Co-op games like SUBOPTIMAL
Below are 8 cooperative Steam games similar to SUBOPTIMAL, ranked by player overlap and content similarity. Every pick supports cooperative play — online co-op, LAN co-op, or shared/split-screen — so you can play with friends right out of the box. imho.run pulls from the same Steam category data Valve uses internally, so "Co-op" here matches what the store labels.
Want the full alternatives list (paid + free + Steam Deck + cheaper picks)? See the parent games like SUBOPTIMAL page.
Ranked picks
- 1
NAUTUS
Online Co-op alternative to SUBOPTIMAL — playable with friends. Shares Indie and Adventure with SUBOPTIMAL.
From the creators of Have a Nice Death comes a charmingly quirky island adventure with 4-player co-op! From above, catch your breath in a cozy sanctuary and befriend quirky locals. From below, take the helm of an upgradable submarine, fight mutant creatures, and craft vital gear. Explore NAUTUS!
- 2
Hold My Thing
Online Co-op alternative to SUBOPTIMAL — playable with friends. Shares Indie and Casual with SUBOPTIMAL.
Hold My Thing is a co-op physics-based building simulator. Team up with your friends as a crew of clumsy workers to renovate, demolish, and restore famous parody buildings. Master double-purpose tools, survive hilarious construction accidents, and fund your dream rocket to the Moon!
- 3
Keep Swimming
Online Co-op alternative to SUBOPTIMAL — playable with friends. Shares Indie and Casual with SUBOPTIMAL.
One or two Divers hunt up to six friends hiding among schools of fish in an underwater game of hide-and-seek. Copy the locals, stay fed and don’t give the hunters a clean shot. Just keep swimming...
- 4
HERD
Online Co-op alternative to SUBOPTIMAL — playable with friends. Shares Indie and Adventure with SUBOPTIMAL.
HERD is a co-op adventure game about shepherding sheep. 1–4 friends play as young shepherds, disguised with wool mustaches, tasked with delivering sheep to distant villages. Survive the environment while working together to protect your flock (and screaming because a sheep is literally on fire).
- 5
Timber Truck: Chaos Coop
Online Co-op alternative to SUBOPTIMAL — playable with friends. Shares Indie and Casual with SUBOPTIMAL.
A physics-based co-op adventure about the worst logging crew alive. Chop trees, load them onto one shared truck, and haul them home through rivers, wrecked bridges, and a goose who wants you dead. Simple work, total chaos – best played with friends!
- 6
Debate!
Online Co-op alternative to SUBOPTIMAL — playable with friends. Shares Indie and Casual with SUBOPTIMAL.
Defend the indefensible! A chaotic online debate game with proximity voice chat, live approval ratings, and a ravenous audience. Propose absurd topics and influence the room to win votes!
- 7
OUTSIDE
Online Co-op alternative to SUBOPTIMAL — playable with friends. Shares Indie with SUBOPTIMAL.
DARES REALITY GAME SHOW — WITH CAMERAS, NEIGHBORS, AND ESCALATION. Your friends dare you. Then lie, sabotage, and bet on your failure. Fail a dare and you’re sent OUTSIDE — escalating into strangers, neighbors, or real-world dares on camera (optional, phone supported).
- 8
SUPER GAHAKU
Online Co-op alternative to SUBOPTIMAL — playable with friends. Shares Indie and Casual with SUBOPTIMAL.
Draw in 3D space! Create hilariously wonky sculptures from topics, then laugh and guess what everyone was trying to make. The worse you are at drawing, the more fun it gets!