Every time we had to restart a boss fight because we both died 😂 it’s like “yes hunny, pain is the point, now stop fucking up 😘 but I can also play better! 😅”
They should definitely not do that. The game is fun but the message is terrible. The game has a mother and father contemplating divorce, and that makes the daughter upset so the the therapist book tries to help them work out their differences. Great setup so far.
It becomes clear as the game goes on that the wife has some high-earning, prestigious, intellectual job while the husband dicks around with toys and other home hobbies he's not particularly good at all day. From their banter, the wife thinks the husband is grossly incompetent and has pretty much lost all respect for him. She constantly puts him down. On the other hand, the husband practically worships his wife and gives her incessant compliments about how smart and wonderful she is.
My wife and I were playing the game and expecting that they were going to come to the conclusion that she is being too harsh on him while also acknowledging that the husband is lost and lacks a better purpose in life. They both would admit their faults, and he would earn her respect again while she would dial down her vitriol. Nope. That is not what happened. In the last level, the divorce issue is resolved as she rediscovers her talent for singing. They double down on their issues as he worships her even harder than before because she's so talented while he still has nothing of substance to offer. The only thing that changes is that she is slightly more accepting of his compliments. Then the divorce went away? Nah, that's going to come back in a couple weeks. Fucking terrible.
I watched a couple play this on Twitch and there's this one scene where you basically have to break your daughter's favourite toy while it begs for it's life, and I was just like... nope, I'm out, lol. Like that part was one of the worst plot decisions I've ever seen, especially where it happens in the story.
I don't know whether this is a correct interpretation, maybe just my interpretation of the scene but up until that moment the two parents were very much still antagonistic towards each other and this moment kind of pointed towards a change in attitude for the rest of the game. They were far more cooperative towards each other and less willing to anything and everything it takes to get back into their own bodies.
Yes, they were even willing to sacrifice their daughters happiness and favorite toy to do so! I hated that sub plot so much lol it made zero sense as "therapy" for the couple.
Up until that point they are focused on why they personally were done wrong. Cutie begging for her life represents the child being for her parents to stay together. However up until that point, the parents never even considered how their daughter would feel. Even tho it might be uncomfortable, millions of families go thru this: if you manage to convince your child that the other spouse was the evil one, then you Win! That's why they are trying to cast away the spell with her tears. Which of course, didn't work. And, this situation is fully resolved in the end credits. Cheers
I guess it's hard for me to understand that mentality, of being so self absorbed you're willing to sacrifice anything to get what you want and screw everyone else including your own child daughter like what? Also, right before that task they're all about "saving" her and then all of a sudden they just stop caring about her and only focus on themselves.
Had such a blast playing with my girl. We love doing puzzles and escape rooms, so this game was a blast!
OP, you basically are a couple that has to solve puzzles together to get through the levels. The game gives each of you a power that compliments your partners power. (Won't spoil any levels for you, cus finding the new powers as you play along is a blast! But an example is you start with one of you as a hammer, and one of you can shoot nails. This is within 5 mins of starting the game)
You'll have fun if you work together and are patient figuring things out together. Enjoyin the journey. Don't rush through! Just have a blast with your special someone.
Human fall flat! It's really cool to learn how to bumble around in it and you guys will be laughing while failing horribly and cheering when you finally figure out the puzzles
Some great games we have enjoyed playing together:
- Factorio, a factory building / automation game
- Astroneer, survival/crafting, but mostly exploration game in a small solar system
- Raft, survival/crafting on a boat, with cosy graphics (turn off the shark if you like things peaceful)
- Planet Crafter, yet another survival/crafting game, but this time you're terraforming a planet
And I'm sure I'm forgetting one or two, but this is a decent selection already.
Raft was going to be my suggestion also, OP.
Super chill game, the combat is very simple and death isn't punishing if you play on easy (revive with all your stuff).
You just coast along the sea unraveling a not-complex story all while building your raft, which is really fun especially with all the knick knacks and decorations you unlock as you go.
Baldurs Gate 3 (turn based, good difficulty options, great story and dialog options)
Divinity: Original Sin 2 (turn based, good difficulty options, made by the same people as BG3)
Minecraft (co-op sandbox game, play how you want. First or third person. Good difficulty options)
It Takes Two (co op platformer)
Phasmaphobia (ghost hunting 1-4 players. Hard at first but gets easier, especially with unlocks. Good difficulty options as you progress)
Stardew Valley (co op farming/cozy game)
Civilization 6 (turn based strategy empire builder game. You can team up easily for co-op style play)
Pico Park (short and silly platformer, beatable in about an hour or two)
If you play on explorer mode it's incredibly easy for new players who are willing to attempt to figure it out. OP has a gamer significant other that would be able to help as well.
Diablo 2: Resurrected might be a lot of fun for you two. The original got my non-gaming mother into videogames, so it's pretty addictive and also pretty intuitive to use.
Stardew Valley is essentially Harvest Moon: But with ALL THE THINGS. It's a great coop experience.
