Being able to have a wide variety of game mechanics co-operative (or co-op) games require or support multiple players to work for the same objective in the game. Some co-op games are designed exactly for a certain number of players with different abilities or tasks like appropriately named It Takes Two (EA, 2020); and some are designed to just extend the functionality ingame by simply multiplying the player count without changing what they can do. Stardew Valley (Concerned Ape, 2016) can be given as a good example for a co-op game of this kind.
In Stardew Valley, players work together to manage a farm, like it would be in a tycoon game but together. They also design, manage, and develop every aspect of said farm.
Skills Linked to Co-op Games
- Team Management
- Communication
- Creativity
- Collective Thinking
Co-operative games do wonders for communication and team management skills. This is because players often need to solve problems resulting from conflict of interests or simply preferences, and the only way to do this is through communication. Similarly, co-op games foster a sense of connection within the players resulting in the development of collective thinking abilities.
Lastly, creativity is generally a highly stimulated skill in co-op games as they often provide a sandbox-like experience.