It Takes Two: The Co-op Split-Screen Game Every Couple Should Play

A Co-op Game Built from the Ground Up for Two Players

Many modern games include cooperative multiplayer as an additional mode, allowing players to complete missions together while largely following the same mechanics as the single-player experience. It Takes Two takes a completely different approach. Developed by Hazelight Studios and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Originals label, the game was designed exclusively for two players. There is no single-player mode because every puzzle, platforming challenge, boss battle, and gameplay mechanic depends on two people working together.

Players take control of Cody and May, a married couple on the verge of divorce who are magically transformed into dolls by their daughter’s wish to keep the family together. As they journey through imaginative worlds inside their own home, they must solve puzzles, overcome obstacles, and rebuild trust through cooperation. Communication is never optional. Progress is only possible when both players contribute, making teamwork the core mechanic rather than a secondary feature. Whether playing on split-screen locally or online with a friend, sibling, partner, or spouse, the experience is built around collaboration from start to finish.

Why It Takes Two Succeeds Where Most Co-op Games Fall Short?

The biggest strength of It Takes Two is that cooperation feels meaningful instead of forced. Rather than giving both players identical abilities, every chapter introduces unique complementary powers that encourage genuine teamwork. One player may manipulate time while the other controls objects, or one may launch projectiles while the other creates pathways. Every challenge is designed so that success depends on understanding how both abilities work together.

This constant interaction keeps both players actively engaged throughout the adventure. Neither character feels like a supporting role, and both participants contribute equally to solving puzzles and defeating bosses. The game also balances its mechanics with humor, emotional storytelling, and creative world-building, ensuring that the experience never feels repetitive. This thoughtful design helped It Takes Two stand out in an industry where many cooperative games simply adapt existing single-player gameplay instead of building every system around shared experiences.

The Brilliant Design Choices That Make Every Level Feel Fresh

One of the reasons It Takes Two continues to receive praise years after its release is its remarkable gameplay variety. Every chapter introduces entirely new mechanics, environments, and challenges, often abandoning ideas before they have a chance to become repetitive. Players move from platforming and puzzle solving to flying aircraft, controlling magnets, racing through snow-covered landscapes, navigating giant clocks, exploring magical castles, and even competing in lighthearted mini-games scattered throughout the adventure.

This constant stream of fresh ideas gives the game an almost anthology-like quality, with each level offering something unexpected. The visual design changes dramatically from one chapter to the next, creating a sense of discovery that keeps players curious about what comes next. Combined with cinematic presentation, responsive controls, memorable boss encounters, and imaginative level design, It Takes Two delivers a consistently engaging experience that earned widespread critical acclaim, including Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021.

Hazelight Studios: The Visionary Developer Behind It Takes Two

Founded in 2014 by filmmaker-turned-game director Josef Fares, Hazelight Studios has established itself as one of the few studios dedicated entirely to cooperative gaming. Instead of treating multiplayer as an optional feature, Hazelight builds every project around the idea that games can create stronger, more memorable experiences when designed specifically for two players. This philosophy has remained remarkably consistent throughout the studio’s history.

The studio first gained widespread recognition with A Way Out (2018), a cooperative prison-break adventure that required two players from beginning to end. It expanded on that vision with It Takes Two (2021), combining emotional storytelling with constantly evolving gameplay mechanics that ultimately earned the industry’s highest honors. Hazelight continued this approach with Split Fiction (2025), further demonstrating its commitment to pushing cooperative game design in new directions.

Rather than following industry trends, the studio has built its reputation by proving that experiences designed exclusively for two players can be just as ambitious, innovative, and commercially successful as traditional single-player games. It Takes Two remains the clearest expression of that philosophy, showing how cooperation can become the foundation of great game design rather than simply another feature.

It Takes Two demonstrates that cooperative gaming can be far more than a multiplayer mode added late in development. By designing every mechanic, puzzle, and story beat around two players, Hazelight Studios created an experience that rewards communication, teamwork, and shared problem-solving. Its lasting popularity and Game of the Year recognition reflect how thoughtful design can transform a simple co-op concept into one of the most memorable gaming experiences of the decade.