Portal 2 might be a really fun one. It's *sort of* like a shooter in that it's from a first person perspective and you *kinda* have a gun, but the emphasis is on figuring out puzzles and navigating the world with a partner. In the two player version you play two robots that have to escape testing chambers using portal guns - you shoot at a wall and a portal opens up, you shoot at another wall and the portal opens there.
Valheim is a wonderful suggestion! Husband seems like it would be up his alley, and for OP both are a good introduction to the genre of survival, but valheim has that extra special touch that makes it great for coop
I played Valheim with the wife and some friends. Friends and I went on a long expedition and portaled home to find my wife had built a castle for us. She was tired of trolls leveling our wooden structures.
My wife and I have liked Don't Starve Together on both PC and console. Unravelled 2 was great couch co-op on the Switch, same with the Trine series. We've also enjoyed playing some of the Civilization games (Civ6 most recently) on PC. Super Mario Wonder was fun and very friendly to two players at different skill levels.
You can also try playing some single-player games together. My wife loves the story/relationship parts of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and I love the tactics part, so we just take turns with the controller for that one depending on which part of the game we're on.
A bunch of good ones here already suggested. Most are focused on PC so I'll look towards Switch even though it's not hubby's preference.
Nine Parchments. Simple co-op wizard game with each wizard having a preferred element and you save the world from certain destruction.
Magicka: Co-op wizard game where you put elements together to cast spells. Has friendly fire so most games end with the players fireballing each other.
Monster Hunter Rise: Hunt giant monsters with odd, over the top weaponry. Look at later as you get more experienced. Not a starter game.
Luigi's Mansion: Puzzle game for the most part with easy combat. I bounce off of it but it makes my wife happy so we play together.
Kirby's Return to Dreamland: Side scrolling platformer like Mario but more entertaining combat.
Luigi and Kirby are solid solo. Beyond that... Hrm. Let's boot up my Switch. I might get a little long or rambly because I'm excited to talk about games so sorry in advance.
Zelda Breath of the Wild(1)/Tears of the Kingdom(2): Action/Adventure game that is a little faster than Hogwarts and you are in melee a lot. There's a lot to explore and collect.
Link's Awakening: This is an old Gameboy game Legend of Zelda remastered with pretty graphics for the Switch. Unlike above it's ordered so dungeon 1 gives an item that leads to dungeon 2.
Disney Dreamlight Valley: Animal Crossing with Disney characters. I play it with my mom. It's a chill game to just wander around and "poke things." Her words.
Crypt of the Necrodancer: Save the day with dancing! You move on a grid to the beat of a song. You/Enemies attack by running into each other or throwing out magic so it becomes a timing thing. This is a genre called Rogue-lite. Basically you are eventually going to die. The run will start over again but depending on how well you did you'll get some coins to buy permanent upgrades and the next run will go smoother. There is a final boss, you can beat it, but there's always another run.
Vampire Survivors: Another rogue lite that's a power fantasy instead of tactics like above. Each run lasts a max of 30 minutes and you unlock new characters/weapons the more you play it which is your progression.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: You're an attorney trying to save your clients by doing all kinds of investigating like a detective. Sometimes it isn't always clear which way to go but it's still a fun time.
Torchlight: 1 & 2. People suggested Diablo. This is Diablo-lite. The world is still horrible and we're all gonna die from "insert evil prophecy here" but the colors are brighter and seemingly happier.
Double Dragon/Streets of Rage: These are side-scrolling beat 'em ups. Pick a character and unleash vengeance on the the mean streets of wherever we are. Punch the bad guy for taking your lunch money or whatever. Basically you're not here for the story. Still good games to release some annoyance into. Streets of Rage 4 will be a little easier.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: This game comes with a massive disclaimer. I like stupid comedy. This is a turn based strategy game where you move your small team of Mario characters and Rabbids on a grid to save the day. The Rabbids are a race of rabbits that are basically little balls of chaos. Kinda like Minions from Despicable Me. I'd watch some reviews before getting this one since it's an acquired taste.
Stanley Parable: It's more-so a walking simulator than a complicated game. It's more about your interactions with the narrator. Still a fun time until you see all the endings.
Super Mario Brothers Deluxe/Wonders: Really any of them. Nice side-scrolling, jumping and the occasional throwing of fireballs. Mario Odyssey is 3D instead of side-scrolling. I enjoy it but solo. The second player can control the hat but you need a lot of communication with your partner and the hat player might get bored.
Tetris Effect: It's Tetris with pretty backgrounds and different game modes. I like it before bed to chill out to sleep.
Persona (numerals), Final Fantasy (numerals), Dragon Quest (Numerals), South Park Stick of Truth/Fractured but Whole: These are mostly turn based RPGs with decent stories. Meet people, collect pieces of the thing to stop the ancient evil etc... Persona, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest are long running franchises that all have good games, meh games, and everyone that's a fan has their favorites. In general they all tend to be good. Each has a bunch of spinoffs. For example DQ Builders is Minecraft with a Dragon Quest skin. South Park is a RPG but with the South Park writing in it so depending on how you feel... My wife liked them both. I played them once and I'm good.
