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Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
Game time isn’t just for friends, it can also be an opportunity to strengthen a relationship. In this ranking, we review 15 of the best video games for couples. Choose any one of these games — some cute and cuddly, others tense and thrilling with themes of teamwork and cooperation — and you just might grow closer than ever before. Most importantly, though, you’ll have a whole lot of fun while you’re at it.
Best Video Games for Couples, Ranked from Great to Best
For your next date night in, here are 15 of the best video games for couples to play across a variety of different gaming platforms.
15/15
BoxBoy! + BoxGirl!
- Everyone
- Mild fantasy violence
- Balloon-popping mode and character customisation system
Up first is BoxBoy! + BoxGirl! Available on Nintendo Switch and now featuring two-player Tale for Two mode, couples work together as either Qbby or Qucy to solve more than 270 puzzles. Among other challenges, each puzzle stage — rendered in a cute and simple graphical style — involves an obstacle-course-like environment. Every level has a story of its own and each has its own series of stages to complete. Stick around for a third option — Qudy and his extra-tall box challenge, or the balloon challenge.
As couples work their way through the game, they earn rewards, including medals and accessories, and are able to buy extra goodies from the in-game store. The game will be familiar for fans of typical platformer games, and the simple graphics style is best suited for mobile devices, based on feedback. The checkpoint system lets you retry each obstacle, which keeps gameplay low pressure.
14/15
Push Me Pull You
- Fast-paced and entertaining
- 2014 Best Game Design winner, Sense of Wonder Night
- Intuitive controls
Up next in our ranking of the best video games for a couple’s night-in is Push Me Pull You. In this local multiplayer, couples will share the same body as they wriggle and contort to defeat their opponents and control the ball. Stretch for more ball control but less power; shrink for more power but less control. Otherwise, success requires good communication skills, with different levels and stages of gameplay offered to keep things interesting. For an added challenge, play the game with your partner using just one controller, or experiment in the sandbox area with its own set of rewards.
This is a great party game for up to four players, based on feedback. The aesthetic is clean, with great sound design and a good sense of humor. (We heard something about a secret level where you can play as a wiener dog, but have yet to unlock that stage for ourselves). If you’re looking for a game with a low-learning curve to play with your partner while you both laugh uncontrollably, then Push Me Pull You is the best choice, based on feedback.
13/15
Snipperclips
- Everyone
- BAFTA Games Award for Best Family and Social Game
- Snipperclips Plus also available
In the next game we reviewed, Snipperclips, you’ll play either Snip or Clip as you cut each other up to solve puzzles, overcome obstacles, and advance to the next level. Available on Nintendo, up to four players compete or cooperate to overcome challenges. Supported on TV, tabletop, and handheld devices, Snipperclips is a great game to play with friends or a significant other, we found out. Some comment the game is perfectly designed for the Switch, with controls that are easy to use and an overall adorable presentation.
Some challenges involve getting a particular item from one stage to the next, but generally speaking, players must work together to figure out which shape to cut themselves into — a needle to pop a balloon, for example — to complete the level and move on to the next. The game does get a little chaotic for some, but overall, most report a great gaming experience for parties, with friends and family, or for date night.
12/15
Wattam
- Everyone 10+
- BAFTA Award Nominee
- Crude humor, Mild Cartoon Violence
Unlock just one of a hundred cute characters in the next video game for couples we reviewed, Wattam. From the creators Katamari Damacy and Noby Noby Boy, in Wattam, everything is alive, and the world is divided up into four islands patterned after the four seasons. Explore them all and encounter the friendly characters, from anthropomorphic ice cream cones to seashells and even sushi. Collect them and bring them back home with you in co-op mode (perfect for date night!) or as a single player.
It’s a simple, well-designed concept that fans say makes them unreasonably happy. Some call the controls too sensitive, but others add the music and sound effects are great, and the character designs are adorable. You’ll jump, climb, explode, and tether different characters together. One fan specifically commented on how much they loved playing the game with their girlfriend.
11/15
Mario Party Superstars
- Everyone
- Mild Cartoon Violence
- In-game purchases, Users interact
Whether you grew up playing any entry in the pantheon of Mario games or are new to the genre, Mario Party Superstars is a great pick for your next date night. In the game, there are five classic boards and 100 classic minigames. All are playable both online and locally, each with a variety of different control systems like Joy-Con or a Nintendo Switch Lite. You’ll race, jump, run, collect prizes, and more — everything you’ve come to expect from the Mario Bros. gaming experience.
