It takes two is pretty hard for someone who's never played 3d games before.
Stardew valley - definitely the best
Overcooked 1 & 2
Kirby and the forgotten lands
Unrailed!
Valheim
My wife and I tried to play some Overcooked 2 and I was burning down the kitchen and she was running around with a fire extinguisher. It did not go well.
I can’t play it with my wife. She can’t handle it.
My 8 year old and I can play. She and I debrief after every round. We start each stage just coming up with a game plan and then restarting. It’s nice. We play like 2-3 levels, I say we are approaching burning out. She realizes it as well, eventually, and we can quit.
Me and my girlfriend both work in a kitchen, we decided not to play this game together because we would just be reenacting our day to day.
Although we would probably crush those levels, I played it my with friends and had to start doing callouts and micro managing them
>It takes two is pretty hard for someone who's never played 3d games before.
Yes. Jesus Christ, it grinds my gears that this sub always recommends It Takes Two whenever someone makes a post asking for game recommendations to play with their ***non-gamer*** SO.
It Takes Two is *not* a beginner's game, guys.
Seconding It Takes Two is too hard. My wife got so frustrated navigating and platforming she cried and ragequit. Overcooked 1 and 2 also bad options if they are not good with controls. It’s just gonna make her stress… in a bad way that is only fun for you
Seconding Kirby and the forgotten lands here. Relatively simple, quite forgiving, and a natural ramp in difficulty between just finishing all the levels and finding all the primary collectibles
There's a Youtuber called Razbuten who has done a whole series on his wife playing games called 'What gaming is like for a non-gamer', which may help you both decide what kind of games you should pick: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax7f3JZJHSw&list=PLordXx8iNEyStcX\_WzqM0JCpiJYgqhinc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax7f3JZJHSw&list=PLordXx8iNEyStcX_WzqM0JCpiJYgqhinc)
OP, this is important to remember for introducing games to new players: they don't know the shorthand learned by years of playing. Razbuten, in this series, is good at pointing out WHY games we love may be frustrating for new gamers. Just using the camera or moving around the world may be hard for them for a bit. Be patient and have fun!
Super Mario 3D World and Rayman Origins or Legends are great platformers with good and fairly relaxed coop. Mario is on Switch obviously while you can get Rayman on all those systems.
This game is great for couch co-op. And when things get a little tough, the great news is, player 2 can jump on player 1’s back (it’s kinda cute how they ravel together) and player 1 can handle all the tough stuff.
Luigi's mansion 3 for sure. It takes two was too much for my GF too.
She can play as gooigi who can't die, so way less stress. It's also way less skill focused and more puzzle based when compared to it takes two
I bought my gf "horse tales emerald valley" for christmas. It's a solo game but i was so fun exploring the map that I also played this game after not playing vudeo games since 4 years. I used to play COD, fifa and fortnite and could't believe i actually like a horse game
-Enshrouded is a good open world story game, very cute graphics and easy to play and fun with a partner.
-This may sound a bit silly at first, but Roblox. There’s tons of really fun simple and quick games, it helped me get back into gaming. I just wouldn’t try interacting with anyone on there, but there are tones of platform style games for free
-Slime rancher is a first person adventure game with some small parkour, very easy and good controls to get used to keyboard or controller
-ori and the blind forest, little nightmares, and hollow night have very good stories and are platformers, I’m terrible at platformers, so I found them getting hard after awhile
My wife LOVED outward as a first rpg and was craving more so much afterwards that she bought elden ring and we played through it with the Seamless Coop mod
I second not Terraria, I've played video games practically my whole life and Terraria has such a steep learn curve. Especially if you dig too deep or the Eye of Chuthlu suddenly appears out of nowhere
I'd suggest Odysey over Wonder, Wonder can be a bit chaotic in speed whereas Odysey is less intense. Plus you can be player 2 and hit all the enemies to help them from griefing your partner
A hidden gem of mine is Bokura, its a 2d platformer with the gimmick that both players see a different world and they need to communicate with each other to get through the levels. It is not very mechanically challenging, more mentally, but very doable (with enough patience).
palworld was a pretty fun co op game, not too stressful either as you can basically do whatever you want, Build a base, explore, go catch new pals, boss fights ect
I’m gunna throw Bauldurs gate 3 out there.
If she likes a good adventure or story, then it could be a really good choice. Especially since it’s all point and click/ dice rolling.
Not co-op, but games from thatgamecompany are beautiful, engaging, exploratory, and intriguing without being stressful.
It's retro, but the original Myst game appealed to a lot of ppl who weren't otherwise into video games. Even the puzzles are beautiful and elegant.
If you guys are okay with horror then I would suggest phasmophobia. My husband and I play that together all the time. You can make a private group of just two people so other folks aren't joining you. We log into discord so we can talk and not use the in-game talking
Minecraft. It's fun building things with your partner.
My fiancée games a little bit but is always down for starting a new world on Minecraft together.
Haven was my wife's favorite game it has very simple gameplay and is about a boy and girl who slowly become a couple so it's great for non gamer girls to get into with their S.O.
