Best games for couples to play: 17 fun video games to play with your partner on PlayStation, Xbox and more

Gaming doesn’t have to be the stereotypically singular pastime it’s often been framed as. Sometimes, it’s nice to sit down with a partner (either romantic or platonic) and work your way through a virtual world cooperatively.

But what are the best games to play as a twosome? We’ve put together a list of some gaming highlights - with a little help from PlayOJO - that really shine when enjoyed as a couple.

Some are competitive (good luck getting out of a prolonged Mario Kart 8 session with your relationship intact), while others focus on cooperative puzzle building that is sure to bring a pair of people closer together. Here is everything you need to know.

It Takes Two

What is it? It Takes Two tells the rather fantastical tale of two parents on the brink of divorce who are shrunk down to inhabit doll-sized effigies of themselves when their distraught daughters.

The only way to reverse the magical curse is to return to their daughter, but to do so, they’ll have to navigate their once familiar home, now at a different scale and riddled with previously unseen threats (a warring faction of wasps, anyone?).

There’s never a dull moment as the game constantly throws new co-op gameplay mechanics at its players, with plenty of minigames to provide a distraction from the joyful exploration of new environments.

Where to play it: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

What is it? Whether you compete against each other or on the same team, winning a race in Nintendo’s kart racing classic by way of a cruel act of gamesmanship (a perfectly timed blue shell for instance) will taste quite sweet.

However, you may want to consider reigning in those dastardly tactics when playing with your significant other (the ultimate act of compromise?), as according to a 2019 CenturyLink survey, only one in three couples that play Mario Kart together stay together

Where to play it: Nintendo Switch

Stardew Valley

What is it? If the fast-paced racing and underhanded strategies of Mario Kart are putting a strain on your relationship, you might want to consider the slightly more sedate Stardew Valley, a simulation RPG in which players take over their grandfather’s abandoned farm - ideal if you’ve ever wanted to start a farm together.

Everything will need to be rebuilt from the ground up, with you tending to farmland repairs while planting and harvesting all the requisite crops in a delightfully slow-paced experience. You can even get married in-game if you’re looking to drop a massive hint in the real world.

Where to play it: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

What is it? In Lovers in a Hazardous Spacetime, you’re tasked with flying a battleship through a neon cosmos, destroying everything in your path as you dodge obstacles and carry out repairs when you do get struck.

Co-piloting a cartoonish galactic battle cruiser through the stars is equal parts bright and colourful, and completely stressful, which just about makes it the perfect co-op game to test the strength of your bond.

Where to play it: PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One

Overcooked 1 & 2

What is it? The resilience of your partnership will really be put to the test in this one, in which you must manage strict cooking deadlines and make Michelin-star-calibre dishes together in kitchens that often change shape, are painfully understaffed - and at times, falling apart completely!

Communication is crucial since time is of the essence, and Overcooked will really bring out a couple’s dynamic as one party inevitably takes the lead and starts barking orders like an irate celebrity chef.

Where to play it: Nintendo Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Don’t Starve Together

What is it? In this Tim Burton-inspired survival horror game, players must farm, explore, build, and battle to stay alive, in an eerie, enigmatic adventure that will challenge you and your partner to work together to survive.

The dark tone does mean the journey can at times be unpleasant and frustrating, but with stunning, hand-drawn style artwork and an amazing soundtrack, it’s worth the price of admission.

Where to play it: Android, iOS, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

And there’s more...

If you’re still looking for more games to play together, you can do a lot worse than giving one of the following titles a go:

• Human: Fall Flat
• Unravel Two
• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
• The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
• Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
• LittleBigPlanet 3
• A Way Out
• Rayman Legends
• Super Mario Odyssey
• Portal 2