There is no established co-op game that reproduces BioShock’s entire combination of shooter combat, unsettling world-building, exploration, and single-player storytelling. The better approach is to identify which part you want to keep: Borderlands 4 for cooperative shooting and progression, Deep Rock Galactic for team-based FPS exploration, We Were Here for eerie two-person communication puzzles, or We Were Here Forever for a longer, story-rich puzzle adventure.
How to choose a co-op game like BioShock
“Like BioShock” can describe several different things. You might mean first-person gunplay, a strange and hostile setting, environmental exploration, a carefully paced campaign, or the feeling of uncovering a story with a partner. Those qualities do not all point to the same game.
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The four recommendations below deliberately cover different interpretations rather than pretending that any one of them is a direct replacement. Two are cooperative shooters, while the other two are first-person puzzle adventures built around communication. The most important decisions are:
- Combat or puzzles: Do you want to fight through missions, or solve problems together?
- Group size: Borderlands 4 and Deep Rock Galactic support up to four players; We Were Here and We Were Here Forever are designed for exactly two.
- Campaign or repeatable structure: A story-led journey feels different from mission-based or procedurally generated play.
- Atmosphere: The puzzle games emphasize isolation, mystery, and communication more strongly than the shooters.
- Platforms and cross-play: Your platform combination can decide which recommendation is practical before genre preference does.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best match for | Players | Structure | Platforms and online details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borderlands 4 | Co-op shooting, loot, and shared progression | Up to four online; local co-op on consoles is listed by GamesRadar+ | Online/local looter-shooter campaign | PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X are listed by GamesRadar+ |
| Deep Rock Galactic | Team FPS missions, class roles, exploration, and combat | Up to four | Procedurally generated missions involving mining and enemy encounters | Check the store listing for the current platform and cross-play conditions |
| We Were Here | Eerie atmosphere, exploration, and voice communication | Exactly two online | Asymmetric first-person puzzles | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch; the developer lists cross-platform play |
| We Were Here Forever | A longer, story-forward puzzle journey for two | Exactly two online | Asymmetric puzzles across Rockbury and Castle Rock | PC, PlayStation, and Xbox; the developer lists cross-platform play |
Player counts and platform descriptions come from the cited GamesRadar+, developer, and Xbox listings. Store catalogs, subscription policies, and cross-play support can change, so confirm the details for your specific platform before buying.
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1. Borderlands 4: the closest fit for cooperative shooter fans
If the part of BioShock you most want to preserve is first-person combat with a partner, Borderlands 4 is the clearest match in this group. GamesRadar+ describes it as an online and local co-op looter shooter, with online play for up to four people and local co-op on consoles. The listed platforms are PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X.
What it matches
- First-person shooting: You spend your time in direct combat rather than solving every obstacle as a puzzle.
- Co-op progression: A group can advance through the game together instead of treating multiplayer as a separate competitive mode.
- Flexible party size: Four online slots make it suitable for a regular group, while local console play offers a same-room option.
What it does not match
It should not be presented as a substitute for BioShock’s tone, setting, or tightly authored single-player pacing. Its appeal here is the cooperative shooter and progression layer. If your priority is discovering an eerie place through environmental clues, the We Were Here games are a closer conceptual fit even though they largely replace shooting with puzzles.
Who should choose it
Pick Borderlands 4 when your group wants a conventional action session: assemble a party, enter a combat-focused campaign, and keep progressing together. It is also the safest choice when “co-op” means more than two players. A pair can play it, but its up-to-four-player design gives you room to add friends later.
Questions to settle before starting
- Are all players on PC, PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X?
- Do you need local console co-op, online co-op, or both?
- Does everyone want a shooter, rather than an investigation or puzzle game?
2. Deep Rock Galactic: cooperative FPS exploration with distinct roles
Deep Rock Galactic takes the cooperative first-person shooter in a different direction. GamesRadar+ describes a team game for up to four players in which each player uses class-specific abilities while exploring a procedurally generated planet, mining minerals, and fighting enemies.