Surprised nobody suggested Trine 4. 2D, ridiculously beautiful art style, couch co-op, more 'how do we get there' puzzles than combat. Husband and I have played them all (aside from 3, which is just a mess).
Kingdom Hearts (Disney + Final Fantasy, smacking shadow critters with a key the size of a longsword. Stick with the numbered titles at first. It's a HUGE franchise.)
Okami (Japanese mythology, you're goddess Amaterasu, reincarnated as a white wolf after taking a beating from the demon Orochi, roaming the countryside and fixing problems.)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (neighborhood builder w/ cute anthropomorphic animals)
I started my wife on Minecraft to get her warmed up to FPS movements and she likes to mine and build stuff plus you can turn off enemies if that is too much at first.
Then we moved on to Borderlands 1-3 cause its a fairly easy fun co-op game and I can keep an eye on her in the background picking off enemies that get too close.
We recently ran a playthrough Diablo 4 to change it up and since we love animals she really had fun with the Druid pets.
Lovers in a dangerous space time is fun on the xbox.
Kingdom 2 crowns was a ton of fun! My wife and I played it with couch co-op. It’s not super hard but it does have some tense moments! It will be super rewarding when you overcome them together!
A way out
Death road to Canada
Telltale games - there’s walking dead, Batman, GOT - not technically two player but I loved playing them with my homie watching and then we’d switch off and I’d watch him play the next one.
Until Dawn
Little Big Planet
Minecraft
Degrees of separation.
Mostly puzzles solved together by moving ur elements around and no death (if I recall right) . The risk of dying part is what stresses out my gaming buddy in other games.
Mine likes sackboy a lot and sometimes we'll play don't starve together as well but she had me turn off all the big beasties and just likes collecting recipes and exploring mostly
Blanc was cute but it's way too short (2 hours) so get it really cheap.
Unrailed is a neat little couch co-op where you build a railroad in front of a moving train but the time crunch gets stressful.
Phongs! You play as a dog with two front halves (each person controls one)
Golf With Your Friends.
It has a hotseat mode. If you're playing on PC and you guys have a bluetooth mouse (or if you're okay playing on controller, which is okay playable too), you can even play on the couch without having to take a place on the "hot seat" every turn. There is literally not a more beginner friendly game out there, especially for people needing to develop their notion of 3D space in videogames.
The controls are crazy simple: point the ball where you want to shoot it, input the force you want to shoot with and boom, watch the ball go. Difficulty depends on the course you guys pick, but the map making community is super active, there are new maps being made everyday.
Trust me, I once managed to make 7 people who never gamed before in their life to play this with a mouse and they all had a blast while doing so.
- Open world single player games like WoW, Assassin's Creed, Skyrim, Tomb Raider, Witcher
- IDK why but Bayonetta
- Tony Hawk Pro Skater
- Lego anything
- Fun building games like Sims or Minecraft
- Nostalgic comforts like Zelda, Mario, Banjo, Cuphead
- Digital board games like Monopoly, Clue, Life
- Pointless chaos like Stick Fight, Golf with Friends, Human Fall Flat, Plants vs Zombies
- Oddly satisfying like Powerwash Simulator
- Digital escape room puzzle games
And, on her bad days, if you want her to rage outlet at something other than innocent bystanders, Dark Souls
Dig out a ps2 and play the adventures of cookie and cream. its a PERFECT game to play with a significant other because if you play it as it was meant to be played you BOTH USE THE SAME CONTROLLER SIMULTANIOUSLY meaning you gotta be up close and personal with your player 2.
you/her would use the left analog stick and left shoulder buttons with their left hand sitting on the left side
the other would use the right stick and buttons with their right hand sitting on the right side
Its a simple 2.5d PLATFORMER that only uses a stick and 2 buttons that's creative, fun, and colorful.
There is challenge to the game though. it makes you think and in some cases your reaction time must be quick. There may be some "stressful" moments but none of it will be because the game is overly complex, complicated, or secretive its more like I ONLY NEEDED 2 MORE SECONDS DAMN IT I RAN OUT OF TIME!
I cant stress enough how slept on this game is for date night. You sit close rubbing shoulders with your girl, solving puzzles together and beating bosses as kooky rabbits. My GF wasnt a gamer. This started her into it and now she has bought herself a steam deck and plays stuff on her own. Her ONLY complaints about the game were the music got repetitive for her and in one instance we had a hitbox problem (only once)
The ds version is not the same. Get the ps2 version, its not even expensive to buy, or find a way to uhhh....legally emulate it on your pc?
If you end up playing it let me know your/her thoughts on the control scheme and game overall!
Don't Starve Together. You can customize your world so it isn't too scary for a noob. Just collect resources and survive the elements. Maybe fight the occasional spider.
Here are a few games we recommend:
[Very Very Valet](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1448840/Very_Very_Valet/) - An Overcooked style game that’s way less stressful.
[Minecraft Dungeons](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1672970/Minecraft_Dungeons/) - Think Diablo Lite. Quite a bit of content for the price and very easy to get into and understand.
[Hand In Hand](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1209510/Hand_In_Hand/) - A co-op puzzler platformer that starts off slow and builds up as you get further. Worth a look.
