12 Best Games Like It Takes Two for Co-op Adventures

What Makes a Game Similar to It Takes Two?

It Takes Two is a cooperative action-adventure and platformer developed by Hazelight Studios and published by Electronic Arts. Two players control separate characters whose abilities, viewpoints, and responsibilities repeatedly change as the campaign moves through new settings and gameplay ideas.

A meaningful alternative should share several defining attributes:

• Designed-for-co-op progression: cooperation is part of the core structure rather than an optional multiplayer layer.
• Two-player dependency: neither participant can complete key objectives alone.
• Asymmetric roles: players receive different abilities, information, routes, or responsibilities.
• Shared puzzle solving: progress depends on combining observations or actions.
• Coordinated platforming: timing, positioning, movement, and assistance connect both players.
• Mechanical variety: new levels introduce fresh tools, genres, rules, or perspectives.
• Story-rich campaign: cooperation advances a continuing narrative rather than isolated rounds.
• Split-screen or local co-op: both participants can share one setup in relevant alternatives.
• Online co-op: distant players can complete the campaign together in relevant alternatives.
• Communication: describing information, calling timings, and planning actions improve success.
• Accessible teamwork: roles are understandable enough for players with different experience levels.
• Shared consequences: mistakes, discoveries, and victories belong to the pair or team.

Not every cooperative game reproduces It Takes Two’s exact balance of story, platforming, puzzles, and constant mechanical reinvention. The recommendations below are ranked by the strength of their cooperative design relationships.

Games Like It Takes Two at a Glance

1. Split Fiction

Closest match for: two-player dependency, split-screen storytelling, platforming, changing abilities, cinematic action, and mechanical variety
Developer: Hazelight Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release date: March 6, 2025
Modes: Co-op, multiplayer, online co-op, and split-screen co-op
Genres: Action and adventure

Split Fiction is the closest overall alternative because it comes from the same studio and uses cooperation as the foundation of every major encounter. Two writers become trapped inside their own fictional worlds, moving between fantasy and science-fiction scenarios.

Each participant remains mechanically necessary. One player may control a tool, creature, vehicle, or route that complements the other player’s ability. The solution comes from understanding the relationship between those roles rather than performing the same action side by side.

Like It Takes Two, the campaign frequently changes genre and rules. Platforming can lead into driving, combat, stealth, transformation, or a short experimental mechanic before the next level introduces something new.

How Split Fiction Compares with It Takes Two

• Shared: mandatory cooperative design, two protagonists, split screen, online co-op, platforming, story, asymmetric roles, cinematic set pieces, and frequent mechanical changes.
• Different: Split Fiction moves between fantasy and science-fiction stories created by its protagonists rather than exploring a relationship through a transformed household.
• Choose it if: you want the most direct continuation of Hazelight’s inventive two-player design.

2. A Way Out

Closest match for: mandatory two-player co-op, persistent split screen, cinematic storytelling, asymmetric viewpoints, and coordinated actions
Developer: Hazelight Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release date: March 23, 2018
Modes: Co-op, multiplayer, online co-op, and split-screen co-op
Genres: Action and adventure

A Way Out is an exclusively cooperative story about two prisoners planning and executing an escape. Each player controls one protagonist while the split-screen presentation shows both perspectives.

The persistent dual view is mechanically important. One participant can watch the other gather information, distract a character, cross a space, or begin a timed action. Scenes can continue for one player while the other enters a different interaction.

The campaign includes stealth, driving, chases, dialogue, exploration, and coordinated sequences. It offers less puzzle-platforming and a more grounded tone than It Takes Two, but the narrative cannot be separated from the cooperative structure.

How A Way Out Compares with It Takes Two

• Shared: Hazelight design, mandatory co-op, two protagonists, split screen, online play, asymmetric actions, story-rich campaign, and shared consequences.
• Different: A Way Out is a grounded crime drama with fewer fantastical mechanics and less platforming.
• Choose it if: cinematic storytelling and coordinated dramatic scenes matter more than colorful puzzle design.

3. Unravel Two

Closest match for: two-character platforming, tether-based cooperation, environmental puzzles, local co-op, and atmospheric storytelling
Developer: Coldwood Interactive
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release date: June 9, 2018
Modes: Single-player, co-op, multiplayer, and split-screen co-op
Genres: Action, adventure, puzzle, and platformer

Unravel Two connects two Yarnys with a shared thread. That physical bond becomes the foundation for platforming, swinging, climbing, pulling, anchoring, and rescuing one another.

