Finding the right video game for a group can be surprisingly difficult. When friends, siblings, or an entire family want to sit down and play together, many of the games on the shelf are designed primarily for one person. Even when a game does support multiplayer, that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone can play together in the same room.
Online multiplayer has become increasingly common, with many games expecting players to use separate consoles or PCs to connect over the internet. That’s great when everyone has their own system, but it doesn’t help much when several people are gathered around a single TV looking for something to play together. For family gatherings and parties, being able to hand out controllers and start playing on the same screen is still hard to beat.
Fortunately, there are plenty of games out there that support local multiplayer for four or more players if you know where to look. Some are traditional party games filled with quick minigames, while others turn racing, sports, fighting, puzzles, and cooperative challenges into great group activities. We’ve rounded up some of the best options for kids and families, with an emphasis on games that let several people join the fun using a single console or PC.
Super Mario Party Jamboree Is Built For Family Game Night
Super Mario Party Jamboree is about as close as a video game can get to a traditional board-game night. Players move around virtual game boards collecting coins and stars while competing in dozens of minigames that test everything from timing and reflexes to memory and coordination. The game includes more than 110 minigames, along with several different ways to play, giving groups plenty of variety even when everyone has very different gaming experience.
The biggest advantage for a party is that the basic rules of these minigames are easy to understand. A group doesn’t need to spend an hour learning complicated mechanics before having fun, and individual minigames are generally short enough that nobody has to wait around for too long. Up to four people can play together on one console, with plenty of opportunities for players to help each other, compete directly, or simply laugh at whatever happens during the latest minigame.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Super Mario Party Jamboree: The huge variety of minigames means there’s something for almost everyone, whether they like racing, rhythm games, puzzles, or simple button-mashing challenges. It’s particularly good for mixed-age groups because nobody needs to be an experienced gamer to participate.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptors: Mild Fantasy Violence
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
Players: 1–4 players locally
Mario Kart World Turns A Racing Game Into A Family Competition
Mario Kart World is a racing game that gives players a huge collection of courses, vehicles, characters, and power-ups to experiment with. The game lets players race through traditional circuits, drive across a connected world, and compete in several different modes. The classic Mario Kart formula remains intact, with items such as shells, fireballs, and boomerangs allowing players to disrupt their opponents and occasionally turn a race around at the last second.
That unpredictability of it all is exactly what makes Mario Kart World work at parties. Players who have never touched a racing game can grasp the main objective pretty much instantly, while experienced players can spend much longer mastering the tracks and learning how to use items effectively. Four people can race together on the same Switch 2 console, making it an excellent choice when everyone wants to play at the same time.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Mario Kart World: The controls are accessible, races are relatively short, and the item system keeps less experienced players in the competition. Even when someone loses, there’s usually another race just a few minutes away.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptors: Mild Fantasy Violence
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Players: 1–4 players locally
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Lets The Whole Family Settle Things In The Arena
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate brings together an enormous roster of characters from across Nintendo and other video game franchises and puts them into chaotic fighting matches. There are no traditional health bars here. Instead, players build up damage before knocking opponents off the stage. New players can quickly jump into the fray even if they’ve never touched a fighting game before. Meanwhile, the huge roster and wide selection of stages give experienced players plenty of room to develop more advanced strategies.
Few games are better suited to a room full of people who want to compete against each other. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate supports up to eight players locally, so even a relatively large group can get involved. Matches can be customized in countless ways, including team battles and special rules, and players can easily rotate in and out between rounds. The result is a game that works equally well for a quick five-minute match or an entire evening of competition.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: The basic controls are approachable enough for newcomers, but the enormous character roster means players can keep discovering new ways to play. Eight-player support is another huge advantage for large gatherings.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Players: 1–8 players locally
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Is A Great Cooperative Party Platformer
Super Mario Bros. Wonder takes the traditional 2D Mario formula and adds a cooperative multiplayer mode for up to four people. The whole family can jump through side-scrolling stages, collect coins, defeat enemies, and search for secrets while using abilities that can change how players approach each level. An interesting twist is that the game’s Wonder Flowers can transform stages in unexpected ways, creating situations where everyone suddenly has to react to a completely different set of rules.
