10 Multiplayer Games to Play During Chinese New Year Gatherings

The much-anticipated Chinese New Year holiday is just around the corner. After a year of hard work, it’s the perfect time to finally relax—so why not invite a few friends over and liven things up with some games during your downtime?

In fact, 2025 saw the release of quite a few new multiplayer titles, and we’ve also rediscovered some classic games that are still well worth playing. As in previous years, SSPAI has rounded up a selection of multiplayer games perfect for group gatherings—whether you’re competing locally or teaming up online, these picks are sure to heat things up and put your friendships to the test.

PICO PARK Classic Edition: Kick Things Off with Some Instant Fun

🎮 Platforms: PC

Last year, we recommended both titles in the PICO PARK series in this column. Although the game’s visuals may even seem a bit rudimentary, its short, simple, and fast-paced gameplay makes it easy to jump in and out at any time—making it one of the best choices for parties and breaking the ice.

Later this year, the classic version of the series suddenly “announced” that it would become permanently free on Steam. Originally, the development team planned to add online multiplayer and a series of optimizations to this version before restoring its pre-2021 paid status. However, Steam’s policies do not allow a game that has gone free to become paid again, so the developers simply gave up on the plan and decided to let everyone enjoy PICO PARK for free.

The Classic Edition is the original version of PICO PARK. While it offers fewer levels than Parts 1 and 2 and features relatively rough visuals, its core gameplay still revolves around cooperative puzzle-solving with cat-like characters, supporting up to 10 players on the same screen. Watching a screen full of colorful cats bouncing around while everyone shouts and laughs—does it really matter if the graphics are rough? What matters most is having fun together.

Split Fiction: A Phenomenal Must-Play

🎮 Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, PC

This year’s breakout hit has to be Split Fiction, whose popularity rivals that of the same studio’s It Takes Two. In fact, many people have even taken to social media to look for co-op partners for this game.

Similar to It Takes Two, Split Fiction is primarily played in a split-screen format. Players take on the roles of two novelists with distinct styles, traveling through fantasy and sci-fi worlds. Compared to the shared-environment setup in It Takes Two, this new approach feels especially fresh.

In terms of gameplay, Split Fiction also incorporates puzzle-solving, combat, and platforming elements, with a generally faster overall pace. Some levels successfully create an intense atmosphere, but the quicker tempo also demands better coordination and more refined controls from both players. If your keyboard-and-mouse–loving friends come over and try using a controller for the first time, it’s best to “take the blame” yourself when you get stuck—just to keep the controller safe.

The story is packed with humorous moments (such as a satirical CAPTCHA segment) and hidden Easter eggs that pay tribute to classic games. Even though it’s a two-player title, friends watching at a party can still join in the fun from the sidelines, as the game does a great job of creating an engaging atmosphere for everyone. If you haven’t tried it yet this year, make sure to give it a go at your next gathering.

Little Nightmares III: A Controversial Multiplayer Sequel

🎮 Platforms: PS4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, Switch 1/2, PC

The horror-themed puzzle series Little Nightmares released its sequel, Little Nightmares III, in 2025. This installment transitions into a two-player co-op experience, with two children navigating a nightmare world together as they overcome obstacles and attempt to escape. The storyline is also largely independent, with minimal connection to the first two entries.

The game continues the visual style and perspective of its predecessors, using muted colors and grotesque figures to create a twisted, unsettling dreamscape. In terms of gameplay, the sequel introduces exclusive tools for the two protagonists—a bow and a wrench—which serve not only as weapons but also play important roles in solving puzzles, making the gameplay feel somewhat reminiscent of It Takes Two.

However, the reception of this installment has been notably divided compared to the first two games. Many core fans of the Little Nightmares series have given it poor reviews. One reason is that development was handed over to Supermassive Games. Although the studio has experience with horror titles, some players feel that they failed to capture the psychological horror essence of the series, resulting in a loss of narrative depth.

Another criticism is that the core gameplay relies too heavily on past formulas. Level design and puzzle mechanics show little innovation compared to earlier entries. Although new tools were introduced, their usage frequency is limited. Additionally, the shift to co-op gameplay removes the sense of loneliness that came from facing a bizarre world alone, while also introducing unnecessary technical issues.

