There are very few experiences that help couples to bond more effectively than gaming. Whether your partner is already an avid gamer or they’ve never held a controller in their life, gaming can be a great way to bridge the divide and cooperate on something that you can both truly enjoy (or, indeed, compete with one another in a healthy way). If you’ve got a PS4, then you’ll be happy to know that there are a wide range of PS4 games for couples that you can check out. Here are the 15 best PS4 games for couples to play right now.
1. It Takes Two
Josef Fares’ multiplayer ode to the joys of cooperation and working through your problems may have some utterly terrible writing, but it’s also got some of the most delightful cooperative gameplay we’ve ever seen in a video game. Cody and May are extremely difficult to like, but the gameplay isn’t; it’s a constant joy to discover what It Takes Two has in store for you next, so if you can block out the awful characters and story, this is a great way to pass the time.
2. A Way Out
Before It Takes Two, there was A Way Out, Josef Fares’ ode to prison dramas like The Shawshank Redemption. It follows two prisoners, one a new arrival and one an old hand, as they attempt to stage a breakout. Like It Takes Two, the storytelling here is somewhat flawed, but there are some fun twists on co-op gameplay to discover, and the gameplay isn’t too demanding or challenging either, making this one a perfect fit for anyone who doesn’t usually play video games.
3. Sackboy: A Big Adventure
The LittleBigPlanet franchise goes 3D in this adorably quaint adventure. It supports co-op, and you and your partner will get endless joy out of watching your little sackfolk interact with one another and navigate the game’s varied and creative levels. There’s no lack of challenge, either; while earlier levels will hold your hand, later levels won’t pull their punches, and the optional stages on offer here are some of the most brutal the franchise has ever seen.
4. LittleBigPlanet 3
It may not have been developed by original creators Media Molecule, but LittleBigPlanet 3 maintains the series’ sense of unique whimsy, wonder, and charm. Sackboy once again returns to lead his friend(s) through a series of well-designed levels full of collectibles, and the 2.5D platforming is just as compelling and well-crafted as ever. If you loved Sackboy and want to know where you and your partner should go next, LittleBigPlanet 3 is an absolute must.
5. Stardew Valley
Have you ever wanted to settle down with your partner in an idyllic, rural valley somewhere and start a farm together? Stardew Valley lets you do just that. The game now has co-op support thanks to an update, so you and your partner can tend to your livestock, grow your crops, and explore the valley together. Of course, since you probably both have your own ideas of how the farm should be run, you’ll have to make sure you constantly communicate as well.
6. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
If you can imagine roguelite FTL, but much cuter and intended for couples, then you’re not a million miles away from Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime. It’s a co-op adventure intended for one to four players, but it’s easily playable by just two people, so you and your partner can enjoy it together. You must manage your spaceship’s array of systems, including weapons, engines, and navigation, in order to rescue fluffy animals from captivity. Even the premise is cute!
7. Minecraft
There are few better ways to chill out with your partner while gaming than to play Minecraft. Since it supports couch co-op, you can work together on projects or simply build in your own little areas if you like; Minecraft’s world is very much your oyster. There is a more challenging gameplay mode available if you prefer your games to have a victory condition, but the creative sandbox mode is great for whiling away a few hours alongside the person you love.
8. Human: Fall Flat
The beauty of Human: Fall Flat is its physics. You and your partner will love exploring the game’s simple 3D levels and solving its puzzles, but there’s just as much fun to be had picking each other up, hurling each other off the sides of levels, and generally messing about with whatever physics objects you can find. When you’re done procrastinating, you’ll find an accomplished, satisfying physics puzzle platformer here, albeit one that occasionally doesn’t quite signpost its solutions well enough.
9. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
If you’re lucky enough to have a PlayStation VR unit, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a must-play, but even if you don’t have VR, you can enjoy this game on PS4. The premise is extremely simple: you must defuse a bomb alongside your partner. One of you is looking at the actual bomb, while the other has the instruction manual open to tell you how to defuse the systems. As you can imagine, this leads to a game that’s frenetic, tense, and always enjoyable, even when things go wrong.
10. Cuphead
This one’s strictly for the gamers. Cuphead is absolutely not a good choice if your partner doesn’t usually play video games, as it’s a monstrously challenging run-and-gun boss rush shooter that will test your reflexes to their absolute limit. If, however, you and your partner are avid gamers, Cuphead is a game that must be experienced in co-op, if only so you’ve got someone else there to appreciate the game’s gorgeous art and incredible soundtrack.
11. Overcooked! All You Can Eat
The Overcooked! series is either the greatest co-op gaming experience ever created or the worst, and we go back and forth on which one is true based on how we’re feeling at any given moment. You and your partner (and others, if you’re so inclined) must work together to run a kitchen, fulfilling customers’ demanding orders and cleaning up when you’re done. This is a game of micromanagement, forward thinking, and reflexes, and it’s also one that will test the limits of your patience.
12. The Dark Pictures Anthology
If your partner’s not a gamer, but they’re into horror movies, then The Dark Pictures Anthology is a great place to go. This series consists of a range of unconnected but thematically similar horror stories, each of which revolves around a different cast of characters and a different horror monster du jour. The co-op gameplay comes in the form of the Movie Night mode, where you and a group of friends (or, indeed, you and your partner) can play through the stories together.
13. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
The Lego games are great options if you want an uncomplicated collectathon with light platforming and combat elements, so consider this a blanket recommendation for the whole Lego series. The Skywalker Saga happens to be the franchise’s latest instalment, and it’s also the biggest and most expansive entry, covering all nine mainline Star Wars movies and featuring a smorgasbord of extra unlockable content as well. You’ll get a kick out of playing through the movies, and when you’re done, you can go back into the levels and find everything you missed.
14. Unravel Two
The first Unravel was an adorable puzzle-platformer in which you played as Yarny, a tiny creature made of wool navigating a vast and uncaring world. Unravel Two adds a second Yarny that your partner can play as, and most of its puzzles revolve around using the abilities of both Yarnys (Yarnies?) to their fullest. This is a game that can be played solo if you really want to, but you’ll appreciate its pleasures much more if you experience them alongside your partner.
15. Rayman Legends
Rayman Legends is a glorious ode to the days when hand-drawn 2D platformers ruled the roost and attention to detail was the watchword of the day. Each of its levels feels crafted with a huge amount of care and love, especially the showstopping musical levels, which repurpose pop music in hilarious and creative ways. Legends is every bit the sequel it should be; it expands on Rayman Origins in ways that complement and augment the core gameplay without ever losing sight of the simple, joyous 2D platformer at its core.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of the best PS4 games for couples out there right now. Of course, there are also lots of great single-player games you can play alongside your partner, potentially taking it in turns to play; titles like Kingdom Hearts and the Final Fantasy series are great for this. What’s your favourite PS4 game for couples? Which games did we miss off this list, and what’s your go-to gaming experience for unwinding alongside your partner after a hard day?