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What are the best games for a couple to play co-op on laptops?

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5 Games Considered

5 Options ConsideredPriceGenreSteam Rating
Portal 2
FPSOverwhelmingly Positive
Terraria
2D platformer / Minecraft-like–
Don't Starve Together
––
Starbound
–Very Positive
Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition
Dungeon Crawler RPG–
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Portal 2

Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Well implemented tools that improve teamwork

•••
In a game that requires perfect timing and teamwork, Portal 2 features many tools to facilitate said teamwork. One of the most helpful tools is a 3-second countdown timer that players can use to coordinate their actions – e.g., to ensure that you launch a portal or jump at the perfect time. There...
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Co-op does not punish when you want to goof off with or troll the other player

•••
While Portal 2 requires focus and logic, it does not punish players for causing a bit of mischief. The instant respawn system means trolling your friend will affect almost nothing in the game, as there are no in-game setbacks when you die. Being able to stop at any point in the game to just goof ar...
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Challenging puzzles that require creative thinking

•••
The game challenges your brain to use portals, cubes and other mechanics in order to solve simple and complex puzzles in interesting ways. Trying to figure out the best placement of entrance and exit portals in order to gain access to (perceived) inaccessible places takes a lot of thought, especial...
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Versatile selection of co-op multiplayer

•••
It’s possible to play a multiplayer game for free online using the Steam servers, as well as locally on your machine using split-screen (the second player must use a gamepad controller if playing locally). This keeps the multiplayer options versatile to any players needs.
Seth Petersen
Top Con

Steep co-op learning curve

•••
Although the single-player campaign features a gradual learning curve, co-op offers no mercy. The puzzles start off hard and only get harder. It’s highly recommended that you play through single-player first if you are not familiar with Portal's mechanics.
Specs
Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive
Genre:FPS
Controller Support:Full
Co-Op:2 Player Online / 2 Player Couch / 2 Player LAN
See 4 more Pros & ConsSee 4 more Pros & Cons

Terraria

Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Rewarding progression system that hinges on your own collecting and crafting abilities

•••
The vast majority of items in Terraria can be used to create other items, often requiring specific crafting stations (which themselves must be crafted). This is the core of character advancement, since gear defines nearly everything about your character. The better ones gear is, the longer they can...
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Playing with groups of friends allows for endless scenarios of building and destruction

•••
Up to 8 players can join a shared Terraria world, including the worlds that are used in single-player mode. This allows for large co-op or PvP games. Build something big together, or destroy the other guy’s base. The scenarios are endless.
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Contrasting bright and happy graphics against the suspenseful survival gameplay makes for a game creates a feeling of urgency

•••
Instead of building a deliberate feeling of suspense, Terraria uses bright palettes and arcade action to provide a fun experience outside of the survival elements. When those elements gradually appear one by one, each is all the more shocking, This contrast makes for an ever growing sense of urgen...
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Allows for freedom of expression for all ages, all at your own pacing

•••
The game has all kinds of tools and materials that you can acquire and use to build whatever you can imagine. From housing, furniture, weapons, to any type of structure, the possibilities are almost endless. Which is great for children who enjoy building and problem solving – and for adults who enj...
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Find servers, tutorials, and streams within minutes online

•••
Terraria has a very large community of players on just about every platform including mobile, desktop, and console. With many players come many servers to play on, as well as tutorials and Let's Plays. Finding content or help getting started will be quite easy.
Seth Petersen
Top Con

Gameplay can feel slow

•••
There is little to show progress in the game other than gaining items and building structures. Progress can seem to take a long time because you have to collect every item needed to craft the necessary tools, equipment, and materials to advance.
Seth Petersen
Top Con

No tutorial and unintuitive menus

•••
There is no tutorial to speak of and the menu system can be a bit cumbersome and confusing.
Specs
Genre:2D platformer / Minecraft-like
Controller Support:Android (MOGA / HID), Steam (Full)
Co-Op:8 Player Online / 8 Player LAN
See 6 more Pros & ConsSee 6 more Pros & Cons

Don't Starve Together

Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Fun crafting system

•••
You need to learn how to craft a variety of things, from farms to ensure a steady supply of food to items like weapons and armor so you can survive the various evils you encounter while exploring. The crafting system has a lot of depth to it and there are hundreds and hundreds of things to make.
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Lots of replayability

•••
With randomly generated (customizable) levels, different characters, ever-unfolding story elements, and permadeath, the game offers a lot of variety within the goal of constantly striving to survive longer.
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Pleasantly twisted sense of humor

