The We Were Here series has gone strongly for several years now and garnered a solid reputation for cooperative head scratching and puzzle solving.  If you feel your walkie talkie finger has been itching since the release of We Were Here Together, then boy howdy, do I have good news for you.

As is becoming increasingly common in this era of gaming, the Co-Opticrew's weekend plans are largely preoccupied with sequels.  Many companies these days seem content with adopting the "if it ain't broke" mode of thinking, and you know what, it looks like it's paying off for them.  Not that I'm complaining, though.  Good games are good games regardless of how high the number is in their title.

The Co-Opticrew is reaching into our usual bag of tricks this weekend, with co-op shlooters and co-op sloopers taking up a fair amount of our time.  What's this, though?  It appears a few of our esteemed staff are also diving back into the realm of wooden tokens and translucent card sleeves for a couple days of board game goodness.  We can only wish these adventurous souls (and their wallets) the best of luck.  They'll certainly need it.

Once again, the inexorable march of time has ferried us to another weekend, and instead of dwelling on our own mortality, the Co-Opticrew has chosen to distract ourselves with - you guessed it - video games.  All things considered, it's not a bad way to go about spending our time.  Who knows what we'd be up to if not for co-op games?  We could be obsessing over far-fetched conspiracy theories or, even worse, mumble rap.  The mind shudders at the thought.

The eternal rivalry between plants and zombies will be thriving in the Nintendo ecosystem later this year.  As much as the hatred between these two has burned over the years, it's worked out quite well for them from a business standpoint.  Maybe this "conflict" is more nefarious than we thought.  Or maybe not.

No longer must prospective farmers sequester themselves to separate consoles for co-op crop waterin'.  Stardew Valley's 1.5 update, which introduced local co-op on PC back in December, has finally made its way to the game's console releases.  That means you and up to three friends can bicker over crop placement from the comfort of a single couch.  The Midwestern dream has come to fruition!

We have been blessed with another appearance by everyone's favorite duo: Saturday and Sunday.  In accordance with Co-Opticrew tradition, we offer our plans to the ether in the hope that they shall be fulfilled.  Will they, though?  I suppose that's up to us.  As the old saying goes, "The Weekend helps those who help themselves."

Just like that, co-op fans have been blessed with another gift from the puzzle-y heavens.  The We Were Here series, which currently contains a trilogy of mind-bending titles, has released its first episode on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.  Better yet, it's completely free until February 22nd.

Co-op games are a great way to spend some time catching up with your friends, but you know what will really enhance those relationships?  Getting super creeped out together and sharing the same skin-crawling tension for a couple hours.  Fortunately for us, The Past Within is due for release later this year, so we'll have ample opportunity to do just that.

We're back with another jaw-dropping edition of (say it with me) Our! Weekend! In! Gaming!  I know I abandoned our poor readers in their time of need, but believe me, it was (probably) worth the wait.  Refreshed and re-energized, the Co-Opticrew is roaring into 2021 with a frankly staggering amount of games they'll be playing over the weekend.  If this doesn't get you pumped up for your own plans, then frankly, you may want to consult a medical professional.

This story isn't exactly hot off the presses, but developer Hazelight Studios has revealed that their latest co-op game, It Takes Two, is aiming for release on March 26th of this year.  That means you have just under two months to wittle down your group of friends/family/significant others to just one ideal co-op partner.  You'll probably have to make some hard cuts, but I have faith you'll make the right decision in the end.

Well now, what do we have here?  Word on the street is that Zombie Army 4's Season 2 campaign, "Death from Above," has reached a crescendo in the form of its final episode, "Dead Zeppelin" (get it?).   If you're so inclined, you can play said finale right now, provided you have purchased the mission either individually or as part the Season 2 pass.