When Borderlands Science was announced back in 2020 I thought it all sounded a little silly. Science? In my Borderlands? It struck me as a lot less likely than Dr. Mayim Bialik seemed to think. But it turns out that I was the silly one all along, because McGill University, the institution leading the project, says the project was in fact a massive success that will “substantially advance our knowledge of the microbiome and improve on the AI programs that will be used to carry out this work in future.”

Science in Borderlands does not occur through the usual gameplay, but rather by way of the Borderlands Science minigame embedded in Borderlands 3. That’s what really drove my doubts about the whole thing. Borderlands is all about shooting endless truckloads of dudes—how many players are going to step away from that to put time into a non-violent minigame?

Roughly 4.5 million of them, as it turns out. “These players have helped trace the evolutionary relationships of more than a million different kinds of bacteria that live in the human gut, some of which play a crucial role in our health,” McGill said in a press release. “This information represents an exponential increase in what we have discovered about the microbiome up till now. By aligning rows of tiles which represent the genetic building blocks of different microbes, humans have been able to take on tasks that even the best existing computer algorithms have been unable to solve yet.”

With the project now safely concluded, McGill can apparently now admit that it was a little uncertain about the whole thing too. 

“We didn’t know whether the players of a popular game like Borderlands 3 would be interested or whether the results would be good enough to improve on what was already known about microbial evolution,” said Jérôme Waldispühl, associate professor in McGill’s School of Computer Science and senior author on the study, published today in Nature. “But we’ve been amazed by the results. In half a day, the Borderlands Science players collected five times more data about microbial DNA sequences than our earlier game, Phylo, had collected over a 10-year period.”

That’s the other interesting part of the study: Borderlands Science demonstrated that citizen science projects like this can have a seriously large reach when they’re integrated into games in ways that, to use the scientific term, don’t suck. The paper in Nature says a typical “citizen science game” achieving 500,000 players—just a fraction of the number Borderlands Science reached—would be “a massive success,” largely because it’s hard to convince people to play games specifically in the name of scientific endeavor. 

Phylo, for instance, “struggled to retain players for more than a couple puzzles,” and had an average of 5.7 tasks completed by users, and a median of two. Borderlands Science players completed an average of 35 tasks, and a median of 12.

The downside to that approach is that the increased focus on the “game” part of the project unavoidably dilutes the “science” side. McGill said it “pushed the envelope on gamification” in Borderlands Science and, as expected, the “average scientific contribution” of a single result was significantly lower than in Phylo. But “the ultra-gamification of BLS led to a much higher player engagement and retention than in Phylo, which strongly alleviates that downside.”

There were other spinoff benefits to the game-heavy approach as well. McGill said the most common reaction to Borderlands Science from gamers “was enthusiasm and curiosity about science,” and while that’s admittedly tricky to quantify, the school said it believes the “game-first design” was a major driver of that enthusiasm and engagement.

“Moreover, beyond the optimization of the tradeoff described above, the inherent benefits of participating in a citizen science initiative, such as improvements in science literacy and increased connectedness of the public to the scientific world, further justifies the exploration of the extra gamification region of that tradeoff,” McGill said. “Reaching more participants is a valid objective in its own right.”

As for what’s being done with all the data that’s come out of Borderlands Science, Rob Knight of the Departments of Pediatrics, Bioengineering, and Computer Science & Engineering at the University of California San Diego said researchers hope to relate specific types of microbes to diet, aging, and various types of diseases. “Because evolution is a great guide to function, having a better tree relating our microbes to one another gives us a more precise view of what they are doing within and around us,” Knight said.

“Here we have 4.5 million people who contributed to science. In a sense, this result is theirs too and they should feel proud about it,” Waldispühl said. “It shows that we can fight the fear or misconceptions that members of the public may have about science and start building communities who work collectively to advance knowledge.”

The paper is published, but the Borderlands Science project is still ongoing: A Gearbox representative confirmed that researchers are still collecting data provided by gamers. 

While nothing is identical to the chaos of Helldivers 2, there are plenty of great cooperative Xbox games that scratch a similar itch. Remnant 2 is a good alternative, as having a few extra guns by your side makes it easier to survive its unforgiving world. It’s currently on sale for $30 (down from $50), so consider giving it a closer look before the discount disappears.

For something more lighthearted, you’ll find Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands for $10 on Xbox One and $20 on Xbox Series X, along with Borderlands 3: Next Level Edition for $10 (down from $70), which includes heaps of DLC content.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Top Sellers

For many years Call of Duty has typically been the US’s best-selling game each year, although Hogwarts Legacy was the No. 1 best-selling game in the US for 2023. That’s notable because it’s the first time since 2008 that neither a CoD game nor the latest Rockstar Games release was No. 1. With 2023’s best-selling games announced, we’re now looking back at the past 25 years of game sales in the US, which can be quite eye-opening to look at today.

Circana (formerly the NPD Group) released this data on social media by way of analyst Mat Piscatella. These lists are ranked on dollar sales, not unit sales. Something else to note is that the lists include physical game sales and digital sales (from 2012 onwards)–but only from publishers who provide that data. Not every company does, though, so these lists are not perfect. It’s also worth bearing in mind they cover only a calendar year, meaning steady sellers over time, such as Minecraft, don’t rank as highly as you might expect. With those caveats in mind, these lists do provide a general overview of which games sold the best in the US over the past 25 years.

As you’ll notice, Call of Duty and GTA games are regular chart-toppers, as are sports games like Madden and the incredibly popular Rock Band and Guitar Hero franchises. But there are many others–wrestling games, Need for Speed, and others–that once dominated the charts but haven’t made an appearance on them in years.

Scroll through the slides below to see all the best-selling games of the past quarter century.

1998

The top-selling games of 1998 were revolutionary. Ocarina of Time established many 3D mechanics that set trends for years; GoldenEye demonstrated that first-person shooters could thrive on console; Banjo established a formula for mascot platformers; and Gran Turismo was the first major simulation-style racing game.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
2. 007: GoldenEye
3. WWE Warzone
4. NFL Blitz
5. WCW/NWO Revenge
6. Resident Evil 2
7. Banjo-Kazooie
8. Gran Turismo
9. Madden NFL 99
10. Super Mario 64
11. Tekken 3
12. Mario Kart 64
13. Metal Gear Solid
14. Yoshi’s Island
15. 1080 Snowboarding
16. NFL Game Day 99
17. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped
18. Tomb Raider 2: Adventures of Lara Croft
19. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
20. WCW vs. NWO: World Tour

1999

Nintendo dominated 1999, with nine of the top 10 best-selling games coming from the Japanese game giant. Only WWE: Attitude prevented Nintendo from holding all of the top 10 spots, marking a continuing trend of wrestling games selling extremely well in the late ’90s.

1. Donkey Kong 64
2. Pokemon Red/Blue
3. Pokemon Red
4. Pokemon Snap
5. Pokemon Yellow
6. Super Smash Bros.
7. WWE: Attitude
8. Pokemon: Pinball
9. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
10. Mario Party
11. Driver
12. Final Fantasy VIII
13. Madden NFL 2000
14. Star Wars Episode I: Racer
15. NFL Blitz 2000
16. Ready 2 Rumble: Boxing
17. 007: GoldenEye
18. Gran Turismo
19. Syphon Filter

2000

The year 2000 began a streak of the annual Madden football release being in the top 10; this streak has continued every year since. This was also the last year for some time that was dominated by Nintendo games, though of course Nintendo’s iconic and popular games would continue to put up big sales numbers in years to come.

