Best PC Co-op Games to Play With a Partner (October 2026)
These are 10 PC games that Steam lists as co-op and that work well with exactly two players, from made-for-two adventures to long-running shared worlds. Prices below are the regular Steam US prices as of October 2026, not sale prices.
My short answer: It Takes Two or Split Fiction if you want a game built around a pair, Portal 2 if you want the cheapest sure thing, and Stardew Valley if you want a farm you can share for months.
The Scroll in Brief
- All 10 games support two-player co-op on PC, per their Steam pages. Online co-op is listed for most; Cuphead and Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes are the local-first picks.
- Cheapest regular prices: Portal 2 at $9.99, then Don’t Starve Together, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes and Stardew Valley at $14.99.
- Only one copy needed: It Takes Two and Split Fiction list a Friend’s Pass, so a partner can join online without buying the game.
- Check the rating first: It Takes Two and Split Fiction are rated T, and A Way Out is rated M.
- Prices and review percentages drift, so confirm both on the store page before you buy.
How I picked these
A game made the list only if its Steam page lists co-op that works for two players, it has strong user reviews, and I could read the regular price from the store page. Several pages showed a temporary discount when I checked, so I used the struck-through regular price instead. I have not played these myself; the takes come from store pages, review scores and how each game is described.
Two terms matter for couples. Remote Play Together lets one person own the game and stream it to a partner on another device. A Friend’s Pass lets a second person play online without owning the game.
Made for Two
It Takes Two
Regular price $39.99 as of Oct 2026 · 2021 · Co-op adventure · Online and split-screen co-op
Reviews: 95% positive on Steam (48k+ English reviews).
A game that is co-op only, so there is no solo mode to fall back on. Steam lists online co-op, split-screen co-op, Remote Play Together and a free Friend’s Pass, which makes it easy to share with one purchase. It is rated T by the ESRB for animated blood, comic mischief, fantasy violence and language.
Best for: couples who want a full story to finish together.
Split Fiction
Regular price $49.99 as of Oct 2026 · 2025 · Co-op adventure · Online and split-screen co-op
Reviews: 96% positive on Steam (23k+ English reviews).
The newest game on this list, released March 6, 2025. Steam lists online co-op, split-screen, cross-platform multiplayer, Remote Play Together and a Friend’s Pass. It is the priciest pick here and rated T for language, blood and gore, crude humor and violence, so it suits adult couples more than kids.
Best for: partners who want the newest big co-op adventure and will pay for it.
A Way Out
Regular price $29.99 as of Oct 2026 · 2018 · Co-op narrative action · Online and split-screen co-op
Reviews: 88% positive on Steam (25k+ English reviews).
Steam states this one is co-op only. It lists online co-op, split-screen co-op and Remote Play Together, but its page does not mention a Friend’s Pass, so assume both of you need a copy unless you use Remote Play. It carries an M rating for intense violence, blood, sexual content, nudity and strong language.
Best for: adult couples who want a crime story rather than a puzzle.
Teamwork and Chaos
Portal 2
Regular price $9.99 as of Oct 2026 · 2011 · Puzzle platformer · Single-player plus 2-player co-op
Reviews: 98% positive on Steam (174k+ English reviews).
Steam lists online co-op, split-screen co-op and Remote Play Together. The co-op campaign is separate from the solo story, so you get two games for one price. At $9.99 it is the lowest regular price on this list.
Best for: a first co-op game that is easy to start and cheap to buy.
Overcooked! 2
Regular price $24.99 as of Oct 2026 · 2018 · Cooking co-op · Up to 4 players, local and online
Reviews: 93% positive on Steam (14k+ English reviews).
A kitchen game where two players can split chores and shout at each other. Steam lists split-screen co-op, online co-op, online PvP and Remote Play Together. It supports up to four players, so you can add friends later.
Best for: couples who can laugh through a burnt dinner.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Regular price $14.99 as of Oct 2026 · 2015 · Bomb-defusal party game · Local co-op, one copy needed
Reviews: 98% positive on Steam (8k+ English reviews).