Although it isn’t a traditional party game, Super Mario Bros. Wonder works surprisingly well as one. Players can help each other get through difficult sections, bounce off one another, or simply race toward the end of a level. Some characters are more forgiving than others, giving less experienced players ways to participate without constantly getting stuck. That makes Wonder a particularly good choice when the group wants more cooperation and less direct competition.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Four people can play together through the campaign, and the game’s simple controls make it easy for newcomers to join. It’s a particularly good option for families who want everyone working toward the same goal.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptors: Mild Fantasy Violence
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
Players: 1–4 players locally
Overcooked! All You Can Eat Turns Cooking Into Cooperative Chaos
Overcooked! All You Can Eat combines the campaigns from Overcooked!, Overcooked! 2, and their additional content into one enormous collection of cooperative cooking challenges. The basic gist revolves around preparing ingredients, cooking meals, washing dishes, and delivering orders while dealing with kitchens that can move, split apart, catch fire, or otherwise make the job considerably harder. The controls are straightforward, but completing an order efficiently requires everyone to communicate and coordinate.
Up to four people can play together locally, and the game gives everyone a clear role without requiring anyone to follow a complicated backstory or set of mechanics. The chaos naturally creates funny moments, especially when things inevitably go wrong and everyone starts shouting instructions at the same time. The games are cooperative, but there’s still plenty of friendly competition over who can keep things organized.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Overcooked! All You Can Eat: Everyone has something useful to do, and communication matters more than gaming experience. Overcooked! All You Can Eat is particularly good for families because parents and children can genuinely work together toward a common goal.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptors: Mild Fantasy Violence, Crude Humor
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Players: 1–4 players locally
Moving Out 2 Makes Moving Furniture A Four-Player Comedy Routine
Moving Out 2 turns the mundane task of moving furniture into a physics-based puzzle game. The game’s protagonists work for a moving company and have to carry furniture and other objects out of increasingly ridiculous locations, throwing items through windows, squeezing large objects through tight spaces, and trying to complete objectives before time runs out. The sequel expands the original formula with new locations, abilities, and online multiplayer while retaining the local co-op that made the first game such a good group experience.
The physics in Moving Out 2 are deliberately loose, which is a big part of the fun when several people are playing together. For instance, one person can throw a chair while another tries to catch it, two players can carry a couch together, and someone will almost always make a mistake that sends an important piece of furniture flying in the wrong direction. Up to four people can play locally, and the short, self-contained levels make it easy for groups to jump in and out.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Moving Out 2: The controls are simple, the objectives are easy to understand, and mistakes tend to be funny rather than frustrating. This is a great choice for families who want a cooperative game that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptors: Crude Humor
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Players: 1–4 players locally
Boomerang Fu Is A Fast And Simple Party Brawler
Boomerang Fu is a multiplayer party game featuring food characters armed with boomerangs. Matches are built around extremely short rounds where players throw boomerangs, dodge attacks, grab power-ups, and try to knock everyone else out. The game’s power-ups can be stacked together, creating increasingly ridiculous combinations that can dramatically change how a round plays out.
Boomerang Fu is almost tailor-made for a party because it takes very little time to explain. A new player can pick up a controller and understand the basic objective within seconds. As a bonus, matches are short enough that people can easily rotate in and out on a whim. Up to six players can play on one system, and there are both free-for-all and team-based modes.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Boomerang Fu: The rounds are quick, the controls are simple, and losing doesn’t mean sitting on the sidelines for very long. It’s an especially good choice when you have a large group and want everyone to get a turn.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Fantasy Violence
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Players: 1–6 players locally
TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge Is A Six-Player Beat-‘Em-Up
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge revives the classic arcade beat-’em-up formula with a modern game inspired by the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons and arcade games. All the Turtles are playable along with other iconic characters from the series like Casey Jones, Master Splinter, and April O’Neil. Each character has different attacks and abilities, giving players a reason to experiment with the roster.