1. Pokemon Gold/Silver
2. Pokemon Stadium
3. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
4. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
5. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
6. Madden NFL 2001
7. The Sims
8. Diablo II
9. Pokemon Yellow
10. Perfect Dark
11. Mario Party 2
12. WWE No Mercy
13. WWE Smackdown
14. Gran Turismo 2
15. 007: The World Is Not Enough
16. Donkey Kong 64
17. WWE Smackdown 2
18. RollerCoaster Tycoon
19. Final Fantasy IX
20. NFL 2K1

2001

GTA III marked a major moment for the series, as the shift to 3D proved to be tremendously popular, and a major source of inspiration for countless games to come. However, it wasn’t enough to unseat Madden. 2001 also marked another year of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater dominance, with not one but two games landing inside the top five.

1. Madden NFL 2002
2. GTA III
3. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
4. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
6. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
7. Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
8. The Sims
9. Pokemon Gold/Silver
10. Pokemon Stadium 2
11. NBA Live 02
12. Pokemon Crystal
13. Max Payne
14. Halo: Combat Evolved
15. Final Fantasy X
16. Super Mario Advance
17. Madden NFL 2001
18. Super Smash Bros. Melee
19. NBA Live 2001
20. Luigi’s Mansion

2002

GTA: Vice City was No. 1, and GTA III landed No. 3, but 2002 was also dominated by tons of EA-published games like Medal of Honor: Frontline, Madden 2003, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and 007 Nightfire.

1. GTA: Vice City
2. Madden NFL 2003
3. GTA III
4. Spider-Man: The Movie
5. Medal of Honor: Frontline
6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
7. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4
8. Kingdom Hearts
9. NCAA Football 2003
10. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
11. 007: Nightfire
12. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
13. WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos
14. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
15. Halo: Combat Evolved
16. Max Payne
17. SOCOM: US Navy Seals
18. Super Mario Sunshine
19. The Sims
20. 007: Agent Under Fire

2003

In the early-to-mid 2000s, Need for Speed was a super-popular franchise, as evidenced by Need for Speed Underground landing at No. 2. The run wouldn’t last, though, as Need for Speed never charted this high ever again and new releases haven’t appeared inside the top 20 for almost 20 years.

1. Madden NFL 2004
2. Need for Speed Underground
3. Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire
4. Enter the Matrix
5. Tony Hawk’s Underground
6. The Sims
7. True Crime: Streets of LA
8. Medal of Honor: Rising Sun
9. NCAA Football 2004
10. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
11. NBA Live 2004
12. GTA: Vice City
13. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
14. Mario Kart: Double Dash
15. SoulCalibur II
16. NBA Street Vol. 2
17. Splinter Cell
18. Rockstar Games Double Pack: GTA
19. The Simpsons: Hit & Run
20. Final Fantasy X-2

2004

Halo’s big moment came in 2004; whereas Combat Evolved only ranked No. 14 back in 2001, Halo 2 charted No. 2 in its debut year, only behind GTA: San Andreas. The Halo series will continue to do well in years to come, as you’ll see.

1. GTA: San Andreas
2. Halo 2
3. Madden NFL 2005
4. Need for Speed: Underground 2
5. Spider-Man 2
6. Pokemon Fire Red / Leaf Green
7. NCAA Football 2005
8. Star Wars Battlefront
9. NBA Live 05
10. MVP Baseball 2004
11. Tony Hawk’s Underground 2
12. Need for Speed: Underground
13. NFL Street
14. Call of Duty: Finest Hour
15. The Sims 2
16. Shrek 2
17. NFL 2K5
18. The Incredibles
19. Fight Night 2004
20. SpongeBob Squarepants: The Movie

2005

Call of Duty shows up in a big way for the first time in 2005, with Call of Duty 2 landing in the No. 3 position for the year. Every year since 2009, a Call of Duty release has been No. 1 or No. 2, running up through 2023.

1. Madden NFL 06
2. Star Wars Battlefront II
3. Call of Duty 2
4. Need for Speed: Most Wanted
5. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
6. NCAA Football 06
7. Gran Turismo 4: The Real Driving Simulator
8. GTA: San Andreas
9. NBA Live 06
10. Lego Star Wars
11. Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition
12. Pokemon Emerald
13. The Sims 2
14. Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland
15. MVP Baseball 2005
16. Resident Evil 4
17. Nintendogs
18. Need for Speed: Underground 2
19. World of Warcraft
20. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

2006

Microsoft’s Gears of War series debuted in 2006 and did very well on Xbox 360, becoming the No. 2 best-selling game of the year. The franchise only declined from here in terms of its ranking on these lists, however. 2006 was also the last year where Need for Speed appears inside the top 20.

1. Madden NFL 07
2. Gears of War
3. NCAA Football 07
4. Guitar Hero II
5. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
6. Call of Duty 3
7. Cars
8. Need for Speed: Carbon
9. Kingdom Hearts II
10. Fight Night: Round 3
11. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
12. Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter
13. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
14. Call of Duty 2
15. Need for Speed: Most Wanted
16. New Super Mario Bros.
17. Final Fantasy XII
18. Nintendogs
19. WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007
20. Guitar Hero

2007

2007 was a huge year for big names, as this was the year that saw the release of Halo 3, Assassin’s Creed, CoD 4, and BioShock. But it was Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock that sold the most. Remember, though, this ranking is based on dollar sales, and music games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band benefited greatly from the plastic peripherals. Still, those games–now somewhat of a distant memory–did prove to be tremendously popular for multiple years.

1. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
2. Madden NFL 08
3. Guitar Hero II
4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
5. Halo 3
6. Wii Play
7. Rock Band
8. Assassin’s Creed
9. Pokemon Diamond/Pearl
10. Super Mario Galaxy
11. Mario Party 8
12. NCAA Football 08
13. WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 Featuring ECW
14. World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade
15. Transformers: The Game
16. Spider-Man 3
17. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
18. God of War II
19. Nintendogs
20. BioShock

2008

2008 saw the release of GTA IV, but–despite how massive the franchise has become–it didn’t even crack the top five. The winner of 2008 was Rock Band, with GTA IV landing in the No. 8 position for the year.

1. Rock Band
2. Guitar Hero: World Tour
3. Wii Fit
4. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
5. Madden NFL 09
6. Wii Play
7. Call of Duty: World at War
8. Grand Theft Auto IV
9. Mario Kart Wii
10. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
11. Rock Band 2
12. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
13. Gears of War 2
14. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
15. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
16. Fallout 3
17. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure
18. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
19. NCAA Football 09
20. Rainbow Six Vegas 2

2009

2009’s top-sellers included lots of Wii games, as Nintendo’s motion-controlled console far surpassed the install base of its previous consoles. 2009 also marked the start of Call of Duty’s win streak that was only interrupted in 2013 (GTA 5), 2018 (Red Dead Redemption II), and 2023 (Hogwarts Legacy).

