What is a co-op board game?

Introduction

Cooperative board games or co-op board games for short are games where all players come together to achieve a common goal, be it through amassing resources, worker placement, deduction and so much more. Win or lose, it all happens as a group, so make sure you’re all on the same page!

Examples of co-op board games

Some examples of our favourite co-op board games are Spirit Island, Mysterium and Frosthaven. We also have our eyes on other cooperative board games like Pandemic, Gloomhaven, Flock Together, T.I.M.E Stories, Adventure tactics and other DnD-esque roleplay games, so you can expect reviews to follow when we acquire them!

We started playing co-op board games fairly recently when Anjali pointed out that while there’s lots of cooperative video games or video games with co-op elements, we had yet to experience board games in a similar manner. That was till we played Frosthaven with our friends for the first time.

Frosthaven’s combat mechanics are quite satisfactory, as are the games rules when moving from objective to objective. It gave us a taste and thirst for co-op board games as we’ve seen quite the spectrum within competitive strategy board games.

Now depending on the rules for co-op board games, it can be difficult to achieve victory as you’re often playing against the game system and board itself. At their core, these games often capitalize on the social aspect of the game, like players discussions, motivations and bonds, and so co-op board games can feel very different from competitive games in similar genres.

How long can a game take to play?

Depending on the complexity and length of the game, if could take you anywhere from an hour to days.

Who knew playing a game could feel like a full time job, huh? Regardless, they’re all really fun to play, Like Spirit Island and Frosthaven, as they bring a new and very different level of challenge. And if you enjoy shorter games, you’ve got lighter games like Mysterium to tickle your fancy!

Why we love this genre

Hey, sometimes you just want to have the satisfaction of beating the game together! As these games focus on building a team spirit, a change in thinking often makes even the most familiar of mechanics feel different as you attempt to find the most optimal solutions together.

For example, Mysterium appeals to community sentiment in a game by getting Psychics to work together, even playing on their feelings of vindication as a way to start discussions and create a fun social atmosphere during voting periods.

Spirit Island has a great way of bringing the Spirits together to fight off the invaders, through cooperative strategic thinking, as all Spirits play their hand together and can choose the best order in which to go therefore. It makes for better teamwork, and interesting combat, as all players discuss and come up with the best course of action together instead of reacting as other players play their hand.

Who might enjoy co-op board games?

If you’re someone who enjoys working together with others to a common goal, co-op board games are the way to go! And if you’re someone looking for a change from the competitive genre of board games, co-op games in similar genres can pose a new and different challenge.

Anyone with an interest in games that fosters teamwork and builds community spirit is very likely to enjoy this genre of board games.

What are some good co-op board games to start with?

Mysterium

A good start for those new to slightly more complex board games and looking for something relatively simple to cooperate on.

Playtime

Enough for dissension and fun arguments and wrapping itself up in 45-60 minutes. Great for an evening with friends.

Publisher Website

Libellud published Mysterium and other titles we have played like Dixit and Dice Forge.

If you’d like a couple more opinions to weigh in on why Mysterium’s a great co-op board game, look no further than our review. Go check it out!

Spirit Island

The place to start for veterans who enjoy complex strategy games, and would like to cooperate to beat the game.

Playtime

Anywhere from 3-6 hours depending on how familiar you are with the game systems. Recommended for a weekend of board games, rather than an evening.

Publisher Website

Greater Than Games published Spirit Island and several expansions for it including Jagged Earth, Feather and Flame and more.

Frosthaven

Another good place for veterans who enjoy long capaigns and stories. This board game will keep you entertained, and allow for members to drop in and out. One of our favourites to play over the cold long winter months.

Playtime

Anywhere from 3-6 hours depending on how familiar you are with the game systems. Recommended for a weekend of board games, rather than an evening.

Publisher Website

Cephalofair published Frosthaven and Gloomhaven, and we have got our eyes on both of these games.