That said, some players have responded positively, suggesting that the criticism stems from the high bar set by previous entries. Newcomers to Little Nightmares III may still find it to be a solid experience, though it may not offer great value at full price and is best picked up during a sale. If you’ve already completed Little Nightmares III, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments—and during the holiday, let friends who haven’t played the series give it a try.

Lethal Company: More Terrifying Than the Monsters Is Missing Your Quota

🎮 Platforms: PC

Also a co-op horror game, Lethal Company has received consistently positive reviews since its release in 2023. Although it is still in early access, it has already earned a “Very Positive” rating on Steam. The game does not currently support Chinese, so it’s recommended to familiarize yourself with the interface and controls in advance.

In the game, up to four players take on the role of “company employees” sent to abandoned space planets to scavenge scrap in order to meet corporate quotas. Players can divide responsibilities—some venture outside to collect items and survive, while others stay inside to monitor and coordinate. Along the way, you must avoid various monsters and fight to stay alive. But if you focus too much on strategy and survival and fail to recover enough valuable items to meet the quota, you’ll be “terminated”—which makes it feel less like a horror game and more like a reflection of reality.

One of the game’s most interesting features is its “spatial audio.” Of course, this isn’t the spatial audio we’re used to—it refers to how sound effects and voice communication change dynamically in detail. For example, if you’re too far away from a teammate, their voice becomes faint, and if they enter a distant, enclosed space, you may not hear them at all (or perhaps their character is already lying motionless). This blend of virtual and real-world uncertainty is what gives horror games their soul.

Although the atmosphere, monster designs, and visual style are built around horror elements, the multiplayer nature of Lethal Company guarantees plenty of humorous moments. The many comedic ways to die, panicked screams over voice chat, and inexplicable piles of junk on the floor all become conversation starters during your gathering. And more absurdly, if a teammate doesn’t make it back, players may even need to find ways to retrieve their “cyber corpse”—after all, it still counts as company property.

R.E.P.O: The More Lighthearted Version of Lethal Company

🎮 Platforms: PC

I actually came across R.E.P.O before learning about Lethal Company. Both games revolve around scavenging in a horror setting to meet performance targets. Interestingly, both are currently priced at ¥42—so if you’re indecisive, the choice may already be giving you a headache.

From the game’s cover art and character design alone, it’s clear that R.E.P.O is the more playful experience. There are also significant differences in detail. To borrow an analogy from Steam reviews, the relationship between the two is like Call of Duty and Battlefield.

In terms of setting, players in R.E.P.O work for an AI employer and can form teams of up to five to scavenge eerie ruins and retrieve items. The game also features a form of “spatial audio,” offering a similar sense of uncertainty when communicating with teammates. However, in this game, items follow clear physical rules: fragile objects like vases must be handled carefully, while large items like pianos require teamwork to transport—and you might accidentally crush a teammate in the process. Conversely, some items can be used as tools to fend off ghosts (some of which are genuinely hilarious).

Additionally, R.E.P.O includes a shop and upgrade system that allows players to purchase weapons and tools or upgrade attack power and health. This makes it more suitable for longer play sessions where you can fully enjoy progression, unlike Lethal Company, where a failed mission resets everything. This RPG-like aspect might eventually make you feel unstoppable—but don’t forget, this isn’t a hack-and-slash game. You still have KPIs to meet.

MIMESIS: AI Plants the Seed of Doubt Among Humans

🎮 Platforms: PC

This game shares a similar background with Lethal Company. Up to four players must gather materials across various locations and repair the train they’re traveling on within a limited time to avoid monsters and move on to the next area. To truly experience the game’s essence, however, using a microphone and in-game voice chat is essential—and here’s why.

Although monsters constantly attack you, the real threat is the “cursed rain.” If you’re exposed to it while exploring or scavenging outdoors, your character becomes contaminated. Once the contamination level reaches 100%, the character mutates—and that’s when the real horror begins.

After mutation, the character is no longer a teammate but becomes a “monster” that hunts the other players. In the early stages, however, the character still looks the same, but the player is forcibly muted, with their voice replaced by the game’s AI. The AI automatically plays back previous voice recordings, making others believe “it” is still a trustworthy teammate. Only as time passes does the mutated character begin to visibly distort—by which point it may already be too late.

