Open World Co-Op Game Is Blowing Up on Steam

Necesse, an open-world co-op game that’s been in early access on Steam since 2019, has recently launched its full version, attracting thousands of players immediately after its release. Open-world cooperative games have been quite popular in recent years, especially on Steam, where players are typically open to trying experimental and indie titles like Necesse.

Recent data shows that co-op games have been dominating Steam, generating a significant portion of the platform’s revenue in 2025. Many of the most successful games in the genre also feature open-world and sandbox elements. And players interested in this combination now have Necesse to explore, an indie title offering a nearly perfect mix of exploration and cooperation that is likely to appeal to a wide audience.

Necesse Racked Up Nearly 30,000 Concurrent Players Shortly After Full Release

After nearly six years in early access, Necesse finally launched on Steam to very positive reception from players. The game quickly attracted a massive player base, with SteamDB showing around 30,000 concurrent players at one point. That number seems to be growing rapidly, suggesting Necesse could soon become one of the most-played games on Steam in 2025, not just a standout in the popular co-op genre. Currently, it holds a Very Positive average rating from over 15,000 reviews. It’s also worth noting that Necesse‘s co-op modes let players create private servers with hundreds of participants and supports local multiplayer, making it a great pick for fans of cooperative gameplay.

What sets Necesse apart from other comparable co-op games on Steam is the freedom it gives players on the same server to play however they want, whether that means teaming up or turning into rivals and competing against each other. According to the developer, Necesse adapts to how players interact with the world and to the number of players on each server, ensuring a consistently balanced experience. An update to the game’s Incursions has also expanded the end-game content, giving returning players a solid reason to start a new playthrough. The 1.0 release also doesn’t mark the end for the popular sandbox game, as Fair Games Aps has promised fans more and larger updates in the future.

the player going through the tutorial in necesse

In terms of gameplay changes in the 1.0 version, Necesse appears to have used its early access period to refine and expand three core elements: combat, crafting, and questing. The final edition introduces a seamless, procedurally-generated world that greatly enhances the pixel-art game’s replay value. Players can build settlements, recruit NPCs to help manage and grow them, explore the world to fight enemies and gather resources, and take on unique quests. In essence, Necesse offers everything fans of the open-world co-op genre who also enjoy sandbox elements could hope for. Players interested in picking up Necesse are recommended to do so before October 30. Until then, the game is available at a 50% discount, dropping its $15 USD price to around $8 USD.