Menu

Best Family Games On PS4 Or Xbox One So Far

This article focuses on the best cooperative or versus family games on PS4 or Xbox One. The listed games are family safe, fun, and easy to pick up for younger and older family members. It does not matter if you’re an avid gamer or not, with a little effort almost anyone should be able to play these games. The games listed are from multiple gaming genres including strategy, game show, trivia, platform, arcade, sandbox, and more. I decided not to create a ranked top list because many of the following games are vastly different from each other. Hopefully, this list is helpful and hopefully you’ll find something you and your family will enjoy!


Hasbro Family Fun Pack Conquest Edition

Hasbro Family Fun Pack Conquest Edition
– See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
Hasbro Family Fun Pack Conquest Edition features video game versions of four iconic board games, including Risk, Battleship, Monopoly, and Scrabble. These games feature nice 3D graphics and cool animations, making them feel much more alive compared to there classic board game counterparts. I and my kids love Monopoly the best, and I think this is the best video game version of it so far. You have the option to play any of these games using only one controller, by passing it around when it’s another players turn. Scrabble and Battleship’s rules have been modified a little because you’re playing on a TV, there is no hiding anything. This is a game pack most members of your family should be familiar with and can enjoy. Even grandparents shouldn’t have any problem playing these games!
– Gameplay Video


Overcooked

Overcooked
– See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
Overcooked is a load of fun if you have 3 or 4 players to play with. The gameplay and controls are so simple, but also very frantic at the same time. Playing as chefs you and other players will have to work together making food as fast as you can before time runs out. There are over 40 levels to play through and all the levels have varied themes. Some levels look like normal houses or restaurant kitchens, while others take place on snow-covered islands, pirate ships, volcanoes, moving trucks, and much more. The level environments add even more challenge to the gameplay. As you progress through the game, you will unlock new levels, chefs and modes to play through. If your family is looking for something fast, exciting, and cooperative, Overcooked is a must play.
– Gameplay Video




The Jackbox Party Quadpack

The Jackbox Party Quadpack
– See It On Marketplaces: PS4 | Xbox One
As of right now, there is 4 different You Don’t know Jack Party Packs available on PS4 and Xbox One. Above I have listed the quad pack that includes the complete collection of all 4 Jackbox party pack games. Each pack includes 5 fun games to play. The Quadpack has 20 different games to play in all, optionally you can purchase each party pack separately. These games are perfect when you have a lot of family or friends over. There is no need to use standard controllers with these games, most are played using your phone or tablet. The majority of games support 4 to 8 players, some games even support up to 100 players (All side players can participate in audience voting). The games are hilarious and varied well, most are trivia, drawing, and word-based. If you are trying to entertain a large crowd, you can’t go wrong with Jackbox games. On a side note, because of this games dark humor, you might not want to play it with younger children.
– Gameplay Video


LEGO Games

Lego Games
– See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
I didn’t want to individually list each LEGO game in this article, so I took a shortcut and stamped a general label on it as “LEGO Games”. LEGO games are most fun when parents and kids play together. PS4 and Xbox One have all kinds of LEGO games available already. Covering different themes such as Superheroes, Jurassic World, Harry Potter, police, builders, and more. Most of these games are 3D platformers, with minor puzzle solving. The characters, stories, and levels can be enjoyed by novice gamers and parents. The controls and gameplay in most of these games is not too difficult but might require a little practice first. If you’re interested in LEGO games, you might want to check out another article I wrote listing the Best LEGO games on PS4 or Xbox One so far.
– Gameplay Video


Rocket League: Collector’s Edition

Rocket League Collectors Edition
– See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
Rocket League is easy to pick up and play, but it’s hard to master. Rocket League is basically soccer with cars. These cars are fast and crazy looking. The arena edges have ramps, allowing you to drive up the translucent walls. The rules of soccer don’t apply in Rocket League, simply try to hit the ball in the goal. It’s a lot of fun playing 4 player split screen locally against family members or friends, alternatively, you can play against others online also. Rocket League offers tons of cosmetic unlocks for your cars, awarded to you when you play more and win matches. For a concept so simple, this game works exceptionally well and is so addicting to play with others. Once you start Rocket League it’s hard to stop!
-Gameplay Video


Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy

Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy
– See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy video games come packed in together on PS4 and Xbox One. Anyone who loves the TV shows should check out these games. Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy can be played with 3 players locally using only one controller. Just pass the controller around, when it’s another players turn. You can also play against real players online. These game will appeal most to teenagers, parents, and grandparents that love word or general knowledge quiz games. Me and my wife loved the Wheel Of Fortune portion of this game, however, when playing Jeopardy for a few hours I started to notice some categories were being repeated. It doesn’t kill the experience, but the content feels a little thinner in Jeopardy.
– Gameplay Video Wheel Of Fortune
– Gameplay Video Jeopardy




Gang Beasts (PS4 Exclusive)

Gang Beasts
– See It On Amazon
Gang Beasts is a silly multiplayer game, where 4 players can battle it out locally or online. The playable characters are clumsy and gummy, making the gameplay awkward but fun. You’re able to customize your characters looks and dress up in ridiculous costumes. The amount of hazardous environments in Gang Beasts is impressive and keeps the gameplay exciting. Fighting on trucks, Ferris wheels, blimps, steel mills, and other crazy locations never gets old (at least for kids). The controls are easy to learn and the fighting mechanics are simple because the playable characters walk like they are partially disabled. Overall Gang Beasts is a hilarious party brawler best played with family members or friends.
– Gameplay Video


That’s You (PS4 Exclusive)

That's You
– See It On Amazon
That’s You was actually free for PlayStation Plus subscribers a couple months back. It now sells for around $10, which is a good price for the game. Using the free PlayLink App players can use there phones or tablets as controllers. I recommend taking a funny selfie with your phone and using it as your That’s You avatar in-game. That’s You is best played with the maximum amount of people (5 players) because it asks you questions that require you to vote on a person. Most of the questions are basically who is most like, likely, or not like……? It’s funny and entertaining as long as you don’t play it with family members that get salty easily, lol.
– Gameplay Video


Little Big Planet 3 – Community Levels (PS4 Exclusive)

Little Big Planet 3
– See It On Amazon
Little Big Planet 3 is a neat 2D/3D platform game that offers 4 player Cooperative play locally or online. The story campaign in Little Big Planet 3 will be difficult for people that don’t play many games (later levels are even difficult for experienced players). However, many of the community made levels are perfect for family play because most are not too difficult. Some of the levels are platform based, while others might be survival, timed speed runs, or fighting. The community has already created tons of themed levels. Doing a level search for Sonic The Hedgehog, Mario Bros, Barbie, Minecraft, Kindergarten (for my daughter) yields tons of results. You can also create your own levels and characters pretty easily with the in-game tools. If you have a few kids in the house, Little Big Planet 3 is a great choice.
– Gameplay Video


Towerfall Ascension

Towerfall Ascension
– See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
Towerfall Ascension is an addicting 4 players 2D archery combat game. I did not enjoy the story campaign much in Towerfall Ascension, but when playing with 4 players locally versus each other, Towerfall is one of the best competitive games families can play. The gameplay is so simple that my 5-year-old daughter and wife (my wife doesn’t play any other games) were able to play it and they loved it. Before starting a match everyone chooses a character to play as and optionally custom rules can be set for the match. The gameplay consists of moving, jumping, dodging and shooting arrows. One arrow hit kills an opponent. Because the maps are small, matches usually end fast. Stages also have power-ups, giving players bonus abilities like a shield or more arrows. Anyone has the ability to become good at Towerfall because the learning curve is so easy. If you are seeking some intense archery battles with your family, Towerfall is the game to play!
– Gameplay Video




Lovers In a Dangerous Spacetime

Lovers In Dangerous Spacetime
– See It On Marketplaces:PS4 | Xbox One
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a unique 4 player local cooperative game. You and other players control a spaceship through a galaxy full of colorful enemies and bosses. In these levels, your main objective is to save all the space bunnies to unlock the heart endpoint needed to pass the level. Alternatively, you can find secrets that will give you money for spaceship upgrades. What’s really cool about Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is the spaceship and how you control it. Each part of the spaceship can be controlled by a player, so someone could be driving the spaceship, while two other players are on the gunners and one player controls the shield defense placement. It takes a lot of teamwork to pass some of these levels, so you got to stick together and come up with an organized a plan, lol. The controls and gameplay take a little time to get used to, but if a certain part of the spaceship is too difficult for you to control (Driving is most difficult) you can always trade spaceship positions with another player. For teamwork play, Lovers In a Dangerous Spacetime is one of the best.
– Gameplay Video


Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure

Stickbold! A Dodgeball Adventure
– See It On Marketplaces: PS4 | Xbox One
From a first glance Stikbold! looks like a generic Minecraft sports game. Don’t be fooled by its looks, this is a chaotic 1970’s themed dodgeball game, that offers a lot fast and exciting fun. The cooperative story campaign can be played with two players, while the multiplayer versus mode can be played with up to 4 players locally. When playing multiplayer you can choose to be on a team 2 vs 2 or free for all. All of the modes are fun to play, but I personally prefer 4 players free for all battles. Picking up, catching, throwing the ball, and dodging is easy to learn. If you get hit twice by the dodgeball in a match, you will be out. The various dodgeball maps are insane. Most maps are based on environmental themes and have surprising obstacles that make or break matches. Stikbold is a great game that parents can play with there kids.
– Gameplay Video


Rayman Legends (Played With An Experienced Gamer)

Rayman Legends
– See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
Rayman Legends is one of the best 2D platform games available on PS4 or Xbox One. If you’re planning to play Rayman Legends with family members, just make sure at least one player is good at these types of platforming games. Later levels become quite challenging, so novice gamers will likely die a lot. When you get hit in Rayman, you will turn into a bubble, another player can always pop your bubble to keep you playing in the current level. Experienced players come in handy because they are always there to pop your bubble. Rayman is most fun and easiest when played with 4 players. There is over 80 levels to play through and a ton of characters to unlock. The music/rhythm levels are exciting and a lot of fun, they definitely my favorite levels in the game. The bosses are challenging but not too hard. This is by far the best cooperative platform game you can play with your family.
– Gameplay Video


Knowledge is Power (PS4 Exclusive)

Knowledge Is Power
– See It On Amazon
Knowledge is power is the ultimate trivia/quiz party game that will test your intelligence. Like the That’s You game, Knowledge is Power also uses the PlayLink phone & tablet controller app. It can be played with 4  players. Each player can choose from 15 different premade character avatars to play as. You are scored based on how fast you choose a multiple choice answer and if you picked the correct answer. Throughout the game, everyone votes on categories. Special power plays can be used to override other votes from players. Overall this is probably the best multiple choice trivia game available on either console.
– Gameplay Video


Minecraft (Creative Mode)

Minecraft
– See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
Minecraft’s survival mode might be a little too hard for non-gamers, however, the creative mode is much easier. The hardest part about Minecraft for newbies is getting used to the game’s controls and learning how to build using multiple objects. Creative mode allows you to build and spawn anything you want, with no time limit and can be played with 4 other players locally via split screen or online. You can save your world creations and load them up at any time. You can build houses, forts, caves, castles, roller coasters, fishing lakes and much more. Using certain eggs you are able to spawn all sorts of farm animals and creatures. In creative mode families are able to work together and build there very own unique world.
– Gameplay Video




Tetris Ultimate

Tetris Ultimate
– See It On Marketplaces: PS4 | Xbox One
Tetris Ultimate is not the most amazing Tetris game ever made. But it is a pretty good one, Tetris Ultimate is most fun when played with 4 players via versus battles. The game is a bit basic when compared to other Tetris games, I don’t mind basic though because I have been playing this version of Tetris (The original version) off and on for years, and it’s still fun to play. It’s a simple concept, different colored shaped blocks drop from the top of the screen, your job is to rotate them to make them fit into a straight horizontal line, which will then make the blocks disappear. If the blocks stack all the way to the top, it will be game over. As you progress through levels, the game will become faster and more difficult to create straight lines. Because of the simple nature of Tetris, it’s easy to get younger and older family members to play it.
– Gameplay Video


Sportsfriends (PS4 Exclusive)

Sportsfriends
– See It On Amazon
Sportsfriends is a strange but fun sports game, that requires you to play with at least one other person (Sorry, no 1 player mode in this game). There are 4 different unique sports games to play by default, and two secret games can be unlocked. The four games included are Super Pole Rider, BaraBariBall, Hokra, and Johann Sebastian Joust. Super Pole Rider is played with two players, armed with long wooden poles. Using the wooden poles try to hit the ball that’s connected to the wire above you and into your opponent’s goal to score a point. BaraBariBall is my personal favorite and can be played with 4 players, Try to dunk your ball in your opponent’s goal (Side of water). Hokra is a simple 2D soccer game with 4 goals instead of two, graphics and controls are strange but it’s pretty fun. I don’t like the Johann Sebastian Joust game much because you have to hold your PS4 controller with one hand, while another player tries to physically knock away from your hand. If you want to play a game with broken controls, play Johann Sebastian Joust, lol.
– Gameplay Video


