Valentine’s Day is best shared with a loved one, so why not play one of these fantastic co-op games? Our list has a collection of games both new and old across several genres.
Valentine’s Day is a time for togetherness, and that can be achieved in many ways — including picking up a controller and engaging in a great co-op game. We’ve curated a list of some of the best two-player co-op experiences currently available that you can easily enjoy with your Valentine — or your Palentine, for the platonically-minded among us. With a smorgasbord of recommendations across all kinds of genres, you should be able to find something to pick up and share with a special someone.The Dark Pictures Anthology
Where to play: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
The Dark Pictures Anthology is a series of horror games that are all linked together by the Curator, an unsettling man who tells a series of scary tales that the players must navigate through choices and dialogue options. Each story starts with five protagonists, all of whom can either live to see another day or die to some terrifying peril. The Shared Story mode is a great way to experience the Dark Pictures Anthology — each player tackles a different branch of the story, occasionally meeting and collaborating. My only caveat would be to ignore Little Hope and enjoy Man of Medan or House of Ashes instead. —Cass MarshallPalworld
Where to play: Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
You’ve definitely heard about Palworld, the survival crafting game that adds legally distinct Pokémon-like creatures to the formula. It’s a great hook, one that has brought lots of people who would otherwise avoid survival games into the fold. Palworld admittedly doesn’t have much in the way of legs — once you finish building your base, catching all the Pals, and creating a massive factory, you’ll likely want to move on. But not every game needs to last forever, and Palworld’s highly derivative formula results in a satisfying and accessible co-op game with one friend (or more, if you want to bring a crowd). —CMThe Division 2
Where to play: Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
The Division 2 had the bad luck of being a game about a pandemic that launched right around the spread of an actual pandemic. That association, as well as its inconsistent political commentary and adoration of all things tacticool, will turn some players off. If you can get past those hurdles, you might be surprised to find a fantastic co-op experience that flows beautifully moment-to-moment. Publisher Ubisoft has also made sure that players at different progression points can sync together seamlessly, which means that there are no invisible walls blocking co-op play. I enjoyed playing with my husband back in 2019, and The Division 2 has received more updates since then — including one recent addition — that fill out its portfolio of content even further. —CMGotham Knights
Where to play: Windows, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5
Fans of previous games in the Batman Arkham universe groused a fair bit about the combat system in Gotham Knights, and how much of the game focuses on using it. That’s a fair point, especially since that combat system is pretty nuanced, but you can win practically every fight by spamming simple attacks or just sneaking around using one-shot stealth takedowns.
