In today’s expensive world, it can be difficult to find a date night activity that doesn’t break the bank, let alone one that you and your partner can agree on. Thankfully, with couples-focused co-op games, finding the perfect way to spend time together can be as easy as picking up a controller.
Playing video games together is one of the best ways for couples to bond, and when it comes to co-op experiences, Nintendo’s library has it all. Whether you’re looking to test your communication skills in frantic mini-games or just team up for some wholesome adventures, Nintendo’s e-shop is full of perfect picks for two.
No matter what kinds of games you and your significant other are into, there’s a co-op Nintendo game that you’ll be able to agree on. From challenging puzzle games to strategic RPGs and frantic party games, here are the best Nintendo co-op games that all couples can enjoy together.
10ibb & obb
Gravity Puzzles Galore
If you and your partner are looking for a game that’s equal parts charming and brain-melting, then ibb & obb is the perfect pick. This co-oppuzzle platformeris built entirely around teamwork, with extreme emphasis on’entirely'.
In this game, you and your partner will control two little creatures (one pink, one green) as younavigate a colorful, upside-down world where gravity flips depending on which side of the horizon line you’re on. You’ll have to work together to jump, fall, and teleport your way through 15 puzzle-filled levels, each more harrowing than the last.
It’s a great game to test your and your partner’s teamwork skills, as many of the puzzles can’t be completed without some intense communication. All that gravity-strategy combined with 8 hidden worlds to discover and an electronic soundtrack that would put Hatsune Miku to shame makes for the perfect experience for any couple to enjoy!
9BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL!
Think Outside the Box
BoxBoy! + BoxGirl!
If you and your partner love puzzle games but prefer a more laid-back challenge, BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! is the ultimate co-op pick. The game itself is relatively simple, but it’s still every bit as enjoyable as the more complicated titles in the genre.
In this cute side-scrolling adventure,you play as two adorable boxes (literally) who must make their way through puzzle-filled worlds, with each of the puzzles becoming increasingly difficult and more dependent on teamwork to solve.
It’s a simple game to learn but surprisingly hard to master, with each new level introducing fresh challenges to keep you on your toes. But despite its twists and turns, the best part about BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! is thatit’s great for seasoned gamers and newbies alike; no matter what skill level you and your partner clock in at, you’re still guaranteed to love playing this together!
8Snipperclips - Cut it Out, Together!
Cut Up Your Significant Other
Snipperclips: Cut It Out Together
Few games capture the true essence of creative chaos quite like Snipperclips - Cut it Out, Together. In this charming and often hilarious puzzle game, you and your partner control two paper-cutout characters who have the ability to cut each other into different shapes to solve a variety of challenges.
Taking a pair of scissors to your partner may not sound all that romantic, but trust me—once you’re a few levels deep into this game, you’ll feel closer to your significant other than you ever have.
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Snipperclips thrives on communication and a good sense of humor. Solutions aren’t always obvious, and half the fun comes from accidentally slicing each other into useless shapes before realizing too late that you werealmostright. It’s silly, it’s creative, and it’s surprisingly clever, making it the perfect choice for problem-solving couples who love brainstorming together.
7Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
The Ultimate Couples' Stress Test
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Have you ever wondered how you and your partner would do in a high-stakes bomb-diffusing operation? Well, now you’re able to actually find out with Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes; will you be able to successfully diffuse the bomb before it goes off, or is half the city doomed? There’s only one way to find out!
In this frantic, slightly stressful co-op game, one person is trapped in a room with a bomb, while the other has the manual to defuse it. The catch?The one diffusing the bomb can’t see the manual, and the manual holder, who is in a separate room, can’t see the bomb.
If you want to stand a chance of disarming the bomb, you’ll both need to describe, in excruciating detail, what you’re seeing to the other. It sounds simple until you actually get a look at what you’re working with; the manual looks like it was written by a rocket scientist on drugs, while the bomb itself looks like a textbook example of a human vascular system with wires.
Every session feels like a mini adrenaline rush wrapped up in inside jokes that you’ll be quoting to each other for days; it’s intense, it’s hilarious, and it’s definitely a fantastic title for any last-minute date night activity.
Teamwork Makes the Adventure Work
If you’re looking for a calming co-op experience to share with your partner as you wind down from the day, then Pode is an absolute must-play.
Inspired by Norwegian folklore and culture, this puzzle-adventure game followsthe story of a glowing fallen star and a cute little rock as they journey through ancient caverns, bringing life back to a forgotten world. (Personally, I’d feel a little offended if my partner made me play as the rock, but to each his own.)
Along the way, you’ll both encounter a variety of challenges in the form of ancient mysteries and puzzles. If you want to restore this foregone world to its former glory, you’ll need to work as a team to put the pieces back together.