One player sees the bomb and the other has the manual, so you must talk it out. Steam says only one copy of the game is needed, and the manual is free to view or print. It is a good pick for a partner who does not play many games, since the manual player does not need a controller.
Best for: pairs who want a talking game instead of a button-mashing one.
Cuphead
Regular price $19.99 as of Oct 2026 · 2017 · Run-and-gun platformer · Single-player or split-screen co-op
Reviews: 96% positive on Steam (66k+ English reviews).
Steam lists shared/split-screen co-op only, so this is a couch game rather than an online one. It is known for tough boss fights, so expect plenty of retries. Remote Play Together is not listed on its page.
Best for: partners on the same couch who enjoy a hard challenge.
Long-Haul Co-op
Stardew Valley
Regular price $14.99 as of Oct 2026 · 2016 · Farming sim · Online, LAN and split-screen co-op, up to 8 players
Reviews: 98% positive on Steam (395k+ English reviews).
Steam lists co-op for up to eight players, so two is the easy case. You share a farm over many sessions rather than finishing a story in a weekend. It is the best value per hour here if you want something to return to every few nights.
Best for: couples who want a cozy project to build together.
Don’t Starve Together
Regular price $14.99 as of Oct 2026 · 2016 · Survival · Online co-op and PvP, LAN
Reviews: 95% positive on Steam (82k+ English reviews).
A survival game where the point is to stay alive together. Steam lists online co-op, LAN co-op and PvP. It is not forgiving, so it works best with a partner who likes learning by failing.
Best for: pairs who like survival and do not mind dying a lot.
Deep Rock Galactic
Regular price $29.99 as of Oct 2026 · 2020 · Co-op shooter · Solo or online co-op, 1-4 players
Reviews: 97% positive on Steam (171k+ English reviews).
A first-person mining shooter where you team up against alien bugs underground. Steam lists online co-op for one to four players, so two works, but it is built for four. Buy it if you already have a friend or two to add.
Best for: pairs who want a shooter and may grow the group.
Quick Comparison
| Game | Players (co-op) | Regular price (Oct 2026) | Steam reviews | Share with one copy? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| It Takes Two | 2, online or split-screen | $39.99 | 95% | Friend’s Pass, Remote Play |
| Split Fiction | 2, online or split-screen | $49.99 | 96% | Friend’s Pass, Remote Play |
| A Way Out | 2, online or split-screen | $29.99 | 88% | Remote Play Together |
| Portal 2 | 2, online or split-screen | $9.99 | 98% | Remote Play Together |
| Overcooked! 2 | Up to 4 | $24.99 | 93% | Remote Play Together |
| Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes | 2+, local | $14.99 | 98% | One copy is enough |
| Cuphead | 2, split-screen | $19.99 | 96% | Not listed |
| Stardew Valley | Up to 8 | $14.99 | 98% | Not listed |
| Don’t Starve Together | Online or LAN | $14.99 | 95% | Not listed |
| Deep Rock Galactic | 1-4, online | $29.99 | 97% | Not listed |
Gary’s Take
If I had one purchase and one partner, I would buy It Takes Two and use the Friend’s Pass so the second person pays nothing. If I wanted to spend as little as possible, Portal 2 at $9.99 is the best co-op bargain here.
Split Fiction is the newest and the most expensive, so it is the one I would wait on for a sale. Everything else is fair at the regular price, and all of them go on sale regularly, so a wishlist is free money.
Keep digging: prices and review percentages move, so check each store page before you buy.
Cast Your Vote
Tell us if this was useful. Your vote helps us decide what to cover next.
Sources
- Steam: It Takes Two
- Steam: Split Fiction
- Steam: A Way Out
- Steam: Portal 2
- Steam: Overcooked! 2
- Steam: Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
- Steam: Cuphead
- Steam: Stardew Valley
- Steam: Don’t Starve Together
- Steam: Deep Rock Galactic
