Why bother spending Valentine’s Day sitting across from each other in a stuffy restaurant when you can curl up on the couch and beat each other in video games. So in honor of this idea, my co-writer Gavin DePinto and I have come together to devise a list of the best video games to play with your partner, or just in general. Get the Valentine’s chocolates ready, cause it’s time for a sweet treat; a video game treat.
5) It Takes Two [Multi Platform]
Take on the role of Cody or May, two lovers who seem to be having struggles in their relationship. As you’re cursed into dolls by the evil Dr. Hakim, learn to love and trust each other as you navigate your way through the fantastical world. Build trust, work together and find love through hardship.
Elaina: “It takes two to make a thing go right, it takes two to make it outta sight” said Rob Base and DJ EZ in their song It Takes Two, and they’re absolutely right. Finding love through teamwork and fantasy. I wish I could have something so magical like they do. Well, I wouldn’t want to be turned into a doll, how would I eat, or breathe, or sleep or even blink? How would I even function as a doll, that sounds outrageous. Can dolls feel love, feel sadness, happiness, worry, nausea, can dolls even feel pain? Makes me wonder what my dolls are feeling when I play with them…
Gavin: What better game to play for Valentine’s Day than a game about a struggling couple rediscovering the reason they became a couple in the first place? As beautiful of a story as this game is, I don’t think it’s the best idea to use this game as a form of counseling. What I love about this game is that you barely know what’s coming next and there’s almost always new mechanics to use. There’s a whole war between squirrels and wasps for god’s sake!
4) Luigi’s Mansion 3 [Nintendo Switch]
Is that the ghostbusters, or is it just a green Italian plumber and his goopy friend? Take control of Luigi or Gooigi as you make your way through the darkened hallways of the haunted hotel. Suck up ghosts, find hidden money and solve intricate puzzles together as you go to save your friends from the evil King Boo.
Elaina: I played this game as a single player, and it works fine, but I think it’s a better two player game. I can’t tell you how many times I struggled because I had to multitask beyond belief, swapping from Luigi to Gooigi and vice versa. If I had a friend, I think this game would be so much fun! Unless it’s someone who makes me upset, then expect me to yell. A lot.
Gavin: Nintendo has a great reputation of making fun multiplayer games and this is no exception. I once played this with my friend knowing nothing about the game and it was really easy to pick up. If you don’t like going casual, there’s also some competitive fun to be had in the ScareScraper. Just don’t get too heated to cause a breakup.
3) Cuphead [Multi Platform]
This game can get red hot, now go! Take control of Cuphead and Mugman as they gamble their souls away, forcing themselves to the Devil’s game. Fight debtors and collect their soul contracts, running and gunning through the fights with your magical finger guns. Interesting bosses, fun music and great homage to the rubber hose style, it’s a great game to rage about with your friends or lover.
Elaina: What’s more cute than defeating the devil together with someone as a couple of anthropomorphic cups? I have memories of me and my five year old brother playing together. He died instantly on the boss we were fighting, but I carried us through the fight, even getting us the highest score. He then had his teacher write on his behavior report “I helped my sister get an A+ on the goopy boss.” I wanted to cry of happiness that day.
Gavin: The most surprising thing about Cuphead to me was learning that every single background, and frame of animation were hand-drawn and scanned into the game. It really goes to show why Cuphead took 5 years to develop; and that’s just for the main game. It also brought a resurgence to the rubber-hose style. I’m looking forward to seeing a first-person shooter in the same style called Mouse, go check out the trailer if you haven’t!
2) Castle Crashers [Multi Platform]
Is it called castle crashers because the players invade castles, or because they destroy castles? Nonetheless, fight your way to victory in this popular 2D arcade adventure. Save princesses, crash castles and defend your kingdom as you and your friends. Play in-person or online multiplayer, teaming up for the common goal of winning.
Elaina: Destruction, my favorite type of game to play with other people. Gather some friends after we all collectively lose our minds and do nothing but slash, hack, and defeat. A good way to get anger out, I can finally stop punching my pillow. Now instead, I can punch my partner, as a joke of course. At least they’ll be here when I lose my castle, my knight in shining armor. What a fun way to spend time with loved ones, retriving the gold.
Gavin: What I adore about Castle Crashers is how it perfectly encapsulates the late 2000s. The art style and especially the music really hit home for me. I vaguely remember playing this once or twice on some Xbox 360 that was set up in the game room of a summer camp that I attended. I still find myself listening to the game’s soundtrack from time to time.
1) Stardew Valley [Multi Platform]
Why try and woo your partner over when you can woo over fictional NPC’s. Inherit your grandfather’s farm in the valley, and be the hero to restore the town community center. Live off the land and learn to fend for yourself, as you restore the peace to the valley. Fall in love, get married, even get divorced, it’s a wonderful game to play with friends.
Elaina: I’m genuinely happy you can still form relationships in this game without it automatically being classified as a dating simulator. I’ve played a few dating simulators, and I wish they had a bit more story to them, the only successful one I’ve played was Doki Doki Literature Club. However, I feel like this game balances romance and gameplay perfectly, and incorporates it so naturally into the rhythm of the game. Plus you can have up to four people on the farm, so you and your friend can woo NPC’s together, the perfect bonding experience.
Gavin: I don’t understand why someone would woo an NPC when they already have a partner. That aside, Stardew seems like one of the best games to play with someone. It’s a calm take-your-time focused game with pleasing graphics that aren’t too heavy on the eyes and it really is for anybody looking to have a nice experience while playing games. Of course there is a bit of combat, but that should be the least of your worries.
[Bonus Section]
To celebrate the month of love, Gavin and I went on a blast to the past to find video games that came out during the month of February. This is what we found:
2014 -Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze [February 21, 2014]
2015 – The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D [February 13, 2015]
2016 – Gravity Rush Remastered [February 2, 2016]
2017 – Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World [February 3, 2017]
2018 – EA Sports UFC 3 [February 1, 2018]
2019 – Tetris 99 [February 13, 2019]
2020 -Dawn of Fear [February 3, 2020]
2021 – Little Nightmares II [February 11, 2021]
2022 – Total War: Warhammer III [February 17, 2024]
2023 – Hogwarts Legacy [February 10th, 2023]
2024 [Hopefully] – Skull & Bones [February 13, 2024]
So cheers to love, cheers to romance, and cheers to the video game industry for keeping us entertained and letting us play together. Singleplayer or multiplayer, online or offline, video games will be a go-to for many for comfort, including us. So let’s raise a glass for love, and raise a glass for a new high score.
