Finding games like It Takes Two is actually pretty frustrating. You finish Hazelight’s masterpiece, the credits roll, and you’re left with this massive void. You want that same spark. That specific blend of "how do we solve this?" and "don't you dare drop me off this ledge."
The truth is, most "co-op" games are just single-player games where a second person happens to be there. They're lazy. But It Takes Two changed the math because it forced you to actually rely on your partner. If they don't jump, you don't move. If they don't spray the nectar, you can't blow up the wasps.
Honestly, finding similar games to It Takes Two requires looking past the big-budget AAA titles and digging into the weird, experimental stuff that understands the "co-op only" philosophy.
Why Most People Struggle to Find a Match
Most recommendations you see online are just wrong. People will suggest Overcooked or Portal 2. Sure, those are great, but they don't capture the cinematic emotional journey of Cody and May. They lack the constant genre-shifting that keeps you on your toes.
You aren't just looking for a platformer. You're looking for a shared memory.
Josef Fares, the director behind Hazelight Studios, famously said he’d give $1,000 to anyone who got bored of his game. He hasn't had to pay out yet. Why? Because the mechanics change every twenty minutes. One second you're playing a third-person shooter, the next you're in a top-down RPG, and then suddenly you're flying a plane made of undergarments. To find similar games to It Takes Two, we have to look for that variety and that mandatory teamwork.
The Hazelight Pedigree: A Way Out
If you haven't played A Way Out, stop reading and go buy it. It’s the closest sibling to It Takes Two because it’s made by the same team.
But it’s darker. Much darker.
You play as Leo and Vincent, two convicts breaking out of prison in the 70s. While it lacks the whimsical magic of a talking book named Dr. Hakim, it uses the split-screen in ways that still feel revolutionary. Sometimes one person is in a cutscene while the other is actively walking around a laundry room. It creates this weird, voyeuristic tension. You’re two different people with two different perspectives, forced into a singular goal.
The ending? It’ll wreck you. It’s not a "feel good" romp, but the mechanical DNA is identical.
The Indispensable Mechanics of Bread & Fred
Don't let the cute penguins fool you. Bread & Fred is the most stressful thing you will ever do with a friend.
It’s a "climb-em-up." You and your partner are tethered together by a rope. That’s it. That’s the game. But that rope is a physical object with weight and momentum. If your partner misses a jump, they drag you down the mountain with them. You will fall. You will lose twenty minutes of progress in three seconds.
💡 You might also like: Playing A Link to the Past Switch: Why It Still Hits Different Today
It captures that "cooperative frustration" that It Takes Two touched on during the tougher boss fights. It requires communication. You have to count down: "One, two, THREE, jump!" If you’re off by a millisecond, it’s over. It’s brutal, but the feeling of finally clearing a gap is a dopamine hit that most modern games can’t touch.
Unravel Two: The Silent Bond
If you want something a bit more meditative and less "shouting at your spouse," Unravel Two is the move.
You play as two "Yarnys"—little creatures made of thread—connected at the hip. Unlike the frantic chaos of other titles, this is a physics-based puzzler. You use each other as anchors. You swing across gaps. You wrap around branches to create bridges.
It’s beautiful. The background scenery of Scandinavia is hauntingly realistic, making your tiny yarn characters feel vulnerable. It’s a game about support. It doesn't have the "action movie" pacing of It Takes Two, but it nails the feeling of being a duo against the world.
Beyond the Platformer: Different Genres with the Same Soul
Sometimes the best similar games to It Takes Two aren't platformers at all. They're about the vibe.
Take Portal 2. It’s the gold standard for co-op puzzles. You aren't jumping across platforms so much as you are breaking the laws of physics. The humor is top-tier (GLaDOS is a legend for a reason), and the way the puzzles require four portals to solve forces a level of synchronization that feels very Cody-and-May.
Then there’s Operation: Tango.
This one is unique because it’s an "asymmetric" game. One person is an Agent on the ground; the other is a Hacker in the chair. You can’t see each other’s screens. You have to talk. "I see a red door with a keypad," says the Agent. "Okay, let me find the override code in the mainframe," says the Hacker. It’s pure communication. It strips away the physical proximity but keeps the total dependency.
