Gamification

Online Co-op Games

It Takes Two

Source: Hazelight Studios

Ages Recommended: Ages 12 and above

Number of Players: 2 players

Available On: PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series S/X

This is a two-player adventure and is perfect for parent-child or partner-partner game time, with forgiving game mechanics that can be picked up by beginner video gamers. It follows a “couple” that is going through a separation. A magical book then tries to ignite their love again and they are brought on a journey of (re)discovery - of their house and their relationship! The adventures are fun and innovative, reimagining the ordinary items around the house and augmenting them larger than life. The best part is, it is one of the good co-op games on Steam, so you don’t need a special console to enjoy this one!

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Source: Nintendo 

Ages Recommended: Ages 3 and above

Number of Players: Online Multiplayer

Available On: Nintendo Switch

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a special one. With its Party Play feature, it is a lighthearted couch co-op, also known as a local co-op, meaning you play with your friends on the same TV or any other display system. Each island can hold up to 3 friends at a time and everyone can take turns visiting islands to check in on everyone’s island! The cooperative part comes into play when something unexpected happens. The impacts will fall on the leader of the group which can be swapped around. Simple, fun, and before you know it, you’re stuck on it for hours! If you like co-op games like Stardew Valley, then Animal Crossing is a must-try!

Fortnite

Source: Epic Games, People Can Fly

Ages Recommended: Ages 12 and above

Number of Players: 1 - 5 Players

Available On: PS4, Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, IOS, Android

Fortnite is a Massive battle royale where you're in an epic battle against many others and your goal is to be the last person/team standing. Tag team with your friends and travel the vast map and loot many materials and weapons to build the best loadout. Like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Fortnite can also be played on the same console with a friend which is the perfect way to tag team or back each other up. Build structures on the fly to help gain a bird’s eye view or build a maze of walls to trap your opponents. Look forward to brand new characters and maps that match the current trends: Marvel, John Wick, God of War, Wonder Woman, etc. It is a game made for all ages and especially popular with the younger ones. Though it may be tough since there are many skilled players within the royale, we still found that, at least for us, it was lighthearted fun for hours!

Among Us

Source: InnerSloth LLC

Ages Recommended: Ages 10 and above

Number of Players: 4 - 15 Players

Available On: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Android, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, iOS, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S

This game should need no introduction since it is arguably the biggest game in 2020 and we think it still deserves a shout out even today! But to the uninitiated, Among Us is a semi-cooperative game where your primary aim is to do tasks and keep the ship flying. However, don’t get too caught up, because there are imposters who can sabotage your ship and your crew need to deduce the imposter(s) hiding - you guessed it - among us. It plays on how well you know each other and you’ll see if your team’s guesses save you! And if you don’t want others to turn on you, please try to be less ‘sus’.

Overcooked 2

Source: Team17, Ghost Town Games

Ages Recommended: Ages 3 and above

Number of Players: 2 - 4 Players

Available On: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X , IOS, Android

The thing about Overcooked is that though it is a cooperative game, word of caution, it may not be the best game for team-building. Everyone plays as chefs who are hopping between various restaurants to cook and serve up orders. The twist is that each restaurant is a little different - with moving floors, shifting furniture, and conveyor belts - not to mention, you can’t control your character well either. With all the chaos, there is a high chance you will have more than a few slip-ups before fulfilling any order. We wish you luck and, hopefully, you're all still friends by the end of the game.

Cuphead

Source: Studio MDHR

Ages Recommended: Ages 8 and Above

Number of Players: 1 - 2 Players

Available On: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS

Cuphead isn’t made for the faint-hearted, with gruelling gameplay and unrelenting difficulty, and has been deemed as the “new dark souls”. It is a side-scrolling shooter game which is definitely one of the most popular co-op games for pc out there right now. It has the aesthetics of an old animation cartoon tv show and that's because the production crew consists of seasoned animators who were able to bring this 1930s aesthetic to life. So, tag team with a friend who is daring enough to try this out with you, allowing you to gain an edge during the boss battles, or if you want a challenge, you can try your hand at the solo mode too.

Don’t Starve Together

Source: Klei Entertainment

Ages Recommended: Ages 12 and above

Number of Players: 1 - 2 Players

Available On: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Linux, Microsoft Windows

If you're looking for good co-op games on Steam, Don't Starve Together is one of our go-to picks! The beauty of Don’t Starve Together (DST), is that the mechanics of the world and characters are not immediately apparent. Thus, this game allows you world-building to discover a new realm, exploring new animals, domains, and inventions, to create a system that will help you and your comrades survive. Characters each have their niches and you are sure to find one that will suit your playing style. It’s the perfect co-op, especially if you've been playing for a while and you have someone to impress with your DST knowledge.

