Co-op games for couples

The Game Room
1

So titled because that’s what I just got done Google-ing.

Short story, I’m seeing someone who likes some games, so I’m looking around for something we can play together now and then.

I do have a few criteria, some of which are laid down in this thread about becoming bored with video gaming. That particular problem has been solved :slight_smile:

I also ran across some good suggestions here. However, the thread is 3 years old, so I guess it’s possible some new games have been released in the interim.

So here is what I am looking for!

First, all I have at the moment is my PC. I can pick up a used console at Vintage Stock or something, don’t have a huge problem with that, but I’d rather be able to just use my comp. I have two gamepads. If I get a console, I’m not very well-versed in which is a better choice.

The game has to be enjoyable for blocks of as little as 20-30 minutes at a time. We have limited time, and the weather is starting to get nice. I don’t want to get invested in something that seems like it’s not ‘going’ fast enough if it sits idle for a week or two.

She enjoyed DragonAge and Skyrim, and I lost myself in Baldur’s Gate and Fallout. So we like RPGs, but they tend to take so much time. An MMORPG is right out.

Some games I have found that might fit the bill:

Left 4 Dead keeps popping up! It seems to be a blast with an SO? Input there? I think we might be down with something like that; after all, who doesn’t like killing zombies?

Diablo II. Hack’n’slash with some good co-options (heh) mixing character types.

Found one suggestion for Splinter Cell Conviction? Apparently pretty good with two players.

And the Lego games keep popping up…I’ve never played any of them, but I’m willing to give them a shot.

I think that perhaps a horde-slayer type game could be fun, zombies/aliens/whatever.

Are there any cool co-op platformers out there?

I also saw tons of games I’m not familiar with, which is partially why I came here for suggestions!

2

Portal 2 has co-op, but not very much.

If you want a console game you could do worse than the Little Big Planet series.

3

Left 4 Dead 2 is a given. Also, turn based strategy games like Civil IV or V might be fun. Or Hero Image, for the iPad/Android.

4

If you expand to boardgames, Pandemic is the classic, with Forbidden Island its lighter (and faster) cousin. Flash Point is worth considering as well.

Brian

5

All of these will be PC games:

Trine and Trine 2 is a nice co-op puzzle platformer.

Portal 2 has been mentioned, the co-op isn’t very long, but it’s amazing.

Diablo 3 is just around the corner.

Along that same vein there is titan quest, Dungeon Siege 3 (and 1 and 2 if you haven’t played them) and the upcoming Torchlight 2.

Star craft 2 doesn’t have a co-op campaign, but it’s a lot of fun taking on the AI together, and you can dabble in multi-player if you get good.

The Baldur’s Gate remake is coming out soon, and that will have co-op. I’m trying to wrangle up some people to play through ti on co-op as well :wink:

Borderlands and Borderlands 2 have great co-op, it’s a shooter, but it’s got some RPG elements. The loot system is very diablo like, for example.

Bullet Storm offers 2 player co-op through the campaign.

Capsized is an interesting 2D platform that offer local (same screen) co-op.

In the FIFA games you can play against each other, or as different players on the same team. The latest FIFA is your best bet.

The co-op i Dawn of War II is fantastic. I love controlling just one unit of guys, instead of a bunch of units single-player.

Survival horror game Dead Island offers drop in/drop out co-op in the campaign. Of course there are the Left 4 Dead games too.

Racing games are a lot of fun with others. Dirt 2 and 3 are pretty uch the only games my wife will play with me. There are also the hot pursuit titles, and I personally like the F1 games, but they are a bit more simmy.

Fable 3 offer co-op, and I believe it’s local as well as online/lan.

The new action game with Lara Croft “Guardian of light” has been highly praised for it’s great co-op.

All of the LEGO series of games offer local co-op and can be a lot of fun. I liked the Batman ones, but the star wars ones are also cool.

MAGICKA! It’s a hilarious game. Lots of fun in co-op. The campaign is silly fun, but the most fun will come from the ways you’ll both mess up and end up killing each other.

Mas sEffect 3 has a decent co-op multiplayer, kind of like hoard mode in gears. Oh, and Gears 1 is available on the PC, and it offers co-op.

If you don’t mind older titles, Neverwinter Nights and it’s sequel, NWN2 offer some of the best co-op and multiplayer gaming ever. There’s ton of community made content available at the NWvault. From old school PnP D&D adventures like Undermountain, Keep on the borderlands, Temple of elementla evil, to original stories that are of excellent quality.

Resident Evil 5 is probably ONLY fun with co-op :wink:

Sins of a solar empire offers multi-player vs the AI. IT’s great space RTS. Lots of fun and cheap.

6

Dungeon Defenders. Look it up. It’s a cooperative multiplayer (split-screen, as well as online, as well as online splitscreen, are all possible) defense game. Pick classes and fight waves of enemies and protect your crystal by either building towers or brawling/shooting them. Only 15 bucks on Steam. Like I said, look it up, very cool game. The DLC for it is only like $2 to $4, too, if you wind up getting into it. Playing a level through to the end, provided you don’t lose, only takes a half an hour or less.

You can use wired 360 controllers, a mouse and keyboard, or both, to play.

7

Huh, I hadn’t even considered turn-based. wth is my problem? So maybe some Warlords…

That looks cool! Downloading the demo right now…

And Kinthalis, thanks for all the suggestions…playing through Trine 2 at the moment. Looked forward to that for a long time.