Our five favorite couch co-op games for the Steam Machine

A couch game needs to fit the people holding the controllers. How many are playing, do they want a campaign or a few rounds, and would they rather cooperate or compete? Each game below lists its local player count and whether it uses a shared screen or split-screen.

Valve's compatibility rules say every Steam Deck Verified game is also Steam Machine Verified. The labels below reflect Valve's compatibility metadata recorded by SteamDB, checked on September 29, 2026. They are compatibility assessments, not our own Steam Machine benchmarks or a test of every multiplayer controller combination.

Split Fiction

Steam Machine Verified. 2 players, split-screen. Split Fiction follows two writers caught in their own sci-fi and fantasy stories. Hazelight's follow-up to It Takes Two requires both players to take part, so bring a partner who wants to work through a campaign together.

EA confirms that the Steam version needs no EA app, so there is no separate launcher to manage. Here, EA's term “Steam Native” means Steam integration; it does not mean a native Linux build. It is also Deck Verified.

If you later play from separate homes, Friend's Pass lets a partner join the full game without buying another copy. The current Steam terms require an EA account linked to Steam for online features, including Friend's Pass and crossplay.

Stardew Valley

Steam Machine Verified. Split-screen for a group of two to four. In Stardew Valley, everyone has their own farmer on the same farm. You can divide the chores or wander off to pursue different interests, then come back next session to carry on building the place together.

Each additional player needs a cabin. You can include them when creating a farm or add them to an existing save.

The multiplayer setup guide explains the rest: connect a controller for each extra player, open the in-game Options tab, scroll to Multiplayer, and select Start Local Co-op. Each joining player then presses Start.

TMNT: Shredder's Revenge

Steam Machine Verified. Up to 6 players, shared screen. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge has the most room for guests. Its side-scrolling brawling draws on the old Turtles arcade games, with everyone fighting through the same scene.

The publisher's six-player announcement confirms local and online play. Its compatibility record also lists a native Linux runtime for Deck.

We have not tested a six-controller Steam Machine setup, and the Verified badge does not establish that every combination of controllers will work.

Overcooked! All You Can Eat

Steam Machine Playable. Up to 4 players, shared screen. In Overcooked! All You Can Eat, everyone chops, cooks, washes dishes, and tries to get orders out before the kitchen falls apart around them. Expect to spend plenty of time calling instructions across the sofa.

Team17's FAQ confirms up to four offline players, both remastered campaigns and their additional content, and more than 200 campaign levels. Assist Mode can extend timers or turn off order expiration if the standard pace stops being fun.

The Machine assessment flags text entry that requires manually opening the on-screen keyboard. Default controller functionality and default graphics performance pass. The Deck and SteamOS notes also warn that an external controller may need to be selected manually.

TowerFall Ascension

Steam Machine Playable. 2-player co-op or up to 4-player versus, shared screen. TowerFall Ascension is the competitive detour. Its main attraction is local archery combat, with scarce arrows to recover and opponents who can catch your shots.

For co-op, the base game's Quest mode supports one or two players fighting monsters and enemy archers. The four-player count belongs to versus.

Its Playable caveat is that some button prompts do not match the device. Default controller functionality and default graphics performance pass; the Deck assessment also reports legible text. Expect the occasional misleading icon rather than assuming you need a custom controller layout.

Before game night

Launch your choice once with all the controllers connected and get every player into a session. Allow time for setup, especially if you are filling all six places in TMNT or need to select an external controller manually in Overcooked.