5 Co-op Games Perfect for Couples

Whether you’re a couple who bonded over your mutual love of video games, or one of you is a willing newbie, gaming can bring you closer. If you’ve tried co-op games in the past and been disappointed by slow progression or unnatural co-op mechanics, these titles will be something a bit different for you and your partner to try out together.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a classic couch co-op game from Asteroid Base. With a stylistic, neon galaxy as your setting, it’s your job to navigate through a series of levels to save the brightly coloured, cute universe.

This game is 1 to 4 player co-op gameplay so you and your partner can choose to bring in some friends or family for support or you can adventure just as a couple. The key ingredient that makes Lovers such a great game for co-op is that each player must constantly keep moving forward. Working together and communicating is the only way you and your pink spaceship will make it past each boss. Controls are kept simple for even new gamers, and your ship is upgradeable, though you need to choose your upgrades wisely!  

Available to play on PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation.

If frenzied cooking to an exciting soundtrack sounds familiar in your relationship, then Overcooked! 2 is the co-op game for you. You need to work together in this game, or you’ll face the heat. Delegate kitchen tasks like chopping, cooking, plating, and serving to hungry and impatient customers. It may sound easy but prepare for a fair amount of shouting and edge-of-the-seat clock watching as you try to get the dishes perfect and prepared on time. Top tip: you may look like wobbly, aimless creatures, but don’t get in each other’s way! Assign jobs to each other and don’t forget to ask for help in a crunch.

Available to play on PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation.

Rocket League is, pardon the pun, in a league of its own as a co-op game for the masses. What makes this an ideal game for couples is working together as a team to get those celebration-worthy goals. You can play together split screen by connecting another controller on your device, and race around the alternate universe pitches. Think football, but the players are rocket-fuelled cars and the ball is a giant sphere that explodes in confetti when a goal is scored.

Available to play on PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation.

Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a ghost-hunting adventure with added nostalgia. If you have good memories of the Mario games, Luigi’s Mansion 3 will hit the spot and be a great opportunity to make more memories with your partner. Although this game is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch (you’ll need additional joy-con controllers if playing local co-op on a Switch Lite), it’s also one of the easiest on this list.

The co-op campaign follows Luigi’s hunt through a haunted hotel to rescue his friends. What makes this a super accessible game is that your partner can play co-op as Gooigi, who has infinite lives, which means you won’t have to restart levels or boss fights if they accidentally die. Nothing kills the mood more than a badly-timed death.

Up to 8 players local co-op, available only on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite.

Cuphead is at the bottom of this list for a reason. The premise for this game is you are a pair of anthropomorphic cups collecting souls for Satan, and that should give you a hint as to how hellishly difficult this game can be. Be prepared for frustration, thrown controllers, and hopefully, some emotional hugs of victory. Cuphead is a 2D run and gun game that you shouldn’t underestimate, even when you’re working together.

Available on PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Try one or all of these games out with your partner and make a date night of it!