The best split-screen games for PC

This might look like a Flash game, and it was certainly from that era, but Castle Crashers is one of the first big profile indie games that really hit it big in the mainstream. Coming from The Behemoth, which is composed of many of the founding members of Newgrounds, this simplistic-looking beat ’em up title is much more than meets the eye. It originally came out way back in 2008, but has since gotten a remastered version, which is a free upgrade for us PC players, that ups the resolution and allows for an uncapped frame rate, plus a few extra content additions. Thanks to the strong art style and addictive gameplay, Castle Crashers feels just as playable today as it did over a decade ago. Technically this game breaks the rules just a little since it isn’t a split-screen game as you would imagine, but plays exactly like a shared screen arcade beat ’em up. You and up to four friends all play as different colored knights on a quest to rescue four kidnapped princesses from a dark wizard. As you move through stages via a surprisingly large overworld map, you will level up, purchase new items and weapons, and unlock new characters and mini-games. You have your normal attacks, combos, magic, and ranged weapons to combo, juggle, and smack around all the creative and charming enemies. Bosses are another delight, with crazy designs and mechanics that will keep you and your friends on your toes. For some mindless, bright and colorful fun, you can’t go wrong with Castle Crashers.

For the most part, Sony has kept their exclusives … well, exclusive to their consoles up until recently. Since they’ve begun trickling out some of their bigger budget IPs onto PC, you could easily have missed that one older console exclusive, Helldivers, was actually the first game Sony ever put on PC a few years back. Perhaps that’s because it wasn’t made by a Sony first party, but this co-operative, procedurally generated isometric shooter is as addicting as it is difficult. This is the same team that made another great split-screen game, Magicka, so if you played that you might have an idea of what kind of experience you’re in for here. This time instead of fantasy and magic, though, the setting is all sci-fi and aliens — specifically Starship Troopers.  Helldivers is a mission-based game where you and your team are dropped into a random map full of swarms of enemies, supplies, and objectives to complete before escaping. The game would be pretty hard just based on the number of enemies they throw at you, but Helldivers features an intentionally always-on-friendly fire, so you can’t just spray bullets all over without a care in the world. If you shoot your buddy, they’re going down quick, and vice versa. Even special items, like airstrikes and turrets you call down can splatter a teammate if you, or they, aren’t careful. On the flip side, you will need to play as a team for the additional firepower, reviving you when you go down, sharing resources like ammo, and making heavy weapons more efficient by equipping ammo backpacks that speed up an otherwise painfully long reload. If you and your friend can coordinate and overcome some really tough challenges, Helldivers is packed with content to keep you occupied for a long time.

If we’re talking split-screen games, then we have to include a game that can’t be played any way but in split-screen. It Takes Two is an action platformer about a married couple on the verge of divorce who are magically shrunken down into toy versions of themselves. You and your partner must team up to traverse the now massive environments to find a way back to normal. Each stage introduces new mechanics that you need to use in tandem to solve puzzles, traverse, and beat bosses. No two sections of the game are the same, and no matter which character you are playing as, you’ll have a great time.

We can’t include Halo Infinite here after 343 canceled all versions of the split-screen campaign, however, we still might put The Master Chief Collection above it anyway. This package just has so much value, including the original four games, plus ODST and Reach in beautiful 60 FPS action. This is the absolute best way to experience the most important games in the franchise, even if you’re only interested in the campaigns. While busted at launch, 343 has also completely salvaged the multiplayer component too, allowing you and a friend to jump online to relive the golden days of old-school Halo multiplayer.