Which co-op game suits which couple?
If you want the full experience, It Takes Two is the answer and it’s not close. The entire game is built for exactly two people, start to finish — it cannot be played alone — and it’s famously gentle on the less experienced player. It also happens to be about a couple repairing their relationship, which is either perfect or extremely on the nose depending on your sense of humor.
If you want something calm and beautiful, Unravel Two is a gentle puzzle game about two little yarn characters tied together. It’s short, soft and genuinely charming — the closest thing to a quiet evening in, in game form.
If you want to laugh, Overcooked. You run a kitchen together, it descends into chaos within ninety seconds, and you will both shout. It’s the most fun on this list and, fair warning, the most likely to cause a brief and entirely good-natured argument about who burned the soup.
If you want something to share for months, Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing. Both let two people build and potter in the same world over time, which suits a couple who’d rather dip in for half an hour than commit to a session.
Before you buy: two quick checks
First, you need two controllers for the couch co-op games. Most consoles ship with one, so if you’ve never played together you may need a spare — worth checking, because it’s a deflating discovery on the night. Second, buy for the console they own. Most of these are available on several systems, so it’s just a matter of picking the right version.