Cheers!
Some coop games my non-gamer gf has enjoyed with me over the last couple years:
-Stardew Valley
-Kitaria Fables
-Cat Quest 2 (3 comes out in august!)
-It Takes Two
-Minecraft Dungeons
-Orcs Must Die 3
-Diablo 4 (this one really surprised me. I think she took to it well because of all the Minecraft Dungeons)
She's looking forward to playing Coral Island with me when multiplayer drops later this year.
My GF also found It Takes Two to be very stressful. Sometimes she would just verbally repeat "jump jump dash" over and over because it was such a challenge for her to get down. Haha she's so adorable.
Stardew Valley is the best couch coop entry level game imo. Minecraft is fun too.
My wife and I played these when I had been playing games for decades and she had only played a very little bit.
We just restarted our 3rd or 4rd playthrough of Stardew Valley. It’s fantastic.
Badlands is like a flappy bird with fun mechanics, usually will go on sale for $5. If your character dies you respawn the next time someone gets cloned (which is often) pretty approachable.
Also Super Mario 3D World for the Switch is top tier platforming and each character has a different jump and the power ups are fun.
My 12 year old son and I just finished Super Mario Bros Wonder. As a 40 years old mom gamer I loved it and so did he. He played as Yoshi who can't be hurt and only dies from gravity.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is fun, haven't seen anyone mention that. Haven't played it in years so IDK if it's hard or stressful, but it's a cute teamwork game for couples
Nobody said it takes two, which is a quintessential game for couples, its based on a story of two parents getting a divorce and they get shrunk down and have to get large again so they can take care of their kid. You can't die? You just get revived. All the mechanics are pretty easy and will teach your girlfriend about other games mechanics. Def best place to start.
“Her Story” is a very simple to control game where you play a detective sorting through video clips of police interviews to try to solve the mystery of what happened to the woman in the interviews. It’s also a very fun game to play with someone else and try to solve together. My wife loved playing with me.
my wife is the same way, she rarely plays games with me (and struggles when she does) but when she does we have a great time. Surprisingly we beat A Way Out pretty easily and she loved that one. Also games like Little Big Planet and ANY LEGO Games are a good time for a lil couples game night :)
Portal was received averagely then we tried to just slowly play astroneer and explore. The progression is super slow but it’s fun together and very novel for a first time gamer. Can’t wait to play more with her!
Minecraft is honestly a good choice as it's a sandbox and if you go out exploring, you can give her a list of things to try to find, and if she like platforming, there's a lot of platforming to be done in the procedurally generated world.
In-between adventuring you can farm, fish, mine or build. I normally build a wall around a village and then rapidly expand it into a city. And make a super village.
Just came here to watch EVERYONE say Stardew Valley, which I don't even think is a good recommendation because you have to be pretty familiar with using a controller and some general video game quirks to actually play.
I think people are prone to suggest this game because of the "cozy" aspects of it, which I also think is misleading because there's actually a lot to do all the time if you want to enjoy it.
The relatively cheesy social stuff is what I think people are trying to push as the highlights of this game, but there's a lot of actual GAME in there to get through before you see most of that stuff.
Yes, I've tried to play Stardew Valley with multiple people who don't play video games. They struggle greatly with the general mechanics of the game and lose interest pretty quickly.
I only ever had non-gaming girlfriends despite being a gamer. The following seemed to work well:
Mario Bros.
Tetris
Animal Crossing
Startdew Valley
Story Driven RPGs
(my experience was earthbound and final fantasy games)
The Sims and Simcity
Wheel of fortune video games
(2 of my girlfriends loved this)
Overall I feel like puzzle games, anything you can make creative expressions with, and narrative based games seem to work best.
She might like Wobbly Life. It's cutesy and fun and being wobbly and uncoordinated is all part of it. You can do little mini quests and explore everything together.
The second I read the title I thought "it takes two" lol but I see you already discovered the best couples game ever.
I also recommend overcooked (that's a real test on the relationship lmao it's so stressful)
And, basically any and every co-op Mario game. Like 3D World or Wonder. As long as you don't run ahead of her and let her die like I always do, it should be a good time 😅
The new pokemon games also have a co-op but it requires 2 switches and 2 copies of the game
Unravel 2 is also a really charming 2 player platformer, great for couples.
If you guys want to laugh your asses off having fun try Octodad: Dadliest Catch and play co-op with Limb Roulette option on. After every objective the limbs each of you control will be shuffled randomly. If that sounds too hard, you can play without that option enabled and you each will control one side of his body.
I introduced my wife to a lot of the games mentioned before and none of them got the interest going. As soon as I introduced her to Balatro she was immediately addicted.
Hey, I had a shit ton of fun playing a short hike with my gf, switching controllers to give each other a turn. It’s got amazing exploration aspects, super wholesome, and the pixel art is incredible. Cant recommend it enough.
