I don't know if any of you are in the same situation as me, but I have a 7 year old son, and I am always looking for games we can play together. I got my Nvidia with a second controller so we could play together. GeForce now makes it easy to find games that use 2 controllers, but Google Play isn't quite as helpful. I thought I would share all of the games I have found that fit this special niche. This is by no means a comprehensive list. There are obvious choices like emulators of classic consoles. But I haven't searched any other play store.
If any of you have any suggestions for other games that have similar functionality, please feel free to post them below! All of the games below are local multiplayer, meaning you don't have to have a second device, or play online. A few tips to remember when playing Android multiple controller games. Android looks for any input device and will assign it as a controller. So if you have a mouse plugged in, or anything else in the USB port, some of the games will have difficulty recognizing the second controller. Another thing to remember is that it usually makes whichever player clicks on the app 1st, the 1st player. 1st player will usually have control in menus, and often times in games like JuJu, the screen will follow player 1 predominantly.
Without further ado, and in no particular order:
PAIDStikbold! $9.99 - This game is great as a cooperative game, and it can be fun as a competitive game. It runs flawlessly on the SATV. You can play through the story together, or you can compete together against "bots" in single matches. You can also go one on one, or add bots to your respective teams and play against each other. It falls into a category of a fully developed game with no BS. Therefore they have to charge more to cover their development.
JuJu $9.49- JuJu is a fun side scrolling run and jump type game. Something like Mario Bro's Wii, your partner will even end up in a bubble if they die or fall behind. It's basic enough that kids can catch on quickly, but still fun and challenging for an adult. You get fun new abilities as you go. When I bought it was on sale for about half this price. I might keep an eye on it, as it may go on sale again.
Age of Zombies $.99- This game was a little too violent for the family, it's on here because some people might be more relaxed about it. It is fun, and for $.99 it's a good time.
Never Alone $4.99 - This is such a unique game. It has these beautiful videos taken right from native Alaskan people and culture. It's truly a cultural experience to play this game, but it's also a great co-op game. The girl and the fox have unique abilities, and it's great at building teamwork, but doesn't leave you frustrated. I highly recommend it.
Chariot $7.49 - This game is too expensive for me to wholeheartedly recommend. It's a decent game, and I would pay $3 for it. The voice acting is great, but the puzzles can be frustrating, and you really have to know how to work as a team. But it is a co-op multiplayer, and I did buy it and play it, so I put it here.
Meltdown $6.36 - There is a free version of this game in the play store, but the one that works on Android TV is $6. In my opinion, it's well worth it, it was super fun to play together. This one would be great for 4 players. The more you have, the easier it is. Saving up coins to unlock other characters is something that keeps you busy and gives you a goal to look forward too. The "arcade" mode, which is what you have to play for local multiplayer, isn't as developed as normal mode, but it's still worth the money in my opinion.
Trine 2 $4.95 - This one is a fun puzzle adventure. What makes it appealing is the different characters using their unique skill set to solve challenges as a team. The game is similar to an old SNES/Genesis game called Lost Vikings. If you remember/liked that, you will love this.
FREE or Ad SupportedNeon Shadow - This is a first person shooter, and it does have to be sideloaded. But, what makes this great for me is it's not terribly violent. You are killing artificial intelligence robots, there is no blood, just explosions, and the multiplayer split-screen works really well. Levels may be a little repetitive, but it's super fun. I don't know how intrusive the ad's are because I paid for this app when it wasn't ad-supported.
Beach Buggy Racing This is hands down one of my favorites. I believe you do have to spend $5 or so to unlock multiplayer mode. But this game is well worth it. If you ever liked any kart racing games, this is an incredibly fun racing game that will give you hours of enjoyment. The truth is it's not really co-op, because you aren't a team. But you aren't really against each other exclusively, since you are trying to beat all the other racers. I find it's a great one to play with a friend.
Badland - Fun game that is very simple to play, but difficult to master. It supports up to 4 players, but it's really fun with just 2. This one again is a game with such an easy learning curve, anyone in the family can play.
Bombsquad - This one is harder to pickup out of the gate. But it's a very fully developed game. It wasn't something a developer threw together in a few weeks. It has great physics, and complex gameplay. It is a freemium model and I can't remember if you have to pay to unlock multiplayer. If so, then I categorized it wrong. It requires a lot of teamwork to pass the challenges because they can be difficult and you can easily end up bombing your teammate.