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
2. Wii Fit
3. New Super Mario Bros.
4. Madden NFL 10
5. Wii Fit Plus
6. Wii Sports Resort
7. Guitar Hero: World Tour
8. Halo 3
9. Rock Band 2
10. Mario Kart Wii
11. Wii Play
12. Assassin’s Creed II
13. Resident Evil V
14. Call of Duty: World at War
15. UFC 2009 Undisputed
16. The Beatles Rock Band
17. DJ Hero
18. Batman: Arkham Asylum
19. Left 4 Dead 2
20. NCAA Football 10

2010

2010 marked the first time an NBA 2K game made the list, and it only got better for the series in ensuing years as the franchise continued to dominate the top-seller charts.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops
2. Halo Reach
3. Wii Fit Plus
4. Madden NFL 11
5. New Super Mario Bros.
6. Red Dead Redemption
7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
8. Pokemon Heart Gold / Soul Silver
9. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
10. NBA 2K11
11. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
12. Just Dance 2
13. Super Mario Galaxy 2
14. God of War III
15. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
16. Fallout: New Vegas
17. Wii Sports Resort
18. Mario Kart Wii
19. NCAA Football 11
20. Final Fantasy XIII

2011

This was a breakout year for The Elder Scrolls and Bethesda in general. The Fallout and Elder Scrolls franchises hadn’t charted exceptionally well until 2011, but Skyrim continued to appear in the years to come (thanks in part to numerous re-releases), and later on Fallout 4 would perform exceptionally well.

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
3. Madden NFL 12
4. Battlefield 3
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops
6. Just Dance 3
7. Gears of War 3
8. Batman: Arkham City
9. Pokemon Black/White
10. Assassin’s Creed Revelations
11. Mortal Kombat
12. NBA 2K12
13. New Super Mario Bros.
14. NCAA Football 12
15. Just Dance 2
16. LA Noire
17. Zumba Fitness
18. FIFA Soccer 12
19. Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure
20. Marvel vs. Capcom 3

2012

2012 marked the best-ever showing for the Assassin’s Creed series, with ACIII finishing No. 4 for the year. Borderlands 2 was another notable release that landed No. 5 after the first game didn’t make the charts years prior. Diablo III only came in at No. 13, but it would go on to become one of the best-selling games ever as it was dramatically improved and ported to consoles.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops II
2. Halo 4
3. Madden NFL 13
4. Assassin’s Creed III
5. Borderlands 2
6. NBA 2K13
7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
8. Just Dance 4
9. Mass Effect 3
10. Skylanders: Giants
11. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
12. FIFA Soccer 13
13. Diablo III
14. NCAA Football 13
15. New Super Mario Bros.*
16. Battlefield 3
17. NBA 2K12
18. Far Cry 3
19. Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
20. Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure

*Digital sales not included

2013

2013 saw the release of Rockstar’s blockbuster action game GTA V, and, well, we all know what happened in the years after. GTA V kept selling and selling and selling–it went on to make the top 20 of every subsequent year until 2023, when that streak finally ended.

1. GTA V
2. Call of Duty: Ghosts
3. Madden NFL 25
4. Battlefield 4
5. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
6. NBA 2K14
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops II
8. Pokemon X/Y*
9. Disney Infinity
10. BioShock Infinite
11. FIFA 14
12. Skylanders: Swap Force
13. Injustice: Gods Among Us
14. The Last of Us
15. Minecraft
16. Batman: Arkham Origins
17. Just Dance 2014
18. NCAA Football 14
19. NBA 2K13
20. Tomb Raider

*Digital sales not included

2014

In 2014, CoD: Advanced Warfare reigned supreme, but other storylines included Destiny coming in at No. 2–a strong start for Bungie’s first post-Halo series–and this being the last year where Disney Infinity/Skylanders-style titles with physical figures landed on the charts. Additionally, 2014 was the first time Mario Kart 8 showed up. It didn’t rank very highly (No. 17), but that could be because the Wii U didn’t do all that well. MK8 picked up steam again after the launch of the Switch port and it would become a sales juggernaut–it stands as the best-selling game on both Wii U and Switch by a sizable margin.

1. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
2. Destiny
3. Grand Theft Auto V
4. Madden NFL 15
5. Watch Dogs
6. NBA 2K15
7. Super Smash Bros.*
8. Titanfall
9. FIFA 15
10. Minecraft
11. Far Cry 4
12. Call of Duty: Ghosts
13. Pokemon Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire*
14. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
15. Dragon Age: Inquisition
16. Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel Superheroes
17. Mario Kart 8*
18. NBA 2K14
19. Diablo III
20. Skylanders Trap Team

*Digital sales not included

2015

Black Ops III was 2015’s biggest seller, but another storyline was that the new Battlefield and Halo games–Battlefield Hardline and Halo 5–didn’t crack the top 5. Also notable is that Minecraft never shows up very highly in any yearly chart–it reached a peak of No. 10 in 2014–but it showed up eight times overall and stands as the second best-selling game ever.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops III
2. Fallout 4
3. GTA V
4. Star Wars Battlefront
5. Madden NFL 16
6. NBA 2K16
7. Mortal Kombat X
8. Destiny
9. Halo 5: Guardians
10. Batman: Arkham Knight
11. Battlefield Hardline
12. FIFA 16
13. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
14. Dying Light
15. Minecraft
16. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
17. The Elder Scrolls Online
18. Dragon Ball: Xenoverse
19. Lego: Jurassic World
20. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt*

*Digital sales not included

2016

It is the year 2016 and Skyrim is still selling well, landing at No. 9 for the year 2016. Also of note is that Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs 2 slipped down the charts to No. 19 after a strong debut for the first game at No. 5 years prior. Another new Ubisoft franchise, The Division, made it all the way to No. 3. What’s more, the fan-favorite Titanfall 2 only reached No. 18.

1. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
2. Battlefield 1
3. The Division
4. NBA 2K17
5. Madden NFL 17
6. GTA V
7. Pokemon Sun/Moon*
8. Overwatch
9. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
10. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
11. FIFA 17
12. Final Fantasy XV
13. Doom
14. Dark Souls III
15. Minecraft
16. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
17. Far Cry Primal
18. Titanfall 2
19. Watch Dogs 2
20. Gears of War 4

*Digital sales not included

2017

2017 marked the first appearance of a Zelda game on these lists in a decade, with Breath of the Wild landing at No. 5, and that’s not including any digital sales. 2017 saw the release of the Switch, and the good times just started rolling for the company this year, with Mario Kart 8 also surging up to No. 10.

1. Call of Duty: WWII
2. NBA 2K18
3. Destiny 2
4. Madden NFL 18
5. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
6. GTA V
7. Ghost Recon: Wildlands
8. Star Wars Battlefront II
9. Super Mario Odyssey*
10. Mario Kart 8*
11. Assassin’s Creed Origins
12. FIFA 18
13. For Honor
14. Injustice 2
15. Horizon Zero Dawn
16. Mass Effect Andromeda
17. Resident Evil 7
18. Rainbow Six Siege
19. Overwatch
20. Middle-earth: Shadow of War

*Digital sales not included

2018

Call of Duty’s annual win streak was interrupted in 2018 by Red Dead Redemption II, and another big winner was the PlayStation-exclusive God of War (No. 8). Monster Hunter World also put up big numbers and finished ninth for the year, marking the only appearance for the franchise in these lists.