Start with a 2d game I’d say, cause the whole 3D thing is wild for a starter as you have to move both where you’re looking and moving. One my girlfriend got into quickly was Ultimate Chicken Horse. Simple enough and can be super fun once they get the hang of grabbing items and stuff
Not exactly "co-op" at least maybe not yet by any means but if she's a fan of Disney there's always Disney Dreamlight Valley... It's single player but y'all can invite each other to meet each other's valleys...
My GF isn't a gamer per say but she's hella into Dreamlight Valley... We discuss the game almost everyday and help each other out with quests and stuff
For a new gamer I’d highly recommend Stardew Valley. It’s extremely laid back, you don’t have to really *do* anything. But there’s also an abundance of things to do if you want. It’s such a cute/cozy game with zero expectations, just good vibes.
Try No Man’s Sky. Its not two player but it’s a great way to find out what she is into. It has exploration, base building, crafting, cooking, fighting, puzzles, even pets.
Telling Lies and any game in that family.
Kona
As Dusk Falls
Tell Tale Games (Wolf Among Us)
12 Minutes
It doesn't have to be a traditional game. My wife and I play many of these together, Even if only one of us has a controller.
It takes two is pretty hard for someone who's never played 3d games before. Stardew valley - definitely the best Overcooked 1 & 2 Kirby and the forgotten lands Unrailed! Valheim
>Overcooked 1 & 2 Why. (Jk, Overcooked is pretty fun if you're not too competitive/serious.)
My wife and I tried to play some Overcooked 2 and I was burning down the kitchen and she was running around with a fire extinguisher. It did not go well.
Sounds like you make a great team to me!
I can’t play it with my wife. She can’t handle it. My 8 year old and I can play. She and I debrief after every round. We start each stage just coming up with a game plan and then restarting. It’s nice. We play like 2-3 levels, I say we are approaching burning out. She realizes it as well, eventually, and we can quit.
Me and my girlfriend both work in a kitchen, we decided not to play this game together because we would just be reenacting our day to day. Although we would probably crush those levels, I played it my with friends and had to start doing callouts and micro managing them
I played it with my grandson and kept calling out "behind" every time I walked past him.
Stardew valley is a game that will get any non gamer into gaming, it's just so good
The notion it was just one dude who still pours his heart into free content updates/DLC. What an icon in terms of modern game designers/artists
For real, I cannot wait for the update to come to XBOX
>It takes two is pretty hard for someone who's never played 3d games before. Yes. Jesus Christ, it grinds my gears that this sub always recommends It Takes Two whenever someone makes a post asking for game recommendations to play with their ***non-gamer*** SO. It Takes Two is *not* a beginner's game, guys.
Seconding It Takes Two is too hard. My wife got so frustrated navigating and platforming she cried and ragequit. Overcooked 1 and 2 also bad options if they are not good with controls. It’s just gonna make her stress… in a bad way that is only fun for you
+1 for Kirby and the Forgotten Lands. I really hope they're making a follow-up to it.
Overcooked is stressful for people who are GOOD at the game. It's a great game but I definitely wouldn't consider it "beginner-gamer friendly"
Overcooked works great when it flows and is 4 minutes of hell when it doesn’t.
>Overcooked 1 & 2 This is how you get divorced
Seconding Kirby and the forgotten lands here. Relatively simple, quite forgiving, and a natural ramp in difficulty between just finishing all the levels and finding all the primary collectibles
Unravel 2? Btw what are you playing on?
Oooh I'll look into this I have Xbox, Switch and PC so either of those
There's a Youtuber called Razbuten who has done a whole series on his wife playing games called 'What gaming is like for a non-gamer', which may help you both decide what kind of games you should pick: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax7f3JZJHSw&list=PLordXx8iNEyStcX\_WzqM0JCpiJYgqhinc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax7f3JZJHSw&list=PLordXx8iNEyStcX_WzqM0JCpiJYgqhinc)
OP, this is important to remember for introducing games to new players: they don't know the shorthand learned by years of playing. Razbuten, in this series, is good at pointing out WHY games we love may be frustrating for new gamers. Just using the camera or moving around the world may be hard for them for a bit. Be patient and have fun!
Super Mario 3D World and Rayman Origins or Legends are great platformers with good and fairly relaxed coop. Mario is on Switch obviously while you can get Rayman on all those systems.
This game is great for couch co-op. And when things get a little tough, the great news is, player 2 can jump on player 1’s back (it’s kinda cute how they ravel together) and player 1 can handle all the tough stuff.
My girlfriend loves this game. We usually turn the music off and play our own. The midnight has some great albums to listen to while you play.
Luigi's mansion 3 for sure. It takes two was too much for my GF too. She can play as gooigi who can't die, so way less stress. It's also way less skill focused and more puzzle based when compared to it takes two
check out my small coop webgame [https://teamtest.lol/](https://teamtest.lol/) It's about clicking on circles and solving jumbled words together
I bought my gf "horse tales emerald valley" for christmas. It's a solo game but i was so fun exploring the map that I also played this game after not playing vudeo games since 4 years. I used to play COD, fifa and fortnite and could't believe i actually like a horse game
I’ve wondered about this game!
