5 Great Co-op Games To Play With Someone You Love

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and while many couples are ordering each other flowers and chocolates, making dinner plans, or checking Netflix for a good flick to curl up on the couch in front of, gamers know the real way to win over your loved one is to share in a co-operative gaming session. From solving mind-bending puzzles together to just plain unwinding for some mindless fun, whether in person or miles apart, there are plenty of great options out there for people who want to share their love of gaming with that someone special. Here are five of our personal recommendations for those looking to enjoy some quality time with their co-op player 2 this V-Day.

Honorable Mentions

Fortnite Battle Royale

Or insert your favorite co-op shooter here. Really any game that lets you team up and take on other teams is bound to be a good time for you and that special squadmate. Just be sure at least one of you is actually good at the game because an army of 14-year-olds who just learned what racial slurs are can instantly ruin a good time if you’re both complete noobs. Maybe turn off voice chat just to be safe.

LEGO video games

Take your pick – basically all of the Lego games can be played cooperatively, so it’s pretty much just a matter of what you’re into. These games are goofy, lighthearted, and charming, but best of all, they’re really not that challenging. You’ll rarely get stuck, lost, or otherwise inconvenienced in these games, which means you can relax and enjoy your time together. And since you’re in control of the character selection, you get to roleplay as whatever duo you ship in your chosen franchise. Indy and Marian in the Indiana Jones games? Naturally. Jack Sparrow and Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean? Sure, why not? Chewie and Jar Jar…okay, we’ve crossed a line here, but you get the idea.

Now to the top 5!

5. Untitled Goose Game

For anyone who ever thought “Gee, tormenting this small British village as a malevolent goose sure is fun, but I wish I could do this with a partner,” developer House House has you covered with the free multiplayer expansion to the 2019 indie smash Untitled Goose Game. Yes, you can now play as not one but two untitled gooses raising minor heck as you solve puzzles and avoid confrontations with the locals who, it must be said, are just trying to enjoy a nice afternoon free of your harassment. This game is perfect for couples who can enjoy a good laugh at the absurdity of a goose pretending to be a lawn ornament without fear that your partner is going to think you’re terrible for tying that little boy’s shoes together and honking at him until he trips into a puddle for the fourth time. (You might actually be terrible for doing that, but we’re not here to judge.) It’s also a nice change of pace from more intense games where death is the punishment for failing to git gud, so it’s a great option for those who may be looking for a more relaxed experience with their significant other. Best of all, it’s not a super long game, so you’ll still have time for other romantic activities after you’ve had your fun with it.

4. Until Dawn

Okay, so technically this isn’t a co-op game in the traditional sense – it can be played by one single player, even though there are multiple playable characters. And sure, the more recent Supermassive games, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan and Little Hope, have been more obviously designed with co-op in mind, with a “Movie Night” mode that allows you to assign characters to individual players and pass the controller when it’s someone else’s turn. But there are a few reasons we would argue that the original is the best for date night. First and foremost, it’s just plain scarier than the later games. Man of Medan was…fine, though for our money it’s not as creepy and you’ll likely see the ending coming from a nautical mile away. (Wait, are nautical miles longer or shorter than regular miles? Sorry, our boating knowledge is mainly limited to puns about seamen and poop decks.) Little Hope is definitely creepy, but it feels like the setting and premise is less appropriate for couples looking to enjoy a scary game together – creepy little girls and witch trials can definitely kill the mood. Nope, there’s a reason why a teen slasher flick has been the date night go-to for decades now, and that’s what Until Dawn delivers in spades. The characters and setup are familiar for fans of the genre, and there’s a bit of mystery to keep you engaged as the story begins to unfold. There’s also plenty of tension mixed with lighter moments and some well-placed jumpscares and quick time events to get your adrenaline pumping. Plus, if the game manages to scare the pants off you…well, you’re halfway there already, aren’t you? Bonus points for those who play the game “cooperatively” by deciding on their least favorite characters and intentionally getting them killed. The couple that kills together stays together, we always say. (Okay, we never say that.)