The real party-game appeal comes from Shredder’s Revenge’s support for large groups. Up to six players can play together locally on most versions, allowing an entire group to pile into the same campaign and simply start beating up enemies. The controls are straightforward enough for newcomers, while the different characters and higher difficulty levels give experienced players something to work toward. It’s more action-heavy than many of the other games here, so it’s best suited to groups of older kids and teens.
Why Kids And Families Will Love TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge: Six-player local co-op is pretty difficult to beat and not something you’ll find in most other games. The simple beat-’em-up structure means anybody can jump in right away without needing to learn any complicated control schemes or combos.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Fantasy Violence
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Players: 1–6 players locally, depending on platform
Rayman Legends Is A Cooperative Platformer For The Whole Family
Rayman Legends is a side-scrolling platformer that takes Rayman and his friends through a large collection of levels built around jumping, running, climbing, combat, and exploration. The game includes more than 100 stages, with several levels built around music and rhythm. Players can choose from multiple characters and gradually work through increasingly difficult challenges as they unlock more content.
The four-player local co-op is what earns Rayman Legends a place on this list. Players can work through the game’s campaign together, helping one another through difficult sections or simply making their way toward the finish line as a group. The game has enough content to support long play sessions, but the individual levels are short enough that a group can easily stop after just a few stages.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Rayman Legends: Four people can play together, and the straightforward platforming makes it easy for younger players to participate. The music stages and varied level design keep things from feeling repetitive during a longer family game night.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Players: 1–4 players locally
Just Dance 2026 Edition Turns The Living Room Into A Dance Floor
Just Dance 2026 Edition is less about traditional video-game controls and more about getting everyone in the room involved. The game revolves around following choreographed routines displayed on screen, dancing along with the songs while trying to match the on-screen performers. The 2026 edition includes 40 new songs and introduces Party Mode, which adds unexpected twists to the usual dance routines. Players can use their smartphones as controllers, making it possible for a large group to participate without needing a pile of gamepads.
Just Dance has always been particularly well suited to parties because spectators can easily become participants. Up to six people can dance together locally, and nobody needs to be especially experienced with video games to understand what they’re supposed to do. Players can compete for high scores, cooperate, or simply dance for fun, making it perfect for groups that might not all be interested in traditional gaming.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Just Dance 2026 Edition: It’s one of the easiest games on this list to introduce to non-gamers. The physical nature of the game encourages everyone to get involved, and using phones as controllers means there’s less hardware to worry about.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptors: Mild Lyrics
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Players: Up to 6 players locally
Nintendo Switch Sports Is An Easy Game To Hand To Anyone
Nintendo Switch Sports brings several simple sports into one package, including bowling, tennis, volleyball, soccer, badminton, golf, and Chambara swordplay. Most of the games use motion controls, so players generally perform physical movements with the Joy-Con and don’t need to rely on complicated button combinations. That makes the collection particularly appealing for people who don’t regularly play video games.
The variety of games offered by Nintendo Switch Sports is one of its main selling points. Bowling can be played casually, tennis and volleyball work well with teams, and soccer provides a more energetic option for groups that want something competitive. The exact number of local players varies by sport, but the collection supports up to four players locally overall.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Nintendo Switch Sports: The controls are based on movements that most people are already familiar with, and the different sports give everyone an opportunity to find something they enjoy. Nintendo Switch Sports is particularly good for mixed-age groups and non-gamers.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Mild Violence
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
Players: 1–4 players locally, depending on sport
Ultimate Chicken Horse Lets Players Build Their Own Party Game
Ultimate Chicken Horse is a platforming game where players build the levels themselves. Each round begins with everyone placing platforms, traps, obstacles, and other objects into a stage. Once the construction is finished, everyone attempts to reach the goal. The trick is to make the course difficult enough to challenge the other players without making it so difficult that nobody can finish it.
