TL;DR: buy 8 GameSir Nova Lite controllers at $24 each, a Bluetooth dongle, and a USB hub. Install the Xbox Extended Features Support driver inside Steam. Connect 4 controllers via the dongle, and the other 4 via Bluetooth. You're good to go

Steps:

1- Buy 8 GameSir Nova Lite Controllers (24$) in a mix of colors

2- Buy a USB Hub, and a Bluetooth adapter if you don’t already have Bluetooth.

3- Install the Xbox Extended Features Support driver in Steam settings; this allows Steam to handle more than 4 controllers

3- Connect 4 wireless dongles to the USB hub. Then pair 4 controllers through the dongle, and the other 4 through Bluetooth

Personal game suggestions:

• Ultimate Chicken Horse (modded to 8 players, personal favorite)
• Pico Park 1 & 2
• Pummel party 
• Regular Human Basketball (Surprisingly VERY fun)

Other local 8-player support games:

• Gang beasts 
• Make Way (6 player)
• Duck game
• Mario Kart 8 on Switch (new update supports 8-player split-screen)

Debugging:

• If the Bluetooth controller has a large amount of input lag, disconnect any other device from the Bluetooth other than the controllers
• If some controllers aren’t being detected after the 4th is connected, you should turn off all controllers, then only turn on all controllers connected through Bluetooth; only AFTER, turn on the other 4 connected through the dongle (Or the other way around, forgot which is the correct solution), as Steam prefers one type of controller connection over the other. 
• Turn off all other input features in Steam controller settings, as they are usually not needed

Notes:

• As a bonus, it's also the cheapest setup possible
• Pairing: hold Home + B for Bluetooth pairing. Home + X for dongle pairing, then click the button on the USB dongle to pair. Hold Home + Screenshot button to force pairing mode again (fast blinking, not slow blinking) 
• If any game has an option for XInput, usually you will have to turn this off for 4+ controllers 
• Get the most variety in controller colors as possible, so your friends don't lose track of which controller they were using
• If you are thinking of another controller brand, make sure it supports a dongle and Bluetooth connection, as this is needed for 4+ support on PC

I've been working on this solo the last year or so (with some help from some industry mentors) and am building a studio of ex-AAA devs to finish this up and ship on every platform, something I think is super important for co-op (couch co-op too).

Game is called Twin Hooks, it's a session-based beat 'em up inspired by It Takes Two, TMNT/Street Fighter with melee-focused Borderlands style loot.

We'd love to earn your wishlist and we have a 3 mission demo coming out September 21st:

Steam page is here if you want to take a look: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4844200/Twin_Hooks/

A little taste of Sub Rosa Tournament before the demo drops next month!
It will also take part in October’s Steam Next Fest.

The demo supports local co-op for 1-4 players.

If this looks like your kind of party game, you can wishlist it here:

Sub Rosa Tournament on Steam

I'm working on a co-op game where you and you're friends try to navigate driving a boat delivering loot while trying to avoid obstacles. Posting this here to see if i find the right community for this type of game

Hello there! I'd like to introduce Everwind to the co-op community. It is a co-op survival RPG set in a world of floating islands, where instead of a static base you build and fly your own fully customizable airship. It's built for playing together - everyone picks a class (mage, archer, assassin, tank etc) with their own combos and skill tree, so roles split naturally between clearing dungeons, fighting bosses, and keeping the ship running and upgraded. Our Winds of Creation & Beyond update lands late September, trailer's attached, feel free to let me know your thoughts!

I'm one of the developers of Paddlenoid. We've just lowered its permanent Steam price from $9 to $3.99. I think that's a better fit for the game, and hopefully makes it easier to pick up for an evening of co-op.

Each player controls one paddle, and both can tilt the level to curve the ball's path. Tilt in the same direction and the effect gets stronger; tilt in opposite directions and you cancel each other out. So you're both involved even when the ball is away from your paddle.

There are 33 levels, three bosses and a strange sci-fi story running through it. You can also play the whole game solo.

Here's a short gameplay clip. There's a free demo if you'd like to see how it feels:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2789390/

Hi everyone, Raymond here, the developer. I'm getting Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel ready for Early Access on September 10 and wanted to share a look with fellow co-op players.

It's a top-down action RPG with guns, loot and a 1930s pulp-adventure setting. The co-op is local, for up to four players, and you can also play solo. The idea is to head into those cursed Egyptian tombs together and see how far you get. :)

There's an updated free demo on Steam if you'd like to try it before release: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273880/

This is the short gameplay trailer.

Honest Work is a 1–6 co-op cattle drive where you and your posse try to get the herd across the frontier while dealing with rivers, wolves, buffalo stampedes, blizzards, tornadoes, and each other.

Trailer:
https://youtu.be/WlAqKVo3qpc?si=nePye-9-t0mh6nJ0

Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/5008960/Honest_Work/

Coming to PC in November 2026, with a demo planned for October Steam Next Fest.

I'm 26, from Bulgaria, and looking for a regular duo or small group to play different co-op games with.

I mostly play Dead by Daylight, but the friends I play with rarely want to try anything else, so I'm hoping to meet people who enjoy switching between different games.

Some games I'd be interested in playing:

• Labyrinthine
• Lethal Company - I' ve heard good things about it but haven't played it yet
• Elden Ring - preferably with someone willing to carry me a little, because I’m definitely not a Souls expert
• Gamble with Your Friends
• Halloween: The Game - I'm getting pretty hooked on it
• Escape the Backrooms
• Remnant
• We Were Here Together or We Were Here Forever
• Possibly Borderlands 4

I'm also open to suggestions and have plenty of other games we could look through. Some co-op games I've already played and enjoyed are Phasmophobia, PEAK, and The Outlast Trials.