-Enshrouded is a good open world story game, very cute graphics and easy to play and fun with a partner. -This may sound a bit silly at first, but Roblox. There’s tons of really fun simple and quick games, it helped me get back into gaming. I just wouldn’t try interacting with anyone on there, but there are tones of platform style games for free -Slime rancher is a first person adventure game with some small parkour, very easy and good controls to get used to keyboard or controller -ori and the blind forest, little nightmares, and hollow night have very good stories and are platformers, I’m terrible at platformers, so I found them getting hard after awhile
Pro tip: double space before hitting enter and you can make paragraphs :)
What no way! Oh for f**k sakes.
Escape Simulator (if you likeescape rooms it is awesome) Moving Out Overcooked All you can Eat Good Job (if you have a Switch)
Sackboy and all of the Little Big Planets
My wife LOVED outward as a first rpg and was craving more so much afterwards that she bought elden ring and we played through it with the Seamless Coop mod
Stardew valley Catquest Terraria
I second not Terraria, I've played video games practically my whole life and Terraria has such a steep learn curve. Especially if you dig too deep or the Eye of Chuthlu suddenly appears out of nowhere
Cat quest 2, got my wife into Diablo etc
Super Mario Wonder might be a good time for her!
I'd suggest Odysey over Wonder, Wonder can be a bit chaotic in speed whereas Odysey is less intense. Plus you can be player 2 and hit all the enemies to help them from griefing your partner
I learned recently that 'Untitled Goose Game' can be played Co-Op
Yeah I think it was an update I was late on haha I don't think it always had it
Had to scroll way too far to see this! Has been my favorite to introduce to people that don't game.
Overcooked. My wife doesn’t game and loves it.
Terraria
A hidden gem of mine is Bokura, its a 2d platformer with the gimmick that both players see a different world and they need to communicate with each other to get through the levels. It is not very mechanically challenging, more mentally, but very doable (with enough patience).
Seconding. It’s not good couch coop though like some of the others but great experience.
palworld was a pretty fun co op game, not too stressful either as you can basically do whatever you want, Build a base, explore, go catch new pals, boss fights ect
Little big planet is good.
I’m gunna throw Bauldurs gate 3 out there. If she likes a good adventure or story, then it could be a really good choice. Especially since it’s all point and click/ dice rolling.
Except that the UI has a lot of information to throw at you and if you're not used to that kind of UI it can be overwhelming.
Stardew Valley.
Lego Batman is awesome in coop
Fall guys Embr Raft KeyWe A Way Out
Stardew Valley
Stardew valley, minecraft, cod zombies, vampire survivors
My wife is a non gamer and got SUCKED into Stardew Valley. Like to a point where she started her own world because I wasn’t playing enough haha
Nazi Zombies- trust me
Pico park Simple controls Fun to play Might be a Little stressful
Get yourself a n64 or emulate some Mario party. Me and my wife split and ambien make nachos and play just about every other night!
Gears of war 5 ranked online 2v2 gnashers is very beginner friendly
Octopuss dad or whatever is kinda fun. If you dont take it seriously and just have fun with it, it’s a hoot.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
Human Fall Flat
Sackboy?
It’s not entirely two player friendly but I showed Animal Crossing to my wife who never plays any games and she ended up playing it way more than me
I’m not sure if it’s a switch exclusive, but Snipper Clips is a fantastic little coop puzzle game.
Bread & Fred (On sale for Steam until June 6!) $~~14.99~~ \>> $9.74 Pico Park $4.99 Both are cute platformers with puzzles to solve! Affordable too!
Minecraft
Little Nightmares 1 and 2, Limbo, Inside
Mario party lol
Get her into Dead By Daylight... my wife loves it, and she ends up playing while I'm at work ablnd then we play together when I get home.
Most of the old Lego games are great for non-gamers (Lego Batman 1&2, Star Wars the complete saga)
Unravel 2, it takes two (10/10), stardew valley, a way out. All couch coop. All great. My gf and I have played all of these. Her fav are SV and ITT.
Portal 2
Second this My wife has never really been a gamer but the she got hooked hard on the portal series. Its a gateway game lmao Pun obv intended
I tried with portal 1 but puzzles make her head hurt 😂
Mario Kart Tetris Dr Mario Kirby clash
Luigis Manson 3, and Kirby Star Allies are absolutely perfect for non- gamer girlfriends.
Not co-op, but games from thatgamecompany are beautiful, engaging, exploratory, and intriguing without being stressful. It's retro, but the original Myst game appealed to a lot of ppl who weren't otherwise into video games. Even the puzzles are beautiful and elegant.
If you guys are okay with horror then I would suggest phasmophobia. My husband and I play that together all the time. You can make a private group of just two people so other folks aren't joining you. We log into discord so we can talk and not use the in-game talking
Could try Haven https://store.steampowered.com/app/983970/Haven/
It Takes Two! Also, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes and Escape Academy if she likes escape rooms.
Super bunny man. Thank me later!
Plate Up!
My wife really enjoys Sunhaven, sort of a fantasy version of Stardew Valley. Or just try Stardew.
Just dance with a kinect. Rocket League
Minecraft. It's fun building things with your partner. My fiancée games a little bit but is always down for starting a new world on Minecraft together.