The tether creates clear interdependence. One player can hold a position while the other swings across a gap, then create a route that lets both characters continue. Distance, momentum, and the environment become shared puzzle variables.

The story is quieter and communicated mainly through imagery and atmosphere. Unlike It Takes Two, mechanical roles do not change as dramatically, but cooperation remains readable and constant.

How Unravel Two Compares with It Takes Two

• Shared: two-character cooperation, platforming, puzzles, local co-op, accessible controls, environmental storytelling, and coordinated movement.
• Different: Unravel Two is a smaller and quieter side-view platformer without online co-op or constant genre changes.
• Choose it if: movement puzzles and a visually expressive shared journey are your priorities.

4. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake

Closest match for: two-character dependency, local co-op, environmental puzzles, shared traversal, story, and a family journey
Developer: Avantgarden SRL
Publisher: 505 Games
Release date: February 28, 2024
Modes: Single-player, co-op, multiplayer, and split-screen co-op
Genres: Adventure and casual

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake follows two siblings on a journey shaped by discovery, danger, loss, and mutual responsibility. The remake supports local cooperative play in addition to its dual-character single-player structure.

Each character has different physical capabilities. Size, strength, reach, and interaction options determine which sibling can perform a task and how the other supports progress.

The campaign is slower and more linear than It Takes Two, with fewer abrupt mechanical transformations. Its strongest overlap lies in making the relationship between two characters visible through controls and shared obstacles.

How Brothers Remake Compares with It Takes Two

• Shared: two protagonists, cooperative traversal, puzzles, local co-op, story-rich journey, asymmetric capabilities, and shared emotional stakes.
• Different: Brothers is a shorter fairy-tale adventure with quieter mechanics and no online co-op mode.
• Choose it if: you want a compact cooperative journey where mechanics express a family relationship.

5. Trine 2: Complete Story

Closest match for: complementary abilities, cooperative puzzles, fantasy platforming, local and online co-op, and flexible problem solving
Developer and publisher: Frozenbyte
Release date: June 6, 2013
Modes: Single-player, co-op, multiplayer, online co-op, and split-screen co-op
Genres: Action, indie, puzzle, and platformer

Trine 2: Complete Story sends a wizard, knight, and thief through a fantasy world of ruins, creatures, and contraptions. Players can combine character abilities to solve platforming and physics problems.

The wizard manipulates objects, the thief uses ranged tools and mobility, and the knight handles direct threats and force-based interactions. Puzzles often support more than one solution because abilities interact with the environment.

It Takes Two locks each player into one of two changing roles, while Trine allows switching or distributing three established archetypes. The result is less cinematic but more open-ended in puzzle execution.

How Trine 2 Compares with It Takes Two

• Shared: cooperative campaign, platforming, environmental puzzles, complementary roles, fantasy adventure, local co-op, online co-op, and accessible teamwork.
• Different: Trine uses a side-view structure, three reusable character roles, and physics improvisation instead of constantly changing paired abilities.
• Choose it if: combining distinct abilities to solve puzzles is your preferred co-op activity.

6. Tick Tock: A Tale for Two

Closest match for: two-player dependency, incomplete information, verbal communication, separate viewpoints, mystery, and cooperative puzzles
Developer and publisher: Other Tales Interactive
Release date: March 7, 2019
Modes: Co-op, multiplayer, and online co-op
Genres: Adventure, casual, indie, and puzzle

Tick Tock: A Tale for Two traps two players inside a mysterious clockwork world. Neither participant receives the complete picture, so progress depends on sharing observations and combining information.

Communication is the primary mechanic. Symbols, instructions, objects, and events visible to one player may explain the puzzle shown to the other. Precise descriptions matter more than fast reactions.

The game lacks It Takes Two’s platforming and action, but it reproduces the essential idea that cooperation must happen between players, not merely between characters on screen.

How Tick Tock Compares with It Takes Two

• Shared: designed-for-two structure, cooperative campaign, asymmetric information, puzzle solving, online play, mystery, and mandatory communication.
• Different: Tick Tock is a compact point-and-click puzzle experience without platforming, combat, or split-screen action.
• Choose it if: describing clues and solving one shared problem from two viewpoints sounds ideal.