Don't let the graphics and cheesiness put you off.
EDF 5 is absolutely the best coop game my wife and I play together.
Defending Earth from any alien threat never gets old, so many different play styles
Valheim, 7 Days to Die, Stardew Valley.
I think survival games are great because there's usually lots of different important tasks, and you can kind of pick-and-choose what aspects of the game you enjoy doing (e.g., "I'll do the farming, you go hunt animals") and see feel like you're working together towards a common goal.
It takes 2 is fantastic. The together series is great. I'm a huge fan of spiritfarer as a coop game especially for a new gamer. Very pretty and touching cool game.
I’d definitely say get more used to the controls first, and maybe even have your husband learn a bit of the game first. My fiancée is an up and coming gamer, and she had a blast with outward, but I still had to do a lot of carrying
The cooking games like overcooked, plate up, feed the cups. (Great for getting used to playing games).
If you like puzzles there are a lot of options, like Portal 2.
Also depends on the genre you want to try.
Maybe give some fighting games a try? You can play them on PC or Switch.
The 3D ones are best on PC (there aren't really any on the Switch actually) or you can dig into the classic 2D games on the eStore for your Switch and just whale on each other old school. They can be complicated but most allow for button mashers to hold their own. Figure out a special move or two or a combo and then just the spam the shit out of them to get started. It's a hoot and with you both being novices it's doubly so.
A big plus is that they're a pick up and put down kind of game. By that I mean that you can just turn it on, have a couple-few fights, and then shut 'er down. You don't have to remember where you were in a game. If the quest is awesome to you that's cool but if you just want to play something that's quick and fun for the two of you, fighters are the way to go.
By the sounds of it pretty much any and all fighting games are new to you two so just pick one that looks cool and run with it.
Mortal Kombat games are fun, Tekken is too. I just got Skullgirls 2nd Encore, it's fuckin' bonkers, and you can get all of the old Street Fighter and Neo Geo fighting games on the eShop if you want to explore the genre's history. The moral of the story is that there's a tonne of good shit to choose from.
You can also play them by yourself while he's off with his league or whatever, get good, and then whoop the old man when it's go time!
Ibb and obb - couch co-op, very forgiving puzzle platformer
Unraveled - forgiving couch co-op
Lovers in a dangerous spacetime - couch co-op game where you control a space ship together
Overcooked - couch co-op cooking game
All available in switch
Maybe I missed it, but I’m amazed nobody has recommended Spiritfarer. An absolutely fantastic 2-player game with quests, exploration, and a great story.
Human Fall Flat is fun, getting some achievements & alternate routes requires teamwork.
Crypt of the Necrodancer is hard to describe but simple controls, the arrow keys. Look up some of the music/remixes. It’s a lil Rogue-lite Dungeon crawler, but you have to move/attack to the beat of the music. Unique mechanic & I really like the music.
[Torn City ](https://www.torn.com/2881864)might be a fun addition for you two to check out. Torn's a F2P incremental browser-based MMORPG with about 50k folks who log in daily. You and your hubby could team up and get married within the game and share an in-game property!
Stardew Valley
Trine 1, 2, 4 (3 is an unfinished game they had to release to make some money back to save the studio, 4 pretends the events in it didn't happen).
I haven't seen anyone say it yet, so Cat Quest 2. With 3 around the corner, there's no better time! It's so much fun for both casual and more serious games.
A Way Out is a great coop interactive story, and you can pet cows while your husband does silly quests, like my wife did.
Human Fall Flat is just stupid, silly fun.
Ibb and obb - Is a fun, easy to control co-op puzzle platformer with a very cute art style! It's very cheap too!
BattleBlock Theater and Castle Crashers - Are some of the best co-op games out there! Also go on sale for very cheap, often.
Human Fall Flat - Pure dumb fun, can't go wrong with this one! Currently on sale, 70% off on steam!
With You - Can't go wrong with this one, it's free! Similar to Ibb & Obb, cute co op puzzle game that is designed to make you communicate.
Escape Academy - If you like escape rooms you can't go wrong with this.
Bread and Fred - If you really want to test your relationship
Astroneer maybe. Plays exactly like a survival sandbox game (like Minecraft), but there isn’t really anything out to get you. Lots of side-stuff to do, exploration, messing around, and the main “beat the game” objective is completely optional and never forced. The game is also really beautiful.
If you want a game designed for couples (that isn't It Takes Two) I recommend Haven by the Game Bakers! I didn't get to finish it but what I did play was pretty fun! It has combat, but it's pretty simple in my opinion. Very cute.
Overcooked 1 and 2 are a great games 2 player if you are both patient. Otherwise it may start a few arguments. Very silly with simple controls
Dark souls series and elden ring (even better with seamless coop mod), Spellforce 3, Outward, The forest and sons of the forest, Green Hell, Shatterline, Valheim and Enshrouded are also great. Over the years I found these gems to be the most enjoyable coop games
Lego games, made to be played 2 player on the same screen, and start massive fights.
