Best co-op games like It Takes Two

It Takes Two is a heavy game with what you’ll be experiencing. You play as a couple that’s about to get divorced. However, through the course of the game, the couple who is controlled by two players has to try to save their marriage. This can be an emotional topic. When mixed, It Takes Two can be a great co-op game to play. The following games don’t share everything that It Takes Two does, but has the same spirit. To find the best co-op games after beating It Takes Two, read on.

Each of the games that appear on this list might not be exactly as emotionally or story-driven as It Takes Two. But they have other qualities. There are puzzles and some light combat and platforming mechanics that most of the games share.

This platformer is quite close to It Takes Two. For its story, you and another player control two figures made out of yarn. To pull at your heartstrings, the game explores the themes of friendship and that you don’t have to be alone in the world. Gameplay is where it also shares similarities with It Takes Two. For example, many of the puzzle requires both players to work together. This aspect ties back into the story, in that when you do the puzzles or manipulate the world, you must do it together.

Less of a platformer and more of a story-driven game, A Way Out gives both players a unique experience. From the start, both characters will be inspired by one another to escape the jail. But what sells A Way Out to players is the emotional journey both characters go through. The ending of the game is satisfactory that is solely because of how much both players have invested in both leads by the choices they have made. To take my point home, it’s on Game Pass. So you kind of have no excuse not to play it. Oh and another cool tidbit, these guys made It Takes Two.

Another game that might make you cry because of how depressing it can be. Brother: Tale of Two Sons has you controlling two brothers. You can play it as a single-player game, but to get invested and immersed in the story and world, it’s always better with another player. The game explores themes of loss, family, and having to deal with certain things like death as a child. These real-life influences make the co-op adventure game feel more complicated resulting in a deep and rich story.

Now, Portal 2 doesn’t have the emotional weight as It Takes Two, but the puzzles feel in line with the platformer. It Takes Two is notable for many reasons, but the puzzles stand out the most. Portal 2 is exactly like that. Being a co-op, you and your friends will spend countless hours trying to figure out some complicated puzzles that mostly require physics manipulation. If you have nothing to play, Portal 2 will always have something to enjoy.

In terms of the emotions and themes, Rayman: Legends is the polar opposite of It Takes Two. However, the reason why I put it on the list is because of the gameplay. Rayman: Legends has levels filled with vibrant colors and some over-the-top puzzles. If you have played It Takes Two, you can see those similarities better. Both games have some challenging puzzles that require timing, and of course, to make things easier, having a second player there makes things less stressful.

Not really a puzzle game, but has some qualities as It Takes Two. As Dusk Falls is an interactive drama game that spans over 30 years and features two families. The game has an emotional impact like It Takes Two. This comes from the many difficult choices you and your friend will have to make throughout the drama. However, the mechanics aren’t the only thing that makes the game worthy. It’s the art design that sticks out the most. That helps bring the characters to life and feel like you are a part of the world as well.

I know this game seems out of place, but it can fit in quite well on this list. The main thing is that Cuphead and It Takes Two are quite hard. The second is that the puzzles are not the easiest to do. Problem-solving and testing things out by trial and error is the game’s name for both titles. On top of that, everything in Cuphead is against you much like It Takes Two. So if you beat one, adjusting to the gameplay of the other may be easier. While it’s a hard game to play, you don’t need a beefy PC to enjoy this one-of-a-kind game.

Astheictly, It Takes Two, and Sackboy A Big Adventure share a lot. But that’s not all. The puzzles and platforming mechanics are almost universal across both games as well. The reason why Sackboy A Big Adventure is on this list is because of how deep and immersive the platforming is. My favorite thing about the game is that it feels rewarding when you complete a puzzle. This is something that you can also find in It Takes Two. That sense of accomplishment makes the rather high end of play much more worth it.

Probably one of the most interesting co-op games to be featured on this list. You and your friend are standard in a castle with the main goal of escaping. The puzzles you’ll be doing are reminiscent of the ones found in It Takes Two. Most of the games on this list feature puzzles, but for We Were Here Forever and It Takes Two, the puzzles are one of the main components of these games. They require both players to work together, more so than the other games. Once you beat It Takes Two and jump into We Were Here Forever, you may have an easier time adapting.

If you couldn’t tell already, It Takes Two is one of the most emotional co-op games with an extremely deep story. Haven is very much like that. It’s a roleplaying game mixed in with the survival mechanics. You play as one of two lovers who have left their home and landed on a deserted planet. While the game doesn’t have platforming or puzzles, it shares the same themes about loss and having to confront things based on the choices you’ve made, much like It Takes Two. What makes Haven a compelling game to play is that everything you do will have consequences that will lead to an ending that you might not expect.

If you don’t want to be an emotional mess, try playing Paper Mario instead. Our guide can get you started.