Sea of Thieves

Source: Rare Studios

Ages Recommended: Ages 12 and Above

Number of Players: 1 - 4 Players / Online Multiplayer

Available On: Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S

Time to set sail in Sea of Thieves. Bring up to 3 friends to join your crew and set sail into the horizon managing a ship; steer the ship, manage the sails, man the cannons and load the barrels. During your voyage, embark on various adventures with your friends to find treasures, weapons and secrets. But don’t be too complacent as on your sail, you will encounter other players and crews within the world. Friend or foe? Not sure, but you should decide or they’ll decide for you. Some find it a little hard to pick up but after getting used to the controls, we’re sure you’ll ‘sail’ by no problem with hours being clocked in this game without even realizing it.

Tabletop Co-op Games

Enter the Spudnet

​​​​Source: Codomo Pte Ltd

Ages Recommended: Ages 10 and Above

Number of Players: 2 - 6 Players

Available Here!

Enter the Spudnet is a stunning board game that marries fun with learning. It's a 2-6 player game where you are a Potato Pirate in the Spudnet - the in-game version of the internet. As you sail through the Carbobbean Seas, you encounter unforeseen challenges, such as firewalls and tsunamis that hamper your journey. This game uses immersive world building to sneak in concepts of cybersecurity and networking, allowing the game mechanics to illustrate how they work and raise awareness about the tactics of real-world hackers. The cards also introduce to you the ways to counter the attacks as well, so you’ll know what to do the next time you encounter cyber threats too! The co-op mode pits all the potatoes against enemy bots that quickly take over the map and the aim is for everyone to fulfil their orders. The game gets very hectic, so do not be disappointed if you can’t win on your first try. 

Eldritch Horror

Source: Fantasy Flight Games

Ages Recommended: Ages 14 and Above

Number of Players: 1 - 8 Players

Available Here!

Complete your chosen scenario by finishing the objectives on the codex

This series is a staple in any board game store and board game enthusiasts are sure to have at least one of the horror games in their arsenal. In this game, you are battling an Ancient One and the monster it unleashes from its gates. The team aims to solve mysteries and seal the Ancient One, stopping it from entering the human realm. As the successor of Arkham Horror, Eldritch Horror pleasantly brings in more unpredictability and monsters into the mix, making it a must-own even if you already have the first former. It has a high level of replayability, with multiple characters and different Ancient Ones, just be sure to give yourself enough time to play it through!

Pandemic

Source: Z-Man Games

Ages Recommended: Ages 8 and Above

Number of Players: 2 - 4 Players

Available Here!

Playing Pandemic during a pandemic: kind of meta, we know. If you are new to cooperative games, this is a great place to start. As implied by its name, Pandemic is based on the concept of curing viruses that emerge, and as time goes on, things will get more and more out of hand. During a time like this, the game of pandemic is more relatable than ever as it helps us make sense of the current state of events. With the aim of the game centred around curing viruses, we found that it was therapeutic trying to fight fictional viruses in the comforts of our own homes.

Mysterium

Source: Libellud

Ages Recommended: Ages 10 and Above

Number of Players: 2 - 7 Players

Available Here!

Mysterium is a murder-mystery game except, your clues come in the form of dreams. This game requires deduction and a big table for board games. So it’s great when you are playing with people who you know a little too well or are trying to get to know better! The goal of the game is to find the identity of the victim, 28 years after their death, and the weapon used to murder them. So for those who grew up on Clue, this objective might ring a bell, but imagine it spookier and more supernatural. The components are over the top and magical, meaning if you’re in for some story-heavy game play, this is sure to blow your mind.

Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective - The Thames Murders & Other Cases

Source: Space Cowboys

Ages Recommended: Ages 13 and Above

Number of Players: 1 - 8 Players

Available Here!

This game takes the murder-mystery genre to the next level by giving you a map to run around and find clues. A fair word of caution, there is a bit of reading but once everyone has their turn, you’re swooped into the heart of London city. Right out of the box, the game offers you 10 cases. But not to worry, each case will take you up to 3 hours so it will be a long ride. Better still, if you have a bunch of friends who are hooked on it too, you can go through all the adventures together as an investigative team!

