Look, I don’t hand out the title of ‘best co-op game since Portal 2’ like it’s a participation trophy. But when Hazelight Studios announced that It Takes Two had sold over one million copies and was ‘still going strong,’ I nodded like a wise old gamer who definitely didn’t spend three hours yelling at a talking book. The game came out on March 26, 2021, and it hit that million mark in less than a month. That’s not just good; that’s ‘your ex is texting you again’ good. Hazelight tweeted, ‘thank you so much for all the love you’ve shown our game, it means the world to us.’ Adorable. But honestly? We’re the ones who should be thanking them for giving us a co-op masterpiece that doesn’t treat player two as a glorified cursor.
If you’ve been living under a rock—or worse, under a pile of unfinished single-player backlogs—here’s the deal. It Takes Two is an adventure platformer designed specifically for co-op. You play as two humans, May and Cody, who get turned into dolls by a magic spell. Now they have to work together to escape a fantastical world, but also to mend their struggling relationship and grow closer. It’s full of comedy and heartfelt moments, and it’s the perfect choice to sit down and play with your special someone. Or your best friend. Or your sworn enemy, if you want to speedrun a breakup.
The gameplay is the real magic trick. Every level throws new abilities at you, and you have to master them while adapting to bizarre yet comical circumstances that you’ll never see coming. One minute you’re platforming through a vacuum cleaner, the next you’re arguing about who gets to be the magnet. It’s chaos, but the good kind. The kind that makes you laugh so hard you forget you’re supposed to be solving a puzzle.
Here’s why it works so well:
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No solo mode. You literally cannot play alone. It forces communication, which is either romantic or a recipe for disaster. Usually both.
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Constant variety. The game refuses to repeat itself. Each chapter feels like a new game, but with the same two idiots you’ve grown to love.
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Emotional sucker punch. It’s funny, then suddenly it’s about love and loss and why you should call your mom. I wasn’t ready.
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Mini-games that ruin friendships. There’s a competitive minigame in almost every level. You will lose. You will blame the controller.
For context, back in 2021, It Takes Two was competing with Outriders for the top spot on Steam, and that lasted for several weeks. Considering Outriders’ massive popularity and success, that says a lot about the impression It Takes Two had on anyone who gave it a shot. Hazelight’s previous big game, A Way Out, sold more than 3.5 million copies, so people were already watching. But It Takes Two hadn’t even been out for a full month when it hit one million. The odds of it catching up seemed pretty good. Spoiler: it did.
Fast forward to 2026, and that one million looks like a cute little warm-up. It Takes Two has blown past 20 million copies sold, and it remains one of the most beloved co-op games ever made. Hazelight followed it with Split Fiction in 2025, which continued the studio’s two-player-only reign. But It Takes Two is still the one everyone points to when they say, ‘Play this with someone you love.’ Or someone you tolerate. Same thing after three hours of puzzle-solving.
| Hazelight game | Release | Claim to fame |
|---|---|---|
| A Way Out | 2018 | 3.5 million+ sold, prison break bromance |
| It Takes Two | 2021 | 1 million in under a month, 20 million+ by 2026 |
| Split Fiction | 2025 | Another co-op banger, because Hazelight doesn’t miss |
So why am I still banging this drum in 2026? Because It Takes Two is timeless in the way that only a game about a crumbling marriage turned into a doll adventure can be. It’s on EA Play, it’s likely on your Game Pass Ultimate subscription, and it’s probably cheaper than a couples therapy session. If you haven’t played it, you’re missing out on one of the best co-op experiences ever made. If you have played it, you know exactly why I’m still talking about it.
My personal experience? I played it with my partner. We screamed at each other during the mini-games. We laughed at the talking book. We cried at the ending. Then we immediately started a second playthrough to get the achievements. That’s the power of It Takes Two. It doesn’t just entertain you; it makes you work together. And in a world full of online shooters where everyone is screaming slurs, that’s a beautiful thing.
Hazelight said the love means the world to them. But honestly, we’re the lucky ones. They gave us a game that proves co-op can be more than just shooting bad guys together. It can be about healing a relationship, escaping a magic spell, and arguing over who gets to control the vacuum cleaner. If that’s not art, I don’t know what is.
So go find your player two. Boot it up. And remember: if you can survive It Takes Two, you can survive anything. Except maybe the mini-game where you have to pull out each other’s teeth. That one still haunts me. 🎮💔