Have you finally escaped the prison and aren’t sure what to do with your life anymore?
A fresh start can be a blessing and a curse, and I’m here to ensure it leans towards the former rather than the latter.
With fifteen of these highly curated games, you can be sure that no matter what bug bothers you, you can squash it with something on this list! Without further ado, let’s start with:
7. Portal 2
![Portal 2.](https://theplaymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Portal-2-1024x576.webp)
The Portal games are an example of what happens when a developer starts thinking out of the box, and I mean really out of the box.
With the ability to create portals, the limits to your creativity are suddenly all blown out of the water straight to the sky.
If you’re not familiar with Portal 2, it’s a puzzle-solving game where you and a buddy cooperate to progress through the story using your very unique abilities – creating portals.
Each puzzle is unique and has intricate mechanics to it that is just pure joy to figure out, and of course, satisfying as heck, too, when you finally get them right.
6. The Escapists 2
![The Escapists 2.](https://theplaymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/The-Escapists-2-1024x576.webp)
Maybe you didn’t love just the co-op part of A Way Out; maybe you also loved the fact that it’s about a prison break, given all the episodes you saw of the Nat Geo series.
Well, I have good news for you because The Escapists 2 has both of these things, but not quite in the way you’d expect.
When you play A Way Out, you’re treated to modern graphics, 3D gameplay, and a whole bunch of jazz, which is nice.
But The Escapists 2 replaces all of that with something even better – top-down retro-style gameplay where you’re going to be guiding your prison party through the escape.
5. Sea Of Thieves
![Sea Of Thieves.](https://theplaymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Sea-Of-thieves-1024x576.webp)
Sea of Thieves is an alternate universe where you escape the prison from A Way Out and decide to become pirates on the never-ending seas A thrilling life for sure.
In Sea of Thieves, you’re treated to the same co-op gameplay you’ve come to know and love from A Way Out, but it happens in the game’s unique way.
The premise here is that you and your friends are onboard your pirate ship hunting for resources and loot and, well, other pirates.
You’ll come across buried treasure on islands; skeletons are chasing after you and a whole lot of other surprises that I’m going to leave for you to explore yourself.
4. Unravel Two
![Unravel Two.](https://theplaymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unravel-two-1024x576.webp)
With the first game in the series having been a massive success, Unravel Two is building on everything that makes it so great and making it even better.
As you’d expect, this game is another co-op puzzle game that revolves around platforming from stage to stage.
The one thing that’s different here from the first game is that this game is playable with one other player, so it’s the co-op adventure you’re looking for after A Way Out but within its genre As a platformer.
You and your co-op buddy will be coordinating pretty closely to make sure you progress because even compared to A Way Out, this game poses a challenge.
3. House Of Ashes
![House Of Ashes.](https://theplaymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/house-of-ashes-1024x576.webp)
Now, how about a survival horror game as an alternative?
In House of Ashes, you get a game that seems like it should be single-player, and it is, but it also has a co-op mode that lets all of the other characters be controlled by other players.
The result? Interactive, decision-driven gameplay that’s as scary as it is, well, hilarious! At times, of course, other times, you’re just looking for your brown pants.
The gameplay here is you making decisions, both big and small, that determine whether you survive the gauntlet of challenges that come your way.
If you choose wrong, you could fail something as small as the dialog you were in or as big as the jump that determines whether you live or die.
2. Baldur’s Gate 3
![Baldurs Gate 3.](https://theplaymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Baldurs-Gate-3-1024x576.webp)
If this game doesn’t win Game of the Year at this point, I’m going to riot. Baldur’s Gate 3 has taken the world by storm, and for good reason – it’s polished, full of content, and just boatloads of fun no matter where you go or what you do.
But how is it a good alternative to A Way Out? Isn’t it a Dungeons and Dragons game?
Sure, it’s pretty different in terms of genre, but hear me out. In this game, you control a part of four characters, one of which is yours, and the other is recruited by you from a pool of characters.
And here’s where the co-op comes in! With up to three other players, you can all create your characters or control the existing ones to go on adventures together.
1. Among Us
![Among Us.](https://theplaymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Among-Us-1024x576.webp)
I’m sorry if I just gave you flashbacks to the COVID era, but this game needs to be on a list of games that require coordination.
Most people are no strangers Among Us at this point, but what exactly is it about this game that makes it fun for A Way Out fans?
In Among Us, you’re either one of two impostors who must kill all crewmates, or you’re one of eight crewmates who have to either identify both impostors or complete all of their collective tasks before they can all be picked off.
Sounds simple enough, right? When you add lying and social gameplay into the mix, though, it’s not so simple Did the impostors just kill two people and self-report their bodies, or has one of your fellow crewmates just landed themselves in a tricky situation?