Every reputable board game collection should have a healthy stock of cooperative titles. There’s no denying that very specific pleasure one can draw from outwitting the nearest and dearest on the fields of the best board games. But competition isn’t the only way to have a good time – sometimes, it can be more fulfilling to join forces, uniting against a common enemy and basking in shared glory.
Here at Empire, we’ve pulled together a list of the best cooperative board games for every taste and experience level. While all the games selected are cooperative, some are more cooperative than others.
Some, like perennial favourite Pandemic, require two players or more to work closely together to achieve success, while others, like Horrified, have a light cooperative touch, allowing players to go their own way more freely. Others, like the formidable board adaption of Steven Spielberg’s JAWS or eldritch horror Unfathomable, have some in the team set against their compatriots, be it overtly or covertly.
The Best Cooperative Board Games
1 of 10Pandemic
In Pandemic, four viruses are on the loose, spreading throughout population centres across the globe. Players must strategize to ensure that a cure is found for each strain before they overtake the world’s population, while also reacting to unpredicted outbreaks that can undo the best-laid plans.
At the start of the game, players are assigned roles – such as Engineer, Scientist or Operations Expert – each with unique abilities that can be applied tactically to increase the team’s chance of success. Once mastered, the difficulty of the game can be raised, with an increased number of outbreaks resulting in a more reactive style of play.
Now a household name, Pandemic is the yardstick by which other accessible cooperative board games are judged. The rules are simple to understand, and the gameplay loop is intuitive. Whether you’re a casual board game household looking to break away from Monopoly and Cluedo, or a tabletop expert, Pandemic will deliver what you need.
Mastered the base game? Pandemic has three expansions - On The Brink, In The Lab and State Of Emergency - which diversify the gameplay with extra professions, viral mutations, and challenges.
Players: 2-4 | Playtime: 45 mins
£23.90
- Rrp: £39.99
2 of 10JAWS: The Game
A board game with bite, JAWS is an experience of two halves. In the first, players work together to protect swimmers on the shore of Amity Island by locating the stealthy shark. In the second, the game flips - quite literally, the board is two-sided - and the humans take initiative, heading out on board The Orca to battle the great white shark.
JAWS is only part cooperative. One player is always the shark, and thus the hostile of the game, while between one and three additional players work together to defeat the shark. So, if you’re looking for a cooperative game for two, this isn’t ideal – but for groups, the mix of comradery and competition makes for a delicious dynamic.
Players: 2-4 | Playtime: 60 mins
£25.99