8 Games Like It Takes Two for Unforgettable Co-Op Play

It Takes Two is an iconic GOTY winner for a reason, but what do you do once you’ve finished it? It doesn’t have the best replayability value, but that doesn’t mean the journey has to end. Here are 8 other games to give you the same co-op feel (some of which are even developed by the same company).

It Takes Two swept the gaming world when it launched in 2021, winning Game of the Year and proving that mandatory co-op experiences could deliver something truly special. Director Josef Fares and Hazelight Studios crafted a game where every puzzle, platform sequence, and narrative beat required two players working in perfect sync. There were no AI companions or solo mode to rely on, just pure cooperative gameplay tied directly to an emotional story with deep themes that resonated strongly with so many people.

But once you and your partner finish Cody and May’s journey, where do you turn next? The co-op landscape offers plenty of alternatives, though few games nail the same balance of constant mechanical variety, split-screen intimacy, and narrative-driven cooperation. This guide breaks down eight games that capture different aspects of what made It Takes Two resonate, from gritty cinematic adventures to chaotic kitchen coordination, helping you find your next unforgettable co-op experience based on what matters most to you and your play partner.

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8 Best Alternatives to It Takes Two

The best alternatives won’t replicate all these elements. Few games do, but understanding which pillars matter most to you helps narrow the search. Craving constant surprises? Prioritize mechanical variety. Want emotional storytelling? Focus on narrative-driven titles. Need to play from separate cities? Online support becomes non-negotiable.

Here are the 8 best options available right now:

Game	Rating	Genre	Best for	Platforms
Split Fiction	96% positive on Steam (>20,000 reviews) and 91/100 on Metacritic	Action-adventure	Players who loved It Takes Two’s emotional story‑driven co‑op and want a	PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch 2
A Way Out	88% positive on Steam (>23,000 reviews) and 78/100 on Metacritic	Co‑op cinematic action‑adventure	Pairs who want a movie‑like prison‑break and road‑trip story	PC, PS4 & PS5, Xbox One, & Xbox Series
Portal 2	98% positive on Steam (>166,000 reviews) and 95/100 on Metacritic	First‑person puzzle‑platformer	Duos who want precision puzzles and co‑op problem‑solving	PC, Mac, Linux, PS3, Xbox 360
Unravel Two	75% positive on Steam (2,500 reviews) and 77/100 on Metacritic	Puzzle‑platformer	Players who want gentle, visually rich couch co‑op with forgiving difficulty and short sessions	PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Overcooked 2	93% positive on Steam (>13,000 reviews) and 81/100 on Metacritic	Party-style cooking management	Groups of 2 – 4 looking for chaotic, shout‑at‑your‑friends co‑op and high replay value	PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime	93% positive on Steam (>1,500 reviews) and 82/100 on Metacritic	Co‑op action space shooter	2 – 4 player groups who enjoy hectic, communication‑heavy co‑op where everyone juggles different roles	PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Rayman Legends	85% positive on Steam (4,000 reviews) and 92/100 on Metacritic	2D platformer	Families and platformer fans who want tight controls, optional co‑op, and high‑replay challenge stages	PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita
Sackboy: A Big Adventure	82% positive on Steam (>1,500 reviews) and 79/100 on Metacritic	3D platformer	Families, younger players, and co‑op groups who want a friendly, low‑friction platformer with flexible 1–4 player support	PS4, PS5, PC

1. Split Fiction

If you’ve finished It Takes Two (and if you haven’t, you really should), then the logical next step is the spiritual successor, Split Fiction. Also developed by Hazelight Studios, they took everything they learned from It Takes Two and turned the dial up to 11 in one of the best action-adventure games available now. If playing It Takes Two was like being in a plane for the first time, then Split Fiction is like going to space. It features the same mandatory 2-player but only-one-copy-is-needed design with split-screen gameplay that keeps you involved in both characters.