•••
Random quips from characters, infotext and the world itself (such as the existence of werepigs) show glimpses of a dark sense of humor throughout.
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Very active modding community with numerous mods available

•••
Using the Steam Workshop, Don't Starve has a very active modding community. With nearly 800 mods currently available, there are unlimited ways you can change your Don't Starve experience.
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Easy to get started but has a lot of depth

•••
The game starts out easy, with very little in terms of mechanics, and the single objective of not starving. Then, over time, new mechanics are introduced as you explore more of the game world. The game provides very little guidance, leaving players to figure out how things work for themselves. In a...
Seth Petersen
Top Con

It can be quite a grind

•••
The game requires quite a lot of grinding in order to gather materials that can be used to craft needed items. It is a slow process that may get repetitive as it will have to be repeated any time the player dies.
Seth Petersen
Top Con

Constant restarts can be drawn out and boring

•••
The beginning of a playthrough starts out pretty slow, which is exacerbated by the fact that the player will need to restart many many times as the game is a rouguelike, so permanent death is something that will be encountered often.
See 5 more Pros & ConsSee 5 more Pros & Cons

Starbound

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Stuart Kearney
Top Pro

Incredibly deep gameplay

•••
The exploration, crafting and combat are all both very polished and deep in terms of what you can do, especially compared to other games in the genre. This makes the sandbox very fun to play in as you're never really stuck doing the same thing over and over.
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Delightfully challenging

•••
Starbound is unlike most games in this genre, in that from the very beginning it has a decent level of difficulty to it, which for a lot of people is a very nice change. The very first enemies you encounter can get the better of you, and materials will take awhile to harvest. Don't expect rapid...
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

The game gets even better with multiplayer

•••
Play with your friends! It makes base-building and exploration much more fun, and you'll also advance to the more impressive craftable items more quickly. Of course it will take a decent level of coordination in order to make the best use of having multiple people work on a single aspect, but t...
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

There are over a dozen planet types to discover

•••
From temperate jungles to literal oceans of magma, Starbound has a ton of interesting places to discover. Each planet type also has several different biomes, both above and below ground.
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

You can customize your experience with an extensive crafting system

•••
Starbound's crafting system boasts around 1500 different items (or more). This means a whole lot of things to look through and work towards.
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

You can unlock new sectors of space to explore by facing several different bosses

•••
By facing the Bosses of Starbound and defeating them, you open up the universe even more. This essentially means that by killing a boss, you increase the diversity of the materials you can obtain, which also increases the customization you can do of your character through new and improved gear.
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Informative and well paced tutorials

•••
Starbound allows the player to go at their own pace while completing the tutorials. By the end of the tutorials the player will have the skills and equipment to succeed in the game and have fun doing it.
Seth Petersen
Top Con

First bit of playing the game can be slow

•••
Initially the player needs to amass enough coal to fuel their ship, which is a bit of a grind.
Specs
Steam Rating:Very Positive
See 7 more Pros & ConsSee 7 more Pros & Cons

Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition

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Ryan
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Gets even better with another player

•••
When you've got another player with you, you can discuss tactics in combat (because of the turn-based combat), what conversation options to choose, you can trade between yourselves and cooperate in many other ways. It's a great game to sit down and play with a partner (or a friend!).
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Fully interactive environments

•••
Divinity: Original Sin has an innumerable amount interactions that take place in the game, ranging from NPC interactions to elemental spells that can douse fires, to a cornucopia of items that can be stolen. Most actions in the game can have consequences as well, from lower ranking in a town when t...
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Moral choices affect gameplay

•••
Users will be confronted with moral choices they need to make when on quests, these choices will effect parts of the game depending on what they choose, making for a realistic and immersive environment.
Seth Petersen
Top Pro

Incredible amount of game content

•••
Divinity: Original Sin offers upwards of 100 hours of gameplay.
Seth Petersen
Top Con

Mechanics take a lot of trial and error

•••
There is a basic tutorial, but it is very limited and does not explain some of the finer aspects of the game. Much of the title relies on using spells, in and out of combat. Want to get into a locked door, you can burn it down. Want to save a burning ship, cast a rain spell over it. While this may...
Seth Petersen
Top Con

Building a working party may take several tries

•••
Depending on what one want to achieve in the game with their party and what jobs and powers they want each to have it may take several restarts in order to get a good balance. This will take time and can be an inconvenience as none of this is spelled out in the game whatsoever.
Specs
Genre:Dungeon Crawler RPG
See 5 more Pros & ConsSee 5 more Pros & Cons
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7 Community Recommendations

Seth Petersen
Stuart Kearney
DiligentThallo
InquisitiveCalleis
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