It’s Time for Player Two: Co-op Games for Two

By Gaming Editor Bonny Murphy

There are often times when you want to spend your evening playing a game with just one other person. Co-operative (Co-op) games are often assumed to be exclusively for couples, but this is not the case. The experience of playing a game with another person can change a gaming session in ways players might not expect. A large number of multiplayer games are possible to be played with only two players and following the trend of people opting to play as duos, other games have been released restricted to just two players. Many games that are two player or facilitate two player games are often co-op games where players work together rather than against each other to win. I have complied a list of quality games that you can play with your friend. All but one of these games can be found on Steam and many have options for more players if you want to share your gaming experience.

Portal 2

Portal 2 is a popular and much-loved puzzle game with a two-player co-op mode. The game revolves around the player’s ability to create portals with a portal gun. This is how players navigate various levels and puzzles to figure out creative ways to create portals to move forward. The game has overwhelmingly positive reviews in both recent and all-time reviews on Steam and comes in at just under 10 euro. The narrative is widely liked with a futuristic and robotic art style and environment. With a release date of 2011, the game is widely respected as a legacy co-operative experience with engaging puzzles and fun portal shenanigans.

Don’t Starve Together

My next recommendation is very near and dear to me, Don’t Starve Together. This multiplayer version of the very successful Don’t Starve can be played with two or more players. While this is not unique for many survival games, Don’t Starve Together brings a unique spin on survival games with its quirky and ‘Tim Burtonesque’ art style and accompanying and immersive soundtrack. The game revolves around each of you choosing from a select list of characters, each with their own unique stories and abilities. Each character available, with some being locked behind gameplay decisions you must make first, are unique and change the experience of the game massively. The characters have unique items, lore, abilities, and visual designs that impact how easily or not so easily you survive. Once choosing your characters, you are transported to a strange world with unfamiliar fauna and flora with a need to explore and survive. All the while, a mysterious narrative unravels. The game’s strengths are in its easy to understand and enjoy mechanics and the strange almost spooky environment you are playing in. The game has seasons which change the environment making it harder or easier to survive. As well as that, creative bosses pepper the game with new interactions and story progression.

Overcooked 2

My next recommendation is the chaotic madness that is Overcooked and Overcooked 2. These two games are the definition of a co-op experience. The games can be played with more than two players but from my own experience, the true fun is playing with one other person to push your relationship to the limits. In both games you play as a chefs who are preparing meals to serve in a set order. The meals often require chopping, boiling, and frying of raw ingredients before serving. The games have many levels, each with different dishes, ingredients, and unique spins to make the level harder. You each must, and I mean must, work together in the highest form of co-operation to win as with some levels only one player can do certain tasks and the other must do the rest. The cute, soft animation art style and upbeat and friendly music does nothing to soothe the stress and intensity these games bring, in the best way. Each level is timed, and this element truly burns into the panic of trying to finish a level. Steam has very positive reviews for both Overcooked and Overcooked 2 and I would recommend this game strongly as a stressful and exciting experience dressed up as a calm friendly game.

Raft

This next game has been eating up large amounts of my time lately and I regret that I only picked it up last year. Raft is a survival-based game with a unique twist. As the title would suggest the player is stranded on a raft in the middle of the ocean while being constantly plagued by an aggressive shark. The player must scavenge from the ocean various crafting supplies such as wood, plastic and leaves to form a stronger raft and tools to survive. Once established, the player can craft a radio and antenna to begin the narrative section of the game where a story calls your raft to different locations and dangers in the ocean. While it might not sound like much, this game evokes the idea of being stuck in the ocean with that one friend and trying to keep each other alive. Mostly the game is relatively peaceful, but sometimes the shark can become aggressive, or you sail into a storm which, if you are afraid of the ocean, can feel almost like a horror game rather than a survival one. The music shifts from calming to upbeat depending on where you and your raft have ended up and the art style is simple with easy-to-understand mechanics. One aspect of the game I particularly love, which may seem trivial, is the sound design of selecting things within the game, such as eating, drinking, building, or doing any activity within the game. Each action has a very crisp sound which provides great satisfaction when building and hypes up the adrenaline when fighting the shark. An often-overlooked aspect of games, the sound design of Raft is a wonderful addition to the game.

Mario Party

The next game I chose for its co-op fun is one I have not played recently, I must admit. But when I was much younger, it was the game to play at any sleepover or couch gaming party, which is Mario Party. The game is not exactly co-operative but more akin to Monopoly where you can mess with other players to win. The game works on a board game where players each select a Mario universe character to play as who move across a map collecting stars and coins in order to win. Each player roles a die and moves across the board game map and will encounter items and minigames which they play in order to gain advantage over other players to win. The game is very fun, more so in person than online, and creates a very fun competitive environment while giving some nostalgia to the Mario franchise that is known and loved.

Baldur’s Gate 3

My final choice is the relatively new game Baldur’s Gate 3. This game has been played in solo or groups depending on the type of run you wish to achieve. I would argue it is a great choice to play with two people only. For those unaware, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a take on Dungeons and Dragons where players create fantasy characters right down to the finest detail and explore a wide world. The game mechanics revolve around your characters fantasy class and race, and most importantly the role of a dice. The dice rolls are used for anything you wish to do in the game with higher rolls resulting in successes and lower resulting in failures. The depth of story within the game is wonderful with immersive environments, voice acting and music to add to the experience. Having won the game awards last year, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a great addition to your duo gaming experience.

To close, each of these games is uniquely different with varying degrees of competitive to co-operative with thrilling or calming themes. My aim was to highlight some games that fall particularly well into the category of co-op between two people. Some people may think gaming must be either a lone endeavour or a massive group experience, but you can have as much fun with just two people. All games bar Mario Party are available on Steam with strong reviews to back up their success. I hope you can find something new here to play or revisit a legacy game with one lucky player 2!