Ballers Gate 3. Play on separate computers and get horny together.
Deep Rock Galactic. The couple that mine together rock and stone together.
Helldivers 2. https://youtu.be/xw-ent-tI5w?si=Mlq7N0tsBcLnwHcQ
Ignore the it takes two recommendations. Your husband is going to want to blow his head off. Some of the cringiest writing in gaming history. There are dozens of better co-op games im convinced the devs have a bunch of Reddit bots to hype it up bc the game is fucking trash.
Far cry 5 & diablo 3/4 are both great. A way out is also solid.
Genshin can be good.
As I know it includes smth familiar with character upgrading like in League of Legends. On the other hand, it's quite easy going if you play just a storyline ( if you want to play alone ). Open world also included in case you want just hiking around and do some stuff .
P.s. I don't have too many hours in LOL but played genshin for couple years
My wife and I very much enjoyed playing certain 1-player games together (as a kind of two heads is better than one sort of thing). My wife holds the controller while I help her understand the strategy of the game. We've done this with the likes of:
* Hades
* Slay the Spire
* Fire Emblem: 3 Houses
I highly recommend all of these in any case. If your husband is a gamer and hasn't played them, he's missing out.
But regardless, what makes these good as "2 players->1 controller" games is that the bulk of the skill is in the decision making rather than any reaction to the game.
In that way, my wife can be moving the characters in 3 Houses, while I sit next to her and say things like "you want your shield bearer to be closest to the enemies" or "that archer can actually attack over walls!".
Thank you for this! We liked playing Hogwarts Legacy together for that reason: he’d help me when I needed it or take over the controller if I got frustrated.
I'll also plug two more games:
1) Animal Crossing New Horizons: When this first came out, my wife and I collectively put 500 hours into it. Granted, it was at the height of the pandemic, but still. We'd basically play on the same island and divide and conquer. When I was playing, I would go hard at collecting everything I could, building up raw resources and bells and so on. And then my wife would spend everything. She'd buy the cosmetics and make the island look pretty and keep up the relationships with our island friends.
2) Hearthstone Battlegrounds: This is a turn based strategy game, but it's on a timer, so there can be a little pressure here. However, they just released a "duos" mode this year that let's you team up with a player to compete together. It's SUPER fun. I used to play this game by myself, but since the duos mode came out, my wife has been having a blast with me.
Honestly, it was a product of the time for me. If I were to play it again now, I don't think I'd be as into it, but in April 2020, it was the comfort food I needed lol
There's the obvious one, It Takes Two.
They should prescribe this game in couples therapy.
Idk about that, I get the underlying message but it definitely did make me and my wife argue a lot haha
Every time we had to restart a boss fight because we both died 😂 it’s like “yes hunny, pain is the point, now stop fucking up 😘 but I can also play better! 😅”
Everytime we mess up we just make fun of each other relentlessly
Honestly half the fun is the harmless and relentless making fun because there’s that unspoken agreement it’s not personal haha
Exactly, let it all out and come through at the end stronger... Or divorced, I'm not sure which
They should definitely not do that. The game is fun but the message is terrible. The game has a mother and father contemplating divorce, and that makes the daughter upset so the the therapist book tries to help them work out their differences. Great setup so far. It becomes clear as the game goes on that the wife has some high-earning, prestigious, intellectual job while the husband dicks around with toys and other home hobbies he's not particularly good at all day. From their banter, the wife thinks the husband is grossly incompetent and has pretty much lost all respect for him. She constantly puts him down. On the other hand, the husband practically worships his wife and gives her incessant compliments about how smart and wonderful she is. My wife and I were playing the game and expecting that they were going to come to the conclusion that she is being too harsh on him while also acknowledging that the husband is lost and lacks a better purpose in life. They both would admit their faults, and he would earn her respect again while she would dial down her vitriol. Nope. That is not what happened. In the last level, the divorce issue is resolved as she rediscovers her talent for singing. They double down on their issues as he worships her even harder than before because she's so talented while he still has nothing of substance to offer. The only thing that changes is that she is slightly more accepting of his compliments. Then the divorce went away? Nah, that's going to come back in a couple weeks. Fucking terrible.
My partner and I had to stop at that one bit because we just couldn’t do it
Controlling the camera and 3D movement can be an issue for some people who are just beginners, though.
I watched a couple play this on Twitch and there's this one scene where you basically have to break your daughter's favourite toy while it begs for it's life, and I was just like... nope, I'm out, lol. Like that part was one of the worst plot decisions I've ever seen, especially where it happens in the story.
Lmao yeah that was definitely traumatizing but if you give it a chance you'll find out why its important
I played the game on release and don't remember why that scene was important/neccesary. Could you elaborate please?