Spaceteam

Source: Timber and Bolt LLC

Ages Recommended: Ages 10 and Above

Number of Players: 3 - 6 Players

Available Here!

If you are looking for cooperative games for families, I think Spaceteam is a great choice! The card game is the perfect quick party game that is time-capped at 5 mins. Get 3-6 of your friends to help repair malfunctions and survive anomalies, to repair your ship back to the pink of health. For some, this might sound familiar and that is because Spaceteam began first as a phone game! The card game offers the same amount of chaos without any of the phone lag. If you want an extra challenge, the game offers timers for 3 or 7 minutes too, so you can tailor the difficulty to your ideal dose of mayhem.

*BONUS* Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game

Source: Magpie Games

Ages Recommended: Ages 7 and above

Number of Players: 3 - 5 Players 

Available Here!

This game isn’t out yet but it has been the talk of the town and we are just as excited for it. Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game is the series’ official board game, making it canon in the Avatar world. You play as one of the heroes of the four nations and the goal of the game is to maintain a balance between the four nations. Those who were on the Kickstarter early have the pleasure of additional characters and even the white lotus piece! As fans ourselves, this is a must buy while you can.

So which one will you choose? Since these are some of our favourites, we can guarantee that no matter which you pick, it would be a pretty great choice. We hope we helped you find the next game to add to your list, one that is perfect just for you.

When we first started designing our new game, Potato Pirates: Enter the Spudnet, a question often popped out every now and then: Are board games like Snakes and Ladders considered a game? Half of our team feels that a game that involves zero decision-making might as well be a storybook, yet the other half argues that what makes an activity a game is the fun it can provide. Undeniably, both sides have their merits but we will leave the definition of a game as a topic for another day. In this post, I would like to talk about the side involving decision-making in games and our thought process when it came to designing what a player can do.

In games that involve decision-making, there are choices that are given (by us, the designers) and decisions to be made (by players) at every stage of the game. Be it to move a ship left or right, to choose a special power, or to negotiate a deal— such choices are given in multiple stages of our game. But what exactly makes that part of the game fun? What makes a choice interesting or boring? How would we design such choices? My answer is to look at the triviality (or rather non-triviality) of the decisions. The crux is that for the decision-making to be interesting, decisions should not be trivial.

Here are my top 5 considerations when it comes to designing player choice in your game:

1. The impact of the choices

Surprise surprise, the door is locked so pushing or pulling didn’t matter, you are still locked out of the building. 

When it comes to designing your player choice, each decision your player makes needs to have some form of influence on the outcome of the game. It does not necessarily need to be immediate or in a physical form (like currency/powerup) but it should be apparent to the player in some form eventually. Otherwise, the player would feel that their decision didn’t matter and as a result, feel less invested and lose interest in the game.

2. The opportunity cost incurred choosing that choice

Choices matter to us only because we lose something choosing another. This is what we refer to as an opportunity cost. With opportunity costs attached to each choice, we can create dilemmas which engage the players by asking them to weigh the choices.

One classic example that is often used in other games is the Prisoner’s Dilemma. Bear with me if you saw this before but I will give a brief description to those who have yet to see this. 

In this scenario, we have two prisoners, A and B. Both of them are taken into separate rooms with no means of communication between them, for interrogation. If one testifies and betrays the other, the testifier gets off free while the other suffers a heavier penalty. If both stay silent, they both only serve 1 year. If both testify, they both get a heavy sentence of 2 years

From our point of view, the best outcome would be for A and B to keep silent. Both prisoners will serve 1 year and only a total of 2 years will be lost. In reality, when personal gain outweighs the collective good, it’s not that simple. Say, A chooses to stay silent but deep in his mind, this doubt surfaces. What happens if B betrays me? Wouldn’t I have to spend an additional 2 years?! If A was rational, the more logical choice would be to betray because of the possible reward of getting off free or the less heavy punishment of only spending 2 years. But what if B was a loyal friend to A, and doing so will destroy their 10-year friendship? Would that change A’s decision?

3. The amount of information given to make that choice and the weight-risk ratio

In the previous point, we mentioned creating dilemmas but we forgot to mention one important detail. The prisoners’ dilemma will only happen if the prisoners were told about the years they would serve in each scenario. If the investigators simply demanded that they testify. Prisoner A probably wouldn’t testify since he does not know what he can potentially gain or lose. Without knowledge pertaining to the choices, those choices lose their consequences and impact. Another example would be if the player does not know what money does, spending it now or saving it for later doesn’t really matter, because to him, both choices are equally unclear.