That concept makes Ultimate Chicken Horse particularly good for groups because everyone feels involved in the process. Players can cooperate while building a stage, sabotage one another with increasingly ridiculous obstacles, and then laugh when someone gets caught by their own creation. Four players can participate locally, and rounds are short enough to keep everyone engaged throughout a session.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Ultimate Chicken Horse: Kids aren’t simply playing the same level over and over. Here, they’re helping create the levels themselves. This gives the game a creative element that works particularly well when multiple people want to contribute ideas.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptors: Mild Fantasy Violence
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Players: 1–4 players locally
Gang Beasts Turns Couch Competition Into Complete Chaos
Gang Beasts is a physics-based fighting game where players control floppy, gelatinous characters and attempt to knock one another out of increasingly dangerous arenas. Characters can use a variety of actions to achieve this, including punching, grabbing, shoving, climbing, and dragging one another around while struggling against the intentionally awkward physics. There are multiple game modes to choose from, including free-for-all battles, team fights, and a soccer mode that combines kicking a ball with the usual brawling.
The game’s intentionally clumsy physics make Gang Beasts a blast at parties. Players don’t need to know fighting-game combos or complicated strategies, and even experienced players can lose control of their character in spectacular fashion. Up to four people can play on one console, while the Nintendo Switch version supports up to four on one system. Matches are short enough to encourage plenty of rematches, which is exactly what you want from a game being played at a gathering.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Gang Beasts: The physics make even simple actions unpredictable, so losing can be just as funny as winning. Gang Beasts is an excellent choice for groups that want quick competitive matches without taking the competition too seriously.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Cartoon Violence
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Players: Up to 4 players locally
Party Animals Is A Physics-Based Brawl For Groups
Party Animals puts players in control of cute animal characters that fight and wrestle one another in physics-driven arenas. The playable characters can use objects found around the environment as weapons and take part in several different modes, including competitive battles and team-based challenges.
The game supports up to four players locally, making Party Animals another strong choice for a group gathered around one screen. Party Animals’ physics make movement deliberately awkward, meaning that even basic encounters can quickly turn into frantic wrestling matches. Luckily, matches are relatively short, and players can compete individually or work as teams depending on the mode.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Party Animals: The controls and objectives are simple enough for newcomers, while the physics generate plenty of unpredictable moments. This one’s best suited to older kids and teens who enjoy goofy competitive games.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Alcohol Reference, Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Players: Up to 4 players locally
LEGO Party! Is Practically Made For Family Game Night
LEGO Party! is a traditional party game built around a series of minigames featuring characters and themes from across the LEGO universe. Said characters get to complete across four Challenge Zones before facing off in 60 different minigames involving racing, platforming, puzzles, timing challenges, and many other activities. Players can customize their minifigures as they unlock new combinations, giving the game a little bit of progression between sessions.
The important thing here is that LEGO Party! was explicitly designed around group play. Up to four people can play together locally, and the developers specifically describe the game as a couch co-op experience that can be played at home with friends and family. The minigames are short and varied, so players are encouraged to experiment with everything LEGO Party! has to offer.
Why Kids And Families Will Love LEGO Party!: The wide variety of minigames means players with different interests can all find something they enjoy. This is a particularly good choice for families that want a traditional party-game experience.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptors: Comic Mischief, Mild Fantasy Violence
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Players: 1–4 players locally
Cake Bash Lets Players Fight To Become The Tastiest Cake
Cake Bash is a four-player party game in which players control cakes that compete in a series of short minigames. Some of the challenges involve fighting, while others ask players to collect toppings, roast marshmallows, decorate cakes, or complete other silly objectives. Each round has its own rules, so the game can shift between frantic competition and simpler challenges without requiring players to learn an entirely new game.
Cake Bash is at its best whenever several people are sharing the same TV. Matches are short, four players can participate simultaneously, and the game can be played against friends or AI-controlled opponents if the group isn’t large enough. This is another game where newcomers can dive right in even without any previous gaming experience.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Cake Bash: The premise is silly, the rounds are short, and the controls are simple enough for younger players. Cake Bash works especially well as a quick game between other activities at a family gathering.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptors: Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Players: 1–4 players locally
Rocket League Is Soccer With Cars And A Huge Skill Ceiling
Rocket League combines soccer with rocket-powered cars, giving players a simple objective and an enormous amount of room to improve. There’s a bit of a learning curve as driving, jumping, boosting, and flipping cars around the arena can get pretty challenging during fast matches. Players can expect several modes to choose from, but the basic idea is always to get the ball into the other team’s goal.