Even more chilling is that the game’s native monsters can also imitate player characters. This imitation goes beyond voice playback—the creature can replicate a player’s appearance one-to-one and gradually mimic their behavior, such as collecting resources, performing repairs, checking corners, or even suddenly stopping to “zone out.”

Overall, the game’s Steam reviews are fairly positive, although feedback from Simplified Chinese users is less favorable. Negative comments often point to a lack of map variety and repetitive gameplay, especially when the AI repeats Chinese voice lines, which can break immersion. Nonetheless, the game is undeniably creative. If you can gather four players, it’s definitely worth a few rounds.

Ultimate Chicken Horse / Super Raccoon Sheep: Side-Scrolling Races Where You Strategically Sabotage Each Other

🎮 Ultimate Chicken Horse: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Android, iOS
🎮 Super Raccoon Sheep: PS4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, Switch 1/2, PC

These two games can essentially be considered part of the same series. Ultimate Chicken Horse was released in 2016, while Super Raccoon Sheep launched at the end of 2025—nearly a decade apart—yet their core gameplay remains highly consistent. The former supports up to 4 players, while the latter allows up to 8 players to compete together.

Before each round begins, players can select an item from the pool and place it along the race path—either to buff themselves or set traps for others in hopes of taking first place. However, the presentation differs significantly. In Ultimate Chicken Horse, the animal characters race by running and jumping, while in Super Raccoon Sheep, players ride bicycles.

Because the latter is a bike-based racing game, players must not only control acceleration and deceleration but also manage the bike’s balance during the race, making it more difficult than its predecessor. Many players familiar with Ultimate Chicken Horse find the controls in Super Raccoon Sheep unintuitive, with less responsive character feedback and occasional racing hiccups—one of the reasons the two games have received polarized reviews on Steam (the latter’s reception is almost catching up with Little Nightmares III). Of course, part of this is also due to Super Raccoon Sheep being newly released and still prone to some bugs.

That said, both games are excellent in their own right. The cartoon-style animal characters are cute—even a bit absurd—and whether you’re playfully sabotaging longtime friends or breaking the ice with new ones, these games offer plenty of emotional payoff. For now, however, Ultimate Chicken Horse offers better value for money, and 4-player matches are more than enough. You may want to wait for a discount before picking up Super Raccoon Sheep.

Dunk Dunk: The Basketball Version of the Two Games Above

🎮 Platforms: Switch, PC

If you’re a basketball fan who also enjoys the lively chaos of Ultimate Chicken Horse and Super Raccoon Sheep, then Dunk Dunk might be right up your alley.

Like the previous two titles, Dunk Dunk is also a side-scrolling platformer where players place obstacles on the field to hinder others’ progress. This time, however, the competitive setting is a magical basketball game, where the goal is to seize the ball and score points. The player with the highest score at the end wins.

Notably, although the game only supports local multiplayer, it allows up to 16 players to join a match and supports Xbox and PS4/5 controllers. If you have enough friends, why not have everyone bring their own controller? (You’ll at least need a USB hub with plenty of ports.)

LEGO® Voyagers: Solve Mysteries with LEGO Creativity

🎮 Platforms: PS4/5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC

When it comes to LEGO games, the most well-known are typically licensed series like Star Wars or Marvel. In the second half of 2025, however, LEGO released a deeply cooperative two-player game, LEGO® Voyagers. Players take on the role of two LEGO bricks, using the properties of LEGO pieces to overcome obstacles and rescue a rocket.

Many people see this as the LEGO version of It Takes Two, but I find it somewhat reminiscent of Biped. The game features a shared-screen, top-down perspective, requiring close coordination between the two players—such as building staircases together to ascend, standing together to trigger pressure switches, or jointly controlling the speed and direction of a vehicle.

Even more interestingly, the two brick characters embody the essence of LEGO itself. In some puzzle scenarios, the players must literally “snap” together to proceed, just like real LEGO pieces. Translating real-world rules into the game world to enable more creative gameplay is, in my opinion, the key differentiator between LEGO titles and other games in the same genre.

This game was developed by the team behind LEGO® Builder’s Journey, the LEGO title that closely resembled Monument Valley. From another perspective, could these two games be considered a kind of “crossover” as well?