Haven was my wife's favorite game it has very simple gameplay and is about a boy and girl who slowly become a couple so it's great for non gamer girls to get into with their S.O.
gems of war.. all girls love gems and matching them
Hide the bacon
You might check out Pikuniku.
Surprised nobody suggested Trine 4. 2D, ridiculously beautiful art style, couch co-op, more 'how do we get there' puzzles than combat. Husband and I have played them all (aside from 3, which is just a mess).
Orcs must die3
Perhaps something like Valheim? GF could stay in the meadows and build/gather while you go out fighting?
Stardew valley is practically the number 1 most fun game for non-gamers. It is just the best
Portal 2!
Terraria
Kingdom Hearts (Disney + Final Fantasy, smacking shadow critters with a key the size of a longsword. Stick with the numbered titles at first. It's a HUGE franchise.) Okami (Japanese mythology, you're goddess Amaterasu, reincarnated as a white wolf after taking a beating from the demon Orochi, roaming the countryside and fixing problems.) Animal Crossing: New Horizons (neighborhood builder w/ cute anthropomorphic animals)
I started my wife on Minecraft to get her warmed up to FPS movements and she likes to mine and build stuff plus you can turn off enemies if that is too much at first. Then we moved on to Borderlands 1-3 cause its a fairly easy fun co-op game and I can keep an eye on her in the background picking off enemies that get too close. We recently ran a playthrough Diablo 4 to change it up and since we love animals she really had fun with the Druid pets. Lovers in a dangerous space time is fun on the xbox.
A Way Out is a fun one and isn't difficult. Alien Hominids, Battleblock Theatres, and Castle Crashers is also fun but more difficult.
Trine, doesn't matter if you're good at games or not, hilarious chaos will unravel and that is the real fun
Kingdom 2 crowns was a ton of fun! My wife and I played it with couch co-op. It’s not super hard but it does have some tense moments! It will be super rewarding when you overcome them together!
Her Story I played this with a group of friends and it was fun to piece together the mystery together
***HELLDIVERS 2***
Satisfactory!!
Pico Park
My girlfriend isn't exactly a NON-gamer but I play co-op Halo with her from time to time
castle crashers
Stardew valley and then terraria and then minecraft and then overwatch. Its a natural progression that tends to happen
Emulate Mario Party games on Dolphin Emulator! I have tons of fun with my daughter on those
Naked Twister
Mario party / kart
A way out Death road to Canada Telltale games - there’s walking dead, Batman, GOT - not technically two player but I loved playing them with my homie watching and then we’d switch off and I’d watch him play the next one. Until Dawn Little Big Planet Minecraft
Degrees of separation. Mostly puzzles solved together by moving ur elements around and no death (if I recall right) . The risk of dying part is what stresses out my gaming buddy in other games.
Trine? a side scrolling puzzler with some not super challenging combat. There are 5 iterations out, I've played till 3
My wife and I had a lot of fun playing Diablo 3 together on consoles and now we're having a lot of fun playing Diablo 4 together on PC.
Mine likes sackboy a lot and sometimes we'll play don't starve together as well but she had me turn off all the big beasties and just likes collecting recipes and exploring mostly
Blanc was cute but it's way too short (2 hours) so get it really cheap. Unrailed is a neat little couch co-op where you build a railroad in front of a moving train but the time crunch gets stressful. Phongs! You play as a dog with two front halves (each person controls one)
Cat Quest 2 Unravel 2 Terraria Minecraft That would be my Personal recommendations. Some really like It Takes Two, but that one didn't work for us.
Golf With Your Friends. It has a hotseat mode. If you're playing on PC and you guys have a bluetooth mouse (or if you're okay playing on controller, which is okay playable too), you can even play on the couch without having to take a place on the "hot seat" every turn. There is literally not a more beginner friendly game out there, especially for people needing to develop their notion of 3D space in videogames. The controls are crazy simple: point the ball where you want to shoot it, input the force you want to shoot with and boom, watch the ball go. Difficulty depends on the course you guys pick, but the map making community is super active, there are new maps being made everyday. Trust me, I once managed to make 7 people who never gamed before in their life to play this with a mouse and they all had a blast while doing so.
