Split-screen multiplayer games aren’t dead — here are our favorites

Hello!

I am very happily dating a very lovely person and we both like playing video games together, but are also poor so we can’t afford multiple consoles or the strongest WiFi connection. Split screen and general 2-player games are our favorite. Unfortunately, this makes it difficult for us to enjoy them. Google’s only article on this topic is sponsored, which shows the exact same three games.

—Jeffrey “Mad For Multiplayer” Miller

Hello, Jeffrey “Mad For Multiplayer” Miller! You’ve come to the right place. Co-op is something I enjoy, but it’s not easy to find co-ops for couch. Online multiplayer gaming is possible if both of you have a copy. But that’s an expensive hobby! Split screen allows for more fun, but with a lower budget. Here are some of my favorites — particularly ones that give each player the same amount of power, rather than one primary and one assist player — that are playable on Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 4, as you requested in our Dear Polygon submission form.

No one saves the worldIt is probably the funniest and most enjoyable Nintendo Switch couch coop I have ever seen. The RPG dungeon-crawler puts you in the shoes of a character named “Nobody” who is tasked with saving the world (shocking, I know). But instead of just leveling up this little guy, you unlock different “forms,” like a turtle, a ghost, or a magician, to name just a few. Each form comes with its own unique set of exploration perks and attacks. The magician can pull attack bunnies out of a hat, while the turtle can swim through water — so unlocking new creatures also means exploring new parts of the map, thanks to these features.

A buddy and you will fight to the death in various dungeons, biomes and areas of a Zelda-esque universe. There are silly quests about different creatures. You can transform into a horse or disguise yourself to fool a shopkeeper. Leveling up a form unlocks additional attacks and status effects — and best of all, you can mix and match them for maximum chaos. While I created a zombie to spawn attack bunnies or bit people, my boyfriend was the ghost of a horse-drawn carriage. You will find the absurdity rampant at a fast pace and it is much more enjoyable with good friends.

Image: Studio Pixel Punk/Humble Games

Talking of underrated criminal games Unsighted is another two-player indie gem for the Switch that’s even better with a partner in crime. In this Metroidvania, you play as a humanoid automaton who needs to find a constant supply of gem medication in order to avoid a truly horrible fate: becoming an “unsighted,” a mindless robot who no longer recognizes friends and instead attacks anybody on sight. More characters from this complex world become dark as the time passes.

Couch coop is an enormous help. Unsighted’s challenging, Zelda-like puzzles and cool boss fights are much easier with someone to assist you. The game’s map is also enormous and intricate, with three interlocking layers that become easier to navigate as you gain new abilities, like throwing ice shurikens or riding giant spinning tops on high wires.

Image: Larian Studios

Also, MustPlay Divinity: Original Sin 2Split-screen is available for two users on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Disclaimer: I haven’t tried this one split-screen — in fact, I didn’t realize it was possible until doing research for this piece — but I have played a truly unspeakable number of multiplayer hours. Up to four can play with online multiplayer; you can even have two on local split-screen, with two more through online play (though there’s no cross-platform play.)

This Dungeons & Dragons-style RPG lets each player control one to two characters in their party (up to a full party of four) on an incredible expedition on an enormous fantasy map packed with secrets. Gameplay is a unique combination of real-time movement and turn-based fighting, which emulates the feel of D&D-style combat. I’d recommend picking a character supplied by the game for their great story quests. Lohse (a charismatic and charming bard) is my favorite character. Really wants to exorcize that evil demon living inside her, and Fane, an “undead” with a dry sense of humor and bony fingers that double as an infinite supply of lock picks.

Given your interest in Stardew ValleyAnd SpiritfarerAlso, I wanted to share our co-op management sim game list. I’ll call them honorable mentions, since many of these will require each of you to own a copy, rather than being true couch co-op titles. That said, they tend to be less expensive than larger studio releases — which hopefully helps. These will bring you hours of joy and entertainment together. The couch cooperative is here to stay.