A cooperative game is a game wherein two or more players do not compete, but rather strive toward a unique objective and therefore win or lose as a group.

Cooperative games are rare, but still many exist. One example is "Stand Up", where a number of individuals sit down, link arms (all facing away from each other) and attempt to stand up. This objective becomes more difficult as the number of players increases.

Another is the counting game, where the players, as a group, attempt to count to 20 with no two participants saying the same number twice. In a cooperative version of volleyball, the emphasis is on keeping the ball in the air for as long as possible.

Cooperative games are rare in recreational gaming, where conflict between players is a powerful force. However, such scenarios can occur in real life (when the sense of the word "game" is extended beyond recreational games). For example, operation of a successful business is, at least in theory, a cooperative game, since all participants benefit if the business succeeds and suffer if it fails.

Role-playing games are the most common form of cooperative game, though these games are rarely purely cooperative. In such games, the players (who act through personae called "characters") usually strive toward intertwined and similar goals. However, each character has his or her own ambitions, and ultimately, individual goals. Hence conflict between characters often occurs in these games.