7. LEGO Harry Potter Collection

Closest match for: accessible local co-op, 3D platforming, magic, environmental puzzles, shared exploration, and story progression
Developers: TT Games and Double Eleven
Publisher: Warner Bros. Games
Release date: October 8, 2024
Modes: Single-player, co-op, multiplayer, and split-screen co-op
Genres: Action, adventure, and casual

LEGO Harry Potter Collection combines two LEGO Harry Potter adventures into a cooperative journey through magical locations, story events, puzzles, collectibles, and character abilities.

Different characters possess different spells or interaction capabilities. Progress and optional discovery can require choosing the right ability, while local cooperation allows players to explore and solve spaces together.

Cooperation is less strictly interdependent than in It Takes Two because many sections can be completed by one active player switching characters. Its accessibility and recognizable ability language make it a strong choice for mixed-skill pairs.

How LEGO Harry Potter Collection Compares with It Takes Two

• Shared: local co-op, split screen, 3D platforming, puzzles, changing character abilities, story campaign, humor, exploration, and accessible controls.
• Different: LEGO Harry Potter uses a broader character roster and looser player dependency, with no online co-op mode.
• Choose it if: you want an approachable magical adventure for two players sharing one setup.

8. Human Fall Flat

Closest match for: cooperative physics puzzles, platforming, experimentation, open-ended solutions, local multiplayer, and online play
Developer: No Brakes Games
Publisher: Curve Games
Release date: July 22, 2016
Modes: Single-player, PvP, co-op, multiplayer, online PvP, and split-screen co-op
Genres: Action, indie, and puzzle

Human Fall Flat places players inside floating dreamscapes filled with physics-based obstacles. Characters can grab, pull, climb, carry, swing, and manipulate objects to create routes.

The game rewards experimentation rather than one prescribed solution. A pair can divide tasks, build a mechanism, stabilize an object, or improvise a shortcut together.

Its movement is intentionally imprecise, turning mistakes into part of the experience. Unlike It Takes Two, it has little continuing character narrative and supports larger groups.

How Human Fall Flat Compares with It Takes Two

• Shared: co-op, split-screen support, platforming, puzzles, communication, environmental interaction, experimentation, and accessible multiplayer.
• Different: Human Fall Flat is a physics sandbox with minimal story, reusable character abilities, and support for more than two players.
• Choose it if: open-ended puzzle solutions and unpredictable physical comedy are your priorities.

9. Moving Out

Closest match for: local teamwork, shared-object physics, timed stages, role assignment, accessible controls, and chaotic cooperation
Developers: SMG Studio and Devm Games
Publisher: Team17
Release: 2020
Modes: Single-player, co-op, multiplayer, and split-screen co-op
Genres: Action, simulation, casual, and indie

Moving Out turns furniture relocation into a series of cooperative physics challenges. Players carry awkward objects through doors, around hazards, across moving environments, and toward a shared objective.

Large items create direct dependency because two players must coordinate direction, speed, rotation, and release timing. Smaller tasks reward role assignment and route planning.

It lacks the story-rich adventure structure of It Takes Two, but its stages repeatedly redesign the environment around a simple cooperative verb.

How Moving Out Compares with It Takes Two

• Shared: local co-op, split screen, shared objectives, physics interaction, communication, changing stages, accessible controls, and coordinated actions.
• Different: Moving Out is a score-based party simulation without a continuing two-character narrative or online co-op mode.
• Choose it if: short couch-co-op stages and physical teamwork are more important than story.

10. Overcooked! All You Can Eat

Closest match for: continuous communication, divided responsibilities, timed cooperation, changing stages, local co-op, and online co-op
Developers: Team17 Digital and Ghost Town Games
Publisher: Team17 Digital
Release date: March 23, 2021
Modes: Single-player, PvP, co-op, multiplayer, online PvP, online co-op, and split-screen co-op
Genres: Action, strategy, simulation, casual, family, and indie

Overcooked! All You Can Eat requires players to coordinate food preparation across kitchens whose layouts and hazards alter normal workflows.

One participant may prepare ingredients while another cooks, plates, washes, serves, or moves between stations. Success depends on communicating priorities and adapting when the level separates players or changes the environment.

The game offers more repetition and scoring than It Takes Two, and it supports larger teams. The overlap lies in designing stages around cooperation rather than parallel solo play.