1. Red Dead Redemption II
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
3. NBA 2K19
4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
5. Madden NFL 19
6. Spider-Man’
7. Far Cry 5
8. God fo War
9. Monster Hunter World
10. Pokemon Let’s Go, Pikachu*
11. GTA V
12. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
13. Mario Kart 8*
14. Fallout 76
15. FIFA 19
16. Battlefield V
17. Super Mario Odyssey*
18. Dragon Ball FighterZ
19. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
20. Call of Duty: WWII

*Digital sales not included

2019

One big storyline from 2019 was that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order did very well, landing at No. 7 and becoming the highest result for a single–player, non-Lego Star Wars game since 2005. 2019 also saw the release of CoD: Modern Warfare, which was a beloved reboot of the Call of Duty sub-series and a sales powerhouse.

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
2. NBA 2K20
3. Madden NFL 20
4. Pokemon Sword/Shield*
5. Borderlands 3
6. Mortal Kombat 11
7. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
8. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
9. Kingdom Hearts III
10. The Division 2
11. Mario Kart 8*
12. GTA V
13. Red Dead Redemption II
14. Minecraft
15. Anthem
16. FIFA 20
17. Resident Evil 2
18. Luigi’s Mansion 3*
19. Days Gone
20. New Super Mario Bros.*

*Digital sales not included

2020

The world was rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and a lot of people stayed home and played games. A notable occurrence during the year was that Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare finished No. 1 and No. 2 for the year, marking the only time there were CoD games in the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. (Perhaps not coincidentally, this was the year Call of Duty: Warzone launched, potentially boosting other games in the series.) Animal Crossing: New Horizons also performed wildly well, no doubt thanks in part to stay-at-home orders and people looking for something fun, cozy, and wholesome to play.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
3. NBA 2K21
4. Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
5. Madden NFL 21
6. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
7. The Last of Us: Part II
8. GTA V
9. Ghost of Tsushima
10. Doom Eternal
11. Mario Kart 8*
12. Super Mario 3D All-Stars*
13. Final Fantasy VII Remake
14. Marvel’s Avengers
15. Spider-Man: Miles Morales
16. Minecraft
17. NBA 2K20
18. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
19. FIFA 21
20. Red Dead Redemption II

*Digital sales not included

2021

Call of Duty: Vanguard was 2021’s top-selling game in the US for 2021, a year that also saw NBA 2K22 finish second and another CoD game, Black Ops Cold War, finish third. The poorly received and buggy Battlefield 2042 managed to finish No. 6 for the year, despite its issues.

1. Call of Duty: Vanguard
2. NBA 2K22
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
4. Madden NFL 22
5. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl*
6. Battlefield 2042
7. Spider-Man: Miles Morales
8. Mario Kart 8
9. GTA V
10. Resident Evil Village
11. MLB The Show 21
12. Far Cry 6
13. Super Mario 3D World*
14. FIFA 22
15. Minecraft
16. Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
17. NBA 2K21
18. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
19. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
20. Back 4 Blood

*Digital sales not included

2022

In 2022, Elden Ring was the top-selling game in the US every month from February until CoD: Modern Warfare II came out. It finished No. 2 for the year, which is especially notable given that From Software’s earlier Souls-likes are absent from these lists (save for Dark Souls III ranking No. 14 in 2016.)

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
2. Elden Ring
3. NBA 2K23
4. Madden NFL 23
5. God of War Ragnarok
6. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
7. Pokemon Scarlet / Violet*
8. FIFA 23
9. Pokemon Legends: Arceus*
10. Horizon 2: Forbidden West
11. GTA V
12. WWE 2K22
13. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
14. MLB The Show 22
15. Mario Kart 8*
16. Call of Duty: Vanguard
17. NBA 2K22
18. Gran Turismo 7
19. Red Dead Redemption II
20. Kirby and the Forgotten Land*

*Digital sales not included

2023

Call of Duty’s win streak was interrupted once again in 2023 when Hogwarts Legacy outsold Modern Warfare III and every other game. Another notable takeaway was that Starfield debuted lower than previous Bethesda releases. This might be explained, however, due to how Starfield was also released on Game Pass for all subscribers, something that adds further complexity to examining video game sales in recent years.

1. Hogwarts Legacy
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
3. Madden NFL 24
4. Spider-Man 2
5. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom*
6. Diablo IV
7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
8. Mortal Kombat 1
9. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
10. EA Sports FC 24
11. Starfield
12. Super Mario Bros. Wonder*
13. Resident Evil 4
14. MLB The Show 23^
15. Dead Island 2
16. Final Fantasy XVI
17. Street Fighter 6
18. Elden Ring
19. Mario Kart 8*
20. Minecraft

*Digital sales not included

^ Xbox and Switch digital sales not included

If you’re interested in some looting and shooting but don’t want to drop $60 for Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, you can pick up Borderlands 3 for just $15 during the Spring Sale (you’ll also want to check out a new promotion for Wonderlands). Other FPS titles such as Back 4 Blood and Rainbow Six Extraction are also getting a price cut, with both games available for $30 or less.

One of the best discounts is for Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, which is down to just $16 from its usual $40. Our review gave the role-playing game a rare 10/10, calling it “pure dynamite” and “one of the best-written games” on the market.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a fantasy-inspired spinoff of Borderlands, so expect looting, shooting, and execrable / hilarious one-liners. Inspired as much by D&D as the older Borderlands instalments, the sprawling open world shooter is almost upon us: it releases tomorrow. Jody gave it 70 / 100, describing it as “better than Borderlands 3“.

The Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands release date is March 25, to be precise, and it’s already possible to pre-order the game from a variety of online storefronts. Do keep in mind that it’s an Epic Games Store exclusive, so if you do buy a code from a third-party seller, you’ll still be redeeming it on Epic. If you’re a stickler for keeping everything neatly in your Steam library, expect the game to release there in a year from now.

Keeping things simple is the fact that Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands isn’t getting a physical boxed release in Australia, so you won’t be buying the game from JB Hi-Fi, EB Games, or Amazon. Given that most boxed PC games are just a code in a plastic box, it’s no great loss.

Cheapest Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands prices in Australia

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands @ Fanatical | AU$89.95 AU$75.55
As is starting to be the pattern, Fanatical is the cheapest way to buy Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands in Australia, though only by the skin of its teeth, as you’ll see below. The ‘Chaotic Great Edition’, which adds a season pass and the Dragon Lord Pack bonus content, is AU$100.75.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands @ Green Man Gaming | AU$89.95 AU$75.76
Literally a single cent more expensive than Fanatical, which is pretty funny. If you’ve already got a Green Man Gaming account, every purchase earns you “XP” towards awards, so if that matters to you, this is obviously the better option. The ‘Chaotic Great Edition’, which adds a season pass and the Dragon Lord Pack bonus content, is AU$100.75.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands @ Humble Store | AU$89.95
No general discount on the Humble Store, but you do get AU$4.10 cashback, meaning you’ll have that amount credited to your Humble Store account. Not as tempting as the discounts offered above perhaps, but may be appealing if you’re in the habit of purchasing from the Humble Store. The ‘Chaotic Great Edition’ is AU$100.75.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands @ Epic Games Store | AU$89.95
If for some reason you’d prefer to just not save any money, buying it direct from the Epic Games Store is one option. The deluxe ‘Chaotic Great Edition’ is AU$119.95.

