10 Best 2 Player Co-op Games of 2026

It Takes Two ranks first because it was designed from the ground up for exactly two people. The Steam page describes it as a platform adventure "created purely for co-op", and there is no solo mode, so both players carry the game together. You play Cody and May, a couple turned into dolls, and each level hands the two of you different abilities that only work in combination. EA's page lists couch co-op and online play through Friend's Pass, which lets the second player join without buying a copy, so a pair needs only one purchase. It is out on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The trade-offs: at $39.99 on Steam it costs more than Portal 2 or Stardew Valley, and the story is about a marriage in trouble, which fits partners better than casual friends. For a first co-op game to share, it is the safest choice here.

Split Fiction is Hazelight's follow-up to It Takes Two and the most technically ambitious game on the list. Mio and Zoe are two writers, one of sci-fi and one of fantasy, trapped inside their own stories, and the game keeps switching between those worlds and the abilities that come with them. EA's page calls it a split-screen adventure tailored for two and says you can invite a friend to play for free on any platform with Friend's Pass, with crossplay on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. That crossplay is the main reason to pick it over It Takes Two if you and your partner own different hardware. It ranks second rather than first on value: at $49.99 on Steam it is the most expensive verified price here, and like its predecessor it cannot be played solo. If you liked It Takes Two, this is the obvious next game.

Portal 2 is the best value on this list. Valve's Steam page says the two-player cooperative mode has "its own entirely separate campaign" with its own story, test chambers and two new characters, so it is a full co-op game rather than an add-on to the solo story. Each player has a portal gun, and the puzzles only work when both of you place portals together, which makes it a game about planning and talking. Steam lists online co-op, shared or split-screen co-op, Remote Play Together and Workshop levels, and it runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. At $9.99 it costs a quarter of It Takes Two. The limits are age and scope: it came out in 2011, the store listing here covers PC only, and pairs who want combat or a farm to tend will find it narrow. For puzzle fans it remains one of the best two-player designs available.

Stardew Valley is the pick for pairs who want something open-ended rather than a campaign with a finish line. The Steam page describes "8 Player Farming" where you invite 1 to 7 players online to build a farm, share resources and improve the town, and it lists online, LAN and shared or split-screen co-op. For two people, that means one shared farm where one partner can fish while the other tends crops, with no pressure to keep up. There is also an option to scale profit margins for a harder co-op run. It costs $14.99 on Steam and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. It ranks below the Hazelight games on capabilities for this list because it was not designed around two players: the co-op is cooperative living, not puzzles that need both of you. For couples who want a cozy evening game they can return to for months, few options compare.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is the best pure couch game on the list for the price. Asteroid Base's Steam page calls it a frantic 1 to 4 player couch co-op action space shooter in which you control one neon battleship together by manning turrets, lasers, shields and thrusters. With two players, you are constantly dashing between stations and calling out who covers what, and the page says all players fill important roles at all times. Space-gems let you customize the ship, randomized levels keep runs fresh, and a solo player can team up with an AI space-pet. It costs $14.99 on Steam and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. It ranks below Stardew Valley because co-op is local, with Steam Remote Play Together as the online route, and the game is older and lighter on story. For two people sharing a sofa, it is quick to learn and hard to put down.

A Way Out is Hazelight's first co-op only game and still a good pick for pairs who like crime films. EA's store page calls it "an exclusively co-op adventure where you play the role of one of 2 prisoners" making their escape, and states that the product is co-op only. Online co-op requires an EA account, a persistent internet connection and a friend who has the game on the same platform or the Friends Pass free trial installed. That makes it, like the newer Hazelight games, a title where only one person has to buy it to play online. It is sold on the EA app, Steam, PlayStation 4 and Xbox. It sits below It Takes Two and Split Fiction because it is older and its puzzles and set pieces are less varied, and we could not load a USD price on EA's or Steam's store from our location. For a story two people experience together, it still works well.

Baldur's Gate 3 is the deepest game on the list and the one that asks the most of a pair. Larian's GOG description says you can play solo or "as a party of up to four in multiplayer", combine forces in combat and split your party to follow your own quests. The official site lists PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox, Mac and GeForce NOW, and says Patch 8 added cross-play and Xbox Series S split screen. For two players who love tabletop-style RPGs, that means a long campaign where each of you can make your own choices inside one shared story. It ranks sixth because it is harder to start than anything above it: turn-based combat and character builds take time, and the mature content will not suit every couple. We could not load a USD price on its Steam page from our location, so pricing is pending. For experienced RPG fans it is the richest shared campaign here.

Cuphead is the challenge pick. Studio MDHR describes it as a classic run and gun action game heavily focused on boss battles, with visuals made using traditional hand-drawn cel animation, watercolor backgrounds and original jazz recordings. You can play as Cuphead or Mugman in single player or local co-op, and Steam adds Remote Play Together for playing over the internet. For two players who like learning boss patterns and trying again, it delivers a lot at $19.99 on Steam. The ranking reflects the difficulty: a partner who rarely plays action games may struggle, and the co-op is local by design rather than a built-in online mode. The Delicious Last Course expansion adds more content for a separate price. If both of you enjoy hard games, it is one of the best-looking co-op titles on the list.

Unravel Two is the gentlest game on the list. Each player controls a small yarn creature called a Yarny, and the two are linked by a thread, so you swing, climb and solve puzzles by working with that connection. The Steam page describes local co-op for two and says a single player can create two Yarnys and play alone, with Remote Play Together listed for playing online. The settings are inspired by real Scandinavian locations, and the pace is relaxed enough for a partner who does not play much. At $19.99 on Steam it is fairly priced. It ranks near the bottom because it is shorter and less varied than Hazelight's games, has no built-in online mode on Steam and has a lower Steam rating of Mostly Positive. For a calm co-op game to share with a partner or a child, it is still a good fit.

Biped rounds out the list as a low-cost, lighthearted option. NEXT Studios' Steam page explains that you control the robot's two legs using two sticks or the left and right mouse buttons, which turns walking, sliding and operating machinery into a coordination game. You can play solo, but the page pitches two-player co-op where you communicate to clear challenges, and Steam lists online co-op, shared or split-screen co-op and cross-platform multiplayer. A level editor with Steam Workshop support adds more levels after the main adventure. It costs $14.99 on Steam. It ranks last because it is smaller and shorter than the other picks and its Steam reviews are Mostly Positive, below most of the list. For two friends who want an evening of clumsy robot physics without spending much, it is a fun choice.