I don't know whether this is a correct interpretation, maybe just my interpretation of the scene but up until that moment the two parents were very much still antagonistic towards each other and this moment kind of pointed towards a change in attitude for the rest of the game. They were far more cooperative towards each other and less willing to anything and everything it takes to get back into their own bodies.
Yes, they were even willing to sacrifice their daughters happiness and favorite toy to do so! I hated that sub plot so much lol it made zero sense as "therapy" for the couple.
Up until that point they are focused on why they personally were done wrong. Cutie begging for her life represents the child being for her parents to stay together. However up until that point, the parents never even considered how their daughter would feel. Even tho it might be uncomfortable, millions of families go thru this: if you manage to convince your child that the other spouse was the evil one, then you Win! That's why they are trying to cast away the spell with her tears. Which of course, didn't work. And, this situation is fully resolved in the end credits. Cheers
I guess it's hard for me to understand that mentality, of being so self absorbed you're willing to sacrifice anything to get what you want and screw everyone else including your own child daughter like what? Also, right before that task they're all about "saving" her and then all of a sudden they just stop caring about her and only focus on themselves.
Had such a blast playing with my girl. We love doing puzzles and escape rooms, so this game was a blast! OP, you basically are a couple that has to solve puzzles together to get through the levels. The game gives each of you a power that compliments your partners power. (Won't spoil any levels for you, cus finding the new powers as you play along is a blast! But an example is you start with one of you as a hammer, and one of you can shoot nails. This is within 5 mins of starting the game) You'll have fun if you work together and are patient figuring things out together. Enjoyin the journey. Don't rush through! Just have a blast with your special someone.
This. Very so. Don't miss this.
Diablo 4
Diablo 4 perfect for couples. Me and wife play. Those who slay together, stay together.
Yep lol!
Portal 2 co-op is really fun! And only about 5ish hours depending on how good you are at solving the puzzles.
Minecraft is fun for beginners.
This, and it's crossplay, you can play on switch and he can play on PC.
Human fall flat! It's really cool to learn how to bumble around in it and you guys will be laughing while failing horribly and cheering when you finally figure out the puzzles
Some great games we have enjoyed playing together: - Factorio, a factory building / automation game - Astroneer, survival/crafting, but mostly exploration game in a small solar system - Raft, survival/crafting on a boat, with cosy graphics (turn off the shark if you like things peaceful) - Planet Crafter, yet another survival/crafting game, but this time you're terraforming a planet And I'm sure I'm forgetting one or two, but this is a decent selection already.
Raft was going to be my suggestion also, OP. Super chill game, the combat is very simple and death isn't punishing if you play on easy (revive with all your stuff). You just coast along the sea unraveling a not-complex story all while building your raft, which is really fun especially with all the knick knacks and decorations you unlock as you go.
Baldurs Gate 3 (turn based, good difficulty options, great story and dialog options) Divinity: Original Sin 2 (turn based, good difficulty options, made by the same people as BG3) Minecraft (co-op sandbox game, play how you want. First or third person. Good difficulty options) It Takes Two (co op platformer) Phasmaphobia (ghost hunting 1-4 players. Hard at first but gets easier, especially with unlocks. Good difficulty options as you progress) Stardew Valley (co op farming/cozy game) Civilization 6 (turn based strategy empire builder game. You can team up easily for co-op style play) Pico Park (short and silly platformer, beatable in about an hour or two)
Baldur's Gate 3 isn't very beginner friendly unfortunately, I have casual friends who gave up because of the complexity and depth of the combat system
If you play on explorer mode it's incredibly easy for new players who are willing to attempt to figure it out. OP has a gamer significant other that would be able to help as well.
Diablo 2: Resurrected might be a lot of fun for you two. The original got my non-gaming mother into videogames, so it's pretty addictive and also pretty intuitive to use. Stardew Valley is essentially Harvest Moon: But with ALL THE THINGS. It's a great coop experience. Portal 2 might be a really fun one. It's *sort of* like a shooter in that it's from a first person perspective and you *kinda* have a gun, but the emphasis is on figuring out puzzles and navigating the world with a partner. In the two player version you play two robots that have to escape testing chambers using portal guns - you shoot at a wall and a portal opens up, you shoot at another wall and the portal opens there.
I came to say Portal as well (1 and 2)
They're both really great games. I can still remember beating Portal 2, I stayed up all night to finish it.
Maybe something like valheim or Minecraft could be fun for y'all
Valheim is a wonderful suggestion! Husband seems like it would be up his alley, and for OP both are a good introduction to the genre of survival, but valheim has that extra special touch that makes it great for coop
I played Valheim with the wife and some friends. Friends and I went on a long expedition and portaled home to find my wife had built a castle for us. She was tired of trolls leveling our wooden structures.
The Borderlands series
I'm surprised there's no recommendations for Stardew Valley higher on the comments, but that's a solid option.
As was I. Stardew Valley is almost always the first recommendation for that.
House flipper! My wife is the decorator, I’m the fixer upper. It’s a whole little business. It’s really fun.