Prices could vary slightly ahead of launch, but it’s doubtful. As for post-launch, that’s when prices will likely start to fluctuate; check back and we’ll keep this page updated.

The Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands release time is different depending on whether you’re playing on PC or console, so I’ve listed them both in this guide. But regardless of your choice of platform you’re in for a treat if you’re a Borderlands fan: Jody in his Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands review puts it above Borderlands 3, although it doesn’t quite hit the heights of 2.

Not been keeping up with Borderlands recently? Wonderlands is a spin-off from the popular Borderlands 2 DLC, Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, but it’s pretty detached from the universe of the original series. Claptrap’s still in, though.

Wherever you stand on that wise-cracking hunk of junk, he’ll be wheeling back onto your PC soon. Here are the Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands unlock times where you are.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands release times

Wonderlands unlocks simultaneously across the globe, if you’re playing on PC: the Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands release time is 7pm ET / 4pm PT on March 24. The game unlocks at midnight in all territories besides PT (9pm) if you’re on console. 

You can see the PC unlock times for some of the major time zones in the tweet above, but here they are again:

• San Francisco: 4pm
• New York: 7pm
• London: 11pm
• Singapore: 7am (March 25)
• Tokyo: 8am (March 25)
• Sydney: 10am (March 25)
• Wellington: 12pm (March 25)

If your territory isn’t listed above, enter it into this time zone tracker.

Sadly, even though the game is around 40GB on PC, there currently doesn’t seem to be a way of preloading it. It’s a timed-exclusive on the Epic Games Store at launch, which doesn’t tend to offer pre-loading. That service is available on consoles now, though.

Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, the Borderlands 2 expansion that doubled as a loving parody of Dungeons & Dragons, came out in 2013. That was a year before D&D’s fifth edition revitalized interest in the game, two years before Critical Role premiered. At the time, jokes about D&D seemed pretty niche. It was a surprising move for a shooter expansion, one that paid off. It hit an untapped vein, and quickly became everyone’s favorite DLC. In 2022, though? D&D is as popular as it’s ever been, approaching cultural oversaturation, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands returns to a well that’s closer to running dry.

While Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands looks like a bouncy fantasy-comedy, it plays like a Borderlands game. Specifically, Borderlands 3. Some of the guns shoot crossbow bolts and the grenades have been replaced by spells, but in the moment-to-moment it’s a typical Borderlands game—you shoot hordes of bad guys who repeat pithy one-liners, then compare loot to see if the new guns and shields are better than the old ones, then do it again.

Gunderlands

Being a review of a Borderlands game, I’m obliged by law to tell you about the best guns its randomized loot pool spat out for me. A sniper rifle that fired sawblades, each of which did higher damage the more sawblades were already in a target, was a highlight. The Tediore guns that don’t need to be reloaded—instead transforming into throwable explosives then teleporting a fully-loaded replacement into your empty hands—have returned, and I got one that didn’t become an explosive but instead became a laser pixie that harassed bad guys. Another summoned hydra heads that vomited poison. Which was nice.

One significant change is character creation. Rather than each class being tied to an individual character, you play as a nameless “newbie”, building a face and color scheme and choosing a voice (you can even alter the pitch, an option I haven’t seen since Saints Row 4), and then choose any class you feel like.

I spent most of my time as a spore warden, a kind of fungal ranger with a walking mushroom pet I upgraded so he farted poison. A few of the classes get NPC allies; my co-op buddy played a grave warden who unlocked a floating skull. My mushroom companion really came into his own when I played solo, reviving me when I dropped in the absence of a co-op partner. While co-op is a chaotic good time like always, having an NPC ally makes playing alone an even more viable option, and it was already a totally satisfying way to play.

I did have to revive the friendly fungus sometimes too, which got me into trouble more than once. Though actually the worst thing about him was how distracting he was. He’d hop around in the background when quest givers were talking, his floating title MUSHROOM COMPANION appearing in big white letters visible over the NPC’s face. His unusually detailed buttocks were distracting too.

The spellshot’s class ability, being able to slot in two spells rather than one, seemed underwhelming, although when you get spells that drop ice meteors on skeletons—who take bonus frost damage because they don’t have skin to keep them warm—it’s almost worth it. But the stabbomancer being able to throw a spinning melee weapon that becomes a blade tornado you can reposition around the battlefield? That’s my current fave.

Melee weapons are a new addition, but not a game-changing one. Your regular melee attack, still mapped to V for some reason, becomes a whack with whatever sword, axe, or stick you’ve picked up. They’ve got randomized stats, though nothing as wild as the guns. Same with armor, which mostly boosts your class abilities like relics do in the mainline Borderlands games, rather than providing any actual protection.

Skill your darlings

While each class in the previous games had multiple skill trees, here they’ve only got one (though they do unlock a second active special, like the stabbomancer getting an option to turn invisible instead of throw a knife tornado). Instead, build diversity comes from multiclassing once you’ve hit higher levels, picking a second class to bolt on. My spore warden multiclassed into spellshot, becoming a sporcerer. I mostly just stuck to reliable fungus powers, though. After playing a lot of Pathfinder, the thought of having to galaxy-brain my way into overpowered class interactions ever again makes me feel ill.

One last change worth noting is the overworld map. Rather than zooming across empty spaces in vehicles, between-lands are filled by a tilt-shifted top-down tabletop covered in dice, big-headed figurines, and spilled junk food. It’s super cute, and full of side quests as well as random encounters that trigger combat arenas when you walk through the long grass.

That’s a Pokémon reference of course, but a lot of the trademark Borderlands reference-heavy humor in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands goes for targets that aren’t RPGs. There are extended storylines that riff on the Smurfs, Don Quixote, and Monkey Island, among others. The last one’s especially baffling, since Monkey Island was pretty funny to begin with and redoing it with Guybrush Threepwood as a skeleton named Bones Three-Wood is substantially less funny.

Every now and then a bit lands with startling precision, though, usually when your advisors—two fellow players voiced by Andy Samberg and Wanda Sykes—riff on roleplaying stereotypes. They’ll be familiar to anyone who has played D&D or games like it. She’s the one who knows all the rules and how to most efficiently kill everything; he’s the one who cares about backstory and wants to solve every problem via seduction.

Sometimes it’s painfully accurate to the experience of tabletop RPGs, like when the players fixate on minor NPCs they’ve decided to distrust for arbitrary reasons while Tina fails to convince them to move on. That made me wince, but I was smiling through the pain. To its credit, and my surprise, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands actually does find fresh angles to come at a comedy about roleplaying.

It’s funnier than Borderlands 3, that’s for sure. It helps that Will Arnett, as the Dragon Lord, makes an amusing villain. Because of course he does: He’s Will Arnett. Smug monologuing is his entire thing, and if he never quite equals Handsome Jack from Borderlands 2 that’s only because nobody will.

I went back to the Borderlands 2 DLC that inspired Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands to see how I felt about it today, and while I missed some of the quality-of-life features added by Borderlands 3 that made it into Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands—like mantling, not having to hold down E to pick up ammo, being able to fast-travel from anywhere, and only having to do side quests to be appropriately leveled for the main questline occasionally rather than all the bloody time—it was a riot.

If anything, I like it even more now. That DLC wasn’t just a bundle of jokes about the guy who throws his dice too hard or what it’s like to fumble a skill check to do something so basic you probably shouldn’t have rolled for it in the first place. It was also a fantasy retelling of Borderlands 2, the cast reimagined as knights and sorcerers like it was The Wizard of Oz. The thing it most effectively parodied was itself. 

