IT TAKES TWO: THE CO-OP GAME THAT SAVES ROPE BRIDGES AND MARRIAGES
9.0 of 10 bananas. The most inventive co-op game ever made, and you need a partner to play it.
By the Alpha. Co-op only. PS4 disc listing, plays on PS5. Updated Oct 2026.
Honest note: This verdict is not from a fresh hands-on playtest. I built it from launch coverage, critic consensus, patch history, and known play. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: It Takes Two is on PC through Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. The button is the Steam PC version, 39.99 dollars at my Oct 27 2026 check before any sale. You need two players, couch or online, and the Friend's Pass lets a second player join online for free. There is no solo mode.
Get It Takes Two on SteamSit with me a moment. My nephew and I were not talking much that year. I handed him the second controller, and by the vacuum cleaner boss we were yelling, laughing, and blaming each other. By the end we were planning the next game night. That is what this game does.
What It Wants To Be
Hazelight Studios' co-op only adventure, published by Electronic Arts and released March 26, 2021. Cody and May are a couple about to divorce. Their daughter's tears turn them into tiny dolls, and a talking book of love named Dr. Hakim pushes them through a magic world to fix things. One player is Cody, one is May, and the screen is always split.
What Works
Every chapter hands you a new pair of powers that only work together. One player shoots sap, the other lights it. One shrinks, the other grows. It never repeats an idea for long. The boss fights are creative, and the hidden mini-games turn the two of you into rivals for a minute. The Friend's Pass lets a partner join online for free. It won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021.
What Breaks
Listen well. Dr. Hakim is annoying by design, and he talks too much. One famous scene with a toy elephant is cruel enough to upset some players, kids especially. The marriage story can feel preachy. And it simply does not exist as a solo game, so if you have nobody to play with, this is a closed door.
Who Should Play
Play if you have a partner, a sibling, or a friend who will sit next to you or join online. Skip if you play alone. After this, Hazelight's next co-op game is waiting in my Split Fiction verdict.
STRENGTHS
- A new co-op idea in almost every level
- Creative boss fights for two
- Friend's Pass lets a partner join free
- Couch co-op that feels special
HONEST COSTS
- No solo mode at all
- Dr. Hakim talks too much
- One dark scene may upset young players
- Button is the PS4 disc, not PS5 native
Store note: the troop still needs a fair Amazon listing for this one. At my Oct 27 2026 check, the PS4 disc listing I used was gone from Amazon, so the button now goes to Steam instead. This is a plain link, not an affiliate link.