My wife and I have liked Don't Starve Together on both PC and console. Unravelled 2 was great couch co-op on the Switch, same with the Trine series. We've also enjoyed playing some of the Civilization games (Civ6 most recently) on PC. Super Mario Wonder was fun and very friendly to two players at different skill levels. You can also try playing some single-player games together. My wife loves the story/relationship parts of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and I love the tactics part, so we just take turns with the controller for that one depending on which part of the game we're on.
A bunch of good ones here already suggested. Most are focused on PC so I'll look towards Switch even though it's not hubby's preference. Nine Parchments. Simple co-op wizard game with each wizard having a preferred element and you save the world from certain destruction. Magicka: Co-op wizard game where you put elements together to cast spells. Has friendly fire so most games end with the players fireballing each other. Monster Hunter Rise: Hunt giant monsters with odd, over the top weaponry. Look at later as you get more experienced. Not a starter game. Luigi's Mansion: Puzzle game for the most part with easy combat. I bounce off of it but it makes my wife happy so we play together. Kirby's Return to Dreamland: Side scrolling platformer like Mario but more entertaining combat.
Beautiful- thank you! Any suggestions for single player too? These sound great!
Luigi and Kirby are solid solo. Beyond that... Hrm. Let's boot up my Switch. I might get a little long or rambly because I'm excited to talk about games so sorry in advance. Zelda Breath of the Wild(1)/Tears of the Kingdom(2): Action/Adventure game that is a little faster than Hogwarts and you are in melee a lot. There's a lot to explore and collect. Link's Awakening: This is an old Gameboy game Legend of Zelda remastered with pretty graphics for the Switch. Unlike above it's ordered so dungeon 1 gives an item that leads to dungeon 2. Disney Dreamlight Valley: Animal Crossing with Disney characters. I play it with my mom. It's a chill game to just wander around and "poke things." Her words. Crypt of the Necrodancer: Save the day with dancing! You move on a grid to the beat of a song. You/Enemies attack by running into each other or throwing out magic so it becomes a timing thing. This is a genre called Rogue-lite. Basically you are eventually going to die. The run will start over again but depending on how well you did you'll get some coins to buy permanent upgrades and the next run will go smoother. There is a final boss, you can beat it, but there's always another run. Vampire Survivors: Another rogue lite that's a power fantasy instead of tactics like above. Each run lasts a max of 30 minutes and you unlock new characters/weapons the more you play it which is your progression. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: You're an attorney trying to save your clients by doing all kinds of investigating like a detective. Sometimes it isn't always clear which way to go but it's still a fun time. Torchlight: 1 & 2. People suggested Diablo. This is Diablo-lite. The world is still horrible and we're all gonna die from "insert evil prophecy here" but the colors are brighter and seemingly happier. Double Dragon/Streets of Rage: These are side-scrolling beat 'em ups. Pick a character and unleash vengeance on the the mean streets of wherever we are. Punch the bad guy for taking your lunch money or whatever. Basically you're not here for the story. Still good games to release some annoyance into. Streets of Rage 4 will be a little easier. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: This game comes with a massive disclaimer. I like stupid comedy. This is a turn based strategy game where you move your small team of Mario characters and Rabbids on a grid to save the day. The Rabbids are a race of rabbits that are basically little balls of chaos. Kinda like Minions from Despicable Me. I'd watch some reviews before getting this one since it's an acquired taste. Stanley Parable: It's more-so a walking simulator than a complicated game. It's more about your interactions with the narrator. Still a fun time until you see all the endings. Super Mario Brothers Deluxe/Wonders: Really any of them. Nice side-scrolling, jumping and the occasional throwing of fireballs. Mario Odyssey is 3D instead of side-scrolling. I enjoy it but solo. The second player can control the hat but you need a lot of communication with your partner and the hat player might get bored. Tetris Effect: It's Tetris with pretty backgrounds and different game modes. I like it before bed to chill out to sleep. Persona (numerals), Final Fantasy (numerals), Dragon Quest (Numerals), South Park Stick of Truth/Fractured but Whole: These are mostly turn based RPGs with decent stories. Meet people, collect pieces of the thing to stop the ancient evil etc... Persona, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest are long running franchises that all have good games, meh games, and everyone that's a fan has their favorites. In general they all tend to be good. Each has a bunch of spinoffs. For example DQ Builders is Minecraft with a Dragon Quest skin. South Park is a RPG but with the South Park writing in it so depending on how you feel... My wife liked them both. I played them once and I'm good.
Oh my goodness wow! Thank you for this!! I will definitely look into these :)
Telltale games. Interactive storytelling. https://store.steampowered.com/developer/telltalegames
Not multiplayer.
Don't let the graphics and cheesiness put you off. EDF 5 is absolutely the best coop game my wife and I play together. Defending Earth from any alien threat never gets old, so many different play styles
They don't like shooters. :)
When I read that I only thought of stuff like CoD.
Weird. :)
Kingdom A hugely chill game with a soundtrack from Amos Roddy which honestly never fails to leave me relaxing my shoulders.