Meanwhile, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is largely disconnected from the Borderlands games it slots between, with only a handful of cameos (including Claptrap, sorry haters). That feels like a missed opportunity, given that Borderlands 3 was kind of a disaster, and a follow-up that took the piss out of it would have had a lot of material to work with.

It still succeeds more often than it fails, though. That’s partly just because of how the Borderlands formula has been honed over the years. While other looter-shooters bolt on crafting systems or try to make you care about gear levels and repeatable activities and collecting 15 different kinds of shards (why is it always shards?), Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is simply another game of shooting bad guys with ridiculous guns so you can take even more ridiculous guns off their corpses. And sometimes, in-between that, it delivers a gag about what a mess the average game of D&D is that hits me like a knife in the heart.

In a tweet, Pitchford thanked the engineers at Gearbox Software for handling the technical considerations of getting the job done. He also extended a thank you to 2K Games and Microsoft and Sony for coming to terms, politically speaking, to allow cross-play.

In another tweet, Pitchford asked fans to be patient and understanding because there might be technical issues with how cross-play is implemented in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.

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Best PlayStation game deals

• Amnesia: Collection — $3 ($30)
• Amnesia: Rebirth — $13 ($30)
• Assassin’s Creed Mythology Pack — $48 ($160)
• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla — $20 ($60)
• Astroneer — $15 ($30)
• Battlefield 2042 — $35 ($70)
• Blair Witch — $10 ($30)
• Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition — $40 ($100)
• Carrion — $13 ($20)
• Call of Duty: Vanguard — $53 ($70)
• Dead by Daylight — $12 ($30)
• Dead Cells — $15 ($25)
• Deathloop — $33 ($60)
• Death Stranding Director’s Cut — $37 ($50)
• Demon’s Souls (Preowned) — $45 ($65)
• Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition — $26 ($40)
• Don’t Starve Together: Console Edition — $6 ($15)
• Dying Light Platinum Edition — $15 ($50)
• Elite Dangerous — $7 ($30)
• FIFA 22 Ultimate Edition — $45 ($100)
• Guardians of the Galaxy — $30 ($60)
• Hades — $20 ($30)
• Haven — $15 ($25)
• Hell Let Loose — $28 ($40)
• Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition — $7 ($15)
• The Jackbox Party Pack 5 — $18 ($30)
• Jak and Daxter Bundle — $20 ($40)
• Journey — $7 ($15)
• Judgment — $20 ($40)
• The Last of Us Part 2 — $20 ($40)
• Madden NFL 22 — $40 ($60)
• The Medium — $32 ($50)
• MLB The Show 21 — $20 ($30)
• Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate Edition — $30 ($40)
• Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition — $15 ($30)
• NBA 2K22 — $25 ($70)
• OlliOlli World — $24 ($30)
• Overcooked 2 — $6 ($25)
• Persona 5 Royal Deluxe Edition — $25 ($70)
• Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (Preowned) — $39
• Resident Evil Village — $35 ($50)
• Returnal (Preowned) — $66
• Riders Republic — $25 ($60)
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure — $51 ($60)
• Skyrim Anniversary Edition — $30 ($50)
• Spider-Man: Game of the Year Edition — $20 ($40)
• Streets of Rage 4 — $15 ($25)
• Subnautica: Below Zero — $21 ($30)
• SuperHot — $10 ($25)
• Tales of Arise — $37 ($60)
• Terraria — $10 ($20)
• Tribes of Midgard — $12 ($20)
• We Happy Few — $6 ($60)
• Yakuza: Like a Dragon Day Ichi Edition — $30 ($60)

Note: Pricing in bold only applies to PS5 versions.

Deathloop has seen numerous discounts over the past few months, and it’s still available for just $33. The stylish shooter managed to walk away with our 2021 Game of the Year award, thanks to its innovative storytelling, tight gunplay, and limitless replayability.

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Sign up for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

New subscribers get their first month for $1

See deal at Microsoft

3-Month Game Pass Ultimate Subscription

$40 (was $45)

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If you’re looking for more games to play on Xbox, check out our lists covering the best Xbox Series X games, best Xbox One games, and best Xbox Game Pass games. We also have a bunch of roundups for other platforms, including the best Nintendo Switch games, best PS5 games, best PS4 games, and best PC games.

A Way Out

Supports: 2-player local and online multiplayer

Hazelight Studios is the rare developer that wholly embraces co-op when it comes to game design. Its debut title, A Way Out, can only be played cooperatively, either split-screen or online. A Way Out puts players in the roles of two convicts who plan and execute a prison escape. Though each player is often performing different tasks, the objectives you complete inevitably help your partner make progress, and vice versa. It’s a wonderful experience that truly emphasizes teamwork, and because the two roles are different, you can run through it a second time and swap characters. In addition to compelling puzzle, stealth, and shooting gameplay, A Way Out is bolstered by strong writing and performances that really attach you to the plight of these troubled men. A Way Out is an EA Play title, so Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can play it without buying. It also has a buddy pass that allows a friend to play with you online without needing to buy their own copy of the game.

See our A Way Out review.

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Borderlands: The Handsome Collection

Supports: 4-player local and online multiplayer

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is one of the best picks for first-person shooter fans who want to play with friends or family. While many shooters don’t offer co-op campaigns (offline or online), the Borderlands franchise is ideal for co-op, and it even supports four-player split-screen. Borderlands: The Handsome Collection comes with Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, two awesome loot shooters filled with intense gunfights, a dizzying amount of loot, and off-the-wall humor that keeps things lighthearted. You could also opt for Borderlands 3, but we picked the Handsome Collection due to the sheer variety of content offered in the package.

See our Borderlands: The Handsome Collection review.

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Castle Crashers Remastered

Supports: 4-player local and online multiplayer

Castle Crashers is an Xbox Live Arcade classic and one of the first indie games that really took off on the service for Xbox 360. While it held up pretty well, the remastered version is even better thanks to better textures and frame rate. In Castle Crashers, you and up to three friends play as knights on a journey to save princesses from an evil wizard. The story isn’t what stands out (it’s rather generic); Castle Crashers has excellent hack-and-slash gameplay and a leveling system that improves your abilities the further you progress through the enemy-packed stages. It has great cartoon visuals, a lighthearted tone, and a wide variety of enemies and bosses to slay. If you like action games that feel like they belong in an arcade, Castle Crashers is a solid pick.

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Cuphead

Supports: 2-player local multiplayer

StudioMDHR’s Cuphead is essentially a playable 1930s cartoon filled with authentic animations, colorful characters, and a jazzy soundtrack that sizzles and pops to transport you back in time. In addition to being absolutely gorgeous, Cuphead has tremendously designed boss battles, tight controls, and a varied assortment of weapons and perks that change the way you approach each fight. Cuphead and his brother Mugman need to procure soul contracts to give the devil after gambling away their lives. Playing Cuphead cooperatively can get chaotic, but tackling the bosses and run-and-gun levels with a friend can be extremely rewarding. The only downside with Cuphead is that two-player co-op is limited to local multiplayer.

See our Cuphead review.