It’s hard to explain just how diverse and well designed every aspect of this game is. A grittier and darker story with even more over-the-top mechanics that vary as much as the level design while seamlessly blending the best elements of fantasy and science fiction. In one level you’ll be parkouring across flying cars while cutting your way through cyber ninjas with a laser whip in a futuristic metropolis, only to spend the next level peacefully trudging through a mysterious forest as a sentient shapeshifting tree building platforms to help your giant purple gorilla partner across.

And all of this is wrapped up in a gripping story with vivid and beautiful design and likeable characters that feel real. They’re deeply flawed and it’s easy to get invested in the story as you help them overcome their problems, solve puzzles, and fight bad guys.

2. A Way Out

A Way Out is where Hazelight started their iconic mandatory 2-player but only-one-copy-needed experience, except that this one has a darker tone with a grittier story and more anxiety-inducing gameplay. Teamwork is essential because the desperation behind this game is the fact that you and a friend will be trying to break out of prison, coordinating distractions to steal keys, scaling air vents back-to-back, and helping each other sneak past guards.

Just like their other games, Hazelight developed this one with split-screen gameplay that forces you to coordinate strategies with precise timing to avoid getting caught by the guards. And it’s not just stealthy planning. The game also has intense action scenes that play almost like Mario Party games, such as one of you speeding in a car down a busy highway dodging other cars with your friend in the back trying desperately to shoot the wheels of the police cars that are chasing you.

The core mechanics (like the 3rd-person shooting and driving) can feel quite simple, but it doesn’t really matter because that’s not the point of the game. There’s more than enough to keep you engaged for the short story, and the final hour of gameplay wraps it up in a surprisingly strong and justifiably over-the-top ending.

3. Portal 2

Portal 2 offers a different experience to the other games in this list because it’s primarily a puzzle-solving game with the completely unique mechanic of creating portals to manipulate the world’s physics to your advantage. That might be as simple as helping your partner cross a chasm to a ledge they can’t see by creating two portals from a vantage point that gives you vision on both to jumping off a high ledge into a portal with the plan of carrying your momentum as you get launched out the other side to a new height you once thought unreachable.

The game has no combat, no intense action scenes, and no new mechanics introduced every level like Hazelight’s titles, but each room brings a new puzzle that forces you to stretch your mind as you and your partner come up with ways to navigate it. The best part is that there’s no one right answer to each puzzle, so you’re not locked into running through every possible option until you hit the right one. There might be an intended route for the campaign, but that doesn’t stop you from using your creativity and exploiting the game’s mechanics to discover unintended solutions and shortcuts. And once you’ve finished the campaign, the replayability is essentially endless as the game has an active community with hundreds of custom Steam Workshop maps that push the game’s mechanics to their limits and encourage extensive trial and error.

If that wasn’t enough, then you can also expect some banter with the various voices that talk to you as the game goes on, doing everything from insulting your methods to actively discouraging your progression; but it only makes you want to keep pushing forward. The humour is clever and brilliantly delivered by exceptional voice actors like Steven Merchant and J. K. Simmons. There’s a reason it’s regarded as one of the most popular games of all time despite the low copies sold (not that 30 million is low) compared to titles like Minecraft.

4. Unravel Two

Unravel Two is the first 2D puzzle-platformer on this list, but it’s definitely one of the most unique. You play as an adorable creature made of yarn trying to maneuver your way across the beautiful Swedish countryside and grim suburban areas. The core mechanic of this super relaxing game is the fact that, since you’re yarn, you’re connected and have limited “body” to play with before collecting more yarn to replenish your stores. This means you have to be strategic about how you solve certain sections so that you don’t run out of yarn and have to backtrack to pick it all up and figure out another solution.

It might sound tedious, but it’s actually the main appeal of the game (aside from the aesthetic landscapes and cute characters). Part of solving each puzzle means deciding how to best use the yarn you have available, whether it’s creating bridges to carry platforms across, trampolines to launch you higher, or ropes to swing across gaps. Everything is slow paced and calm, which is different from It Takes Two’s chaos but requires the same level of collaboration.

