Single-player games might offer some of the best stories in the industry, but sometimes it's better to experience a game with another player. After all, a game being able to accommodate two or more players on just one gaming device is quite a novelty these days. Hence, split-screen co-op games tend to innovate quite a lot. Of course, they do have the pressure of having to entertain two people on one device.
While there are co-op games that pretty much just split the screen and add more inputs, some developers handle their split-screen co-op with more care. Thus, in their own way, they push the standards of their own genre or sub-genre in gaming. They're not only the best way to enjoy gaming with a friend or partner, but they also prove that their game is better enjoyed with Player 2.
8 Portal 2
- Release year: 2011
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, macOS, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Classic Mac OS
- Genre: FPS, Puzzle
Portal 2 has been out for more than a decade now, yet it's still quite unmatched when it comes to novelty. It's a one-of-a-kind puzzle and FPS game that lets players find their way out of a decrepit facility by toying with physics and portals. All this was made possible with a gun that shoots out an entry and exit portal, as well as the game's robust physics engine.
Portal 2's amazing innovation, however, doesn't stop at single-player. It has a sizable chunk of co-op-based content that lets players share a split-screen on one device as they figure out the game's most intricate portal puzzles. The game rewards lateral thinking above all else, making it perfect for those looking for a brain tickler.
7 A Way Out
- Release year: 2018
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
- Genre: Action-adventure, Drama
A Way Out is a narrative-heavy delight whose story and character development rival big-budget action and RPG games. The most impressive part about this game's story is that it's exclusively told via split-screen. It's a unique experience to be enjoyed by two players. Each of them will control one of the two inmates who are plotting and executing a daring prison escape.
With the way that it's set up and how the two inmates depend on each other for the fruition of their plans, there is no other more optimized way to play the game or present its narrative. Even years after its release, A Way Out remains one of the freshest ideas for co-op gameplay.
6 It Takes Two
- Release year: 2021
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
- Genre: Action-adventure, Platforming, Drama
From the same developers as A Way Out, It Takes Two takes a similar approach to co-op gameplay. It's a narrative-heavy game in which a couple on the verge of a divorce accidentally gets turned into dolls by their daughter. Now, they must find their way back into their old selves while also finding a way to mend their ruptured relationship.
It's heavier on platforming compared to A Way Out and one of the main strengths of the game is its visuals. At times, it can almost look like an action set piece in a Pixar film. As with other games from its developers, It Takes Two is strictly co-op only as its platforming segments and even the boss fights require some tight coordination from two players who preferably are a couple. It's an ideal game for a date night.
5 Divinity: Original Sin 2
- Release year: 2017
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Microsoft Windows
- Genre: RPG
For those craving a lighter version of Dungeons and Dragons but on a gaming device and without the need for a DM, Divinity: Original Sin 2 might just be the perfect game. It's a turn-based RPG primarily inspired by Dungeons and Dragons in which players create their hero in a bid to ascend to godhood and pretty much save the world.
The cookie-cutter plot is offset by the intricate narrative that's sprinkled in-between the twists. Of course, there's a split-screen co-op that allows players to finish the lengthy campaign together. They both get their own characters as well as a way to debate their dialog choices and creative ways to cheese the game's combat system.
4 Rocket League
- Release year: 2015
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Macintosh operating systems, Linux
- Genre: Sports, Driving
A split-screen soccer game doesn't really sound that exciting. FIFA already does that every year minus the screen-splitting part. Rocket League deserves a mention though because the soccer players are race cars. This adds another dimension to the dynamics as players fumble and fight their way to the goal posts.
Since players have to drive their cars, they'd need a more intimate view of their vehicle. Hence, split-screen became the main mode of play for couch or local co-op in Rocket League. While it doesn't have the split-screen innovation of games like It Takes Two, Rocket League is no doubt fun regardless of the learning stages of its players. For more team play chaos, players can invite two other people for a 4-player 2v2 split-screen mayhem.
3 Left 4 Dead 2
- Release year: 2099
- Platforms: Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Macintosh operating systems, Linux
- Genre: Horror, FPS
Left 4 Dead 2 and its predecessor were pioneers and trendsetters in the industry, much like its developers' other games. Left 4 Dead 2 improved on the zombie survival formula by refining the game's multiplayer mode, in which players can try to slash and shoot their way to safe zones via split-screen.
For an even spicier co-op session, players can opt for a split-screen Versus mode where the other team gets to control the special zombies. One team will try to mow their way into safe zones while the other will stop the survivors at any cost. It was an experience similar to Portal 2, except with more blood, violence, and cussing.
2 Don't Starve Together
- Release year: 2016
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, macOS, Xbox One, Linux, Microsoft Windows
- Genre: Survival
Don't Starve Together and its origin game, Don't Starve are two of the most popular survival games on the market. The former introduces multiplayer systems into this harsh yet cartoonish game. As it turns out, having someone to share the struggles of base-building, foraging, and panicking at night with is a valuable asset.
Having another player on a split-screen in Don't Starve Together makes the experience more tolerable. For one, it allows one player to focus on base building while the other takes care of the food. The game's unforgiving navigation is also made less brutal this way as players can communicate about traversal.
1 Screencheat
- Release year: 2014
- Platforms: Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS
- Genre: FPS
Screencheat is an underrated gem that presents an idea as novel as Portal. It's primarily an FPS multiplayer game that can accommodate up to four people on a split-screen. The gimmick here is that all players are invisible. The only way for their deathmatch opponents to see them is by looking at their enemies' screens to pinpoint their location.
Even that feature alone is enough for Screencheat to set itself apart from other multiplayer-focused shooters. Moreover, it's a lot simpler compared to other games, making it perfect for party nights or unexpected squad visits that may or may not involve a Redbull binge.