In a cooperative game, participants do not compete against each other, but rather work together.
A cooperative game is one in which players do not compete with each other , but rather have to work together to achieve a common goal . In this way, the participants lose or win as a group .
Cooperative games involve coalitions : groups of players that function as a system. The success of the coalition depends on the cooperation provided by its members, since for a participant to achieve the goal, the other members of this association must also achieve it.
Importance of cooperative play
Cooperative games require good communication, coordinated actions and reciprocal help from the participants. That is why these activities are encouraged in a pedagogical context , contributing to the acquisition of values .
Each cooperative game, in short, aims to strengthen social ties and promote the development of interpersonal skills in a fun environment. Since it is not a competition between players, it eliminates the pressure inherent in other types of games where, for some to win, others have to lose.
Some examples
Preventing a ball from falling to the ground is an example of cooperative play. It is usually played with a beach ball and all players have to commit to the effort. If the participants agree on how to distribute themselves in space, the chances of the ball remaining in the air for the set target time increase.
Building a block tower can also be a cooperative game. Players must coordinate which block is placed in each instance, who is in charge of placing it, etc.
Cooperative video games
In the video game industry, the cooperative mode is not as common or popular as the competitive one, but it does occupy a place important enough to remain relevant across various genres. There are different reasons that justify this disparity, the two main ones being the infrastructure necessary for a group of people to play together and the satisfaction we get from achieving a personal victory, which for many is superior to that of a joint effort . For reasons of material space and processing technology, online cooperative games are more common than local ones, although some companies, such as Nintendo , never stop betting on in-person experiences.
Building a block tower can be developed as a cooperative game.
Given the infinite thematic and mechanical possibilities that video games offer over traditional games, the contribution that each member can make has no limits other than the imagination and the technology available at all times . For example, we can have a group of characters in which one is the physically strongest warrior, another is especially agile and stealthy, another has magical powers and the fourth is capable of healing them all and reducing the damage they receive from enemies. This team is typical of role-playing titles, where action and adventure elements can also be included, with turn-based or real-time controls, and represents a classic cooperation picture.
But, as we said before, each developer can create a cooperative game with completely different rules and stories. A very peculiar example occurs in Mario Kart: Double Dash , published by Nintendo in 2003 for its Gamecube console, in which it is possible to play with a friend so that one is in charge of driving and the other of attacking the opponents . To enhance the fun even more, you can swap roles at any time. The dynamism offered by this mode completely changes the traditional experience of the series.