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Destiny 2

Supports: 6-player online multiplayer

As a live service game with a vibrant community, it’s no surprise that Destiny 2 has found its way onto this list. Bungie’s much-improved sequel has a massive amount of content, almost all of which is tailored toward online co-op with friends and random Guardians roaming the universe. Teaming up with friends makes Destiny 2’s later game challenges much more doable and, most importantly, more fun. Although Destiny 2 is a few years old, it still receives consistent updates and new content, including the recently released Witch Queen expansion. With numerous meaty expansions available already and multiple more on the way in the next couple of years, Destiny 2 will remain one of the best live service co-op games for a while. A solid chunk of the game is free-to-play and most of the Destiny 2 experience is currently included with a Game Pass subscription. However, the excellent new Witch Queen expansion is not available via Game Pass; you’ll have to buy that separately.

See our Destiny 2: The Witch Queen review.

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Diablo 3: Eternal Collection

Supports: 4-player local and online multiplayer

One of the best modern action-RPGs, Diablo 3 has withstood the test of time. Though traditionally thought of as a PC game, Diablo 3 plays extraordinarily well with a controller, giving it a different, more active feel while mowing down and dodging demons with a suite of class-specific abilities. The class system makes Diablo 3 even better as a co-op game, as you and your trio of teammates can balance each other out with a range of unique abilities. The entirety of Diablo 3 including its wealth of endgame content can be played cooperatively. Everything from the expansive loot and class systems to the combat and lore makes Diablo 3 a must-play for action-RPG fans who are looking for something that is constantly engaging but not too mechanically intensive.

See our Diablo 3: Eternal Collection review.

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Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition

Supports: 2-player local and 4-player online multiplayer

Divinity: Original Sin 2’s Definitive Edition has made its way onto practically every games best list we’ve published. It’s not all too surprising since we awarded it a rare 10/10 in our Divinity: Original Sin 2 review, but it’s a testament to just how breathtaking and original of a game it truly is. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is an old-school CRPG for a new age, complete with a spacious and detailed open world, a meticulously crafted turn-based combat system with near-endless layers, and colorful characters that draw you into its winding story. Online co-op supports up to four players, while local co-op is two-player only. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is brimming with dozens upon dozens of hours of awesome content, and it’s even more satisfying when you play with friends.

See our Divinity: Original Sin 2 review.

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Don’t Starve Together

Supports: 2-player local and 6-player online multiplayer

Don’t Starve Together takes the well-designed action-survival foundation of the original game and adds the ability to play it cooperatively either online or split-screen. In Don’t Starve Together, your job is simply to survive. By day, you gather resources and fortify your base, but at night you have to defend yourself against waves of enemies. It’s a fulfilling loop, and thanks to randomly generated environments, each run feels unique. Outside of the main survival mode, Don’t Starve Together has two other modes that offer less demanding takes on the gameplay.

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Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

Supports: 2-player local and online multiplayer

Even though two mainline Gears of War games launched on Xbox One, we’re recommending Gears of War: Ultimate Edition. A beautiful remaster of the first entry in the series, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition’s campaign holds up remarkably well all these years later. It features the best, most grounded story in the series, and each of the lengthy levels has intricately designed setpieces that help show off the finely tuned third-person shooter gameplay. It’s also just pretty cool to return to the game that popularized the “cover” shooter. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition supports two-player local and online co-op and is available to play for free for Game Pass subscribers.

See our Gears of War: Ultimate Edition review.

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Grand Theft Auto Online

Supports: 8-player online multiplayer

Grand Theft Auto Online is one of the most popular online multiplayer games around. Grand Theft Auto Online lets you create a character and complete objectives and get into random shenanigans across San Andreas. While you can make your own fun, there are dedicated missions and a story that takes place before the events of Grand Theft Auto 5 that’s designed to be played cooperatively with friends. Whether you want to complete elaborate and tricky heists with friends or simply see what kind of trouble you can stir up, Grand Theft Auto Online is an expansive cooperative experience that can be your hangout spot to unwind at night. It comes free with Grand Theft Auto 5, which is available on Xbox Game Pass. A standalone version of Grand Theft Auto Online is in the works, too.

See our Grand Theft Auto Online review.

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Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Supports: 2-player local and 4-player online multiplayer

Halo: The Master Chief Collection could be described as the ultimate cooperative first-person shooter for Xbox. The compilation comes with the first four mainline Halo games as well as Halo 3: ODST and Halo Reach. All six games feature campaigns that can be played cooperatively either online or split-screen. You really can’t go wrong here, as several of the best FPS games ever made are featured in this collection. In addition to the campaigns, you can join up with friends to try to survive in Firefight, a horde mode featured in ODST and Reach. Halo: The Master Chief Collection is available to play for free if you’re a Game Pass subscriber.

See our Halo: The Master Chief Collection review.

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It Takes Two

Supports: 2-player local and online multiplayer

Developed by the team behind A Way Out, It Takes Two is also exclusively a cooperative game. As you can probably guess by the title, you and a partner work together to solve puzzles and complete platforming sequences across an intricately designed world filled with creativity and wonder. When Rose learns her parents are splitting up, she consults her book about relationships while holding dolls resembling her parents. As her tears hit the dolls, her parents’ minds transplant into the toys. Playing as either Cody or May, you and your partner travel in and around the house–which now seems quite large–in search of Rose. It Takes Two has some seriously great platforming sequences, boss battles, and puzzles, and they often require teamwork to make progress. Though It Takes Two deals with a heavy subject matter, it has a lot of heart and humor baked into the narrative. You can play it split-screen either locally or online; if you’re playing online, you and your partner only need one copy of the game.

See our It Takes Two review.

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Lego Marvel Collection

Supports: 2-player local multiplayer

Lego Marvel Collection is a great pick for families looking for a lighthearted and breezy cooperative experience. It contains three Lego Marvel games: Lego Marvel’s Avengers, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, and Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2. Each game supports local co-op for two players and lets you take control of a huge variety of Marvel heroes. Traveller’s Tales’ Lego games have a great pick-up-and-play vibe to them, with simple mechanics that are great for young children learning the ropes.

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Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

Supports: 4-player local multiplayer

Along with having a really cool title and adorable bunnies, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a deftly crafted space shooter with a tactical bent. This frantic couch co-op adventure demands communication with your teammates to find success. Together, you pilot a uniquely designed neon spaceship in an attempt to save bunnies from the Anti-Love–terrible beings who hate love for some reason. The ship is equipped with turrets, lasers, shields, and more; the challenge here is that you have to be thinking about both offense and defense and make fast decisions. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime’s vivid, eye-catching visuals and abundance of charm help bolster its solid gameplay loop.

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Minecraft

Supports: 4-player local and 8-player online multiplayer

Minecraft is ubiquitous at this point. If you’re reading this list, there’s probably a good chance you’ve already tried the sandbox sim at some point over the past decade. Regardless, it’s worth mentioning Minecraft here, as it supports split-screen local or online multiplayer for up to four players. Creating Minecraft worlds alone is fun, but putting the pieces together alongside friends and family can be an even more exciting experience. Minecraft is a great pick for families and has pretty solid educational value along with being enjoyable. It’s also available on Game Pass.

See our Minecraft review.

