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How Times Change
Local multiplayer was a regular, if not an expected aspect of games during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. However, as technologies like the internet and even LAN parties became more commonplace and more powerful, most games shifted to feature a multiplayer infrastructure conveyed only through a LAN or an internet connection. This article seeks to highlight four current titles that feature local multiplayer, also known as “couch co-op.” This is our list of the top for local multiplayer video games that were released in 2018.
A Way Out
While this indie title has online multiplayer, it also features local multiplayer designed with a split-screen presentation in mind. The premise of the game is you, and a friend you might be playing with, are the two brothers Leo and Vincent, who are convicts looking to break out of prison in the 1970s. Work with your friend to solve problems that no person could fix by their lonesome. “A Way Out” is available on PC, Playstation 4 and Xbox One.
Sonic Mania Plus
This add-on for the original “Sonic Mania” maintains the two-player gameplay of its base game while adding two more characters to the roster: Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel. Because players can choose to play as five different characters, Sonic Mania’s multiplayer was slightly tweaked, and levels have been remapped to make things fresh for veterans. This game is a two-dimensional Sonic the Hedgehog platformer for both newcomers to “retro” platformers and Sonic fans; Mighty and Ray originated in the ’93 arcade title “SegaSonic the Hedgehog.”
The Swords of Ditto
Like Sonic Mania Plus, this is another retro-styled title, albeit from an entirely different genre. You, possibly with a friend, are tasked with trekking through randomized dungeons in this top-down action RPG with rogue-like elements; that means that every dungeon layout, potion effect, and spell scroll is randomized.
Kirby: Star Allies
This exclusive on the Nintendo Switch is an amazingly high-quality platformer that accommodates up to four players. In fact, the game is so focused on multiplayer interactions that players can enlist enemies as allies to fill missing player slots and combine their powers to produce incredibly powerful attacks. Many of these attacks are necessary to solve certain physics puzzles, like combining the “Fire” power with “Sword” or “Cutter” to cut a large bomb hanging by its fuse so that it detonates at the right moment to clear some rubble beneath it.
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