There is a single-player mode that allows you to switch between the two characters at will without you feeling disadvantaged, it’s not quite the same as sharing the experience with a friend and laughing as you struggle to get the timing right on some complicated swings. And if you beat the main story and feel like you want more, there are some more difficult optional challenges to keep you engaged.

5. Overcooked 2

Have you ever had one of those dreams where everything is chaotic? You’re in an office with a million things to do, you don’t know where anything is, and your coworkers are yelling at you. Now imagine that chaos was a cartooney game about a restaurant, and you’ve got Overcooked 2. The core gameplay loop is extremely simple: your team of 2 – 4 chefs has to navigate your restaurant, completing orders by finding ingredients, preparing them correctly (such as chopping cucumbers), cooking them the right way, grabbing dishes, assembling the ingredients for the right meal, then washing the dishes for your next orders. But that barely scratches the surface of how chaotic this game gets.

Each level ramps up the difficulty by throwing you into increasingly disorganized level design and complicated recipes to the point where you’ll each be on your own floating blimp with access to specific ingredients and cooking utensils, having to throw dishes and food (cooked and uncooked) across the gaps and hoping they land in the right place. Throw water and uncooked rice across, cook rice, throw it back, wrap it with raw fish and plate it, throw it back, serve it. Miss and it’s gone forever, so you’ll have to start again. And that’s still in the first half of the game’s campaign!

The outrageously infuriating twists and turns that the game throws at you after every level are guaranteed to keep you engaged whenever you’ve got friends to play with.

6. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime feels like someone thought, “Remember Asteroids, the really old arcade game? What if we reimagined that as a co-op spacecraft shooter?” The basic gameplay will have you running around your circular ship to fill different roles like captain, gunner, and even shield controls to rescue stranded people. It’s chaotic, difficult, and filled with unexpected twists and waves of enemies that spawn every time you rescue someone.

Each level has numerous upgrade “gems” you can collect and equip to different stations in your chip, from more powerful guns to shields that reflect bullets. There might not be that many unique gems, but you can mix and match them to create unique effects on different stations. Each level is different as well, with some throwing intense challenges like a white dwarf star that explodes and ends the run if you don’t finish the level quick enough.

Co-op and communication is essential, especially if you want to beat the boss fights and survive the game’s steep difficulty spikes after the first few levels. At least if the game feels too difficult there are difficulty settings that can make the experience easier, since the game’s main focus is fun.

7. Rayman Legends

While Rayman Legends isn’t exactly the true modern reboot of the Rayman series (that title goes to Rayman Origins), it’s widely considered as the successful reboot attempt that the series so desperately needed. It’s a combat- and platforming-focused experience that starts off with simple running, jumping, and punching and expands to unlock different movement and combat abilities that you’ll need to cope with the scaling difficulty and genre bending.

The game has co-op as the main focus (though it can be played solo), but there’s no online option for it so you’re stuck with couch co-op. There’s nothing wrong with couch co-op, but it means you won’t be able to play with friends unless they’re in the same house as you.

Rayman Legends also features an iconic Looney Tunes art style and music direction that works extremely well to blend into the environment and make the secret passages, discoverable areas, and diverse enemies feel like they belong. It brilliantly encourages exploration to discover various minigames and unlockables for your characters that’ll keep you coming back for more until you’ve unlocked everything.

8. Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Sackboy: A Big Adventure takes the charming LittleBigPlanet universe and transforms it into a full 3D platformer that feels like exploring elaborate dioramas made from household crafts. Every level is constructed from cardboard, felt, yarn, and other tactile materials that create a cozy aesthetic while hiding surprisingly diverse gameplay. One moment you’re bouncing across fabric platforms and punching enemy sacks, the next you’re riding a dinosaur through a collapsing temple or grappling across chasms with a hookshot-style gadget.

