Portal 2 review

Portal 2 is the budget choice and a strong one for couples who like puzzles. Valve's Steam page says its two-player cooperative mode "features its own entirely separate campaign with a unique story, test chambers, and two new player characters", so it is not a side mode bolted onto the main game. Each of you places portals, and most rooms can only be solved by combining both sets, which turns every chamber into a conversation about who goes where. Steam lists online co-op and shared or split-screen co-op, and the purchase also includes a full solo campaign and a level editor with Steam Workshop content. At $9.99 it costs a quarter of It Takes Two. The downsides: the first-person camera can cause trouble for someone who has never played a shooter-style game, the visuals date from 2011, and online co-op means two copies rather than a free pass.

Who it is for

Couples who enjoy solving puzzles and talking a problem through together.

Price

$9.99 one-time purchase on Steam (US store).

Buy Portal 2 $9.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Complete two-person co-op campaign separate from single player
• Co-op mode has its own story, test chambers and two new characters
• Online co-op and shared or split-screen co-op on Steam
• Includes a level editor and Steam Workshop support
• Full single-player campaign as well

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Cheapest game on the list at $9.99
• Strength: Co-op puzzles reward talking and planning together
• Strength: Overwhelmingly Positive Steam rating from about 175,000 English reviews
• Weakness: First-person view can be hard for players new to games
• Weakness: Released in 2011, so it looks dated next to newer picks
• Weakness: Each player needs a copy for online co-op

Key facts

• Developer: Valve
• Released: April 18, 2011
• Players: 1, or 2 in co-op
• Steam price: $9.99

Where it ranks

Portal 2 is No. 3 in our Best Games for Couples verdict and No. 6 in Best PS3 Games of All Time and No. 3 in Best 2 Player Co-op Games and No. 7 in Best Video Games of All Time and No. 8 in Best Xbox 360 Games of All Time.