The kitchen timer is ticking down too fast. Pans are clattering, vegetables are flying, and someone’s shouting that the soup is burning. No, this isn’t a real-life kitchen nightmare, but a virtual game that thousands of people have chosen to put themselves in—for fun.
The game described above, Overcooked, is one of my favorite games to play with new friends because its demand for quick communication and fast-paced cooperation reveals how people act in high-pressure situations.
But first, what is a cooperative, or “co-op,” game? In co-op games, players coordinate their actions to achieve a shared objective.1 You may have heard of popular games, Overcooked or It Takes Two, but there are hundreds of co-op games that engage a wide array of soft skills. As a lover of these games myself, I am a staunch advocate that there is one out there to satisfy the preferences of every duo. These games can be broadly categorized by the level of dependence between players and the level of stress (in my opinion) that accompanies each game.
But why should we care about these games beyond the fact that they’re fun? Co-op games build soft skills like teamwork,2 and these benefits carry over into everyday life.3 This knock-on effect is especially valuable in schools and workplaces, where role-playing in games provides a safe way to practice real-world behaviors.2
Why Co-Op Games Work
Playing co-op games is especially powerful because their game mechanics drive players to share information, coordinate decisions, and work as a team. A review of the educational benefits of cooperative games found that certain mechanics of co-op games can increase the effectiveness of learning real-world skills like:2
- Gradual rule introduction: Introducing rules slowly over multiple steps improves communication and information sharing
- Action points: Collectively deciding how to move forward as a group enhances teamwork and interdependence
- Hand management: Strategizing with teammates about how to conserve and use limited game resources strengthens problem-solving ability
But these skills don’t disappear when the console is switched off. In classrooms, co-op games can support student learning, and adults can also apply skills learned from games to workplace settings. Role-playing, which encourages players to immerse themselves in the game’s context, is valuable in educational settings that require engagement in real-world scenarios (e.g., history) or assuming a specific role (e.g., robotics).2 This type of immersion encourages engagement with different perspectives and triggers neural plasticity, turning passive learning into active learning that sticks in our brain circuits.4
Alternatively, managing limited resources in games introduces tension and builds the ability to work under pressure, another key skill for many sectors, such as healthcare.2 The skills you can learn from co-op games can benefit you throughout your entire life. This lifelong learning begins early, and the benefits are clear to see when we look at how children learn to collaborate.
Playing Nice in the Classroom
Many young children struggle with basic cooperation skills, and without structured cooperative learning, students become less engaged.5 Co-op games can supplement learning in children from a young age. Soft skills, such as sharing and collaboration, can improve learning outcomes in educational settings and lay the foundation for more complex development, like critical thinking.
For example, 7-year-old children who participated in cooperative learning not only improved their ability to work together but also their reasoning.6 Likewise, this effect is reflected in gameplay: kindergarteners who played a cooperative game subsequently exhibited increased sharing behavior in real life.7
Bullying and social isolation rise in middle school, which can derail learning and well-being; however, cooperative play offers a way to counteract this by providing shared goals and improved peer relationships.8 Children ages 9-12 described how co-op games led to fewer conflicts in the classroom as well as new friendships.9
These studies demonstrate that the games are impactful because they reframe engagement; instead of forcing students to participate, co-op games excite their intrinsic curiosity and motivation in a way that makes students want to participate.
Turning Teamwork into Mastery
The benefits of co-op games aren’t just for soft skills—they can also help students learn advanced subject material. The forgetting curve models how we forget information over time, and some studies show that students can lose 40-80% of new material if it isn’t actively reviewed. However, co-op games offer a way to counteract this information loss in an active and engaging manner. For example, high school students who played a co-op game on thermodynamics used the game as a review tool, with all students who played the game passing the course.10
These types of games can support college-level students, too, as the material often becomes more applied. One organic chemistry course offered a cooperative game to assist students in learning laboratory skills.11 Not only did students who used the co-op game report higher motivation and skill development, but the mean grade of students improved compared to the previous two academic years. These types of games can offer practical support to help students connect theoretical material to skills they will need in the lab.
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Performing in a pressure cooker
Even after leaving a school setting, co-op games continue to transfer benefits from games to real life. The skills learned in co-op games, such as conflict resolution and leadership, can also lead to better performance in the workplace.
Poor team member engagement costs billions of US dollars annually,12 but co-op games offer a tool to counteract this. In one workplace study, a team of coworkers who played a cooperative game (Halo or Rock Band) was 20% more productive in subsequent tasks compared to the team that participated in traditional team-building activities.13 In a follow-up study, improved productivity was seen again, and co-op games were validated as a practical method for developing and improving workplace teams.12
Playing co-op games outside of work can also lead to a direct spillover of “transformational leadership,”14 a leadership style focused on inspiring and motivating others. Additionally, the different roles players occupy during a cooperative game mean players have different abilities or side goals; this can lead to tension, but is also critical in practicing conflict resolution.2
Cashing in, or crashing out?
Not all play is productive. Co-op games can build soft skills, but negative habits can spill over, too. Naturally, unhelpful behaviors from games can worsen your work performance and undermine real-world collaboration.14 Luckily, there are some ways to avoid this. All you have to do is be mindful of how you are engaging with a game.
Common cognitive traps to avoid
- Fundamental attribution error: Co-op games only succeed when all people succeed. Instead of blaming each other when a level is failed, work together and shift responsibilities to find a solution
- Spotlight effect: If you are new to co-op games, it may feel like you are holding your team back, but this isn’t true. Reframe this as an opportunity to develop problem-solving skills under pressure
- Negativity bias: Co-op games can help grow your persistence when trying to pass a level again and again; don’t let repetition cause you to give up the game completely
Leveling Up Beyond the Screen
The benefits of co-op games are only as good as you make them, but they often mirror real-life demands much better than single-player games. While solo play teaches you how to master a system, co-op games teach you how to nurture the relationships around you. No, co-op games won’t guarantee you a passing grade or a promotion. But they can help you practice the collaboration, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills with the people around you who matter.
The next time you pick up a controller, you may be excited to try and start to "hack your life" from your couch—but co-op games aren't a surefire shortcut to better skills. While they can support communication, collaboration, and problem-solving, the benefits you get out of a co-op game depend on how deeply you engage with it, as well as how well the game itself was designed and reflective of real-world contexts. Co-op games are much better for the development of soft skills than simply doing nothing, but they also pale in comparison to formal education or professional training.
In his book Man, Play, and Games, Roger Caillois argues that popular games can tell us something about what is missing in our culture.15 If cooperative games are surging in popularity, maybe this is just another sign that people are seeking connection. We have adapted to remote work and digital learning, but while this makes continued learning and work possible, it also perpetuates the social isolation that is increasingly common. The most powerful thing you can do to reconnect is by reaching out to someone else. And while co-op games can help refine the soft skills that can strengthen and maintain a relationship, perhaps the most important part of a co-op game is inviting a friend to play it with you, and spending the time together.
