Games like It Takes Two and Split Fiction, sorted by why you loved them

02 / The reasons

What makes It Takes Two and Split Fiction hard to replace

Both games are co-op only. Every level gives the two players different abilities that only work together, and the story is about the relationship between the two characters you control: a couple turned into dolls in It Takes Two, two writers trapped in their own stories in Split Fiction. Steam players rate them 95 and 96 percent positive from about 48,000 and 24,000 English reviews on 23 October 2026.

Few games copy the whole package. It is far easier to match one part of it: a story made for two, puzzles that need real teamwork, couch platforming, or the playful chaos of a game that keeps changing its rules. Then there is the practical question of whether your partner has to buy the game too.

The news this month: It Takes Two arrived natively on Switch 2 on 15 October 2026, and the same day Hazelight added online cross-play between PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4 and Switch 2. Split Fiction has had cross-play through its Friend's Pass since launch and has been on Switch 2 since 5 June 2025.

03 / Story for two

If you loved the story made for two

These three are built around two characters and two players from start to finish. That is the core of what Hazelight does, and it is rarer than the co-op tag on a store page suggests.

• A Way OutHazelight's 2018 prison escape, played as two inmates who have to trust each other. EA says online co-op works with a friend who owns the game on the same platform or who installs the free Friend's Pass trial, and the Steam version supports Remote Play Together. Platforms: PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Steam rates it 88 percent positive on 23 October 2026.
• REANIMALA brother and sister escape a nightmarish island in this horror adventure from Tarsier Studios, the original creators of Little Nightmares. It plays solo or in local and online co-op with a shared camera. The Xbox Store describes a free Friend's Pass for online and couch play as long as one player owns the game, and Steam lists one too; the US PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop showed none on 23 October 2026. Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2, all since 13 February 2026. Pick it only if you both enjoy horror.
• LEGO VoyagersA wordless two-player adventure about friendship from the makers of LEGO Builder's Journey, played on one screen or online. Steam says that as long as one of you owns it, the Friend's Pass lets you both play the full co-op game. Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch and Switch 2, all since 15 September 2025. Oruvai's read: the gentlest pick here, and a good one for a parent and child.

04 / Teamwork puzzles

If you loved puzzles that need real teamwork

Hazelight puzzles work because each player sees or does something the other cannot. These games push that idea further, so expect more talking and less action.

• Portal 2Valve's co-op mode is an entirely separate campaign from the single-player story, with its own story, test chambers and two new player characters. It supports split-screen and online play. There is no Friend's Pass, so online play normally means two copies, although Steam lists Remote Play Together. Platforms: PC on Steam (Windows and Linux), Switch in Portal: Companion Collection, and the Xbox 360 version in the Xbox Store. Steam rates it 98 percent positive on 23 October 2026.
• We Were Here ForeverTwo players are separated in a dark castle and can only describe what they see over walkie-talkies. Steam says it is co-op only and that both players need a working microphone and an internet connection. It is online only, with no couch mode, and each player needs a copy. Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S; no Switch version is listed.
• Unravel TwoTwo small yarn creatures tied together solve calm physics puzzles. It plays solo or in local co-op; there is no online mode, though Steam lists Remote Play Together. Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch. Oruvai's read: it scores lower than the rest (74 percent positive on Steam on 23 October 2026), so treat it as a relaxed family pick.

05 / Couch play

If you loved the couch platforming and the chaos

Split Fiction changes genre every few minutes, and It Takes Two hands you a new toy in every level. On one sofa, these four keep that energy, and none needs a second copy for local play.

• Super Mario Bros. WonderUp to four players on one console, with Wonder effects that bend the rules of each course. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park (26 March 2026) adds new multiplayer attractions, and Nintendo says friends can join through GameShare even if they do not own the game. Platforms: Switch and Switch 2.
• Sackboy: A Big AdventureA bright 3D platformer with local and online play for two to four players and levels built for teams. Platforms: PS4, PS5 and PC. Oruvai's read: the friendliest pick for younger players, though its Steam score is a modest 82 percent positive on 23 October 2026.
• CupheadA hard run and gun game built around boss fights and drawn in 1930s cartoon style, for two players in local co-op as Cuphead and Mugman. There is no online mode, but Steam lists Remote Play Together on PC. Platforms: PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One and Switch. Choose it if you both like a challenge, not if one of you is new to games.
• Overcooked! 2Kitchen chaos for up to four players on the couch or online, where the fun is shouting orders at each other. Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One and Switch, plus a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (6 November 2025) with GameShare. Steam rates it 93 percent positive on 23 October 2026.

06 / Friend's Pass

Does player two need to buy it?

For two-player games this is often the deciding question, and store pages rarely make it obvious. A Friend's Pass is a free download that lets someone who does not own the game join the owner online. It never replaces the full game: one of you must own it.

Every game here that has couch co-op needs only one copy for it. The answers below are for online play.

• One copy, Friend's PassIt Takes Two, Split Fiction, A Way Out and LEGO Voyagers. Split Fiction's pass also works across platforms, and It Takes Two has had cross-play since 15 October 2026.
• One copy on Steam and XboxREANIMAL. Steam and the Xbox Store list a free Friend's Pass, but the US PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop did not on 23 October 2026, so PS5 and Switch 2 players should plan on two copies for online play.
• GameShare on Switch 2Nintendo's pages list GameShare for the Switch 2 versions of Super Mario Bros. Wonder (locally or online), Overcooked! 2 and It Takes Two, so a friend can join without the game.
• Two copiesPortal 2, We Were Here Forever and Sackboy: A Big Adventure. On PC, Steam Remote Play Together can stream your copy of Portal 2 to a friend instead.
• Couch onlyCuphead and Unravel Two have no online mode. On PC, Steam Remote Play Together is the workaround.

07 / By platform

The best picks on PS5, Xbox, Switch 2 and PC

On PS5, the strongest set is REANIMAL, LEGO Voyagers, We Were Here Forever and Sackboy: A Big Adventure, plus the PS4 versions of A Way Out, Cuphead, Unravel Two and Overcooked! 2.

On Xbox Series X|S you get REANIMAL, LEGO Voyagers and We Were Here Forever, while A Way Out, Cuphead, Unravel Two and Overcooked! 2 are Xbox One games that the Xbox Store lists as compatible with Series consoles.

On Switch 2, look at REANIMAL, LEGO Voyagers and the Switch 2 Editions of Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Overcooked! 2, with Portal: Companion Collection, Cuphead and Unravel Two available as Switch games. PC has every pick except Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

08 / Verdict

Which one to play next

If the story is why It Takes Two stayed with you, play A Way Out next, then REANIMAL if you both enjoy horror or LEGO Voyagers if you do not. If the puzzles were the highlight, Portal 2 is the safest choice and We Were Here Forever the most demanding on communication.

If you mostly loved laughing on the sofa, Super Mario Bros. Wonder on Nintendo hardware or Overcooked! 2 anywhere gives you that in short sessions. Cuphead is the one to avoid if one player is new to games.

Best fit: two players who want another shared story or shared puzzles for a few evenings. Think twice if: you need a game for a bigger group, or you only play online and your partner will not buy a copy of a game without a Friend's Pass.