It’s Valentine’s Day — the day for professing your love, or subsidising the chocolate industry, depending on your degree of cynicism.
But overly commercial or not, the day dedicated to couples is perfect for shared experiences and gaming offers memorable moments at an incredibly competitive price.
We’ve picked out 10 of the best cooperative games for couples to enjoy this Valentine’s Day. All of them can be played on the same screen (though most require two gamepads), and we’ve not included anything that requires more than one console.
We’ve also noted how welcoming they are to gaming novices (just in case your partner has never held a gamepad before) and highlighted the titles likely to stress-test unstable relationships a little too much.
So without further ado, and in no particular order, here are the 10 games couples should look at today.
1. Portal 2
Platforms: PC, Xbox 360 (playable on Xbox Series and One consoles via backwards compatibility), PS3, Switch.
What is it?
Mind-bending first-person physics puzzles, beatable via only cooperation. You both have a portal gun, capable of creating inter-spatial portals between flat surfaces. It starts off simple, but ramps up in difficulty quickly, as the video below shows.
Difficulty for non-gamers?
Even though the weapons simply fire portals, the controls are your standard first-person shooter fare, which isn’t welcoming to newcomers. And you need to react quickly for some of the more advanced challenges, too.
9/10
Chances of causing a breakup? While you rely on the other player, comically failing in a slapstick manner is all part of the fun.
5/10
Buy now£14.99, Xbox.com
2. Unravel 2
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Switch
What is it?
You and your partner take on the role of little yarn people, using their loose threads to solve puzzles in a clever take on the platform genre.
Difficulty for non-gamers?
Definitely on the easier end for non-gamers. It’s 2D only, the controls are simple enough, and there’s no pressure to complete things against the clock.
3/10
Chances of causing a breakup?
You’d have to be on very shaky ground for the easygoing, charming world of Unravel 2 to prompt your relationship to, uh, unravel.
2/10
Buy now£20.88, Amazon
3. Overcooked! All You Can Eat
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Switch
What is it?
You play chefs working in a series of bizarre and impractical kitchens trying to make dishes against the clock. If you don’t work together like clockwork, the dishes will pile up and fires could break out… just like in real life.
Difficulty for non-gamers?
The controls are extremely simple, but the challenge ramps up quite quickly. There’s a requirement to be quick and for such a cartoony game it can feel surprisingly stressful as the orders keep piling in.
4/10
Chances of causing a breakup?
You wouldn’t believe it to look at it, but extremely high. Overcooked can cause arguments, especially if one partner is carrying the other — or burns the pizzas to require the whole process to start over again. Proceed with caution.
9/10
Buy now£9.99, Amazon
4. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Switch
What is it?
Up to four players pilot the same spaceship, viewed in cross-section. You and your crew must jump between the controls for the turrets, lasers, shields and thrusters to overcome every challenge that comes your way.
Difficulty for non-gamers?
It’s all 2D and the controls are very simple. But while it’s not as frantic as Overcooked, it can still require timely responses.
3/10
Chances of causing a breakup?
It’s a tough old game, but generally it manages to be exciting rather than frustrating. All the same, proceed with caution if you’re on thin ice.
5/10
Buy now£5.99, Xbox.com
5. It Takes Two
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Switch
What is it?
An incredibly varied, story-led action-adventure game designed for two players to work through together. A couple on the brink of divorce turned into hand-made dolls by their worried daughter must work together, while making the most of their new bodies’ limitations.
Difficulty for non-gamers?
Moderate-to-high difficulty, as it’s a 3D environment. But with a bit of trial and error, non-gamers should be able to muddle through.
7/10
Chances of causing a breakup?
The gameplay itself is pretty gentle and unlikely to cause heated arguments, but the story about a couple on the brink of divorce might touch a nerve (even if the characters are so annoying that you invariably sympathise with both parties).
4/10
Buy now£33, Argos
6. Fortnite
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series
What is it?
The biggest battle royale game on the planet. The PlayStation and Xbox versions support two players in split-screen mode, meaning you can take on the world together (PC and Switch versions don’t, unfortunately).
Difficulty for non-gamers?
Pretty high. Not only does it involve standard first-person shooter controls and quick reflexes, but it’s also multiplayer only and your opponents will have been playing a long time.
8/10
Chances of causing a breakup?
You’re more likely to be infuriated by your opponents than each other, and the shared disdain would probably strengthen most relationships.
2/10
Download now£Free, PlayStation
7. Minecraft
Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS3, PS4, PS5 (via backwards compatibility), Switch
What is it?
The original world-building adventure. Mine a procedurally generated environment for materials to build the world of your dreams.
Difficulty for non-gamers?
Not that high. It’s 3D, but the enemies can be disabled for a nice, relaxed building sim without the survival pressures.
4/10
Chances of causing a breakup?
As long as you don’t destroy your partner’s meticulously built tower, or nick their resources when they’re not looking, you should be fine.
3/10
Buy now£12.99, PlayStation
8. Cuphead
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series (via backwards compatibility), PS4, PS5 (via backwards compatibility), Switch
What is it?
A 1930s cartoon come to life in the form of a devilishly hard platform game for two players to enjoy together.
Difficulty for non-gamers?
Forget non-gamers, this is a hard one for dedicated players. It’s the kind of game that’ll see you banging your head against the same wall until it finally breaks — but if that kind of game appeals to you, you’ll love it.
10/10
Chances of causing a breakup?
You’re more likely to gain a shared hatred of some of the tougher bosses (looking at you, Grim Matchstick) than of each other. That said, some resentment might creep in if you have to constantly put yourself in danger for a revive.
7/10
Buy now£16.99, Nintendo
9. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Platforms: Switch
What is it?
The Mushroom Kingdom’s familiar goodies and baddies put aside their differences for an afternoon’s go-karting. Playable by up to four in split-screen mode, or by two if you want to take on human players online together.
Difficulty for non-gamers?
Middling: it’s a simple game, but it still requires multiple buttons and controlling your kart in 3D. But there are options to make it easier, including auto steering and tilt controls if it’s proving tricky.
5/10
Chances of causing a breakup?
Let’s just say that firing a blue shell at your partner is considered an act of war in most households.
6/10
Buy now£36.99, Amazon
10. Untitled Goose Game
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5 (via backwards compatibility), Xbox One, Xbox Series (via backwards compatibilit), Switch
What is it?
A charming short game about a goose ruining people’s days. Originally for one player only, developer House House added a second goose to the mix by popular demand. Honk!
Difficulty for non-gamers?
While some of the puzzles are a bit fiddly, the controls are simple enough. And half the fun is going around honking at people anyway.
2/10
Chances of causing a breakup?
If you break up over a pair of fictional geese, your relationship likely has deeper structural issues.
1/10
Buy now£13.65, Amazon