What makes it different from a traditional campaign
The procedural structure means the environment and mission experience are built around repeated expeditions rather than one fixed narrative route. Mining, navigation, class abilities, and combat are all team concerns. That makes it a strong recommendation for people who remember BioShock’s pleasure of moving through an unfamiliar environment, but it is not a replacement for a carefully paced narrative campaign.
Where the co-op works best
- Role choice: Class-specific abilities give each teammate a practical contribution beyond simply carrying another weapon.
- Four-player teamwork: The listed limit of four supports a full group without requiring a large community.
- Exploration under pressure: Mining and navigating a procedurally generated planet create reasons to coordinate while enemies are present.
Who should choose it
Choose Deep Rock Galactic if you want a team FPS in which exploration and mission objectives matter as much as shooting. It is particularly suitable for a group that enjoys discussing routes, dividing responsibilities, and adapting to a changing environment. Choose Borderlands 4 instead if shared campaign progression and a more conventional looter-shooter structure are the priority.
Important expectation
Deep Rock Galactic’s mining-and-mission loop is its defining difference. Do not buy it expecting BioShock-style audio-log discovery or a single fixed setting that unfolds in a predetermined order. Buy it for the interaction between procedural exploration, class abilities, and cooperative combat.
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We Were Here is the best choice when “like BioShock” means an unsettling place, isolation, exploration, and the pleasure of piecing together a mystery with another person. The developer describes two players separated in a frozen wasteland and an abandoned castle. One player explores while the other guides, and the pair communicates by voice.
How its asymmetric design works
The two players do not simply see the same room and press the same buttons. Each person receives information the other needs. One may be positioned to inspect an object while the other has the symbols, controls, or viewpoint needed to interpret it. Progress depends on describing what you see accurately and listening for the other player’s instructions.
Why it can feel closer to BioShock’s atmosphere than a shooter
The frozen setting and abandoned castle create the kind of isolated, unfamiliar environment that attracts many BioShock players. Exploration and discovery remain central, but the activity changes from fighting through rooms to understanding them. The tension comes from incomplete information and the need to communicate, not from replacing every encounter with a gunfight.
Platform and subscription details
The developer lists We Were Here on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, with cross-platform gameplay listed on the official page. The Xbox listing identifies online co-op for two and notes that console online play requires a multiplayer subscription. The exact requirement depends on the platform and account arrangement, so verify it in the relevant store listing.
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- Choose it for a fixed two-person partnership, not a three- or four-player group.
- Choose it if both players are comfortable speaking throughout the session.
- Choose it if discovery, atmosphere, and cooperation matter more than shooting.
4. We Were Here Forever: the longer story-rich puzzle option
We Were Here Forever extends the same basic appeal into a larger online first-person co-op adventure for two. The developer describes asymmetric puzzles set around Rockbury and Castle Rock. Its official page lists PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, and lists cross-platform play.
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- Fight your way through a perilous world In a 4-player co-op story campaign where you must work together to survive increasingly challenging missions
- Choose from 8 customizable cleaners and a range of lethal weapons and items
- Play with or against friends in PvP
- A new Roguelike card system creates different experiences each and every time
- A PlayStation Plus subscription is required to play Back 4 Blood on PlayStation or Xbox consoles.
Why pick Forever over We Were Here
The practical distinction is scope. We Were Here is the compact recommendation for trying an asymmetric communication adventure; We Were Here Forever is the stronger choice for a pair that wants a longer, more story-forward journey. Both ask players to exchange information and coordinate, but Forever is positioned as the more substantial adventure in this pair.
What remains the same
- Two-player requirement: It is designed for two online players rather than a flexible party.
- Asymmetric information: Each player must communicate what they can see and understand.
- Exploration over shooting: It is not a co-op FPS substitute; the challenge is solving and interpreting the environment.
- Cross-platform possibility: The developer lists cross-platform play, but each player should confirm support for the exact store and console combination.
