology it features some incredible maps with a variety of topography, be it snow-capped fields, lush plains, forests, or seaside towns. While the game stands as primarily an RTS game, it has tons of management mechanics. Players can build up their humble village into a sprawling empire, with a focus on food production, building infrastructure, and expanding their territory into different regions, while managing the cost of said expansions.

While players can battle the AI or other players in PvE and PvP modes, it also has tons of co-op features, in both the conquest mode and private lobbies. Teaming up with friends to face other players and manage a host of different variables is fun and exciting, all the while the breathtaking visuals are looming in the background.

5 Valheim

Metascore: TBD

Valheim has been a fan favorite since its release. Players can team up with their friends or completely random players. Another game set in Norse Mythology, it features players trying to survive in a cold, harsh world by battling foes, gathering supplies, and building up their shelters.

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While Valheim has tons of RPG and open-world elements as well as a big focus on combat, the management aspects are underrated. Players must hunt together, gather supplies, mine, and so on to build equipment, and establish a base for themselves. The game also features tons of crafting, and focuses on battling the major bosses in each main region or ‘biome’.

4 Terraria

Metascore: 81

Terraria has been thriving for nearly fifteen years as an incredible co-op management and exploration game, in a similar vein to Minecraft. While the comparisons between the two have been going on for years, both are incredible games in their own right. Terraria lets 2-10 players explore the entire world cooperatively while fighting through a variety of mob enemies and bosses, as well as exploring the world, building their base, and populating their rooms with NPCs.

While Terraria’s management elements aren’t as vital to it as some of the other games on this list, they still stand out as being great. However, where the game really shines is its focus on exploration, crafting unique equipment, and immersing oneself in the world the developers created.

3 Don’t Starve Together

Metascore: 83

Don’t Starve is a difficult, punishing, and sometimes mean survival management game. However, it stands out as being super fun, and rewarding and features a completely unique world and art style. Don’t Starve Together is built in a similar vein but with added co-op features allowing players to experience everything this world has to offer along with their friends.

Players must try to survive as long as possible while battling tons of unique and terrifying foes, building up their home base as a safe haven whilst collecting resources and preserving their sanity. Due to its difficulty and horror elements, it is an incredible experience with friends which can lead to tons of memorable moments.

2 Stardew Valley

Metascore: 89

Stardew Valley took the world by storm in 2016, and it hasn’t slowed down ever since. Players take over their grandfather’s farm in Stardew Valley and essentially build their lives by forging relationships, making infrastructure improvements, and, of course, farming. The game also lets players invite up to three people to help them along the journey, be it by focusing on different aspects of the game or working in complete sync. Players must make sure that they have enough farmhand cabins for whoever they invite though.

Stardew Valley is a fantastic upbeat game, with an incredible soundtrack, some cool 2-D pixel art, and polishing seemingly basic features to perfection, providing players with the perfect low-stakes co-op management game.

1 Factorio

Metascore: 90

Factorio is one of the most addictive management games out there. While, initially, the visual style might not be the most eye-catching, players will soon warm up to it and realize how good the game that lies underneath is. The premise is simple; survive whilst gathering resources and managing factories. Players can craft tools, improve their facilities, and use the unique blueprint system to modernize their factory. It’s super easy to sink dozens of hours into this game, micromanaging everything for the perfect rocket launch.

The game also features PvP modes, including the default co-op mode where players work together to launch the rocket, as well as a few other in-built scenarios. Players can delegate tasks to each other and strive to build a powerhouse of a factory. There are also widely accessible mods and tons of map adjustment tools to tinker with.

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