Tricky Towers

Ricky Towers
– See It On Marketplaces: PS4 | Xbox One
Tricky Towers is basically Tetris with an emphasis on stacking and physics. Tricky Towers can be played with up to 4 players locally or online. There are 3 modes available, including Race, Survival, and Puzzle. The most fun mode to play with other players is race mode, where you have to stack your bricks as high and fast as you can before time runs out. You can use spells to help your towers or use them to cause chaos to your opponent’s towers. If you or your family enjoys competitive stacking games Tricky Towers is a must play.
– Gameplay Video


Starwhal

Starwhal
– See It On Marketplaces: PS4 | Xbox One
Starwhal is addicting and competitive up to 4 players versus game. In Starwhal you can create and customize your own silly playable Narwhal character with 90 plus costumes. There is 26 levels to unlock and choose from in all. Starwhal has 4 gameplay modes, including Classic, Score Attack, Zones, and Heart Throb. In classic mode you have to be the last player alive to win. Whoever does the most successful attacks will win in the Score Attack mode. Whoever captures the control points will win in Zones mode. Last but not least there is Heart Throb mode, where players have to recover the heart and then run away with it, whoever holds the heart the longest will win. All of the game modes are simple to play and fun. This game is a great competitive time killer, best played in short sessions.
– Gameplay Video


Goat Simulator: The Bundle

Goat Simulator The Bundle
– See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
Even if some relatives don’t want to play Goat Simulator, they will likely notice it and want to watch other family members play it. It’s hard not to notice a game this funny and silly. Goat Simulator can be played with up to 4 players via split screen. It’s an open world sandbox game, so everyone playing can explore and do whatever they want. There are collectibles, like trophies scattered across the maps. Trophies will unlock other animals to play as and special perks that will give your goat cool powers. Equipping your goat with a jetpack and flying him wildly in the air is a sight to see. This bundle is the complete collection, which includes the original Goat Simulator game along with the two entertaining DLC add-ons, GoatZ (Zombie themed) and MMO Simulator (Knights themed). This a really goofy game, that I think anyone can have fun with.
– Gameplay Video


* Honorable Mentions *

The following games either barely missed our top list, might be too violent for some families, or might be too difficult to play for non-gamers.

Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 – Eat all the dots and avoid ghosts to pass the levels. Play competitively against other players. This is a new twist on a classic arcade hit. It also includes classics DigDug, Galaga, and the original Pac-man.

Everybody’s Golf (PS4 Exclusive) – This is my personal favorite golf game available on any console so far. My kids also love to play it, so we play it together. It might be a bit too difficult and unappealing for non-gamers though.

Powerstar Golf (Xbox One Exclusive) – Another good golf game that is worth playing with family. Like Everybody’s Golf, it might be too difficult for non-gamers.

Knack 2 (PS4 Exclusive) – A fun 3D beat em up beat up brawler that can be played with two players (preferably father & son). Since the game is based around fighting, it might be too violent for younger players.

The Sims 4 – Your mom is likely to love The Sims 4 as much as you do. The Sims 4 is a people simulation game. It’s not two players, but I can see teens playing this game with there parents. Because of some adult themes, parents might want to restrict this game from younger kids.

SpeedRunner – It can be played with up to 4 players locally. You choose a character, then race through 2D levels, packed with tons of jumping and sliding obstacles. Try to win the running race! Friends and younger family members will likely love this game, SpeedRunner will be too difficult for non-gamers and the older crowd.

UNO – The video game version of the popular casual card game known as UNO. UNO can be played with up to 4 players locally or online.

#IDARB (Xbox One Exclusive) – When hockey, basketball, tennis and high jumping mix together you get #IDARB. #IDARB is fun and addicting, but probably too fast for non-gamers.

Duck Game (PS4 Exclusive) – Up to 4 players can play as duck characters in 2D battle arenas. Pick up guns and shoot each other dead. Rinse and repeat!

Beach Buggy Racers – A fun easy to play kart-style racing game. This is a perfect racing game that parents can play with there younger children.



Broforce – A  2D platforming war game. This game is violent and difficult, but it’s so fun destroying everything in my path and fighting cooperatively as bros.


Facebook Comments

Chris D.
Level Smack founder. I am a long time webmaster. I have been playing video games all my life since the NES days. I am a video games fanatic and a self-proclaimed video games historian. I hope to bring unique & helpful articles as often as I can. We are seeking writers for LevelSmack.com, Please Contact Us.