In This House, Every Game Becomes Co-op

Lately, my partner and I have been diving back into the world of Portal 2, which, without a doubt, reigns supreme as the quintessential couch co-op experience of our time. Sure, Hazelight’s It Takes Two offers a fresh take that revolutionized this gaming genre, but Portal 2 manages to maintain its charm and challenge. We’ve tried our hands at a few others, but nothing quite hits the mark like these. I’m not just referring to any local multiplayer game; I’m talking about those rare gems where you truly have to collaborate to succeed or at least enrich your gaming journey. Around here, we’ve developed a knack for transforming various games into co-op adventures.

The idea sparked when we tackled The Quarry, a cinematic experience packed with celebrity appearances and multiple characters to guide. The game features a local co-op option where players pass the controller to shape the story and navigate obstacles together. Yet, we decided against this mode, opting instead to form our own makeshift co-op experience. We would deliberate over every choice, occasionally pausing to dissect clues or reminisce about past dialogues. We’ve played The Quarry three or four times like this: one of us clutching the controller, while the other whipped up our dinner. We adopted the same approach with Overboard!, a unique twist on the mystery genre where you’re the perpetrator avoiding capture — a format that seemed even more fitting for replay sessions brimming with fresh objectives and paths.

These pseudo-co-op games, brimming with narrative depth and decision-making elements, have become our staple for weeknight entertainment — and kicking off a new game together makes for a perfect winter date night. It’s also a wonderful way of sharing games we’ve grown fond of individually. Like all great forms of art, sharing these gaming experiences allows us to forge deeper connections through the stories, such as those poignant moments that leave us teary-eyed at the conclusion of Firewatch.

With that said, I’m eagerly anticipating Hazelight’s next release, Split Fiction. Yet, my excitement is equally piqued for Expelled!, the forthcoming installment set within the Overboard! universe — certainly another game we’ll be indulging in together for countless hours.