In my previous article, I talked about single-player games that worked (and didn’t work) in my experience of couple gaming. This time, I’ll dive into multiplayer games.
Nintendo Gems
We fondly remember two games that allowed Console Guy to share his love for Nintendo. Both were delightful and mostly stress-free experiences:
Action-adventure Luigi’s Mansion 3 was perhaps the easiest co-op game we’ve finished. The visuals were fantastic and the sound effects so cute and satisfying. It was simply a relaxing experience overall, except during boss fights or whenever our baby woke up (“not again!”) and needed to be patted back to sleep. Luigi’s Mansion showed me the wholesome, humorous appeal of Nintendo’s most well-known cast. In this game, I was Luigi and he was Gooigi.
3D puzzler Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker had a similar feel. It was unbelievably cute. There are two co-op modes, and we played the one called “Assist Mode.” I controlled Captain Toad, while Console Guy controlled the camera and fired turnips at enemies.
Blast Them!
But unlike these Nintendo gems, most of the cooperative games we play tend to be intense.
Cooking game Overcooked is simple but fast-paced. Alien shooter Helldivers gets overwhelming and screechy (“you shot me again!”). Children of Morta, an action RPG featuring a family of warriors, is another tough fight against swarms of nasties.
For a short season, we also played fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Unlocking new characters gave me an incentive to be Console Guy’s sidekick in a genre I don’t usually play.
I enjoyed these games because they’re intense in the right way. But what’s exciting for me may get stressful for Console Guy after a while.
Not all action co-op games are bad for blood pressure, though. For example, there are two favorites we keep returning to as a couple or with friends because they’re fairly chill for action games: Streets of Rage 4 and Towerfall.
Streets of Rage 4 is manageable for players like me who aren’t skilled in beat-em-ups. You just walk up to baddies and mash controller buttons. The cool soundtrack, awesome comic-book art, and small but attractive cast make it a pleasure to replay.
Though we’ve finished SOR4 a few times and experimented with different fighters, we find ourselves drifting back to the same characters. He’s always Blaze, the busty lady who tosses her hair like it’s a shampoo commercial. I’m always Cherry, the dreadlocked kid with an electric guitar. Respectively, we kick butt and jump on people’s heads.
Then there’s good ol’ Towerfall, which one might call a 2D archery platformer. While we prefer the competitive mode, the co-op mode is great too: Just you and your teammate in a small room, pitted against floating fugu and exploding bats. This is the one and only action game where Console Guy and I are equally matched. It gets played a lot because battles are so short.
It Takes Two (or More)
I should mention co-op games we’ve played with friends because they’re pretty good for a couple’s game night too.
Friends introduced us to Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, which accommodates up to 4 players. In this simple shooter, you work together to run a spaceship: piloting, shooting, shielding, etc. The cool part is you can swap roles any time, even mid-battle. Like in real life, we found that it was better for me to “drive” than to let Console Guy take the wheel!
Moving Out is similar to Overcooked in look, feel, and team coordination. Except you’re moving furniture instead of frying steaks. Compared to Overcooked, we found this game less demanding, more amusing, and requires less communication between players.
Lastly: the acclaimed action-adventure It Takes Two. It’s about a couple who are about to break up (but platforming and puzzles save the day!). We’re playing this now over Steam Remote Play with my brother-in-law. Unlike most games, this one requires 2 players. No more, no less.
Multiplayer Games We Gave Up
We made it far in Child of Light, maybe 75% through. So why did we drop this title? I don’t recall. I only remember it as incredibly beautiful and atmospheric. One player has a more active role (as the child Aurora) while the other player only assists (as companion firefly Igniculus). It’s only 12 to 15 hours long, which is short for an RPG, so I might return to it someday.
As for Spelunky 2, the acclaimed platformer, we didn’t even make it past Level 1-2 before Console Guy declared this roguelike impossible. I found the insane difficulty more funny than frustrating, because of the humorous ways we kept dying. But it just wasn’t his cup of tea.
On the other hand, ACA Neogeo Metal Slug was up his alley but not mine. I wasn’t raised on arcade action games and lacked the skills for this cute but tough classic.
Departing from our usual genres, we tried Wargroove. I was into this turn-based strategy and thought Console Guy would like it, because he had introduced me to its spiritual predecessor, Advance Wars. He did think it was adorable but too slow, and I agreed.
Then, two games came with James’ personal recommendation: Haven and Knights and Bikes. Unfortunately, we got frustrated by the former and distracted from the latter.
Haven seemed perfect as a romantic co-op. It sounded like a relationship simulator, in which you decide on things as a couple, do battle and fly (a lot of that), cook and make love. But we were turned off early by clunky controls. What a pity. Many reviewers had praised the writing of Yu and Kay’s romance, so I had really wanted to play this one. Despite the developer’s reminder that it’s “first and foremost a solo game,” I don’t know if I’m in the mood to play this alone. But in case Haven piques your interest, know that a recent update lets you change Yu and Kay’s genders.
Meanwhile, Knights and Bikes is an action-adventure about two young girls exploring an island. They ride bikes. Throw frisbees. Hunt for treasure. Reminds me of a fun gang of boys I used to hang out with in elementary school. Simultaneously cool and charming, this one deserves another chance.
Thoughts on Gaming Together
One thing I’ve learned from our failed attempts: We shouldn’t play more than one game at a time, especially single-player titles. Easily distracted, we’ve abandoned games prematurely.
Finding the right genre was a factor too. With single-player games, our tastes have diverged more over the years. He likes JRPGs; I prefer Western RPGs now. He likes action games; I like turn-based strategy. So I’m glad we discovered co-op action titles we could both enjoy.
Couples aren’t all the same, but I suspect that gaming together tends to produce a similar effect: highlighting differences between partners. Of course, almost any activity can bring our personality differences to light, whether it’s stacking the dishes or planning a big trip.
Sometimes being different is stressful, and sometimes (thank goodness) it’s a wonderful thing: a source of amusement, friendly debate, or awesome teamwork.
I wonder if we’ll still play together 10 or 20 years from now. Who knows? If we do, I suspect things won’t look too different from now: Him getting stressed and vocal when a game is frustrating. Me flailing stupidly when it comes to real-time combat. Imperfections, yes, but they make life more interesting!
What to read next: If you’re looking for family-friendly titles to play with kids, check out our suggestions from Yvonne, Paula, James, or me.