3. Cuphead

At first blush, it might seem like this entry is only for couples where both partners are hardcore gamers, but despite its reputation as a hard-as-nails run and gunner, Cuphead is actually a much more accessible (not to mention fun) co-op game than it seems. The art style and music go a long way toward appealing to casual or non-gamers, and the progress bar that displays each time you fail out of a level gives you that extra little push to try again, either to see if you can get farther than last time or to finally get over that last challenging bit to finish the stage for good. The fact that you can save each other from death by successfully parrying your partner’s ghost as it floats up to the top of the screen adds to the feeling that you really need to have each other’s back to succeed, and any time your partner says “It’s okay, go on without me, you’ve got this,” you’ll instantly be filled with a renewed courage to gut it out for the one you love, heroically overcoming any obstacle to make sure their sacrifice was not in vain. Considering this isn’t really a “finish it in one sitting” game anyway, you can feel good about whatever progress you do make in a single session unless you’re one of those ultra-competitive types who has to 100% everything on the first try, in which case hopefully your partner is one too or you’ll probably be disappointed. Cuphead reminds us all that relationships can be hard work, but there’s still fun to be had in taking on a challenge and doing the best you can to overcome it together.

2. Overcooked 2

Another game whose cutesy exterior hides a surprisingly challenging core gameplay experience, the original Overcooked and its sequel do have a bit of a reputation as relationship/friendship killers, but those willing to take on the challenge will come out the other side feeling stronger than ever. Communication is key in Overcooked because everything you do affects your partner in some way, especially as the kitchens and dishes get more complex – this is not a situation where one strong player can completely carry the team. You need to be able to tell your partner what you’re doing and what you need from them, and the two of you need to negotiate what each person will be responsible for in order to be successful. But that’s exactly why this is such a great game to play with a partner – those skills are absolutely crucial in a relationship. (Or at least that’s what the Cosmo quiz we took before writing this list told us anyway.) Plus, the ways you can fail in this game are just so darn funny that you probably won’t care if somebody screws up – heck, reaching the point where you both realize you aren’t going to succeed and intentionally trashing the kitchen before restarting can be a great tension reliever. It certainly doesn’t hurt when you realize you can throw tomatoes at each other or serve up stupid non-meals like a hamburger bun with nothing but lettuce, and the first time you see your significant other slip off an ice floe or fall from a hot air balloon only to do the exact same thing a second later is certain to bring you together in laughter as you realize just how absurd the whole thing is. And hey, if all this virtual cooking inspires you to go whip up a romantic dinner together IRL, that’s just an added bonus.

1. Unravel 2

If you’re looking for a game that’s every bit as cute without quite as much of a challenge as the previous two games on the list, Unravel 2 might just be the game for you. This game isn’t remotely subtle about the importance of working together – the two Yarnys, one red as in the single player-only original game and a blue newcomer (though you can change the color if you want), literally find a spark when tethered together, and many of the puzzles require the two players to figure out who needs to give the other some slack or who needs to be able to reel the other in to prevent them from falling into peril. There are also just enough dark moments to remind you of the importance of perseverance but not to overwhelm the otherwise light tone of the game. Actually, we take it back – there’s definitely nothing metaphorical about relationships going on here. Apart from the gameplay, the visuals in this game are absolutely gorgeous – you’ll probably catch yourself dreaming of spring/summer vacations in the countryside together, which is not a bad thing if you’re playing the game on Valentine’s Day in the middle of winter. Plus if either (or both) of you are the crafty sort, you’re definitely going to want to make your own Yarny, which could turn out adorable or hilariously awful, depending on your skill level. (Not that we could do any better, for the record.) Of course, you could also just buy one off Etsy if you’re willing to sully an embodiment of your love and devotion by resorting to something as crass as spending money, but since Valentine’s Day is a totally artificial capitalist construct anyway, we guess that would be entirely in keeping with the spirit of the holiday.

Wait, it feels like we kind of got off on a tangent there. What were we talking about? Oh yeah, play Unravel 2 and Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

So that’s our list of games you should definitely try out with the person you love this Valentine’s Day. Are you planning on trying out any of these games with a partner? Any other great co-op games we missed? Let us know in the comments and be sure to follow us on Twitter @FilmIronic to stay up to date on all things entertainment!