Is Alien Swarm co-op?

Yes, Alien Swarm supports co-op.

Does Alien Swarm have PvP?

Steam's store page doesn't flag a PvP category, but Alien Swarm is tagged Team-Based — it's player-versus-player.

Do we both need to own Alien Swarm to play together?

Yes. Alien Swarm is played online, so each player needs their own copy on their own Steam account (or PC Game Pass where it is offered). Steam Families can share a library, but two people cannot play the same shared game at the same time.

How many people play Alien Swarm?

About 23 players were in-game when this page's data was last refreshed (2026-09-09).

Ready Up — what game do we play?Compare two Steam libraries →

Multiplayer games › Shooter › Co-op horde shooter

Is Alien Swarm multiplayer or co-op?

Yes — co-op and PvP. Alien Swarm is a co-op horde shooter game released in 2010, 95% positive on Steam (21,274 reviews), with 23 playing right now. Free on Steam.

Co-opSingle-player tooShooter · Co-op horde shooter

Co-operative multiplayer game and complete code base available for free.

How Alien Swarm plays with friends, according to Steam

Online co-op: Not listed on Steam
Local / split-screen co-op: Not listed on Steam
Online PvP: Not listed on Steam
LAN play: Not listed on Steam
Single-player mode: Yes

Steam's own category list for the game, as of 2026-09-09. "Not listed" means the store page does not claim that mode; community mods or Remote Play can still add it.

Steam tags: Free to Play, Co-op, Action, Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Aliens, Shooter, Sci-fi

Do you and a friend both own Alien Swarm?

Ready Up compares two Steam libraries and shows every multiplayer game you both have — including whether Alien Swarm is one of them — then helps you pick tonight's game with a weighted roll or a bracket.

Or open the Steam store page.

Games like Alien Swarm you can play together

HELLDIVERS™ 2

Co-op horde shooter · 76% positive on Steam (1,017,635 reviews) · 53,399 playing right now

Left 4 Dead 2

Co-op horde shooter · 98% positive on Steam (963,983 reviews) · 25,122 playing right now

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

Co-op horde shooter · 71% positive on Steam (112,960 reviews) · 7,267 playing right now

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Co-op horde shooter · 83% positive on Steam (162,585 reviews) · 6,851 playing right now

Deep Rock Galactic

Co-op horde shooter · 97% positive on Steam (343,000 reviews) · 5,216 playing right now

Call of Duty®: Black Ops III

Co-op horde shooter · 84% positive on Steam (215,026 reviews) · 5,414 playing right now

Tired of Alien Swarm? The Swap tab finds the closest unowned games of the same type that are newer or rated higher.

Quick answers

Is Alien Swarm co-op?: Yes, Alien Swarm supports co-op.
Does Alien Swarm have PvP?: Steam's store page doesn't flag a PvP category, but Alien Swarm is tagged Team-Based — it's player-versus-player.
Do we both need to own Alien Swarm to play together?: Yes. Alien Swarm is played online, so each player needs their own copy on their own Steam account (or PC Game Pass where it is offered). Steam Families can share a library, but two people cannot play the same shared game at the same time.
How many people play Alien Swarm?: About 23 players were in-game when this page's data was last refreshed (2026-09-09).

Ready Up is a free tool: enter two Steam usernames and it lists the multiplayer games you both own, runs a bracket to pick one, and suggests new co-op games that fit how you both play. Ratings, tags and player counts from Steam and SteamSpy; page updated 2026-09-23. Powered by Steam — not affiliated with or endorsed by Valve Corporation or Microsoft. Ready Up is a Somebody Decide program. How the data works · Legal & privacy · All types · Game Pass