5 Games You Can Play as a Couple Below $20 Each

There’s no lack of cooperative games in the market, but some of them are pricey.

If you are looking for ideas to switch up your dates, try these five games. They won’t burn a hole in your pocket.

1. Portal 2

Portal 2 is the sequel to Portal. Both are puzzle-platform games developed and published by Valve Corporation. In the game, you and your partner play as two robots, Atlas and P-Body in a science test facility. Each level features a new test facility where both robots must complete puzzles and leave.

Both players are equipped with a portal gun that can shoot a maximum of two interlinked portals on certain surfaces and pass through them to get to one point from another. These portals can transport players to previously inaccessible platforms and help the players move to the next checkpoint within the level.

This game is suitable for couples as it requires both players to work closely with one another and in some instances, one player must move on with the level first in order for both to progress forward. Communicating with your partner is important so both players can plan out how to utilise both robots and their portals to reach the end goal together.

Portal 2’s game mechanics might be a bit complicated initially, but the satisfaction of completing the levels with your partner is worth the trouble of learning the gameplay.

Portal 2 costs $10 on Steam.

2. Stardew Valley

In Stardew Valley, you set out to begin your life anew on your grandfather’s old farm plot in, you guessed it: Stardew Valley. This simulation role-playing game was developed by a single creator Eric Barone, who goes by the alias of ConcernedApe.

Originally created as a single-player game, Stardew Valley’s multiplayer mode was an addition that many gamers welcomed with open arms. Together, you and your partner can do all the things in the original game such as fishing, raising livestock and building your farm.

Or, you can go about your separate ways during the day. Either way, work gets done much faster when you play as a pair.

Multiplayer mode also allows players to get married in-game and start a family together. With many interesting modifications available, you can make the game all the more exciting for you and your partner.

Stardew Valley costs $15 on Steam.

3. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

They say that communication is key in every relationship, and this game takes this phrase to the next level. Developed by Steel Crate Games, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a cooperative game where two players work together to defuse a bomb in five minutes.

However, there’s a catch, neither player can see the same thing on screen. One player sees a bomb that is ticking down to explode, and another sees a manual with the solutions on how to defuse the bomb.

The player who can see the bomb must clearly describe how it looks, including the symbols on the different modules. On the other hand, the player reading the manual has to instruct the other player on what to do with the six modules in order to diffuse the bomb.

Though it may seem rather straightforward, what makes this game challenging is how the two players communicate. It’s crucial to be as detailed as possible when describing symbols on the different modules on the bomb, and instructions relayed from the manual must also be expressed clearly to the other party. The best part is that you’ll only need to purchase one copy of the game for you and your partner to play remotely.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a wonderful way for couples to practise communicating under pressure. Let’s just hope this game doesn’t instigate a lovers’ spat.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes costs $15 on Steam.

4. Human: Fall Flat

Human: Fall Flat is a physics puzzle-platform game developed by Tomas Sakalauskas and published by Curve Digital in 2016. Initially released as a single-player game, an online multiplayer feature was added in 2017, allowing up to eight people per session.

In the game, you get to play as an adorable soft body character called Bob and customise your character to distinguish yourself from your partner. You can also choose and complete 17 unique levels that display simplistic yet vibrantly coloured graphics, with more to come this year.

Push and pull items as large as a vehicle and as small as a stick and use them to navigate the map and unlock various doors and locations to reach the exit.

Although Human: Fall Flat is not solely a cooperative game, it’s certainly more enjoyable to play with a partner. Certain levels have a multitude of tasks that are completed much more easily with two players as some levels feature huge objects which are best carried with another pair of “hands”.

Human: Fall Flat Cost $18.50 on Steam.

5. Overcooked

Overcooked is a cooking simulation game developed by Team17. You work with other players to prepare dishes and serve them within a time limit. Players need to earn a certain amount of money in order to progress to the next level, which can be done based on how fast you serve the food to your starving customers.

In the game, you’re able to perform various tasks such as chopping ingredients, cooking and washing dishes. Getting the hang of certain controls such as sprinting to get a task done faster might take some time for new players to master, but once you do, the game becomes much easier.

To say that this game requires a lot of communication and teamwork would be an understatement. When food orders start to pile up, the stress coupled with poor coordination might result in your hard work going up in flames.

Though Overcooked might be a very fast-paced game, it is definitely a fun one. The game also features levels with different difficulties and challenges so that you and your partner will never get bored of working together to overcome the challenges thrown at you.

Overcooked costs $20 on Steam.

Edited By: Adiel Rusyaidi Ruslani and Charlotte Chang

Proofread By: Teo Yin Yan