@OzBoardGamer

Cooperative Games

This is our Top 10 Cooperative Games, we are focusing on games that pit you against the board, usually in a race against the clock and while some games with the Traitor mechanic have been included, games that start off with 2 teams defined as a certainty have been disqualified, so no Battlestar Galactica on this list!

10 - Flash Point: Fire Rescue

The call comes in…”911, what is your emergency?” On the other end is a panicked response of “FIRE!” Flash Point: Fire Rescue is a game where each player takes on a spefic role in a team of Firefighters batteling to keep a building from being engulfed in flames.

The game is not unlike Pandemic, however its theme and mechanics do differ to make it its own unique experience. That being said, if you like Pandemic, you most certainly will like Flash Point.

For more information, Check out Flash Point: Fire Rescue product page

9 - Shadows Over Camelot

Shadows over Camelot is a unique collaborative game featuring a malevolent twist! As the incarnation of the Knights of the Round Table, you join forces against the game itself in an attempt to protect Camelot.

What really sold it for me with this game is its introduction of the Traitor mechanic, where in any game, one player may turn out to be secretly sabotaging things so that the other players loose. This is not always a certainty which still qualifies this as a cooperative experience for the most part.

For more information, Check out the Shadows Over Camelot product page

8 - Mysterium

Mysterium is a purely co-operative game for 2-7 players where one of them takes the role of a helpful ghost. The other players are a group of psychics invited to the manor to solve a mystery. The ghost uses cards with very abstract art to convey his clues.

The game does an excellent job of removing the ever prevalent "alpha gamer" issue that often troubles cooperative games. Mysterium is less about strategic thinking and more so a game of deduction and interpretation.

For more information, Check out the Mysterium product page

7 - Eldrich Horror

Across the globe, ancient evil is stirring. Now, you and your trusted circle of colleagues must travel around the world, working against all odds to hold back the approaching horror. Eldrich Horror is a rich, story driven game of terror and adventure.

Players work together as of globetrotting investigators working to solve mysteries, gather clues, and protect the world. The game certainly asks for much of your time but its guaranteed to be worth the investment.

For more information, Check out the Eldrich Horror product page

6 - Ghost Stories

Wu-Feng, the Lord of Nine Hells, has discovered the village hiding the funeral urn containing his ashes. Four Taoist priests protect the village, as hordes of ghosts and demons descend on the town to reclaim the remains of their evil overlord.

This game is much like a tower defense as the seemingly unending horde of ghosts knock down your doors. The game is modular so the setup is always different from game to game. But the real selling point for Ghost Stories is its difficulty. This is a game that is going to make you squirm.

For more information, Check out the Ghost Stories product page

5 - Robinson Crusoe: Adventure on the Cursed Island

Robinson Crusoe: Adventure on the Cursed Island is not only a thrilling story perfectly combined with its game mechanisms; it's also designed to change the co-operative genre by doing away with the major nuisances of cooperative games: the "leader issue" and the "dumb player issue".

The game essentially feels like 6 games in 1 as from story to story the game and its mechanics change so much. And while this is true, the overarching story of the game remains in tact.

For more information, Check out the Robinson Crusoe: Adventure on the Cursed Island product page

4 - Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game

In Legendary, players take on the roles of their favourite Marvel heroes and team up to defeat an evil Mastermind. The game uses the tried and true mechanics found in games like Dominion and Star Realms and teams them with stunning artwork and a wonderful theme.

What sets this game apart from otehr deckbuilders is that the game reacts to the team through its mastermind mechanics, making it a challengeing and thrilling adventure.

For more information, Check out the Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game product page

3 - T.I.M.E Stories

T.I.M.E Stories has players take on the role of T.I.M.E agents, tasked with travelling back (or forward) in time to prevent some cataclysmic event. The base game is more of a system than a game in its self. Each T.I.M.E Stories deck is a new scenario waiting to be discovered.

T.I.M.E Stories is a narrative game of "decksploration". The game utilises some very cutting edge ideas not unlike those seen in video games, such as saving the game at any point to come back to it and expansions treated as plug ins for the system itself.

For more information, Check out the T.I.M.E Stories product page

2 - Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game

Dead of Winter is known as a meta-cooperative psychological survival game. What this means is the players are working together toward one common victory condition, however each individual has their own conditions to achieve in secret, otherwise everything is for naught.

The game uses the Traitor mechanic made famous by Shadows, but what sets this game apart is its thrilling theme brought to life by the crossroad deck, a set of cards intended to bring forth difficult choices that can spell doom for all or only some of the players.

For more information, Check out the Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game product page

1 - Pandemic

Pandemic is Cooperative gaming at its purest, and while it can suffer from the "Alpha Gamer" issue, the amazing mechanics that the game uses excuse that from being a detriment. Players must work together, playing to their characters' strengths and planning their strategy of eradication before the diseases overwhelm the world with ever-increasing outbreaks.,/p>

Pandemic is less of a game and more of a ever evolving puzzle. The game is truely challenging even at its lowest difficulty and thats just part of its charm. The game is a constant challenge and just when you think your in the clear it can turn you on your head. This is the definitive Cooperative gaming experience.

For more information, Check out the Pandemic product page

Do you agree with my list? Tell us your favourite game designer in the comment section below!