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Casual co-op games our game nights keep coming back to (no extra controllers needed!)

So you finally managed to invite your friends over for that game night, got all the snacks and drinks planned out. Problem is, Jack doesn't play the ol' Halo anymore, Susan just wants to play something chill, nothing too intense, and George says he hasn't played a videogame ever (he lies).

You probably don't want to drop hundreds of dollars on a full set of extra controllers for them, but you still want to play. We've run into this exact situation more times than we can count, so here are the games our own game nights keep coming back to. They've won over even the most videogame-indifferent friends (and you don't even need controllers, just QR Controller), and they won't break your bank account.

Prices below come straight from Steam in your own region and currency. Almost every game here drops 60-80% in the seasonal sales, so if a number looks steep today, it won't be for long.

Things you need

1. Friends
2. QR Controller
3. Phones

Absolute chaos

Tricky Towers

Have you ever wanted to play block stacking games like Tetris but wished it had physics and gravity fighting you? Now imagine that and you're fighting against your friends on whoever builds the tallest, most stable wizard towers. It sounds simple enough, but you also get to cast magic spells to either bolster your own tower or completely sabotage your friends'.

The controls are super simple and only involve moving blocks and rotating them along with 2 buttons for choosing powerups. It is an incredibly accessible game, and in our experience it leads to a lot of shouting when a perfectly balanced tower gets turned into slippery ice by one of your friends.

• Number of players supported: 4
• Recommended QR Controller layout: Tricky Towers (Workshop)
• Price on Steam: $14.99

Unspottable

Sometimes an element of paranoia is what you need on your game nights. The game is incredibly simple, you and your friends are dropped into a level with a lot of identical AI characters. Your goal is to figure out which characters are your friends who are pretending to be robots and punch them before they punch you. There are no health bars or any stats to worry about, only that you blend in like an assassin and bluff your way into getting the first punch.

Such a simple game also has simple controls. You only have to move and press a single button to punch. This way, everyone gets a chance to test their poker face and detective skills.

• Number of players supported: 4
• Recommended QR Controller layout: Simple
• Price on Steam: $9.99

A little cooperation needed

Death Squared

Love cute robots and puzzle rooms? Well, don't let the looks fool you. The goal is simple: each player controls a coloured cube that must reach a matching coloured pad. Moving around can trigger changes in the environment or activate hazards that will put you or your teammates at risk, resulting in a restart of the level.

The game has a Story Mode that can be played with one other player, but it has a Party mode that allows you to play with up to 4 players. It looks charming but will make all of you create the most noise of the night. The controls are super simple too, and each person only needs an analog stick to control a cube in the Party Mode.

• Number of players supported: 4
• Recommended QR Controller layout: Death Squared (Workshop)
• Price on Steam: $14.99

Overcooked

If you've been looking for local multiplayer games, then this one probably needs an introduction the least. You and your friends are tasked with preparing, serving and cleaning absurd and hazardous kitchens (rocking pirate ships, speeding trucks, slippery icebergs). You need to constantly communicate with each other about who's chopping the onions, who's washing the dishes and who's gotta serve the dish, all while preparing for the chaos your kitchen tries to sabotage your friendship with.

The controls are extremely simple and anyone can pick up the mechanic in just a few minutes, but the coordination will take some serious teamwork.

• Number of players supported: 4
• Recommended QR Controller layout: Overcooked (in-app)
• Price on Steam: $16.99

Some fast-paced competition

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

Yes, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds exists and is arguably the superior game in the franchise, but it's so new and it is still a whopping $69.99 most of the time. Introducing Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed! It will satiate your Mario Karting needs more than fine with its amazing mechanic where the cars dynamically change to boats and planes depending on the terrain. You get to go through a lot of the classic SEGA history through all of its tracks.

Locally, you can play with 4 people splitscreen and if you want, you can join up as a crew on the online lobbies too, making it a great pick for a competitive race night. Because of how much drifting this game asks for, we've had the best results with a layout that uses motion controls.

• Number of players supported: 4
• Recommended QR Controller layout: Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (Workshop)
• Price on Steam: $19.99

Runbow

If Rayman Origins and Mario Kart had a chaotic baby, you'd get Runbow. It's a colour-based platformer racer where the entire background is constantly shifting colour, and any platform or obstacle that matches the current background colour simply vanishes. Players have to react instantly as safe paths become dangerous and previously inaccessible routes suddenly open.

This is the one we reach for when more than 4 people show up. There are a lot of different modes to try and compete against one another in, and it has easily filled a few hours of our game nights.

• Number of players supported: 9
• Recommended QR Controller layout: Simple
• Price on Steam: $14.99

Relaxed & story-driven

Monster Prom 2

Monster Prom 2 is what we put on when everyone just wants a relaxed game that makes the room laugh. It's a multiplayer dating sim where you and up to 3 of your friends try to woo the available monster classmates. There are a lot of endings and often they are really absurd and hilarious.

Due to the simple nature of the game (it being like a visual novel), you only need the D-pad and an action button to select your choices. Just sit back, relax and laugh at the crazy situations that you and your friends get into.

• Number of players supported: 4
• Recommended QR Controller layout: Simple
• Price on Steam: $11.99

House of Ashes

House of Ashes is the most cinematic thing we've played as a group. It's essentially a horror movie where you and your friends control a group of soldiers trapped inside a buried Sumerian temple filled with deadly creatures. The story branches a lot based on the decisions each member makes, and the characters' survival is entirely dependent on your group's choices and quick reactions.

This game features a 'pass the pad' type of multiplayer mode where each character takes turns to control a specific part of the story. Up to 5 people can do all of the exploration, quick time events and dialogue choices, and it's really simple to do using the QR Controller app.

• Number of players supported: 5
• Recommended QR Controller layout: Default Controller
• Price on Steam: $29.99

How the no-controllers part works

Every game above supports gamepads, and that's all QR Controller needs. Install it once on the host PC, put the join QR code on the TV, and everyone scans it with their phone camera. The controller opens in their browser, and the PC sees a normal gamepad. Nothing for your friends to install, no pairing, no dead batteries.

If you want the full walkthrough for a party night, read how to host a zero-faff couch party.