Cooperative (co-op) gaming has exploded onto the online gaming scene, allowing friends, family, and partners to play games together from anywhere in the world. Another fascinating gaming niche that is gaining more traction is crypto-based games, also called play-to-earn (P2E) games, where players can earn cryptocurrency or NFTs through gameplay.
Just a few years ago, the only way to play games with crypto was to log in to an online casino that accepts Bitcoin or other digital currencies. According to eSportsInsider insights, these platforms offer a wide game library, instant deposits and withdrawals, and broader transaction limits.
And although crypto casino games remain popular, gamers are looking for a new type of game: co-op crypto games. Although there are not too many of these games on the market yet, player interest is likely to drive development.
Crypto-Based Games With Co-Op Gameplay
Although the crypto-based co-op titles are not as cooperation-focused as Helldrivers 2 or Split Fiction, several P2E games have co-op elements where players can interact with others to achieve a common goal.
1. Star Atlas
Star Atlas is a massive multiplayer online (MMO) game that involves space exploration, managing and mining resources, and battling with others. It is based on the Solana blockchain. The co-op elements come in when players create alliances and collaborate to earn in-game currency ($ATLAS).
The game is set in the year 2620, and the inhabitants of the universe are vying for power, governance, resources, and territory. You can choose a faction, whether it is humans (MUD), aliens (ONI), or androids (Ustur).
The game is still in the early stages of development and being released in phases, but it has a lot of promise.
2. Illuvium
Illuviam is a blockchain game built on the Ethereum network. This open-world adventure game includes creature collection (the creatures are called Illuvials) and exploration.
Although it is not a co-op game per se, there are elements of cooperation as players can explore the game world together and enter into battles against Illuvials as a team. Full co-op is still in development. Players earn $ILV as they navigate around the world.
The Illuvium ecosystem currently consists of three interconnected games:
- Illuvium Overworld: An open-world RPG where Illuvials roam, and resources are mined.
- Illuvium Arena: A battler where players create teams of captured Illuvials to fight in ranked or casual modes.
- Illuvium Zero: A resource management game where players build industrial complexes to extract resources and create NFT blueprints.
3. Big Time
Bit Time is a multiplayer, action-packed RPG that has elements of co-op gameplay. Players can form teams to fight enemies, explore dungeons and collect NFT loot that can be traded within minutes.
Teams of up to six players can be formed, who then venture into procedurally generated dungeons across different time periods. Players can choose whether they want to play as a Time Warrior, Chronomancer, Quantum Fixer, or Shadowblade.
The game also has a Player vs. Environment vs. Player (PvEvP) mode where teams compete to complete objectives and defeat a central boss, all while fending off other teams.
Players can earn $BIGTIME tokens during gameplay by equipping an Hourglass NFT. Rare Hourglasses and harder game content increase the token drop rate. Weapons and skins are also NFTs that can be traded on the Open Loot marketplace.
4. My Pet Hooligan
My Pet Hooligan is a third-person shooter platform game that features the Hooligans (rebellious rabbits) fighting against MetaZuckBot, a corporate overlord, in Hooliland City. It sounds bizarre, but it was designed by AMGI Studios, which employs Disney and Pixar veterans.
Although it is a shooter, it has team matches that require cooperation between different players to win NFT weapons. The game has different modes, with “Organized Anarchy” being the mode that requires cooperation between players in a deathmatch.
5. Blast Royale
Although Blast Royale is not a traditional co-op game, the game includes multiplayer squad game modes where players can game with their friends. Squads can feature up to 48 players in fast-paced matches, where the goal is to be the last player standing. So, although this isn’t exactly cooperative since the aim is to defeat everyone else, in the early stages of the battle, players can team up to take out others.
The game was officially discontinued by the developer in May 2025; however, the code was made open source, and the community and independent developers now host it on their own servers.