Who should choose it
Pick We Were Here Forever if your ideal BioShock-like experience is an unsettling location that gradually reveals its history, experienced with one trusted partner. It is the most natural recommendation here for players who value mood and narrative context but are willing to trade gunplay for communication puzzles.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which game matches the BioShock quality you miss?
| If you miss… | Start with… | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| First-person combat and cooperative advancement | Borderlands 4 | It is the cited looter-shooter with online play for up to four and local console co-op listed. |
| Team FPS exploration and changing environments | Deep Rock Galactic | Its up-to-four-player missions combine class abilities, procedural exploration, mining, and combat. |
| Isolation, eerie spaces, and talking through discoveries | We Were Here | Two separated players guide one another through a frozen wasteland and abandoned castle. |
| A longer two-person mystery with asymmetric puzzles | We Were Here Forever | Its online adventure for two uses Rockbury and Castle Rock as the setting for a larger puzzle journey. |
Choose by group size and play style
You have three or four players
Start with Borderlands 4 or Deep Rock Galactic. The cited descriptions support groups of up to four for both. We Were Here and We Were Here Forever are not alternatives for a four-person party because their core design is for two players.
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You have exactly two players and want to shoot
Borderlands 4 is the direct fit among these recommendations. Deep Rock Galactic is also suitable if you prefer mission-based exploration and class abilities over a conventional campaign. The choice is progression-focused shooting versus procedural team expeditions.
You have exactly two players and want atmosphere
Choose We Were Here for the more compact communication-puzzle introduction, or We Were Here Forever for the longer story-rich journey. Make sure both players can use voice communication reliably; the asymmetric design depends on describing observations rather than silently sharing the same screen.
You need cross-platform play
The developer lists cross-platform play for We Were Here and We Were Here Forever. That is useful when the two players own different systems, but cross-play can be affected by store, edition, account, or platform policies. Confirm the combination you intend to use rather than assuming that every listed platform can join every other one.
Practical checks before you buy
- Count your players. A two-person puzzle game cannot serve a four-person group, while a four-player shooter may be unnecessary if you want a private two-player mystery.
- Choose the activity first. Decide whether the session should revolve around gunfights, mining and mission objectives, or verbal puzzle solving.
- Match the platforms. Borderlands 4 is listed for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X; We Were Here is listed for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch; We Were Here Forever is listed for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Check the current store page for Deep Rock Galactic and for your exact edition.
- Verify online requirements. The Xbox listing for We Were Here notes that console online play requires a multiplayer subscription. Other platforms may have their own requirements.
- Confirm cross-play at checkout. A developer’s cross-platform listing is useful evidence, but platform policies and supported combinations can change.
- Set expectations with your partner. Tell a shooter-focused friend that We Were Here replaces combat with communication puzzles, and tell a story-focused friend that Deep Rock Galactic uses procedural missions rather than a fixed narrative route.
Common mismatches and how to avoid them
Expecting one recommendation to reproduce every BioShock element
None of these games is established as an exact co-op equivalent. The list works because each title preserves a different priority. Treat the choice as a trade-off rather than a search for a one-to-one replacement.
Putting a four-person group into a two-player puzzle game
We Were Here and We Were Here Forever are built around two people receiving different information. Adding more players is not a matter of opening extra slots; choose one of the up-to-four-player shooters for a larger group.
Buying a shooter when the real goal is atmosphere
Borderlands 4 and Deep Rock Galactic can provide cooperative action, but their cited descriptions do not establish them as matches for BioShock’s setting or tone. If the strange environment and shared discovery matter most, start with We Were Here or We Were Here Forever.
Assuming cross-play removes every platform restriction
Cross-platform play does not necessarily eliminate account, subscription, edition, or store requirements. Check the exact console and PC combination and the online-service rules that apply to each player.
Final recommendation
For the closest cooperative combat match, choose Borderlands 4. For a four-player FPS built around teamwork and environmental missions, choose Deep Rock Galactic. For two people who want an eerie setting and constant communication, choose We Were Here. For that same two-person puzzle format with a longer, more story-rich journey, choose We Were Here Forever.
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The right answer depends on which BioShock quality you are trying to preserve. The shooters keep the action; the We Were Here games keep the unsettling exploration and shared discovery. None claims the complete BioShock formula, and that distinction is what makes the recommendations useful rather than misleading.
Quick Recap
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