Indie games are known for their creativity, unique mechanics, and a focus on delivering fresh experiences. Many of them also shine in multiplayer modes, allowing friends to team up, work together, or compete in exciting ways. Whether you’re navigating terrifying haunted houses, solving quirky puzzles, or trying to outwit your friends in chaotic challenges, here’s a list of 20 indie games that are perfect for 4-player sessions. From the haunting horror of Devour to the competitive fun of Ultimate Chicken Horse, there’s something for every group of friends to enjoy.
1. Devour
Devour is a terrifying co-op survival horror game that pits players against a possessed cultist in a race against time. Working together, your team must gather the necessary items, perform rituals, and stop the demon from taking over completely. The game’s eerie atmosphere, jump scares, and sense of escalating dread make it a perfect pick for those looking to experience fear and excitement with friends.
2. Lethal Company
In Lethal Company, you and your friends find yourselves trapped in an abandoned building, where strange and terrifying things lurk in the shadows. Your goal is to investigate the building, gather clues, and uncover its sinister secrets, all while avoiding supernatural threats that grow stronger the deeper you go. The unpredictable horror and tense atmosphere make Lethal Company a great game for fans of creepy, co-op experiences.
3. Chained Together
A unique twist on the cooperative puzzle platformer genre, Chained Together requires players to work together while physically connected by a chain. As you solve puzzles and navigate obstacles, every player’s movements impact the rest of the team. This creates chaotic and often hilarious scenarios that will test your coordination and communication skills in a way that few other games can match.
4. Ultimate Chicken Horse
Ultimate Chicken Horse is a competitive platformer where players build their own levels filled with traps and obstacles, and then race through them. The goal is to finish the level while making sure that your friends don’t succeed. The combination of level construction, platforming, and sabotage creates a fun, fast-paced multiplayer experience that is perfect for four players.
5. Phasmophobia
One of the most popular horror games in recent years, Phasmophobia is a co-op ghost-hunting game where you and your friends play as paranormal investigators. Exploring haunted locations, you must use a variety of tools to detect and identify the type of spirit haunting the area. The game’s tension, unexpected scares, and reliance on teamwork make it a thrilling choice for a group of friends seeking a spooky adventure.
6. Overcooked! 2
In Overcooked! 2, players work together to prepare and serve food orders in chaotic, over-the-top kitchens. Each level is filled with bizarre obstacles, requiring quick thinking and fast coordination. Whether you’re tossing ingredients across the room or juggling multiple cooking stations, the frantic pace and hilarious mishaps will have you laughing and working together (or failing miserably) as you try to deliver the perfect meal.
7. Gang Beasts
Gang Beasts is a lighthearted multiplayer brawler that pits players against each other in a series of ridiculous, physics-based arenas. The controls are simple, but the outcome is anything but predictable as you throw punches, kicks, and grapple with your friends to be the last one standing. The absurd movement and goofy character designs make Gang Beasts a perfect party game for four players.
8. Deep Rock Galactic
In Deep Rock Galactic, players take on the roles of dwarf miners on dangerous missions to extract precious resources from alien planets. With procedurally generated caves, deadly enemies, and plenty of obstacles to overcome, teamwork is essential as you mine, fight, and explore together. The game’s blend of cooperative action, strategy, and exploration makes it a great choice for four-player co-op fun.
9. Don’t Starve Together
Don’t Starve Together is a cooperative survival game set in a dark and unforgiving world filled with strange creatures and mysterious dangers. Players must gather resources, craft tools, and keep themselves fed and sane while surviving the harsh environment. The game’s quirky art style and challenging survival mechanics make it a captivating and often hilarious multiplayer experience.
10. Moving Out
Moving Out is a physics-based co-op game where you and your friends play as movers tasked with transporting furniture from one location to another. The twist? The environments are full of obstacles, and the furniture can be surprisingly difficult to handle. The result is chaotic, hilarious gameplay that will have you laughing as you attempt to move everything from couches to refrigerators without breaking a thing.