The game constantly introduces new mechanics and powerups to keep things fresh (jet packs, boomerangs, blasters, etc.) but unlike It Takes Two’s relentless variety, Sackboy revisits these tools across multiple levels to let you master them. Combat is simple button-mashing fun against creative enemies made from socks and kitchen utensils, and each level hides collectibles like costume pieces and score bubbles that encourage thorough exploration. The controls can feel slightly floaty compared to tighter platformers like Mario, which becomes noticeable during precision jumping sections, but it rarely ruins the experience.

What really elevates Sackboy is the music integration. The original score blends seamlessly with levels that synchronize platforming to clever reworks of popular tracks. You’ll jump and roll through obstacle courses timed to songs like Uptown Funk and Toxic, creating rhythm-game-like moments that feel both nostalgic and inventive. It’s family-friendly enough that younger players can enjoy the campaign with generous checkpoints, but completionists will find substantial challenge in the optional time trials and hidden collectibles that require near-perfect execution.

What Makes It Takes Two Special

It Takes Two’s design rests on several pillars that set it apart from typical co-op experiences:

• Mandatory co-op integration: Unlike games that tack on co-op as an optional mode, It Takes Two builds every puzzle, combat encounter, and traversal challenge around two players with distinct abilities. There’s no AI companion option and no solo workaround; you need a partner. This design commitment means Hazelight could create scenarios impossible in single-player games: moments where one player operates a crane while the other navigates obstacles, or sequences where both players control separate halves of a boss fight simultaneously. The game earned a 88/100 on Metacritic partly because this mandatory approach ensured every mechanic felt purposeful rather than tacked-on.
• Relentless mechanical variety: Most co-op games find a core loop and iterate on it. It Takes Two throws that rulebook out the window. You might spend one chapter as action figures with grappling hooks and rail grinding, then shift to navigating a cuckoo clock’s interior with time manipulation powers, then take on the roles of magic-using. This constant reinvention occurs every 20-30 minutes, preventing the fatigue that plagues longer co-op campaigns. Each chapter introduces completely new mechanics that never repeat, creating those “wow, we’re doing WHAT now?” moments that make it memorable.
• Narrative-driven cooperation: The mechanics mirror the story’s themes. Cody and May are divorcing parents who’ve been turned into dolls, forced to work together to return to their daughter. Puzzles requiring communication, compromise, and synchronized timing aren’t just gameplay challenges, they’re metaphors for relationship repair that hit harder than you might expect. Cooperation feels emotionally significant rather than purely mechanical. We’ve heard numerous people (friends and significant others) say the game brought them closer or solved real problems in their relationships.
• Split-screen intimacy: Whether playing locally or online, It Takes Two uses split-screen presentation that keeps both players constantly aware of their partner’s perspective and position. You’re never wondering “where are you?” or waiting idly while your partner explores alone. This shared visual space creates natural communication opportunities and maintains pacing. You can sit back after a tough platforming section and laugh as your companion misses the jump and flies over the edge. Don’t worry, there’s no penalty for mistakes; it’s about overcoming challenges together, however many attempts that takes.
• Ease of access: Where Hazelight really showed how much they care about gamers is how easy the game is to play. It’s fully cross-platform, meaning you can play with any friend you want so long as either one or both of you have something that can run it (and the specs are pretty generous), and you don’t even need to both own the game! One copy is good enough for both of you.

Despite the benefits, It Takes Two’s highly curated experience comes with trade-offs. The 10-12 hour campaign and lack of collectibles or customization means the experience is short without much replayability. It’s amazing the first time, but pretty “meh” the next. You’ve seen all the surprises, and low difficulty might be perfect for casual duos or one-time experiences, but it leaves hardcore players wanting more challenge.

