🧵 15 Games Like It Takes Two for Two Players
Published · list data as of
It Takes Two is hard to replace because it does something few games attempt: a story that only works with two people, where each character can do things the other cannot, and the genre changes every chapter. Nothing matches it exactly. But several games get close on one of those points — and this list is sorted by how close, not by rating.
The closest matches come from the same studio. Hazelight made Split Fiction after It Takes Two and A Way Out before it — both, like It Takes Two, can only be played by two, and both come with the Friend’s Pass: only one of you needs to own the game, the second person plays for free. After those come games that share the other half of the appeal — puzzles you can only solve by talking to each other, such as Portal 2 with its own co-op campaign, or Unravel Two, whose two heroes are tied together by a thread.
How rare this kind of game is shows in our compendium. Of 1,275 couch co-op games, 154 are story co-op for two in the broadest sense: full campaign in co-op, two local players, platforming or puzzles. Only 18 of them came out since 2020, and only 45 split the screen — most put both players in one picture, as Unravel Two or Cuphead do. Whether that matters to you is covered in couch co-op vs. split-screen.
Played It Takes Two as a couple? Then Haven is worth a look — a role-playing game about two lovers on the run — and our list of the best co-op games for couples has more.
| Platform | Games from this list |
|---|---|
| PC | 13 |
| Nintendo Switch / Switch 2 | 13 |
| Xbox One / Series X|S | 12 |
| PlayStation 4 (also run on PS5) | 11 |
| PlayStation 5 native | 4 |
| Story co-op for two in our compendium | 154 — of those since 2020: 18 |
Platforms as listed in the IGDB games database, 30 September 2026. „Story co-op for two“: full campaign in co-op, two local players, platform or puzzle genre.
How we picked
- Every game can be played by two people on one device — local co-op documented in the IGDB games database.
- Sorted by closeness to It Takes Two, not by rating: same studio first, then communication puzzles, then platformers for two, then quieter story games.
- Available on at least one current platform, so you can actually play it.
| # | Game | Year | Rating | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Split Fiction | 2025 | 90 | 247 |
| 2 | A Way Out | 2018 | 76 | 686 |
| 3 | Portal 2 | 2011 | 92 | 4,497 |
| 4 | Unravel Two | 2018 | 79 | 219 |
| 5 | Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince | 2019 | 76 | 87 |
| 6 | Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together! | 2017 | 76 | 48 |
| 7 | Overcooked! 2 | 2018 | 80 | 319 |
| 8 | Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime | 2015 | 78 | 88 |
| 9 | Human: Fall Flat | 2016 | 71 | 274 |
| 10 | Kirby and the Forgotten Land | 2022 | 85 | 107 |
| 11 | Cuphead | 2017 | 86 | 937 |
| 12 | Rayman Legends | 2013 | 83 | 664 |
| 13 | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | 2022 | 81 | 150 |
| 14 | Haven | 2020 | 73 | 49 |
| 15 | Spiritfarer | 2020 | 87 | 147 |
Rating = combined critic and player score in the IGDB database (0–100); votes = number of ratings behind it.
- 1
Split Fiction2025
90 / 100PlatformPuzzleAdventure🛋️ Split-screen up to 2The follow-up from the same studio (2025): two writers trapped inside their own stories, switching between science fiction and fantasy. Again for two players only, with the Friend’s Pass.
- 2
A Way Out2018
76 / 100Adventure🛋️ Split-screen up to 2Hazelight’s 2018 prison break: two inmates, one escape, in split-screen throughout — and also for two only.
- 3
Portal 22011
92 / 100PlatformPuzzleAdventure🛋️ Split-screen up to 2A separate co-op campaign for two robots: every room needs four portals, so nothing works without talking.
- 4
Unravel Two2018
79 / 100PlatformPuzzleAdventureTwo yarn figures tied together by a thread — platform puzzles that only work as a pair, on one shared picture.
- 5
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince2019
76 / 100PlatformPuzzleAdventure🛋️ Split-screen up to 4Heroes with different abilities, physics puzzles in a fairy-tale setting, split-screen for up to four.
- 6
Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together!2017
76 / 100PlatformPuzzleTwo paper figures cut each other into shape to solve puzzles — as much talking as It Takes Two, in shorter bites.
- 7
Overcooked! 22018
80 / 100SimulatorStrategyTacticalChaos in the kitchen: whoever stops talking burns the onions. Communication as the whole game.
- 8
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime2015
78 / 100ShooterPuzzleSimulatorOne spaceship, several stations, too few hands: who steers, who shoots, who holds the shield?
- 9
Human: Fall Flat2016
71 / 100PlatformPuzzleSimulator🛋️ Split-screen up to 2Wobbly figures, physics puzzles and a lot of laughing — in split-screen for two.
- 10
Kirby and the Forgotten Land2022
85 / 100PlatformAdventureKirby’s first big 3D adventure; a second player joins as Bandana Waddle Dee.
- 11
Cuphead2017
86 / 100ShooterPlatformAdventureBoss fights drawn like 1930s cartoons — hard, but manageable together.
- 12
Rayman Legends2013
83 / 100PlatformAdventureOne of the best 2D platformers, for up to four players; on Switch as the Definitive Edition.
- 13
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga2022
81 / 100PuzzleAdventure🛋️ Split-screen up to 2All nine films as an adventure for two in split-screen, with the usual LEGO humour.
- 14
Haven2020
73 / 100Role-playing (RPG)AdventureIndieTwo lovers on the run on a strange planet — a role-playing game about a relationship, for two on one screen.
- 15
Spiritfarer2020
87 / 100PlatformSimulatorAdventureA warm-hearted game about saying goodbye; a second player controls Daffodil the cat.
Frequently asked questions
What is the game most like It Takes Two?
Split Fiction — made by the same studio, Hazelight, released in 2025. Like It Takes Two it can only be played by two, switches ideas constantly and has the Friend’s Pass.
Which games like It Takes Two are on Switch?
13 of the 15 on this list, including Split Fiction, Portal 2, Unravel Two, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Snipperclips and Overcooked! 2. All couch co-op games for the console are on our Switch page.
Which games like It Takes Two are on PS5?
Four are listed for PS5 natively — Split Fiction, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Human: Fall Flat and Haven. Most PS4 games also run on a PS5, which covers 12 of the 15. More on our PS5 page.
Is there something like It Takes Two for one player?
It Takes Two, Split Fiction and A Way Out require two players. The other twelve games on this list can also be played alone — Unravel Two, Trine 4 or Kirby and the Forgotten Land work well solo.
Do both players need to buy the game?
Not for the Hazelight games: It Takes Two, Split Fiction and A Way Out come with the Friend’s Pass, so the second player joins online for free. On one console with split-screen, one copy is enough anyway.