At the same time, having too much information is not necessarily good. Back to the prisoners, if A had perfect knowledge of what B is going to do (maybe with a mind-reading device), there would be a clear and obvious choice to take no matter what B does. If B chooses to betray, the best outcome rationally for A is to betray too. If B chooses not to, the choice that gives the most benefits for A is to betray B.

The golden question…. how to get rid of all those apples afterwards...  

4. The amount and diversity of choices given

Imagine that you are really hungry and there is only one restaurant nearby. There are only two dishes you can order. There isn’t much choice to make, is there? If you didn’t like the two the restaurant had to offer, it feels bad to fork out money for something you don’t really want but you are forced to have anyways (or you can starve, which is technically a valid option). Giving too little choice limits the fun a player can have.

Now, imagine that you made the (sad) choice of the two and the next thing that comes is not the food but a question of which sauce would you like out of their 108 homemade sauces. It’s not just that. What awaits you is not the food but a 1000-question survey, of what side dish would you like, what drink would you want, etc. Eventually, you (or the player) gives up and takes the most convenient choice, which trivializes the whole decision-making process.

5. The rationality of players

So what do we do now after all these points to consider? The next decision one should make is to use what to document your player choices. One of the most popular support tools out there would be a Decision Tree to help you visualize and map out those player choices/actions.

The above diagram shows a simplified overview of a basic RPG game, the player fights monsters, restocks in the shop and fights again. 

 Here’s a general guide on how to build a basic decision tree:

1. Start off with the scenarios in your game and put them in boxes

2. Colour the scenarios which require decision-making

3. For those decision-making scenarios, create outgoing arrows for each decision your player can make

4. Link those arrows to their resulting scenario boxes. 

5. If the decision indirectly impacts another scenario, link its direct result to the scenario it indirectly impacts with a dotted line

Like all things on the internet, there are many variations of decision trees out there and this is just one of the many. You can use this guide as it is but it is usually better if you adjust it accordingly to fit your game. The general idea of it all is for you to organize and visualize the entire structure of your game. It should display which outcome does each decision lead to or influence, which decisions are critical and which are repetitive (aka the game’s core gameplay loop and hence should be optimized). 

In our upcoming game, Potato Pirates: Enter the Spudnet, we went through many iterations to improve the core gameplay loop. One of the initial ideas had the player choose between collecting money or cards every turn. Money and power cards help players advance their winning condition. So this is how it is like:

• Either the player chooses to have fewer cards but more money to use their cards

• Or the player chooses to have more money to use their cards but fewer cards to use

• The opportunity cost of each choice is somewhat clear and balanced. Choosing to get cards would mean having less money, vice versa
• The amount and diversity of choice may be little but the cards (and their various effects) adds onto the “Choose cards or money” to become “Choose to activate this or that effect or money”
• The impact, however, is not immediate. Taking cards doesn’t allow you to use them immediately. You need to have money. Taking money doesn’t allow you to do anything (since you don’t have cards)
• The amount of information given is sufficient but the deal-breaker lies in this area. There is always a clear optimal path. Take cards, then take money to fuel those cards. Having either one is pointless but having cards first to use (and deny others from having those cards) is logically better than having money but be unable to plan how to utilize it.
• We assumed that our playtesters will play logically. Most did but there were a few outliers who just kept taking money. God knows why.

Out of the 5 considerations listed above, we only achieved 2 so this iteration was scrapped and we repeated this design process until it led us to the final product today. If you like potatoes and board games, come take a look at our new board-game, Potato Pirates: Enter the Spudnet!

Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to be best buddies with the King of Pirates?

Well, Potato King VII here would like to be your friend, too - so, on his behalf to all potential new friendships out there, we've compiled together 5 Reasons to be Potato King's BFF.

He's like that super adorable friend everyone can't help but compliment - you know, the kind where everyone just goes "Oh man how are you so cute?" However, Potato King's cuteness is highly contagious, so that means you're cute by association - isn't that awesome?

He's gone to the furthest reaches of the seven seas, and has lots of stories to tell you about his travels...assuming he can actually remember them. However, he'll never forget to bring you souvenirs and trinkets from his travels!

Are you the kind who's constantly tripping over your own feet or falling up (or down) stairs? No worries! You'll have a partner in crime - err, we mean - solidarity! Potato King's clumsiness is legendary, and chances are, if you're his friend, you'll look like a graceful swan beside him. After all, it takes talent for a potato to stub their ^potatoes, considering they don't actually have any.