All the boards from the first ten games in the series are remade to modern standards, according to reports. There are also some sixty achievements to collect, both classic and remixed music to choose from, and customizable party cards. Classics like Final Countdown, Booksquirm, Face Lift, and Manor of Escape are included, we found out, but certain favorites like King of the Thrill, Sugar Rush, or Cut from the Team are excluded.
10/15
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
- Mature 17+
- Blood And Gore, Mild Sexual Themes, Drug References
- Strong Language, Intense Violence
Not all video games for couples are warm and snuggly. With the latest edition of The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil In Me scheduled to come out in November 2022, we recommend House of Ashes to tide you over. The game takes place at the tail-end of the Iraq War, and a supernatural force is awakened in an ancient Sumerian temple. You and your partner will be members of special forces as you fight the undead creatures and escape. What makes this an especially good choice for couples is the multiplayer mode, which returned in the House of Ashes edition. That allows for both online or offline play with up to five other friends.
With aspects of war movies, sci-fi, and horror, the game is also full of romance and drama, we found out. The overall storyline in the game receives a high mark from players, and some call House of Ashes the best Dark Pictures Anthology update so far released. One player was a bit disappointed with how it ended, though.
9/15
Rayman Legends
- Everyone 10+
- Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
- 4-Player Co-op
Offering four-player co-op — perfect for your next double-date — Rayman Legends is up next in our list of the best video games for couples to play together. In the game from the creators of Raving Rabbids, among other well-known titles, characters Rayman, Globox, and the Teensies have discovered a mysterious tent. What’s inside transports them to strange new worlds to explore while they try and make their way back home. Along the way, they’ll fight boss battles to a beat provided by licensed musical tracks.
Fans of this final installment in the Rayman series say it’s one of the most fun and creative platformers they’ve ever played. It has a good difficulty level for casual social gatherings — not too easy, not too hard. The water levels and remastered levels from Rayman Origins are also popular. One fan said they played it with their girlfriend, and she loved it. The controls get mixed reviews, though.
8/15
Heave-Ho!
- Everyone 10+
- Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- TV, Tabletop, Handheld Supported
A great choice for couples to play on PC, the next video game for couples we reviewed is Heave-Ho!. For up to four players, the objective in Heave-Ho! is simple — work together, linking only hands, legs, and bodies to traverse the gaps and beat the level. With local multiplayer available, once you and your partner are a mass, the only thing left to do is swing to safety. We like that each character is highly customizable, allowing you to keep track of who’s who.
This game is best-suited for team play, we found out, and though there’s not much storyline, it’s a fun option for parties and social gatherings, or for a date night spent at home. It’s frustrating at points but overall fun, based on feedback. Just be sure not to let your partner go or to swing them too hard when the time comes. There’s no online play available, though, and some find the concept just a bit too simple.
7/15
Luigi’s Mansion 3
- Everyone
- Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence
- Nintendo account required for online play
Up next is Luigi’s Mansion 3, a great pick for couples to play on Nintendo Switch, especially for Halloween. As the story goes, Luigi won a free stay at the Last Resort Hotel for himself, his friends, and Polterpup, the friendly canine companion introduced in Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon. Soon, creepy things start happening. All of Luigi’s friends show up trapped in picture frames, with ghosts hiding around every corner. Will Luigi escape the trap? Be sure to pick up the Mansion 3 multiplayer pack for new ghosts, minigames, and more.
Those who’ve tried the game say the graphics are stunning and the music is well done. Each of the seventeen floors is different, offering a unique adventure all their own. Fans of the original Luigi’s Mansion were a little let down by the latest installment. Overall, the boss fights are fun, the puzzles are challenging, and the game is otherwise charming, based on feedback.
6/15
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Everyone
- Comic Mischief
- Privacy Certified
In this latest update in the Animal Crossing series, you’ve moved to a new island town, full of the anthropomorphic animal characters you know and love. You’ll explore your new home, make the tools and other items you need to customize your home just the way you like it, and then show off what you’ve created to friends. What you’ve built can also now be shared across systems and with other islands. The animals and characters are cute, just like you’d expect from the franchise, and it’s easy to get started crafting and customizing your surroundings.
The graphics are also a big step-up from previous versions in the game series. It takes everything you love about older Animal Crossing games and multiplies it, according to one report. Some feel there’s been a step-down in the terraforming process from older versions, though. But otherwise, there’s a lot to do, from bug catching and fishing to creating your own obstacle courses, based on feedback.