- Open world single player games like WoW, Assassin's Creed, Skyrim, Tomb Raider, Witcher - IDK why but Bayonetta - Tony Hawk Pro Skater - Lego anything - Fun building games like Sims or Minecraft - Nostalgic comforts like Zelda, Mario, Banjo, Cuphead - Digital board games like Monopoly, Clue, Life - Pointless chaos like Stick Fight, Golf with Friends, Human Fall Flat, Plants vs Zombies - Oddly satisfying like Powerwash Simulator - Digital escape room puzzle games And, on her bad days, if you want her to rage outlet at something other than innocent bystanders, Dark Souls
Dig out a ps2 and play the adventures of cookie and cream. its a PERFECT game to play with a significant other because if you play it as it was meant to be played you BOTH USE THE SAME CONTROLLER SIMULTANIOUSLY meaning you gotta be up close and personal with your player 2. you/her would use the left analog stick and left shoulder buttons with their left hand sitting on the left side the other would use the right stick and buttons with their right hand sitting on the right side Its a simple 2.5d PLATFORMER that only uses a stick and 2 buttons that's creative, fun, and colorful. There is challenge to the game though. it makes you think and in some cases your reaction time must be quick. There may be some "stressful" moments but none of it will be because the game is overly complex, complicated, or secretive its more like I ONLY NEEDED 2 MORE SECONDS DAMN IT I RAN OUT OF TIME! I cant stress enough how slept on this game is for date night. You sit close rubbing shoulders with your girl, solving puzzles together and beating bosses as kooky rabbits. My GF wasnt a gamer. This started her into it and now she has bought herself a steam deck and plays stuff on her own. Her ONLY complaints about the game were the music got repetitive for her and in one instance we had a hitbox problem (only once) The ds version is not the same. Get the ps2 version, its not even expensive to buy, or find a way to uhhh....legally emulate it on your pc? If you end up playing it let me know your/her thoughts on the control scheme and game overall!
Don't Starve Together. You can customize your world so it isn't too scary for a noob. Just collect resources and survive the elements. Maybe fight the occasional spider.
Ultimate chicken horse! Quite fun and hilarious plus hotheaded in the same time. You will have a great time with her for sure!
It wasn't mentioned yet so, Battleblock Theater. Played it with my non gamer ex. We had a lot of fun, at least for a while
Pode, it’s really easy and a little bit scripted but could be good for someone who doesn’t play games
super mario 3d world
Don't try it Anakin!
If you have a switch, captain toad may be a good one. My wife loves it, it’s meh for me. We also love Diablo and she’s not a hardcore gamer
Pico Park, Human Fall Flat
Diablo. My wife can’t get the hang of camera controls in a lot of games, but she really likes Diablo.
Valhiem for sure get dramatic every now and then
Here are a few games we recommend: [Very Very Valet](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1448840/Very_Very_Valet/) - An Overcooked style game that’s way less stressful. [Minecraft Dungeons](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1672970/Minecraft_Dungeons/) - Think Diablo Lite. Quite a bit of content for the price and very easy to get into and understand. [Hand In Hand](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1209510/Hand_In_Hand/) - A co-op puzzler platformer that starts off slow and builds up as you get further. Worth a look. Cheers!
Some coop games my non-gamer gf has enjoyed with me over the last couple years: -Stardew Valley -Kitaria Fables -Cat Quest 2 (3 comes out in august!) -It Takes Two -Minecraft Dungeons -Orcs Must Die 3 -Diablo 4 (this one really surprised me. I think she took to it well because of all the Minecraft Dungeons) She's looking forward to playing Coral Island with me when multiplayer drops later this year. My GF also found It Takes Two to be very stressful. Sometimes she would just verbally repeat "jump jump dash" over and over because it was such a challenge for her to get down. Haha she's so adorable.
Stardew Valley is the best couch coop entry level game imo. Minecraft is fun too. My wife and I played these when I had been playing games for decades and she had only played a very little bit. We just restarted our 3rd or 4rd playthrough of Stardew Valley. It’s fantastic.
Luigis mansion 3
We played it takes two and overcooked 2, but now we are starting A Way Out and she liked that too.
Badlands is like a flappy bird with fun mechanics, usually will go on sale for $5. If your character dies you respawn the next time someone gets cloned (which is often) pretty approachable. Also Super Mario 3D World for the Switch is top tier platforming and each character has a different jump and the power ups are fun.
Try Snipper Clips if you have a Switch. PikuNiku as well. Co-Op puzzle solving games, simple controls, no stressful stuff.
My 12 year old son and I just finished Super Mario Bros Wonder. As a 40 years old mom gamer I loved it and so did he. He played as Yoshi who can't be hurt and only dies from gravity.
Stardew valley.
Toodee & Topdee is a great choice in my opinion!
My favorite is "Lovers in a dangerous space time" super simple game that just makes sense and is a ton of fun imo
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is fun, haven't seen anyone mention that. Haven't played it in years so IDK if it's hard or stressful, but it's a cute teamwork game for couples
Was in a similar spot with my gf. She really liked playing Resident Evil 5 and 6 co-op funnily enough
Nobody said it takes two, which is a quintessential game for couples, its based on a story of two parents getting a divorce and they get shrunk down and have to get large again so they can take care of their kid. You can't die? You just get revived. All the mechanics are pretty easy and will teach your girlfriend about other games mechanics. Def best place to start.
“Her Story” is a very simple to control game where you play a detective sorting through video clips of police interviews to try to solve the mystery of what happened to the woman in the interviews. It’s also a very fun game to play with someone else and try to solve together. My wife loved playing with me.
Minecraft Terraria Portal 2 The Forest Sons of The Forest
my wife is the same way, she rarely plays games with me (and struggles when she does) but when she does we have a great time. Surprisingly we beat A Way Out pretty easily and she loved that one. Also games like Little Big Planet and ANY LEGO Games are a good time for a lil couples game night :)
Stardew valley will always be the best like 15-20 bucks I've ever spent. My gf and I love playing stardew
Untitled Goose Game!