You may have never used the words “potatoes”, “programming” and “piracy” in the same sentence, but that's about to change.

Remember the times before iPhones and iPads? When we would gather with friends to play sports, enjoy games and or just chill out together? Potato Pirates is trying to bring back that social element for computer science. Doesn't matter if you're a kid, parent or an educator.

Potato Pirates is a game that’s perfect for classrooms, family nights, and even game night with friends over a drink (or ten).

Why Potato Pirates?

There's an obvious increase in students' learning through digital devices. At the same time, we hear complaints from parents and teachers about the adverse effects of screen time and they are craving for offline platforms that are educational yet engaging for kids.

Moreover, the challenge with teaching computer science is that many parents did not learn such things in school so when their kids ask them for help, they are quite clueless on how to even guide them. This causes a lack of continuity in a kid’s learning journey and makes it tough to sustain their enthusiasm in coding.

Computer Science is tough! We know this. It’s been etched into the recesses of our minds. But why though?

Learning to code is like learning a new language — except that this language is built upon cryptic symbols and mathematical jargon! Although there are certain overlaps, it’s not really the same.

Nonetheless, in every language there are certain nuances which require a thorough level of familiarity to grasp. This is what we call syntax — the arrangement of words to make up well-constructed sentences. It’s no different in programming.

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Pulpato Fiction #programming #programmingwoes #programmerslife

A post shared by PotatoPirates Coding Card Game (@potato.pirates) on Aug 29, 2017 at 9:09pm PDT

 Syntax is also one of the main reasons computational thinking concepts seem abstract and tough to grasp. That’s because most of your effort is spent debugging; trying to find the missing semicolon or parenthesis which is causing your program to crash.

I once spent 6 hours fixing a program that had crashed because I had accidentally uncommented a line. True story.

PYTHON: for i in range(11): print(“The number is %s” %(i))

JAVA: for(int i=0; i<11; i++){ System.out.println(“The number is:”+ i); }

PHP: for ($i = 0; $i <= 10; $i++) { echo "The number is: $i
";}

For non-programmers, these 3 for loops look terrifying. There’s good news though. The logic governing all these statements is universal. All 3 of these statements accomplish the same thing: counting up from 1 to 10.

Wait…Instead of overwhelming people with these alien looking symbols, what if we could just present the underlying, fundamental concept of loops, without all the mumbo jumbo?

Precisely!

Potato Pirates is a secret weapon to tackle these challenges.

Through Potato Pirates, parents get to be involved in their child’s education and it provides them with an engaging medium where they can learn with their child. 

It promotes social interaction among kids and adults while encouraging peer learning. No Wi-Fi, no computers, no electricity — but, you still can learn coding. Totally accessible to all!

Potato Pirates removes all syntax and provides a visual reference to these overarching, fundamental concepts. It’s completely language-agnostic. This means anyone can move to any language of their choice after learning to play Potato Pirates.

For anyone who has ever made the effort to learn something new, you’d know that the first step is always the most challenging.

Programming is a very esoteric experience where one only interacts with a machine. And most of the time the machine doesn’t do what you want it to.

Despite having great communities like freeCodeCamp and Stack Overflow, we still end up without having anyone to turn to, especially when we’re just starting out.

With Potato Pirates, we’re trying to make this first step easier by removing computers and introducing social interaction; so that you don’t end up like this guy:

10 hours of programming in 30 minutes? C'mon!

It’s quite miraculous how much content we’ve managed to cover with Potato Pirates by staying clear of syntax. In a regular CS101 setting, there’s no way that you’d cover concepts like nested loops and running loops within a conditional (if-else) statement in your first 30 minutes of class.

We’ve actually had to remove a lot of what we incorporated in previous prototypes of the game. We did not want to cram too many concepts at the expense of game mechanics.

Does it actually work?

This was the big question we asked ourselves while developing the game. We spent almost 18 months perfecting Potato Pirates.

At each stage, the focus was always on:

Testing, testing and more testing

In fact, we wrote a separate Medium article to document our journey and highlight our development strategy. Schools and parents all around the world use Potato Pirates to introduce Computer Science with ease and success. In our Potato Pirates workshops, we put the participants through a short assessment, both before and after playing Potato Pirates to assess how much they had learned. This practice continues till today. 

Here's what our data shows:

Two years on, we've now launched our second game, Potato Pirates: Enter The Spudnet to a very warm reception on Kickstarter. If you want the perfect gamified learning experience, I'd personally like to recommend the Potato Pirates Super Spud bundle!