The Alters: “Self-Cooperation” for Solo Players

🎮 Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC

All the games recommended above are meant to help you bond with friends and have fun—whether through teamwork or playful sabotage, the screams and laughter along the way will become lasting memories. But in the end, the person who understands you best is always yourself. So at the conclusion of this article, I’ve made a rather “unorthodox” decision to recommend a single-player game: The Alters.

Although it’s a single-player game, that doesn’t mean it’s “lonely.” In the game, you embark on a high-risk space mission to escape real-world problems, only to become the sole survivor after your spaceship crashes. In your struggle to stay alive, you discover that a substance on the planet called “Rapidium” can create duplicates of yourself.

As the game progresses, you will continue to collect fragments of past memories, unlocking many “moments of regret” from your life. By choosing different paths on a quantum computer, you can create different versions of yourself. For instance, when faced with the choice of staying in the countryside or moving to the city, choosing to remain and farm will create a farmer version of yourself, while heading to the city results in a technical worker version.

As a balancing mechanism, duplicates cannot be created freely and require careful consideration. They consume base resources, and creating too many may lead to the base collapsing. The Rapidium needed for duplication is limited and must be obtained by exploring dangerous areas. Different duplicates possess different professional skills, requiring you to make choices that best suit your current needs. Moreover, duplicates from different life paths will develop distinct personalities, so you must choose wisely to ensure harmony among all versions of yourself in the base.

Base-building is somewhat similar to Fallout Shelter, where you construct various functional rooms connected by vertical elevators. The gameplay also features a large number of dialogues, cinematic sequences (both static and dynamic), and social feedback systems, blending narrative elements reminiscent of Quantum Break and Mass Effect, creating a strong sense of immersion. The branching structure for selecting duplicates also resembles the narrative tree in Detroit: Become Human, where each decision leads to different routes and outcomes.

The game is developed by the same team behind Frostpunk. Although it hasn’t achieved the same phenomenal success, its overall production quality and player reception are highly praised, standing shoulder to shoulder with many AAA titles. Its innovative concept of “choosing yourself” is truly one of a kind. Perhaps after finishing the game, you’ll reflect on decisions you regret—but also come to understand that every choice in life carries a cost, and every path leaves room for regret.

If you’d like to learn more about the game, you can read SSPAI’s in-depth article: The Alters: A Sci-Fi Survival Experiment of Multiple Lives.

2026 Preview

In addition to the games mentioned above, several promising multiplayer titles have already released teaser information. Let’s take a look at what’s on the horizon.

Subnautica 2: Finally Supporting Multiplayer

As a platinum-level player and longtime fan of Subnautica, I’ve always loved its blend of collection, creation, and survival elements. Back then, I often thought, “If this game supported multiplayer, it would be even more fun than Minecraft.” The community eventually created multiplayer mods, but the experience was far from perfect.

Now, Subnautica 2 finally introduces co-op gameplay for up to four players. The game will soon enter Early Access on Steam and is definitely worth adding to your wishlist.

Stage Fright: A Two-Player Adventure from the Overcooked Team

Developed by the team behind Overcooked, the two-player adventure game Stage Fright was announced at TGA 2024, although its release date has yet to be confirmed. Judging from the trailer, the game focuses on a cute and quirky style, with gameplay that may resemble It Takes Two or Split Fiction. However, it may not rely entirely on split-screen, potentially switching to full-screen perspectives depending on the level.

Since the success of It Takes Two, similar co-op titles have become a popular focus for developers—but standing out in this crowded genre remains a challenge.

Haunted Paws: Paw Patrol to the Rescue

Another co-op game, this time starring two adorable dogs. Playing as dogs comes with unique advantages—you can use tools completely different from those of human characters, such as tracking scent trails with your sense of smell or quickly digging up buried items.

One especially heartwarming feature is that when the dogs are frightened by ghosts and lose health, players can control them to “hug” each other to recover HP. What pet owner could possibly resist that?

That brings this year’s annual roundup to a close. If you have other multiplayer game recommendations, feel free to share them in the comments. And if you happen to try any of the games mentioned here during the holiday, you’re more than welcome to leave your thoughts after the break.

Wishing everyone prosperity in the Year of the Horse and success in all your endeavors! 🐎

SP-Life