How Overcooked Compares with It Takes Two

• Shared: local and online co-op, split-screen support, communication, role division, changing mechanics, shared consequences, and accessible teamwork.
• Different: Overcooked is a time-management party game with repeatable stages and minimal continuing narrative.
• Choose it if: rapid coordination and shared task management are your favorite parts of co-op.

11. Rayman Legends

Closest match for: local co-op platforming, synchronized movement, colorful level variety, rhythm stages, shared exploration, and accessible action
Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release date: August 29, 2013
Modes: Single-player, co-op, multiplayer, and split-screen co-op
Genre: Platformer

Rayman Legends is a 2D platformer built around responsive movement, colorful worlds, hidden collectibles, rhythm levels, and local cooperative play.

Players can move together, recover one another, split attention across hazards, and synchronize actions during fast sequences. Musical stages make timing readable through sound as well as visuals.

The campaign does not require the same asymmetric dependency as It Takes Two, and its narrative is light. It remains a strong match for pairs seeking polished platforming and frequent visual variety.

How Rayman Legends Compares with It Takes Two

• Shared: local co-op, platforming, colorful worlds, varied stages, shared timing, accessible controls, humor, and exploration.
• Different: Rayman Legends is a 2D platformer with lighter storytelling and no online co-op mode.
• Choose it if: movement, rhythm, and family-friendly couch play matter most.

12. Baldur’s Gate 3

Closest match for: a complete co-op campaign, character roles, story choices, shared consequences, exploration, and collaborative problem solving
Developer and publisher: Larian Studios
Release date: October 6, 2020
Modes: Single-player, LAN co-op, co-op, multiplayer, and online co-op
Genres: Adventure, RPG, and strategy

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a party-based RPG in which players can create characters, explore together, enter dialogue, make decisions, and coordinate turn-based combat.

Its similarity to It Takes Two is structural rather than mechanical. Both make shared decisions and consequences part of a continuing campaign. Character builds also create complementary roles in exploration and combat.

The pace is slower and the systems are substantially more complex. It replaces platforming and fixed duo mechanics with tactical planning, branching narrative, and broad role-playing freedom.

How Baldur’s Gate 3 Compares with It Takes Two

• Shared: story-rich co-op campaign, online cooperation, distinct character roles, communication, shared consequences, exploration, and collaborative problem solving.
• Different: Baldur’s Gate 3 is a turn-based fantasy RPG for larger parties, without split-screen co-op.
• Choose it if: you want a long cooperative story where choices and character builds shape the campaign.

Which It Takes Two Alternative Should You Play First?

Choose according to the It Takes Two attribute you most want to preserve:

• Closest overall cooperative adventure: Split Fiction
• Mandatory cinematic duo campaign: A Way Out
• Atmospheric platforming for two: Unravel Two
• Compact emotional journey: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake
• Complementary fantasy abilities: Trine 2: Complete Story
• Communication-only puzzle solving: Tick Tock: A Tale for Two
• Accessible magical couch co-op: LEGO Harry Potter Collection
• Open-ended physics puzzles: Human Fall Flat
• Short chaotic teamwork stages: Moving Out
• Fast role coordination: Overcooked! All You Can Eat
• Colorful family platforming: Rayman Legends
• Deep cooperative role-playing: Baldur’s Gate 3

Other Relevant Co-op Games

Several other games match narrower interpretations of the query:

• Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons uses simultaneous control of two characters in a single-player journey, making cooperation part of the control concept rather than a multiplayer mode.
• Don’t Starve Together offers online cooperative survival, crafting, exploration, farming, combat, and role division in an open world.
• Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition connects sailing, navigation, repairs, combat, treasure hunting, and crew roles inside an online pirate sandbox.
• Deep Rock Galactic gives up to four players complementary classes, shared objectives, procedural caves, mining tools, and survival pressure.
• Phasmophobia uses online teamwork, voice communication, investigation equipment, evidence gathering, and supernatural uncertainty.
• Back 4 Blood focuses on four-player campaign shooting, horde management, revives, equipment, and coordinated survival.

How we chose these games

Every game here either sits among the PC games we price for this topic or shares at least four of It Takes Two’s most characteristic Steam user tags (read on 7 October 2026). We then ordered them by how much of It Takes Two’s core loop they keep.