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How to Choose the Next Co-Op Game for You

Finding the right co-op game depends on several practical factors beyond just “it looks fun.” Here’s what to evaluate before committing time and money to your next shared adventure:

• Genre and gameplay style: Consider what type of gameplay or video game genre you and your partner actually enjoy. Portal 2 demands methodical puzzle-solving with minimal action, while Overcooked 2 throws you into frantic time-pressure chaos. Platforming-focused games like Rayman Legends and Sackboy require decent reflexes and timing, whereas narrative-driven experiences like A Way Out and Split Fiction prioritize storytelling over mechanical skill. If you’re unsure, look at what you enjoyed most about It Takes Two; was it the puzzle segments, the boss fights, the story moments, or the platforming?
• Difficulty and accessibility: Skill gaps between partners can make or break co-op experiences. Games with forgiving difficulty like Unravel Two and Sackboy work well for mixed-skill pairs or when playing with younger family members, offering generous checkpoints and minimal punishment for failure. Portal 2 and Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime ramp up significantly, requiring sharper reflexes and problem-solving.
• Platform compatibility: Verify that both you and your partner can actually access the game on your existing hardware. Split Fiction and Portal 2 offer broad cross-platform support, while Sackboy remains PlayStation and PC exclusive. If you’re on different platforms (Xbox and PlayStation or console and PC for instance), cross-platform support becomes essential, otherwise you’re shopping for entirely different games despite wanting to play together.
• Session length and time commitment: Consider how much time you can realistically dedicate per session. Overcooked 2 and Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime work perfectly for 30-minute bursts with clear stopping points between levels. Split Fiction and Portal 2 campaigns demand longer sessions (2-3 hours minimum) to make meaningful progress through chapters.
• Replayability needs: Some co-op games are “one and done” experiences that are phenomenal the first time, but offer little reason to return. A Way Out and Split Fiction fall into this category with linear stories that lose impact on replay. Portal 2 counters this with community-created Workshop puzzles that provide essentially infinite content. Overcooked 2 builds replayability through star rankings and optional challenges that encourage perfecting your kitchen coordination. If you want a game you’ll return to repeatedly, prioritize titles with procedural elements, user-generated content, or mastery-focused objectives beyond just “finish the story.”
• Player count flexibility: Most games on this list focus on 2-player experiences, but Overcooked 2, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, Rayman Legends, and Sackboy support 3-4 players. If you regularly game with a larger group, this flexibility matters.

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Your Next Co-Op Adventure Awaits

The co-op games landscape offers far more variety than most players realize, and while no single title perfectly replicates It Takes Two’s magic formula, each alternative on this list excels at specific elements that made Hazelight’s masterpiece special. Whether you prioritize brain-bending puzzles, emotionally resonant storytelling, chaotic party gameplay, or family-friendly platforming, there’s an experience here that’ll create memorable moments with your gaming partner.

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Games Like It Takes Two FAQs

Can You Play Games Like It Takes Two Solo?

Most games on this list support single-player modes, but the experience differs significantly. Unravel Two and Sackboy let you control both characters or play with AI, while Portal 2 has a separate single-player campaign. However, the mandatory co-op design that makes It Takes Two special means you lose the synchronized teamwork and communication that defines these experiences.

Are There Mobile Games Like It Takes Two?

Currently, no mobile games truly replicate It Takes Two’s mandatory co-op design and mechanical variety. Mobile platforms lack the processing power and dual-controller setup needed for split-screen experiences. Your best option for portable co-op is the Nintendo Switch, which supports several alternatives including Overcooked 2 and Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime.

Are There Harder Games Like It Takes Two for Experienced Players?

Portal 2 offers significantly more challenging puzzles that require precise coordination and creative problem-solving. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime ramps up difficulty quickly with steep challenges and communication requirements. Both provide more substantial difficulty than It Takes Two’s accessible approach while maintaining strong co-op focus.

Can You Play Games Like It Takes Two Cross-platform?

Cross-platform support varies by game. Split Fiction offers full cross-platform play across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Portal 2 supports cross-play between PC and PS3. However, many alternatives like A Way Out, Overcooked 2, and Sackboy restrict co-op to players on the same platform family, so verify compatibility before purchasing if you and your partner use different systems.