My Fiancée who is not at all a gamer typically enjoys watching me game. This makes me a very lucky man, because their typically is no middle ground in this spectrum. Usually they either don't mind, or the magical "beep" of the Playstation summons them from whichever isolated corner of your home the home they were once in seemly undisturbed... Nevertheless, I am a lucky man. Though the beep does still occasionally summon...

About 2 years ago, some couple friends of ours mentioned a co-op game that they thought was extremely fun, called "It Takes Two". Naturally, as the responsible gamer adult that I am, within the hour the game was purchased and downloading on my PS5. We had to play this game! And we did. And the game was absolutely fantastic! It took us a couple of weeks to get through it since we both have a pretty busy schedule outside of our free time, but it was worth every second! You almost forget how good couch co-ops are since today's "co-op" gaming is still dependent upon a strong wifi signal and Discord connection. It's a genuine and nostalgic feeling sitting directly next to someone enjoying a similar experience through the split-screen. My Fiancée ended up enjoying the game so much that I went down the rabbit hole of trying to find more highly recommended couch co-op games that I could download and play with her.

Of course, I did! And we played!

I'm writing this Bit to save you just an ounce of trouble if you're looking for a co-op game to play with your significant other who may not be a gamer, on console. Crazy thing is... They're almost all from the same studio.

Please note: The gameplay videos attached may contain spoilers!

Co-op Games for You and Your Significant Other

It Takes Two by Hazelight Studios

This was obviously the first game in our co-op gaming journey, and I highly recommend it for couples especially. Without going into spoilers, this game takes you on an action adventure through all sorts of uniquely crafted environments as a married husband and wife. This game is just as much about it's narrative as it is about it's gameplay, making you want to push forward with anticipation!

As the gamer, you will definitely be the one looking back to see if your non-gaming partner was keeping up.

Hint: Probably not 😅

Overall, It Takes Two is a great place to start your co-op experience!

A Way Out by Hazelight Studios

Now this game was something special for me personally! It's an action-packed adventure about two convicts attempting to escape prison. Without going into spoilers, this story was awesome and suspenseful! I'm a sucker for good cinema, and I can honestly say this this co-op experience has movie potential!
This game isn't quite as difficult as some of the others on the list, but i'd say it's worth it for the story alone.

A Way Out is a must play with your partner!

Split Fiction by Hazelight Studios

This is the third of the Hazelight Studios titles on my list. I mean, it's almost like they make co-op games for a living... and for good reason! Split Fiction is the most dynamic co-op experience that I have ever plaid. It's everything! A shooter, an adventure, a puzzle game, strategy, boss fights, you name it! All done so well. And I'd also like to add that this game took a decent amount of time for us to beat, so outside of our death counter, it's quite lengthy! You and your partner BOTH will be looking at each other waiting to see when you will finally make it across on this one.

This recent release is another MUST PLAY, and is my Fiancée's favorite amongst the list.

I hear that they're also making a movie on this one 🤔

Unravel 2 by Coldwood Interactive

This game is a simple 2D platformer at it's finest. You and your partner will be playing through as 2 humanoid like pieces of yarn that are uniquely tied together. This tether, along with the games physics gives you the ability to traverse in ways not possible solo. There is also an emotional bit of story that plays through in the background as you make your way through the levels and well thought out, challenging puzzles.

While not as deep as the Hazelight titles, this really brought out the nostalgia of how the some of the older retro platformers felt, like Super Mario.

An easy, quick, must play for my list.
If you're wondering why the first Unravel isn't mentioned, it's because it unfortunately wasn't co-op... Bummer!

There's More...

I know there are many many more couch co-op experiences out there, but I'd like to remind you that this was our list of personal favorites as a gamer (Me) and a non-gamer (Her).

We'd love to hear your suggestions for what couch co-op games that we can play next on console!

Feel free to comment your thoughts!