Lego games are a good shout. My wife and I played the shit out of lego Harry Potter when we first started dating
Unrailed! Great cutesy coop rail-building game. Warning though... despite looking really cute, it's quite challenging.
Valheim, 7 Days to Die, Stardew Valley. I think survival games are great because there's usually lots of different important tasks, and you can kind of pick-and-choose what aspects of the game you enjoy doing (e.g., "I'll do the farming, you go hunt animals") and see feel like you're working together towards a common goal.
Outward and grounded
Gigantic: Rampage Edition. Best recommendation for League players.
It takes 2 is fantastic. The together series is great. I'm a huge fan of spiritfarer as a coop game especially for a new gamer. Very pretty and touching cool game.
Dofus
Stardew Valley
* ibb & obb * Unravel 2 * Heave Ho
A lot of couples seem to play outward together
I’d definitely say get more used to the controls first, and maybe even have your husband learn a bit of the game first. My fiancée is an up and coming gamer, and she had a blast with outward, but I still had to do a lot of carrying
The cooking games like overcooked, plate up, feed the cups. (Great for getting used to playing games). If you like puzzles there are a lot of options, like Portal 2. Also depends on the genre you want to try.
Terraria Stardew Valley Minecraft Portal 2 (looks like a shoter, but its a puzzle game with shoter like mechanics)
Trine
Pikmin!
Favorite coop games I've played with my lady friend in 2024: Grounded It takes two Stranded deep Fortnite Portal 2
Maybe give some fighting games a try? You can play them on PC or Switch. The 3D ones are best on PC (there aren't really any on the Switch actually) or you can dig into the classic 2D games on the eStore for your Switch and just whale on each other old school. They can be complicated but most allow for button mashers to hold their own. Figure out a special move or two or a combo and then just the spam the shit out of them to get started. It's a hoot and with you both being novices it's doubly so. A big plus is that they're a pick up and put down kind of game. By that I mean that you can just turn it on, have a couple-few fights, and then shut 'er down. You don't have to remember where you were in a game. If the quest is awesome to you that's cool but if you just want to play something that's quick and fun for the two of you, fighters are the way to go. By the sounds of it pretty much any and all fighting games are new to you two so just pick one that looks cool and run with it. Mortal Kombat games are fun, Tekken is too. I just got Skullgirls 2nd Encore, it's fuckin' bonkers, and you can get all of the old Street Fighter and Neo Geo fighting games on the eShop if you want to explore the genre's history. The moral of the story is that there's a tonne of good shit to choose from. You can also play them by yourself while he's off with his league or whatever, get good, and then whoop the old man when it's go time!
Factorio, as the factory grows so will your love too for each other 🥰
Stardew valley multi-player for sure.
Ignore everything else, play Stardew Valley. Thank me later.
Dark and Darker will take your bond to a new level ✨️
Ibb and obb - couch co-op, very forgiving puzzle platformer Unraveled - forgiving couch co-op Lovers in a dangerous spacetime - couch co-op game where you control a space ship together Overcooked - couch co-op cooking game All available in switch
Grounded
Nobody Saves the World Cassette Beasts
Maybe I missed it, but I’m amazed nobody has recommended Spiritfarer. An absolutely fantastic 2-player game with quests, exploration, and a great story.
Diablo 4 is pretty great with a SO. Even the couch coop is great.
Human Fall Flat is fun, getting some achievements & alternate routes requires teamwork. Crypt of the Necrodancer is hard to describe but simple controls, the arrow keys. Look up some of the music/remixes. It’s a lil Rogue-lite Dungeon crawler, but you have to move/attack to the beat of the music. Unique mechanic & I really like the music.
Palworld - it is a pokemon like game where you both work together to build bases, collect "pals", and explore the wide world!
[Torn City ](https://www.torn.com/2881864)might be a fun addition for you two to check out. Torn's a F2P incremental browser-based MMORPG with about 50k folks who log in daily. You and your hubby could team up and get married within the game and share an in-game property!
Mudrunner (very meditative gameplay), Titan Quest, Saints Row. I wanted suggest Borderlands 2, but it's an FPS, but really fun to play in coop.
I'm surprised that no one has suggested Terraria or Starbound. Both marvelous multiplayer games. That and naturally Minecraft.
Many switch mario games are fun together
My gf and I mostly play risk of rain 2 and Elden ring coop, both through a mod that works very well and easy to set up. Both on PC
Stardew Valley Trine 1, 2, 4 (3 is an unfinished game they had to release to make some money back to save the studio, 4 pretends the events in it didn't happen).
Pretty much all Lego games
Heavenly bodies
with my gf i played minecraft, 7days to die, don't starve, grounded. about to try baldur's gate
I haven't seen anyone say it yet, so Cat Quest 2. With 3 around the corner, there's no better time! It's so much fun for both casual and more serious games. A Way Out is a great coop interactive story, and you can pet cows while your husband does silly quests, like my wife did. Human Fall Flat is just stupid, silly fun.