The Chaos Factor: We Were Here
The We Were Here series is the "horror-lite" version of co-op puzzling.
You’re trapped in a frozen castle. You each have a walkie-talkie. That’s your only link. You have to describe what you see to solve puzzles that are happening in different rooms. It’s tense. It’s occasionally scary. But most importantly, it’s impossible to do alone.
Most games "allow" co-op. These games require it.
📖 Related: Plants vs Zombies Xbox One: Why Garden Warfare Still Slaps Years Later
Why Interaction Matters More Than Graphics
We often get caught up in how a game looks. It Takes Two looks like a Pixar movie. But the reason it worked wasn't the hair physics on the squirrel—it was the tactile nature of the world.
Think about Sackboy: A Big Adventure. It’s a Sony powerhouse. It looks incredible. But is it a similar game to It Takes Two? Kinda. It’s a great platformer, and it has some co-op specific levels that are genius, but you can play 90% of it by yourself.
That’s the "Hazelight Gap."
When a game is designed for one player but "allows" two, the puzzles are inevitably watered down. They have to be. Otherwise, a solo player couldn't finish them. When a game is co-op only, the developers can go nuts. They can assume you have four hands and two brains working on the problem.
Snipperclips: Cut it Out!
This is a Nintendo Switch gem that often gets overlooked because it looks like a "kid's game."
It’s not.
You play as two pieces of paper. You have to snip pieces out of each other to change your shape. Need to carry a ball? Snip a scoop out of your partner’s head. Need to pop a balloon? Snip your partner into a point. It’s hilarious, clever, and genuinely difficult in the later stages. It’s the definition of "thinking outside the box" together.
The Misconception of Difficulty
A lot of people think games like Cuphead are similar games to It Takes Two because they are co-op.
They aren't.
Cuphead is a test of individual skill that happens to have two people on screen. If your partner dies in Cuphead, you can still win. In It Takes Two, if your partner fails, the team fails. That’s a massive psychological difference. One creates a "carry" dynamic; the other creates a "partnership" dynamic.
For a true partnership, look at Sniper Elite 5’s co-op campaign. It’s a completely different genre—tactical shooting—but playing it on high difficulty requires the same synchronization. One person spots with binoculars, the other takes the shot. You cover each other’s backs. It’s "It Takes Two" with sniper rifles and x-ray kill cams.
👉 See also: Why Pokemon Red and Blue Still Matter Decades Later
Real Talk: The Relationship Test
There’s a reason people call these games "divorce simulators."
They expose how you communicate. If you can’t handle the pressure of Overcooked! All You Can Eat, you’re going to struggle with the precision required in the later stages of A Way Out. But that’s the beauty of it. These games are social experiences. They are the digital equivalent of building IKEA furniture together—frustrating in the moment, but deeply satisfying once the bookshelf is standing.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Game Night
Don't just jump into the first game you see on a "Best Of" list. Think about what you actually liked about It Takes Two.
If you loved the story and cinematic feel, go straight to A Way Out. It’s the only thing that matches the production value.
If you loved the puzzles and "Aha!" moments, pick up the We Were Here series. Start with the first one; it’s usually free or very cheap. It’s a low-risk way to see if you like the communication-heavy style.
If you loved the platforming and physical comedy, Bread & Fred or Unravel Two are your best bets. They offer that tactile, physics-based fun that makes the movement itself feel like a puzzle.
Lastly, if you just want to laugh and mess with each other, Untitled Goose Game has a co-op mode now. It’s not a deep epic, but being two horrible geese together is a therapeutic experience everyone should have at least once.
Check your platform compatibility first. Many of these, like A Way Out and It Takes Two, offer a "Friend’s Pass." This means only one person has to buy the game, and the other can download a trial version to play the full campaign with you for free. It’s one of the best deals in gaming, yet strangely, most people don't realize it exists.
Pick a game, set aside a weekend, and turn off your phones. These games aren't meant to be played in 15-minute bursts. They're meant to be lived in.
Start with A Way Out if you want drama, or Snipperclips if you want to laugh until you can't breathe. Either way, you're looking for that shared "we did it" moment. That's the real magic you're chasing.