Local multiplayer games for couples on Switch

Playing together on one console is less about finding the “best” game and more about matching the game to the two of you: whether you'd rather help each other or beat each other, how much patience you both have for a hard section, and whether you already own enough controllers. Every game below is in Party Play, where each page has the full controller details.

Made for exactly two

It Takes Two and Split Fiction can't be played alone. Each level hands the two of you different abilities, so progress depends on talking to each other. Both are split screen and both need a full set of controls per player: one pair of Joy-Con or a Pro Controller each, not one Joy-Con each. If you only own the Joy-Con that came with the console, budget for a second controller before buying. Split Fiction is Switch 2 only; It Takes Two has a Switch version and a separate Switch 2 version. Both have a Friend's Pass, so a partner on another console can join online without buying the game.

Unravel Two is gentler: two yarn creatures tied together, solving short puzzle levels. You can also play it alone by switching between the two, which helps if one of you wants to practise a section first. Note that handheld mode is single player only.

Same side, low pressure

• Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe: 2D platforming where nobody holds the other back for long. Nintendo says one Joy-Con each works, so the pair that came with the console covers both of you.
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder: inventive 2D Mario, also playable with one Joy-Con each. Falling behind is forgiving, which suits a mixed-skill couple.
• Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together!: you cut each other into shapes to solve puzzles. Short levels, lots of trial and error, designed for sideways Joy-Con.
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land: a full 3D adventure where player two joins as Bandana Waddle Dee. Nintendo doesn't confirm one Joy-Con each, so plan on a second controller.
• Luigi's Mansion 3: one of you plays Luigi, the other Gooigi, catching ghosts and solving puzzles in a haunted hotel.
• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and Minecraft: drop-in co-op you can play for twenty minutes or a whole evening. Both are split screen.

Co-op that tests your patience (in a good way)

Overcooked! All You Can Eat and Moving Out 2 are chaotic on purpose: a timer, too many jobs and not enough hands. The controls are simple, so the challenge is the teamwork. They suit a pair who enjoy a bit of shouting more than a pair who want to wind down.

For adults only: Borderlands Legendary Collection collects three loot-heavy co-op shooters with two-player split screen. It is rated for mature players.

Friendly rivalry

• Racing: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch, or Mario Kart World if you have a Switch 2. Both work with one Joy-Con each, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Smart Steering lets a newer player keep up.
• Board games: Mario Party Superstars and Super Mario Party Jamboree. Superstars sticks to button controls in every minigame; Jamboree's controller needs change with the mode.
• Motion games: Nintendo Switch Sports needs a Joy-Con per player and doesn't work with Pro Controllers or in handheld mode, so clear some space in front of the TV.
• Fighting: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate if you want items and chaos, Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers for quick 1-on-1 rounds. Both work with one Joy-Con each.
• Tennis on Switch 2: Mario Tennis Fever, singles against each other, or doubles on the same side.

What you need for two players

“One Joy-Con each” means the pair that came with your console covers both players. Where Nintendo or the publisher hasn't confirmed that, we say so rather than guess. On a Switch Lite the controls are built in, so player two always needs their own controller.

Co-op games for two in the Game Finder · Versus games for two · Compare It Takes Two and Split Fiction