5/15
Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition
- Teen
- Best of 2020, IGN
- 2020 The Game Awards Nominee
The concept of Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition — a platformer in which you help souls pass over to the spirit world — sounds serious, but this well-reviewed game is touching, heartfelt, and whimsical, based on feedback. As the ferry master, Stella (and their cat, Daffodil, in two-player co-op mode), you’ll explore mystical seas. You’ll also farm, fish, and cook, with quests and other tasks to complete. In the meantime, you’ll get to know each passing spirit you ferry into the afterlife and learn important lessons about loss, memory, letting go, and valuing every moment.
Highly sentimental, this game is a nice alternative to other often violent video game choices. Some found the storyline dragged with extended gameplay. Otherwise, the characters are lovable and complicated with a beautiful soundtrack and enough lighthearted humor in the mix. You won’t soon forget the Spiritfarer experience, and the Farewell Edition collects all updates and other additions since the game’s release.
4/15
Overcooked! 2
- Everyone
- TV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld mode
- Action, Casual, Indie
With online and local multiplayer mode, Overcooked! 2 is up next in our ranking of the video games for couples. Back at Onion Kingdom, you and your partner (with up two other players in co-op mode) must work together to save the world from a whole new threat — the Unbread. Among other challenges, you’ll cook on moving floors, in the midst of uncontrolled fire, and pass through a portal into a whole new kitchen experience. Ingredient tossing between players is also new to this sequel. Satiate the hunger of the Unbread and save the world.
This is the perfect game to play with your non-gamer partner, according to one report. The graphics are simple and charming, but things really do get tense as gameplay goes on. The versus and arcade modes add replayability to the game upon completion. Some who were familiar with the first edition of the game thought the sequel might benefit from a level editor, and otherwise found it all just a bit too familiar, based on feedback.
3/15
It Takes Two
- Teen
- Animated Blood, Comic Mischief
- Fantasy Violence, Language
Third spot in our ranking goes to It Takes Two, a game designed specifically for co-op play. You play as Cody and May, two humans turned into dolls by magic. From there, you’ll master your new abilities as you navigate through a number of different, creative levels full of obstacles and other challenges. Success takes teamwork and cooperation between Cody and May, which is easier said than done — the two enter the game with a troubled relationship, and must push past their differences to get back to normal.
The split-screen play is an especially popular feature of the game, with an amazing storyline and cute graphics. You just might find yourself looking forward to game time if you play with your partner, and one person even said the game helped repair their marriage. There are minigames sprinkled throughout, with challenging boss battles and puzzles. It’s an especially good choice for couples who are new to gaming, based on feedback.
2/15
Portal 2
- Everyone 10+
- Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Two-person Co-op
Near the top of our list, Portal 2 returns to the Aperture Science Labs, which will be familiar to anyone who played the first version of the game. Aperture’s sadistic AI, GlaDOS, continues to run deadly experiments, whether that’s on the human test subject Chell (in single-player mode) or two innocent robot partners (in co-op mode). In this sequel, there are all new campaigns as new areas of the lab are explored with dangerous obstacles to overcome.
This well reviewed game offers a good storyline, funny characters, and cool game mechanics, based on feedback. If you loved the first Portal, the sequel takes things to the next level, we found out. There are fresh environments to explore and all-new puzzles to solve. The co-op multiplayer is so fun, it’s epic, one user commented. Some do say the game gave them motion sickness, though.
1/15
Stardew Valley
- Everyone 10+
- Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language
- Use Of Alcohol, Tobacco, And, Simulated Gambling
And finally, the best video game for couples we reviewed is Stardew Valley. Built for up to four players, your objective is to take the struggling farm you’ve inherited and turn it into a thriving agricultural operation. Starting off with few resources, your skills grow over time as you and your partner integrate into the local community. In addition to farming, there’s mining, combat, fishing, and foraging, with environments like caves to explore and even a possible marriage storyline. Overall, Stardew Valley is straightforward. Once complete, there are plenty of side quests to keep things interesting.
Even the NPC villagers have uniquely rendered personalities, we found out. Your character’s appearance and dwelling are all highly customizable, and through the meals you learn to cook you’ll boost certain skills and attributes. It’s also fun to craft useful items to make farm life easier. With thirty characters living in Stardew Valley, there’s always someone new to meet.
Join the High Ground
That’s it for our list of the best video games for couples — we hope you found some interesting games to enjoy with your significant other! If we’ve forgot one of the best games for couples, drop a comment and let us know your favorite. To further support our site, please subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date.
Happy gaming!
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