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Minecraft Dungeons

Supports: 4-player local and online multiplayer

Minecraft Dungeons could aptly be described as Diablo without the blood and demonic atmosphere. Although it features the look and familiar trappings of Minecraft, you don’t actually need to be a big Minecraft fan to dive deep into Minecraft Dungeons. It’s an action-RPG played from an isometric perspective and is filled with loot and hordes of baddies to chop down. The combat system is fairly straightforward but remains fresh throughout thanks to the wealth of customization features, cool levels, and wide variety of enemies. You can play Minecraft Dungeons with up to four players locally or online, and it’s available to play for free for Game Pass subscribers.

See our Minecraft Dungeons review.

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Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Master Edition

Supports: 4-player online multiplayer

Monster Hunter World was a breakthrough game for Capcom. While the series has always been popular in Japan, it had a dedicated but relatively small fanbase in the US. Monster Hunter World changed that en route to becoming one of the most popular games in 2018. Monster Hunter World follows the same basic formula seen in all games in the series. You play as a hunter tasked with tracking and slaying (or capturing) challenging monsters. World ushers in more detailed graphics and monster animations along with seamless environments that are a joy to explore. Monster Hunter World’s combat system is uniquely rigorous and forces players to really get to know their abilities as well as their prey. The massive Iceborne expansion adds an additional lengthy campaign and heaps of awesome endgame content. It’s easy to sink hundreds of hours into Monster Hunter World. Though playable solo, Monster Hunter World is primarily an online co-op game for up to four hunters. Monster Hunter World is available on Game Pass, but you have to buy the Iceborne expansion separately.

See our Monster Hunter World and Iceborne review.

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Overcooked: All You Can Eat

Supports: 4-player local and online multiplayer

Overcooked: All You Can Eat compiles two stellar cooking games (as well as a bunch of DLC) in one awesome package. Although it’s accurate to call them cooking games, neither game offers a leisurely experience where you get to stop and admire your dishes. Played from a top-down perspective, Overcooked is a frantic cooking sim that demands quick wits and the ability to stay calm in the kitchen. Each level asks you and up to three friends to prepare dishes for hungry patrons. Sounds simple enough, right? Not quite. You only have a short amount of time to make your meals, and the kitchens themselves are dynamically designed to produce mayhem. Anyone can jump into Overcooked’s fast-paced cooking action thanks to a simplistic control scheme, but gathering ingredients and preparing dishes requires teamwork and solid communication skills. The All You Can Eat bundle is chock-full of hilarious fun whether you’re playing online or on the same couch with friends.

See our Overcooked review and Overcooked 2 review.

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Rayman Legends

Supports: 4-player local multiplayer

Rayman Legends is one of the best side-scrolling platformers on Xbox. Featuring more than 120 unique levels, a catchy soundtrack, and a gorgeous visual design, Rayman Legends offers a robust platforming experience that can be played alongside three friends. In addition to strong platforming sequences, Rayman Legends has a bevy of great puzzles and loads of secrets to uncover.

See our Rayman Legends review.

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Sea of Thieves

Supports: 4-player online multiplayer

Sea of Thieves lets you and your friends live out your pirate dreams. Sailing the high seas in search of treasure is an experience tailor-made for co-op. The shared universe of Sea of Thieves means that you and your friends are adventuring in murky waters; you never know when another group will attack and try to steal your loot. While Sea of Thieves has cartoonish visuals and a relatively humorous tone, it’s a deeply engrossing experience filled with a plethora of activities. Rare has made great strides with Sea of Thieves since it originally launched in 2018, and now it’s absolutely crammed with exciting missions and activities to complete. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can play Sea of Thieves for free.

See our Sea of Thieves review.

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Spelunky

Supports: 4-player local multiplayer

Spelunky actually originally released on Xbox 360, but backwards compatibility has kept this modern roguelike classic alive ever since. In Spelunky, you play as an adventurer navigating through hazardous tunnels in search of treasure. 16 mainline levels are split across four distinct worlds. While this doesn’t sound like a ton of content, Spelunky is brutally challenging. Each time you die, you have to start from the beginning. To keep things fresh, all of the levels are procedurally generated, so the layout of the tunnels as well as their perilous obstacles and enemies changes with each run. Spelunky is one of those games you really have to play to truly appreciate it. The platforming mechanics have a unique feel to them that takes some time to master. Spelunky’s loop is devilishly fun; before long, you’ll be scouring Spelunky’s mysterious levels to uncover its bounty of secrets. When you play cooperatively, you can bring your teammates back from the dead, which is quite handy in a game where you have to start over when everyone meets their bloody end.

See our Spelunky review.

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Stardew Valley

Supports: 4-player local and online multiplayer

Stardew Valley’s recent 1.5 update added split-screen co-op for up to four players, so now you can play the incredible farming sim with friends on the same couch as well as online. If you have played Stardew Valley before, the multiplayer mode is almost identical. You and your friends can tend to your farm, build relationships with NPCs, explore the mines, and simply enjoy each other’s company. Though Stardew Valley started out as a Harvest Moon clone, it wound up becoming one of the best simulation games ever made. Oozing with charm and essentially endless replay value, Stardew Valley is an ideal co-op game for those looking for a more tranquil experience.

See our Stardew Valley review.

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Streets of Rage 4

Supports: 4-player local and 2-player online multiplayer

Streets of Rage 4, the first entry in the classic beat-’em-up franchise in more than 25 years, feels both refreshing and nostalgic all at once. It plays almost exactly like its old-school predecessors, giving it an authentic feel that takes you back to the glory days of the genre. But games like Streets of Rage 4 aren’t all too common nowadays, so it’s a joy to return to such a fun, straightforward style of action game. Streets of Rage 4 does have modern visuals and more elaborate animations, which helps give it a decidedly new vibe. It doesn’t overstay its welcome either. With just 12 main levels and four secret retro levels, Streets of Rage 4 is the perfect game to play over the course of a weekend. Like other games in the series, it’s better played with friends on the couch. Streets of Rage 4 supports four-player local co-op and two-player online co-op, and Game Pass subscribers can check it out for free.

See our Streets of Rage 4 review.

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The Division 2: Warlords of New York Edition

Supports: 4-player online multiplayer

Much like Destiny 2, The Division 2 is an always-online shooter designed to be played alongside friends. A third-person cover shooter at heart, The Division 2 places you in the role of an agent attempting to quell civil unrest in Washington, DC. While the post-pandemic world is a tad disconcerting given recent events, The Division 2 has a really strong loop that focuses on loot and improving your agent’s build. The lengthy mainline story is filled with engaging missions and a ton of side content. When the credits roll, you still have plenty to do thanks to a serious amount of challenging endgame content. If you grab the Warlords of New York Edition, you’ll also get the excellent expansion set in New York City. The Division 2 features online co-op for up to four players for main missions, while some raids support up to eight players.

See our The Division 2 review.

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Unravel 2

Supports: 2-player local multiplayer

Unravel 2 is a charming platformer starring two yarn creatures who are tied together. The premise itself signals that Unravel 2’s platforming challenges require teamwork, and thankfully this mechanic works incredibly well as you try to cross dangerous gaps or solve puzzles. Unravel 2’s serene world is gorgeous to behold, and the pleasant nature and tone of your journey makes this a relaxing platforming experience. Unravel 2’s co-op is limited to local play, which makes this a great game to play with your partner or kids. As an EA Play title, you can play Unravel 2 for free if you’re a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber.

See our Unravel 2 review.

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