In This Household, Every Game Becomes a Co-Op Experience

Lately, my husband and I have been diving deep into Portal 2, which I consider arguably the best couch co-op game of our time. Even though Hazelight’s It Takes Two has made a significant impact on the genre, Portal 2 holds a special place in our hearts. If I had to list other games of this caliber, the list wouldn’t be very long. I’m talking about games that don’t just let you play side by side but require you to team up to reach the end. In our home, we’ve turned various games into experiences that we enjoy together as a team.

This habit started after we finished playing The Quarry, a game that feels more like an interactive movie with its star-studded cast and multiple characters you can control. There’s a local co-op option where players pass the controller around to make decisions and navigate obstacles. However, we decided to play it differently. We approached it as a team collaboration where we discussed each choice and sometimes paused to piece together clues or remember past dialogues. We journeyed through The Quarry three or four times this way, with one of us holding the controller and the other stirring up dinner in the kitchen. Similarly, we tackled Overboard!—a reversed mystery where you’re the culprit trying to stay hidden. This one turned out to be a perfect fit for our play style, thanks to its design that encourages multiple playthroughs, each with new objectives.

These narrative-heavy games where decisions matter, even if they’re not traditional co-op titles, have become our go-to choice for weeknight entertainment. Starting a fresh game is also fantastic for a cozy date night, especially when it’s cold outside. It provides a delightful way for us to share our favorite games with one another. Through these shared experiences, we connect on an emotional level, as we did when Firewatch left us teary-eyed and hugging on the couch.

So, naturally, I’m pretty hyped for Split Fiction, Hazelight’s next offering. But I’m just as eager for Expelled!, the upcoming game set in the Overboard! universe. It’s another one that I can see us spending countless hours playing together.