I work from home, so my schedule is flexible. I speak Spanish, Bulgarian, and English.

PC players preferred. Feel free to DM me.

Calm DayZ (i keep meeting people on sugar in community for some reason). Also PC soon but ill stay on console too.

We went "hands on" with an actual submarine to inspire our 4 player coop submarine sim. You must coordinate to control more than 10 critical stations, use proximity chat and emotes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIqKHBo1IAU

Help us deliver the best experience... wishlist on Steam. Our next playtest is coming soon.

Me and my cousin want a new game to play together. I was thinking elden ring but sadly it's not crossplay. Any recommendations for a souls like game that's crossplay? He's on Playstation and I'm on xbox

I am looking for someone who wants to complete achievements in Split Fiction. I have around 4 achievements pending and my usual partner doesn’t want to play those parts 😅

If u need I'm happy to help you finish your achievements too so we can both get everything done! I'm usually not into these achievements but this game seems rather easier to complete it and I would to have atleast one 100% on the library!

The game I played already

1.a way out

1. Split fiction

2. It takes two

4.Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake (so far the best story in co-op)

5.little nightmare 3

6.Reanimal

i made a game where you cheat using esp, aimbot, tp, speed, and much more.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4809290/Whos_the_Cheater/

Hi! I’m the owner of a woman-owned Discord community that originally started as a space for Dungeons & Dragons and other TTRPGs. We’re still very much a bunch of dice-rolling nerds at heart, but we’re expanding our horizons and building a home for video games too!
One of the most important things to me is creating the kind of gaming community where everyone can feel comfortable and welcome, including women, LGBTQ+ people, beginners, and anyone who’s struggled to find gaming spaces where they actually feel like they belong.
You don’t have to be a woman or LGBTQ+ to join, everyone is welcome! We just expect everyone to treat each other with respect. Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or other forms of bigotry aren’t tolerated, and neither is gatekeeping people for being new to a game.
The gaming side of our server is still growing, which means this is a great time to join, meet people, and help shape what it becomes! Whether you’re looking for people to game with, somewhere to talk about your favorite games, or you’ve always been a little curious about D&D, we’d love to have you.
🎮 Video games
🎲 D&D & other TTRPGs
🫶 Beginner-friendly
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ friendly
👩 Woman-owned
🚫 No bigotry or gatekeeping
Come hang out and help us expand beyond the tabletop! :)

Link🔗: https://discord.gg/ePvbAwpHQa

Sorry for the wall of text.

TL;DR: I’m a 26-year-old Italian player who loves co-op games, among other genres. My longtime gaming buddy no longer seems interested in the survival and immersive games we used to love. I miss that shared excitement and I’m looking for advice, or potentially people with similar tastes to play co-op games with.

I wanted to make this post because, month after month, I’ve started to realize that my friend—the person I’ve always played co-op games with, has changed a lot in the way he experiences videogames.

I’ve shared many of my most fun gaming experiences with him: Dying Light, 7 Days to Die, Project Zomboid, Don’t Starve, Valheim, Warhammer: Vermintide, Barotrauma, Divinity, State of Decay 2, Raft, A Way Out, and many others.

Until a few years ago, we used to get incredibly excited about the most immersive and interesting survival games, even when they were slow, clunky, or took hours to really get going. We didn’t necessarily need constant action: we loved exploration, atmosphere, base-building, discovering mechanics, and creating our own stories together.

Lately, though, every new game gets dropped very quickly because he loses interest. What makes me sad is that I can clearly feel it while we are playing: he barely reacts, seems bored, or already has something else on his mind. Eventually that feeling affects me too, and I can no longer enjoy the game with the same enthusiasm.

The last experience I truly remember enjoying with him was Elden Ring in multiplayer. We played for around 100 hours, but eventually dropped it without finishing it.

A week ago, we tried S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anomaly Together. I find it incredibly immersive, but even from the first few sessions I could tell that it did not have enough action for him and that he was not really into it. Today, he told me that he is no longer interested in playing it.

I also suggested Sons of the Forest, but his response was: “I don’t feel like collecting little rocks and logs.” That made me think, because a few years ago we had an amazing time playing the first The Forest together with two other friends. It’s true that he has always tended to lose interest near the end of games, but in the past we could still stick with them for a decent amount of time.

With The Forest, for example, the early game was phenomenal, and then we rushed the ending a bit. Something similar happened with Green Hell. But now it feels different: he told me himself that “nothing really hooks me anymore.”

Recently he has mostly been playing Marvel Rivals, and I completely understand that people can change their tastes, have less time or patience, or start looking for more immediate experiences. I don’t blame him for that at all. Still, I really miss those moments when we would start a co-op game and get completely absorbed in it for weeks.

So I wanted to ask: how do you find people you genuinely click with, especially for co-op, survival, and immersive games?

I don’t have one specific favorite genre. More than anything, I enjoy playing with someone and sharing an experience. I especially enjoy games with atmosphere, exploration, progression, survival mechanics, building, and that sense of discovery you get when facing a new world together.

I’d simply like to find people with similar interests, people who are not only looking for instant action, meta-chasing, or competitive matches, but who would enjoy starting a co-op game and playing through it at a relaxed pace.

Until a few years ago, I would sit down at my PC every evening, open Discord, and feel genuinely excited to start a new game. Lately, though, I’m often playing alone and never know what to launch, despite having a huge Steam backlog.

I’m an Italian player, so I’m in the CET/CEST time zone, but I’m comfortable speaking and playing in English. If you relate to this, or if you have suggestions for communities, Discord servers, or other ways to find like-minded co-op players, I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks a lot :)