Cooperative board games
Last checked 17 October 2026 · Prices from United Kingdom (UK) shops
In a cooperative game (co-op for short) you're all on the same side, playing against the game itself, and you win or lose together. They're great if you don't enjoy beating your nearest and dearest. They also let one experienced player quietly help the newer ones along. These are the friendliest places to start, easiest first.
1. Just One
Everyone writes a one-word clue to help one player guess a mystery word, but any clues that match get cancelled out.
- Players
- 3 to 7 players
- Age
- 8+
- Play time
- about 20 minutes
- How easy to teach
- Explain in 2 minutes
Why it suits this: Barely any rules. Write a one-word clue and try not to write the same one as anyone else, because matching clues get cancelled. Everyone's involved every round, so nobody feels lost.
Some details (players, age or time) still need checking against the publisher. Players, age and time are from a UK retailer listing; publisher page not yet checked.
£16.99 at Firestorm Games (Refresh edition), in stock
Prices and details last checked 17 October 2026. Prices change often.
2. Forbidden Island
Work as a team to grab four treasures from a sinking island and fly off before the water swallows the lot.
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 30 minutes
- How easy to teach
- Explain in 5 minutes
Why it suits this: Matt Leacock's sinking-island game is the classic first co-op. More of the island floods every turn, which builds proper tension, and you can turn the difficulty up as the group gets better.
£19.27 at Magic Madhouse, stock not confirmed
Prices and details last checked 17 October 2026. Prices change often.
3. Codenames: Duet
Work together, giving each other one-word clues, to find 15 secret agents hidden in a grid of 25 words.
- Players
- 2+ players
- Age
- 11+
- Play time
- about 15 minutes
- How easy to teach
- Explain in 5 minutes
Why it suits this: The co-op take on Codenames. You're giving each other clues against the game instead of playing a rival team. It's built for two, but more people can join in by sharing the clue-giving.
£16.99 at Firestorm Games, out of stock
Prices and details last checked 17 October 2026. Prices change often.
4. Hanabi
Hold your cards facing outwards so everyone can see them except you, then trade careful hints to build a firework display together.
- Players
- 2 to 5 players
- Age
- 8+
- Play time
- about 30 minutes
- How easy to teach
- Explain in about 10 minutes
Why it suits this: Antoine Bauza's tiny card game won the Spiel des Jahres (Germany's big game of the year award) in 2013. You hold your cards facing outwards, so everyone can see your hand except you. Short rules, but you'll need to really pay attention to each other's hints.
£8.79 at Magic Madhouse, stock not confirmed
Only one UK price checked so far.
Prices and details last checked 17 October 2026. Prices change often.
5. Pandemic
A team of specialists travels the world treating outbreaks, racing to find four cures before the diseases spread too far.
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 8+
- Play time
- about 45 minutes
- How easy to teach
- Explain in about 10 minutes
Why it suits this: Also by Matt Leacock, and the best-known co-op around. It takes a bit longer to learn (about 10 minutes to explain), but ‘save the world together’ is an easy story to get into.
£33.99 at Firestorm Games, in stock
Prices and details last checked 17 October 2026. Prices change often.
6. Sky Team
Pilot and co-pilot quietly place dice in the cockpit to land a passenger plane, and you're not allowed to talk about your rolls.
- Players
- 2 players only
- Age
- 14+
- Play time
- about 15 minutes
- How easy to teach
- Explain in about 10 minutes
Why it suits this: Luc Rémond's two-player game about landing a plane won the Spiel des Jahres in 2024. It's listed at 14+, so it suits couples, or a parent and teenager who fancy being on the same team.
Some details (players, age or time) still need checking against the publisher. Two players only is confirmed by the publisher. Age (14+) and time (15 minutes per landing) are from a UK retailer listing and still need checking against the box.
£28.49 at Firestorm Games, in stock
Prices and details last checked 17 October 2026. Prices change often.
How we choose and check
We pick games for the situation, and ignore hobby rankings and hype. Player counts, ages and play times come from the publisher's own page or the box wherever we can get them. If we haven't confirmed something yet, the card says so. Prices are checked by hand at UK shops on the date shown, and nobody pays us to include a game. See how we make money.