If you feel as though there are more cooperative games than ever these days, you’re probably right. The folks over at VG Insights (thanks, VGC) have published a report that reveals that 2023 saw a record number of co-op games published on Steam, so many in fact that there were over twice as many last year than there were in 2018.
The report states that 799 co-op games debuted on Steam in 2023, which is more than double the 383 that dropped in 2018, five years ago. The report also shows a steady rise, with a general gradual increase in the number of co-op games on a daily basis, with the main anomaly being between 2019 and 2020, when it jumped from 388 co-op games to 647. The pandemic and Covid guidelines are likely the main attributing factor here.
Granted, it should be said that the number of co-op games in general is still quite small, as the report adds that less than 6% of total games on Steam within 2021, 2022, and 2023 were co-op titles. That being said, around 36% of all games sold on Steam last year were cooperative, showing that while co-op only occupies a small segment of Steam’s portfolio, it’s one of its most profitable areas. This figure has already jumped up to 46% in 2024, likely due to the massive success of games like Palworld and Helldivers 2.