11. Human: Fall Flat
In Human: Fall Flat, players control wobbly, ragdoll-like characters as they navigate a series of physics-based puzzles. The game is all about trial and error, with players constantly figuring out how to move, jump, and climb in the most comically awkward way possible. The cooperative puzzle-solving and unpredictable physics create a hilarious and fun multiplayer experience for four players.
12. Risk of Rain 2
Risk of Rain 2 is a third-person roguelike that features fast-paced action and challenging enemies. You and your friends must work together to survive on an alien planet, collecting powerful upgrades and fighting increasingly difficult enemies. With each run being randomly generated, the game offers endless replayability and is perfect for four players looking for an action-packed adventure.
13. Spelunky 2
Spelunky 2 is a roguelike platformer where players navigate procedurally generated caves, avoiding traps, collecting treasures, and trying to survive as long as possible. The game offers local co-op for up to four players, and while it’s great fun, it’s also very challenging. Every level is filled with dangers, and one wrong move can lead to disaster. However, the unpredictability and high-stakes gameplay make it an exciting multiplayer experience.
14. TowerFall Ascension
TowerFall Ascension is a competitive archery game where players face off in tight arenas filled with traps, power-ups, and plenty of ways to outwit and outshoot their opponents. With its simple controls and fast-paced combat, TowerFall is perfect for four players who enjoy challenging each other in a fun, skill-based environment.
15. Totally Reliable Delivery Service
In Totally Reliable Delivery Service, you and your friends take on the role of bumbling delivery drivers tasked with transporting fragile packages across a variety of wacky environments. The ragdoll physics and goofy mechanics make each delivery attempt a hilarious adventure, whether you’re tossing packages off cliffs or trying to load them into a truck without breaking them.
16. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
In Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, players control a spaceship and must work together to keep it running, battling alien enemies and completing objectives. The ship is divided into several stations (like weapons, shields, engines, and navigation), and players must coordinate to keep everything in check. This bright and colorful game is full of chaotic fun as you and your friends work together (and maybe argue a little) to prevent your spaceship from falling apart in the middle of battle.
17. Helldivers
Helldivers is a top-down, twin-stick shooter that places you and up to three friends in the role of elite soldiers tasked with defending humanity from alien threats. The game’s difficulty ramps up quickly, and friendly fire is always on, making every move and decision crucial. The intense combat and strategic planning required to succeed in Helldivers make it an exciting experience for a group of players who love action-packed, cooperative gameplay.
18. Broforce
Broforce is an over-the-top action game that lets players control action-hero-inspired characters on a mission to save the world. Each “bro” has unique abilities based on iconic action movie heroes. The game features destructible environments and fast-paced action, making it an adrenaline-pumping experience for up to four players. The cooperative play requires coordination, especially in tight situations, and the absurd level of destruction is sure to keep you and your friends entertained.
19. Tricky Towers
Tricky Towers is a physics-based puzzle game where players build towers out of falling blocks. The twist? Your opponents can sabotage your tower with magic spells. The game supports up to four players and features both competitive and cooperative play. It’s a fun, casual experience that’s perfect for a quick gaming session with friends, and the chaotic tower-building can lead to plenty of laughs.
20. Streets of Rage 4
The iconic beat-’em-up series Streets of Rage makes a triumphant return with Streets of Rage 4. The game brings its classic side-scrolling combat back with modern graphics, new characters, and intense multiplayer action. Up to four players can team up to take on waves of enemies, and each character has unique moves and combos to master. If you’re a fan of old-school brawlers, Streets of Rage 4 offers a fresh take with plenty of nostalgia and fast-paced combat.
Conclusion
From spine-chilling horror to chaotic platforming, these 20 indie games offer fantastic experiences for four players. Whether you’re exploring haunted locations, solving puzzles, or outwitting your friends, these games promise hours of laughter, thrills, and teamwork. Gather your friends, pick one of these titles, and get ready for a fun multiplayer experience!