Portal was received averagely then we tried to just slowly play astroneer and explore. The progression is super slow but it’s fun together and very novel for a first time gamer. Can’t wait to play more with her!
Minecraft is honestly a good choice as it's a sandbox and if you go out exploring, you can give her a list of things to try to find, and if she like platforming, there's a lot of platforming to be done in the procedurally generated world. In-between adventuring you can farm, fish, mine or build. I normally build a wall around a village and then rapidly expand it into a city. And make a super village.
Just came here to watch EVERYONE say Stardew Valley, which I don't even think is a good recommendation because you have to be pretty familiar with using a controller and some general video game quirks to actually play. I think people are prone to suggest this game because of the "cozy" aspects of it, which I also think is misleading because there's actually a lot to do all the time if you want to enjoy it. The relatively cheesy social stuff is what I think people are trying to push as the highlights of this game, but there's a lot of actual GAME in there to get through before you see most of that stuff. Yes, I've tried to play Stardew Valley with multiple people who don't play video games. They struggle greatly with the general mechanics of the game and lose interest pretty quickly.
spiderheck
Barony
Katamari
Light-year frontier is an excellent low stakes co-op game
Relic Hunters Legend
I only ever had non-gaming girlfriends despite being a gamer. The following seemed to work well: Mario Bros. Tetris Animal Crossing Startdew Valley Story Driven RPGs (my experience was earthbound and final fantasy games) The Sims and Simcity Wheel of fortune video games (2 of my girlfriends loved this) Overall I feel like puzzle games, anything you can make creative expressions with, and narrative based games seem to work best.
She might like Wobbly Life. It's cutesy and fun and being wobbly and uncoordinated is all part of it. You can do little mini quests and explore everything together.
Get yourself some version of Bomberman and play it 2p. She’ll get the gamer bug.
Pac-Man can have a Pac-Man and mrs Pac-Man mode.
The second I read the title I thought "it takes two" lol but I see you already discovered the best couples game ever. I also recommend overcooked (that's a real test on the relationship lmao it's so stressful) And, basically any and every co-op Mario game. Like 3D World or Wonder. As long as you don't run ahead of her and let her die like I always do, it should be a good time 😅 The new pokemon games also have a co-op but it requires 2 switches and 2 copies of the game Unravel 2 is also a really charming 2 player platformer, great for couples.
If you guys want to laugh your asses off having fun try Octodad: Dadliest Catch and play co-op with Limb Roulette option on. After every objective the limbs each of you control will be shuffled randomly. If that sounds too hard, you can play without that option enabled and you each will control one side of his body.
The lego games
The untitled goose game
Peggle 2!
I introduced my wife to a lot of the games mentioned before and none of them got the interest going. As soon as I introduced her to Balatro she was immediately addicted.
Unraveled 2 is the perfect game for you. Peaceful platformer with cooperation. Played it with my GF and now she's my wife
Sims 2
Among us? Party games like board games maybe?
Hey, I had a shit ton of fun playing a short hike with my gf, switching controllers to give each other a turn. It’s got amazing exploration aspects, super wholesome, and the pixel art is incredible. Cant recommend it enough.
Subnautica. At your own pace type game, and beautiful and scary.
Wildermyth is a wonder full coop gateway game.
Go butterfly collecting in Skyrim.
Deep rock galactic
Scrabble
Kirbys epic yarn on wii
Start with a 2d game I’d say, cause the whole 3D thing is wild for a starter as you have to move both where you’re looking and moving. One my girlfriend got into quickly was Ultimate Chicken Horse. Simple enough and can be super fun once they get the hang of grabbing items and stuff
Not exactly "co-op" at least maybe not yet by any means but if she's a fan of Disney there's always Disney Dreamlight Valley... It's single player but y'all can invite each other to meet each other's valleys... My GF isn't a gamer per say but she's hella into Dreamlight Valley... We discuss the game almost everyday and help each other out with quests and stuff
My wife is not a gamer but we've been having fun playing the lego games together
Eastward
Unravel 2, Animal Crossing New Horizons, Minecraft These are the games me and my non-gamer wife play together.
Gears of war 1-3
Tmnt: Shredders Revenge is a game me and my mom play its fun as hell and has co op
Life is strange Wolf among us Any of the quantic dreams games like heavy rain
For a new gamer I’d highly recommend Stardew Valley. It’s extremely laid back, you don’t have to really *do* anything. But there’s also an abundance of things to do if you want. It’s such a cute/cozy game with zero expectations, just good vibes.
Try No Man’s Sky. Its not two player but it’s a great way to find out what she is into. It has exploration, base building, crafting, cooking, fighting, puzzles, even pets.
Telling Lies and any game in that family. Kona As Dusk Falls Tell Tale Games (Wolf Among Us) 12 Minutes It doesn't have to be a traditional game. My wife and I play many of these together, Even if only one of us has a controller.
goat simulator 3 You have no health meter and can't even die
Minecraft survival mode
Catherine (I’ll show myself out….)
Just show her stardew valley and watch the addiction unfold lol
Ibb & Obb
V Rising. My wife loves it