GOTY 17: Local Multiplayer

Cuphead is probably best served up solo, that way you've only got yourself to blame when it all goes wrong. However, if you've got a buddy to hand and your friendship is particularly robust, there is the option to play co-op. Cuphead and Mugman work in tandem, rescuing each other from the brink during the game's extremely challenging levels. The extra bullets certainly do help at times, but then again, visibility takes a knock thanks to the extra body on screen, and trying to rescue your co-op partner when they've gone and done something stupid can make for an unwanted distraction when you're in the zone.

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Injustice 2 is up there with Tekken 7 as one of the very best fighting games released this year, and it was a hit with both genre enthusiasts and DC fans alike. The solo content is great, but the game really comes alive when you and a friend sit down in front of the TV to battle it out as your favourite superheroes or villains. Although it's not the best thing for a friendship to have your buddy launch you into space, it's a lot of fun to use these superpowers against one another. Netherrealm do know how to make good fighters, after all.

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The first Nidhogg found huge success as a fighting game suitable for a casual audience and as a great way of settling a dispute. It also had a lot of indie charm, and so the sequel had a lot to live up to. Luckily though that's exactly what it did and threw us yet again into battle between two colourful cartoon characters. The goal is simple - each of you has to get to one side of the screen - but then again this couldn't be further from the truth, because within seconds blood is spurting, weapons are flying, and the insults start coming out.

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FIFA has always been a great game for building friendly rivalries, and with this year's entry being the best yet, it goes without saying that this extends to the local multiplayer. Whether you want to play a game alongside your buddies or against them, there's something for every football fan here, especially those who like to prove themselves against one another. It's not always the calmest of scenes playing FIFA, but it can definitely produce some of the most entertaining local multiplayer experiences.

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Gang Beasts is a bit like Nidhogg in that it's fun, colourful, and silly, but while Nidhogg is focused, Gang Beasts is a messy, sprawling affair. Each of the characters in this brawler has floppy bodies that are incredibly hard to control, and so getting in a fight and grabbing onto one another in each of the ridiculous levels produces a chaotic scramble where nobody can really tell what's going on. It's hard to ever be good at Gang Beasts, but it's fun for all the family, and it can lead to so many amusing situations. If you're a fan of local multiplayer games, this is essential stuff.