The simplicity of Rocket League makes it surprisingly good for family gatherings. Up to four players can share the same screen, allowing everyone to compete individually or form teams. New players can have fun simply chasing the ball around, while experienced players can spend years learning advanced techniques. Matches are relatively short, which makes it easy to play a few rounds without turning the game into a major time commitment.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Rocket League: The game is the very definition of easy to learn but hard to master, as players who really enjoy it can keep improving their skills over a very long time. The team-based format is especially useful when children and adults with different skill levels want to play together.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Content Descriptors: Mild Lyrics
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Players: Up to 4 players locally
The Jackbox Party Pack 11 Doesn’t Even Need Extra Controllers
The Jackbox Party Pack 11 is a collection of five party games built around writing, drawing, trivia, deception, and sound effects. The compilation is pretty unique as players can use their phones, tablets, or computers to participate while the main game runs on the TV. The individual games support between two and eight players, with several supporting eight, so it can accommodate a much larger gathering than most games on this list.
The controller-free setup is arguably Jackbox’s biggest advantage at a party. Most people already have a phone in their pocket, so there’s no need to find enough controllers or explain complicated button layouts. The individual games are short, and the pack’s variety makes it easy to switch to something else when a particular game isn’t working for the group. Jackbox Party Pack 11 includes an optional Family-Friendly setting for all five games, although parents should know that the overall package is rated Teen.
Why Kids And Families Will Love The Jackbox Party Pack 11: This is one of the easiest collection of games to set up when a large group is already gathered together. The different games appeal to different personalities, and the optional Family-Friendly setting gives parents more control over the content.
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
Content Descriptors: Fantasy Violence, Language, Suggestive Themes, Users Interact
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Apple TV, iPad
Players: 1–8 players, depending on game
Castle Crashers Is A Classic Four-Player Couch Co-Op Game
Castle Crashers is a side-scrolling beat-’em-up starring knights fighting through hordes of enemies while rescuing princesses and collecting new weapons and abilities. Each character has different strengths and attacks, and players gradually become more powerful as they progress. The game includes several competitive modes and minigames, giving groups alternatives to the main campaign.
The four-player co-op campaign is the reason Castle Crashers remains such a good couch multiplayer choice. Everyone can work through the same levels together, revive fallen teammates, collect weapons, and combine attacks against larger groups of enemies. The game is considerably more violent than many of the other choices here, though, with the ESRB rating it T for blood and gore, cartoon violence, and crude humor.
Why Teens And Families Will Love Castle Crashers: Groups of four can work through the entire campaign together, and the simple beat-’em-up structure makes it easy to join in. Castle Crashers is an especially good option for teens who want something more action-heavy than a traditional party game.
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
Content Descriptors: Blood and Gore, Cartoon Violence, Crude Humor
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
Players: 1–4 players locally
Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes Puts Great Emphasis On Communication
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is one of the most unusual multiplayer games on this list. One player is responsible for defusing a procedurally generated bomb displayed on the TV, while everyone else uses a bomb-defusal manual to figure out how the various modules work. The catch is that the person looking at the bomb isn’t allowed to see the manual, while the people reading the manual can’t see the bomb. Success therefore depends entirely on communicating clearly and quickly.
The game is designed as a local co-op party experience, and the developers specifically emphasize that only one copy is needed. Although four players can participate locally, additional people can take turns reading the manual and communicating, so the format can still work even with a surprisingly large group. The puzzles become more complicated as players progress, making this one better suited to older kids and teens who are comfortable reading and communicating under pressure.
Why Kids And Families Will Love Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes: Everyone has a role, and the game forces players to actually communicate with one another. It can be hilarious when the person defusing the bomb gets frustrated with everyone shouting instructions, making it a great choice for groups that enjoy problem-solving together.
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Content Descriptors: Mild Violence
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, mobile devices, VR platforms
Players: 1–4 players locally; additional participants can assist verbally