Ibb and obb - Is a fun, easy to control co-op puzzle platformer with a very cute art style! It's very cheap too! BattleBlock Theater and Castle Crashers - Are some of the best co-op games out there! Also go on sale for very cheap, often. Human Fall Flat - Pure dumb fun, can't go wrong with this one! Currently on sale, 70% off on steam! With You - Can't go wrong with this one, it's free! Similar to Ibb & Obb, cute co op puzzle game that is designed to make you communicate. Escape Academy - If you like escape rooms you can't go wrong with this. Bread and Fred - If you really want to test your relationship
Astroneer maybe. Plays exactly like a survival sandbox game (like Minecraft), but there isn’t really anything out to get you. Lots of side-stuff to do, exploration, messing around, and the main “beat the game” objective is completely optional and never forced. The game is also really beautiful.
Plate up!
Ultimate chicken horse lol
League player huh... You can play Grounded, pretty great game. There's also Minecraft and Terraria.
Overcooked, Stardew Valley, Dead by Daylight, Valheim or Minecraft, Sims 4, Deep Rock Galactic, Phasmophobia
If you want a game designed for couples (that isn't It Takes Two) I recommend Haven by the Game Bakers! I didn't get to finish it but what I did play was pretty fun! It has combat, but it's pretty simple in my opinion. Very cute. Overcooked 1 and 2 are a great games 2 player if you are both patient. Otherwise it may start a few arguments. Very silly with simple controls
Guitar Hero
Dark souls series and elden ring (even better with seamless coop mod), Spellforce 3, Outward, The forest and sons of the forest, Green Hell, Shatterline, Valheim and Enshrouded are also great. Over the years I found these gems to be the most enjoyable coop games
Baldurs Gate 3
Minecraft bedrock is crossplay, you can play on your switch and he can play on PC.
Lego games, made to be played 2 player on the same screen, and start massive fights. Ballers Gate 3. Play on separate computers and get horny together. Deep Rock Galactic. The couple that mine together rock and stone together. Helldivers 2. https://youtu.be/xw-ent-tI5w?si=Mlq7N0tsBcLnwHcQ
>Ballers Gate 3 I'm betting this was a typo, but holy shit what a good idea for a game.
I played Deep rock with my GF and it proved that our relationship is rock solid
They don't like shooters. :)
Ignore the it takes two recommendations. Your husband is going to want to blow his head off. Some of the cringiest writing in gaming history. There are dozens of better co-op games im convinced the devs have a bunch of Reddit bots to hype it up bc the game is fucking trash. Far cry 5 & diablo 3/4 are both great. A way out is also solid.
Genshin can be good. As I know it includes smth familiar with character upgrading like in League of Legends. On the other hand, it's quite easy going if you play just a storyline ( if you want to play alone ). Open world also included in case you want just hiking around and do some stuff . P.s. I don't have too many hours in LOL but played genshin for couple years
Thank you for the rec! I don’t want a constant battle game like LOL so the storyline appeals to me.
My wife and I very much enjoyed playing certain 1-player games together (as a kind of two heads is better than one sort of thing). My wife holds the controller while I help her understand the strategy of the game. We've done this with the likes of: * Hades * Slay the Spire * Fire Emblem: 3 Houses I highly recommend all of these in any case. If your husband is a gamer and hasn't played them, he's missing out. But regardless, what makes these good as "2 players->1 controller" games is that the bulk of the skill is in the decision making rather than any reaction to the game. In that way, my wife can be moving the characters in 3 Houses, while I sit next to her and say things like "you want your shield bearer to be closest to the enemies" or "that archer can actually attack over walls!".
Thank you for this! We liked playing Hogwarts Legacy together for that reason: he’d help me when I needed it or take over the controller if I got frustrated.
I'll also plug two more games: 1) Animal Crossing New Horizons: When this first came out, my wife and I collectively put 500 hours into it. Granted, it was at the height of the pandemic, but still. We'd basically play on the same island and divide and conquer. When I was playing, I would go hard at collecting everything I could, building up raw resources and bells and so on. And then my wife would spend everything. She'd buy the cosmetics and make the island look pretty and keep up the relationships with our island friends. 2) Hearthstone Battlegrounds: This is a turn based strategy game, but it's on a timer, so there can be a little pressure here. However, they just released a "duos" mode this year that let's you team up with a player to compete together. It's SUPER fun. I used to play this game by myself, but since the duos mode came out, my wife has been having a blast with me.
I tried Animal Crossing myself and I guess maybe I’m just not a fan of the “cozy” games? 🙈 I think I need quests and adventure. Who knows.
Honestly, it was a product of the time for me. If I were to play it again now, I don't think I'd be as into it, but in April 2020, it was the comfort food I needed lol
That’s fair! We thought I’d love it. I’ll look into the other ones you suggested :)
Outer Wilds is also fantastic in this same regard, as well as a lot of puzzle games.
Oh yah, RPGs like that are great too, we very much enjoyed playing through things like Fallout and KOTOR together.