Best couch co-op games for a couple where one of us doesn't game?
My girlfriend wants to game together but she basically only plays phone games. We have a PS5 and a Switch. I need stuff we can play side by side on the couch that won't make her rage-quit in 10 minutes — no shooters, no 40-hour RPGs. What's actually fun for a total beginner but not boring for me?
2 answers
- It Takes Two, no contest
My partner also ‘doesn’t game’ and It Takes Two was the first game they asked to play instead of watch. It’s built for two players of uneven skill, no shooters, no 40-hour commitment, and it’s regularly $15-20 on sale. Stardew Valley co-op on the Switch is the backup if you want something calmer — farming together is weirdly perfect couch co-op.
- It Takes Two — designed from scratch for two players
Most "co-op" games are single-player games with a second character bolted on. It Takes Two was built co-op-only — you literally cannot play it solo, and the mechanics are split asymmetrically so both players have distinct roles at all times. It won Game of the Year in 2021 specifically for its co-op design. The relevant spec: it requires both players to be engaged constantly, no passenger mode, which is exactly what you want when one person doesn't game — nobody gets bored watching. Runs on everything including Switch, and it goes on sale constantly.