You’ll have to make your way through numerous dangerous ruins, dark caves, and harrowing secret passageways along your journey, but if no one else is going to do it, then it’s all up to you. In a nutshell, Pode is a cozy, sleepy little adventure game perfect for couples looking for a stress-free night indoors.
5The Stretchers
Chaotic Rescue Team
The Stretchers
Most of these games feature an emphasis on teamwork, but none of them do it quite like The Stretchers.
In this co-op game, you and your partnerplay as two paramedics racing around an island rescuing dizzy citizens and carting them back to safety, often by awkwardly cramming them onto stretchers and desperately trying not to drop them off a cliff (though it happens more often than you’d think).
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Surprisingly, getting the poor victims onto the stretcher is the easy part; the hard part is actually carrying them. Both players will hold opposing ends of the stretcher and coordinate their movements to walk back to safety. It sounds simple at first, and it might’ve been, if it wasn’t for the maze of twists, turns, and obstacles that stand between you and salvation.
Weaving in between rock formations, dodging deadly lasers, and desperately trying to avoid dangerous farm equipment are just a few of the challenges you can expect to face in The Stretchers. And that’s only half of it—don’t even get me started on trying to drive the ambulance.
The Stretchers is a low-stakes, fast-paced, hilarious strategy game that makes sure to never take itself too seriously. If you and your loved one are in need of a good laugh, then this game is a must.
As Charming as it is Simple
Blanc is one of those rare, black and white gems that prove games don’t need overwhelming color palettes to be enjoyable. Blanc is a quiet, heartfelt co-op experience that follows the adventures of an unlikely animal duo as they try to find their way back home.
In Blanc, players willtake control of a small wolf puppy and a fawn who have both been separated from their families. To find their way back to their respective packs and herds, they’ll need to team up and work together, especially if they want to survive the winter.
Each character has their own special skills and abilities, which will need to be combined to get through the game’s many challenging environments. The puzzles you’ll face are intuitive, yet stillgentle enough for beginners, encouraging a steady rhythm of quiet teamwork rather than high-stakes problem-solving.
Overall, it’s a nice break from the fast-paced and often chaotic co-op games that Nintendo has to offer.
3Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
Don’t Forget to Steer!
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime somehow feels like a blast from the past and a modern sci-fi hit at the same time; its vivid, color-blasted environments combined with its electronic soundtrack make you feel like you’re playinga heavily-revamped version of an old arcade game.
This vibrant, neon-soaked space shooter puts you both inside of a round, candy-colored spaceship whereevery function (shields, weapons, thrusters, and more) needs to be manually operated… by you. Together. In real-time.With enemies incoming. No pressure.
It might sound pretty chaotic, and it usually is, but the key to surviving each level is constant communication and coordination; for example, while one of you is manning the weapons, the other might be scrambling across the ship to steer, activate a shield, or even hop on a different turret to help. It’s desperately chaotic in the best way possible.
It’s frantic, fun, and weirdly romantic in the “we just barely survived that together” kind of way.
2Unravel Two
Spin a Yarn Together
Unravel Two
Unravel Two is easily one of the mostwholesome platformersthere is, and is the perfect game for any couple or family to sit down and play together.
You and your partner each control a “Yarny”, which are tiny creatures made of yarn, literally tied together by a single thread. Though it might seem romantic, that connection isn’t just symbolic—it’s the heart of Unravel Two’s gameplay, allowing you to swing, climb, hoist, and help each other through complex, winding environments.
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The platforming is tight and satisfying, with puzzles that encourage smart cooperation without ever feeling too punishing.Plus, the game’s consistently gentle pace gives players a lot of leeway in terms of thinking up creative solutions, whether it be in the form of wild acrobatics or strategic movements.
Unravel Two is perfect for couples looking for something fun and engaging yet laid-back enough to never feel too stressful.
1It Takes Two
An Emotionally Cooperative Adventure
It Takes Two
I’m sure you’ve probably already heard of it by now, but when it comes to co-op games for couples, It Takes Two isn’t just good—it’s practicallythe gold standard. This game didn’t get as popular as it did for no reason; it definitely earned its reputation, along with the top spot on this list.
Designed entirely around two-player gameplay, this inventive and emotionally-charged adventure puts you and your partner in the tiny shoes of Cody and May, a bickering couple turned into dolls by a magical mishap. To find their way back to normal life, they’ll have towork together through fantastical worlds packed with clever challenges and mazes of obstacles.
Every level introduces new gameplay twists, from gravity-defying platforming tomind-melting puzzles. At no point do the game’s puzzles ever feel repetitive or unnecessary, as every obstacle you come across serves its purpose in furthering Cody and May’s story.
You’d be surprised at what being turned into tiny dolls does for a relationship, and every obstacle that stands in this romantic duo’s way only serves to bring them closer. If you’re looking for a heartwarming and wholesome game to play with your partner, then It Takes Two is undoubtedly the perfect choice.
