Co-op games
9 Co-op Games for Couples to Play Together
Nine co-op games for couples, from It Takes Two and Overcooked! 2 to Portal 2, with notes on couch or online play and how hard each one gets.
This list is for two people who would rather play with each other than against each other. Maybe you share a couch, maybe you live in different time zones and talk over voice chat. Either way, these are co-op games for couples and pairs of friends, and every one of them is built around working together.
All nine work with exactly two players. A few are made for two and nothing else. Others are designed for squads of four but play well as a duo, and we say which. We also mention whether you can share one screen or need to play online. If one of you plays a lot more than the other, start near the top of the list, where things are more forgiving.
My 9 Games
9 Co-op Games for Couples to Play Together
The nine picks
It Takes Two
Hazelight Studios · 2021
Cody and May are about to get divorced when they wake up as tiny dolls, and the only way back is to work together. It's two players only, split screen or online, and almost every level hands you a new mechanic built for teamwork. It makes a very funny date night, as long as neither of you takes the premise personally. With the Friend's Pass, the second player doesn't need to buy a copy.
- Best for
- Couples, obviously
- When to play
- Date night on the couch
Overcooked! 2
Ghost Town Games · 2018
Your kitchens split apart, slide around or catch fire in the middle of service, and every order depends on calling out jobs and staying out of each other's way. It plays on one screen or online, for up to four, but we like it best with two. You can throw ingredients across the room in this one. There will be shouting.
- Best for
- Couples who can laugh at a burnt kitchen
- When to play
- A loud night in
Portal 2
Valve · 2011
Besides the solo story, Portal 2 has a separate co-op campaign for two robots, Atlas and P-Body. Four portals means puzzles take real planning, and a ping tool lets you show your partner exactly where to aim. Play split screen or online. When a chamber finally clicks for both of you at once, it feels great.
- Best for
- Puzzle partners who like to talk it through
- When to play
- A relaxed evening with snacks
Deep Rock Galactic
Ghost Ship Games · 2020
Space dwarves, mining. You dig through caves generated fresh for each mission, collecting minerals while alien bugs pour out of the walls. It's built for four and online only, but enemy numbers scale to the size of your team, so a duo works fine. Pick classes that cover for each other, like a driller to tunnel and a scout to light up the dark.
- Best for
- Couples who like teamwork and banter
- When to play
- A weekly game night for two
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Larian Studios · 2017
A big fantasy role-playing game where two people can play the whole campaign, each as their own character with their own goals. Fights are turn-based, so nobody needs quick reflexes, and they reward creative combos, like electrifying the puddle your partner's rain spell just made. You can also wander off and make decisions the other person didn't agree to. That's half the fun.
- Best for
- Tabletop players and RPG fans
- When to play
- A long campaign over many weekends
Helldivers 2
Arrowhead Game Studios · 2024
Squads drop onto alien planets to spread "managed democracy", and the satire never takes itself seriously. Friendly fire is always on. You call in air strikes and supplies by punching in quick directional codes, which goes wrong in spectacular ways. It's online only and made for four, but two of you can handle the easier missions. You will blow each other up by accident.
- Best for
- Couples who love chaotic shooters
- When to play
- A late night on voice chat
Don't Starve Together
Klei Entertainment · 2016
The multiplayer version of Klei's gothic survival game. You gather food, keep the fire going at night and try not to lose your mind in a very strange wilderness. It's much easier with two, since one of you can cook while the other goes out for supplies, and you'll fall into a routine without talking about it. The hand-drawn art is lovely. The game is not easy.
- Best for
- Pairs who like a survival grind
- When to play
- A run of cold autumn nights
Left 4 Dead 2
Valve · 2009
Four survivors fight through hordes of infected across short campaigns that play like zombie films. As a duo, you play online and bots fill the other two spots. An AI Director shuffles enemies and supplies every time, so no run goes quite the same way. Wander off from your partner and something will pin you to the floor. You learn to stick together fast.
- Best for
- Pairs who want quick, tense action
- When to play
- A Friday night in
Cuphead
Studio MDHR · 2017
A run-and-gun game drawn and animated like a 1930s cartoon, built mostly around boss fights. Your partner joins on the same couch as Mugman, and reviving each other mid-fight is often the only reason you win. It is hard. Expect to lose to the same boss a dozen times, and to high-five when it finally goes down.
- Best for
- Couch partners who like a challenge
- When to play
- A stubborn weekend afternoon
Make it yours
The best co-op game is the one the two of you keep coming back to. Put these nine into My 9, swap in the games you actually play together, and send the grid to your player two so you can pick the next one.
Opens the maker with these nine in the grid. Swap any of them for your own.