Best Two Player Games available right now on Steam
Best Two Player Games available right now on Steam
Teamwork makes the dream work!
Single player games are everywhere. It feels like almost everyone is raving about the latest FPS with a dynamic story where the solo player is the one who dictates the story and drives themselves to victory. While stories where people pick themselves up by their bootstraps are all well and good, sometimes what we really need is someone to be there who can cheer in our corner or just simply have a fun time with. Humans are inherently social creatures. Whether it be a best friend, a sibling, significant other, or someone else who is near and dear to you, having at least one other person by your side can make you feel a whole lot less alone in the world. This is why you will likely need to know the best games for two players, so let this article be that list. We have a long way to go, so grab your partner by the hand and dive right in.
Cuphead and Mugman making their way through one of the more surreal areas of Funhouse Frazzle. Image courtesy of Steam.
Many people are aware of Studio MDHR’s indie smash hit. For those who are not, Cuphead is a 2D side-scroller filled with platforming, run n’ gun levels, and all kinds of wacky worlds all done in a hand drawn (but digitally colored) art style based on the classic cartoons of the 1930’s such as Popeye the Sailor. Be wary, intrepid explorers! This game also takes inspiration from the classics such as Megaman and Gradius with its tooth and nail difficulty, so do not be afraid or ashamed of dying over and over, because that will happen A LOT. The game also touts a stellar soundtrack with a phenomenal band playing some swinging jazz music as you fight your way through the massive gauntlet of bosses in the land of Inkwell Isle.
The game can be played in both single and 2 player modes. When two player mode is engaged, you and your ally gain the ability to revive one another, but at the cost of bosses doubling their health to account for two people blasting away at them. This high focus, high octane adventure is just waiting for you and a friend to pick up! Not only that, but for $8 you can also buy the Cuphead DLC which is complete with a new isle, crawling with new bosses, new secrets, new weapons, and the introduction of Ms. Chalice.
Greetings from atop the snowy mountain! Image courtesy of Steam.
For a more relaxed experience that just so happens to rhyme with the previous entry, Bread and Fred is a frosty but cozy experience starring you and your buddy as you take control of the titular Bread and Fred, a pair of penguins scaling up the side of a mountain. Developed by SandCastles Studio, this game brings a gorgeously animated pixel style to the collaborative platforming experience. Some may even be reminded of Nintendo’s Ice Climbers based off of the frosty collaborative premise.
Much like Cuphead, this game is also available for single player gameplay, but there is certainly no harm in inviting someone to join you. This game can be especially fun during the cold winter season with a nice hot coco in hand with marshmallows and a candy cane, or it can be an ice cold drink on a hot summer’s day. You decide! We also have an article for even more cozy games on steam, if you are so inclined for a more solo calm and cozy experience. (Besides, if you have already been playing Cuphead at the time of reading this, who can blame you?).
You can finally be a bee. Image courtesy of Steam.
Rather straightforward in its naming, Bee Simulator is a VARSAV Game Studios project where you can play as a busy little bee. With breathtaking visuals, you get to explore the great outdoors to gather pollen for your hive whilst doing battle with sinister wasps, tough beetles, and more! This honey sweetened experience sports both single player, collaborative co-op, and PvP, all for up to four players on split screen for a fun experience in the comfort of your own home. We are all way too big to be bees, that isn’t our world. However with this game, we can finally be bees. Would it not feel great to call out to your significant other and ask, “Hey Honey, want to get me some pollen to help me make some honey?” You can now be what you want to bee.
Now if we do not move on to the next entry, chances are there will be even more bee puns buzzing around in your head. You may even bee convinced to get a beehive hairdo, or a buzz cut for that matter.
Our little lamb’s new player 2, The Goat. Image courtesy of Steam.
We enter the Land of the Old Faith for our next entry: Cult of The Lamb. Massive Monster is a fitting name for the studio that created this Massive Monster of a hit where you play as the titular lamb who escapes sacrifice and becomes the vessel for divine judgement on the sinister Bishops of the Old Faith while also building up their own cult. This roguelike/roguelite also has the mechanics of building up your own civilization to bolster your following and become as powerful as possible. While it may be nice to hog all that power for yourself, a little while after its initial release, Massive Monster released an update that introduced the character of The Goat, a mischievous little fella that your friends and family can enjoy taking control of.
Now you can work together to help followers with their needs by getting them food, marrying them, and making new buildings to fulfil any desires they have, or you can also join together on crusades and slaughter imposing enemies and beastly bosses. Whichever fills your fancy.
Dat gum it, Old Top! The Livestock ran off again! Image courtesy of Steam.
Here’s one you probably were not expecting to see. When most people talk about Stardew Valley, they all often discuss the beautiful pixel art, or the dynamic characters, or the cozy farming gameplay, or maybe even the calming music. While all of those things are in fact true, Stardew Valley is also open to co-op, both local and online. Now you and your player 2 can take care of animals, tend to crops, and go into town to meet people. Consider this game an unofficial new member of the cozy co-op games list alongside Bee Simulator and Bread and Fred. Feel free to read the reviews yourself, but most of them are overwhelmingly positive. They frequently tout many many hours of gameplay, getting lost in the game’s wonderful world.
Heroes do battle for glory! Image courtesy of Steam.
All of this being said, you do not always have to necessarily work together to get along and have a fun experience. Sometimes you just need an excuse to fictitiously toss each other into oblivion and laugh about it. Brawlhalla by Blue Mammoth is a platform fighter akin to the ever popular Super Smash Brothers series. However, there are a number of factors that differentiate it from Smash, such as the fact that it is constantly being updated with all new fighters for you and your friends to play with, watching as pure chaos unfolds on screen. With so many maps and characters to choose from, you and your allies may find yourselves burning hours upon hours on match after match just having a blast.
Nothing says relationship like blowing things up with big cannons. Image courtesy of Steam.
Last but certainly not least, we have the game that’s on everyone’s minds; It Takes Two. Hard to find a game that screams “two player game” quite like this one. In this game, you and your player 2 take control of a married couple, Cody and May whose relationship is falling apart. The impending split is taking a serious toll on their daughter and as a result, a magic spell is cast on them which transforms them into dolls. Now they must platform their way around the house, solving puzzles and doing battle with massive bosses ranging from an enraged vacuum cleaner to a war mongering squirrel. This is the only game on this list that absolutely REQUIRES two people to play. No more, no less. This is a game that weaves the narrative into the gameplay itself. Due to both the mechanics and the story revolving around working together, Hazelight Studios has created the perfect bonding experience to fully immerse the players in their creation whilst also bringing people together.
This is not to say that some alone time is necessarily a bad thing. It’s just that there are times that we feel alone in this world and games like these can remind us that that is not always true. With all these new ways of connecting with others, we can relive the past, climb mountains, be bees, spread the word, build communities, strive for glory, and make deeper connections than we thought possible.
