You don't always need two computers, two monitors, and separate accounts for a great gaming session. Sometimes, one screen, two controllers, and a friend who is either ready to team up with you or declare war on you in five minutes is enough.
Local multiplayer is a special kind of entertainment genre. Victory feels more vivid here, defeat evokes stronger emotions, and a simple in-game mistake can turn into a story you'll remember for a long time. Especially when one player accidentally shoves the other off a platform, sets the whole kitchen on fire, or loses a decisive match in the final second.
We've gathered games from our collection that are perfect for playing together on one screen. You'll find cooperative adventures, crazy party games, fighters, sports titles, and projects where the main goal is not to get into a fight.
A Way Out
A Way Out is practically built for two-player gaming. There's no full-fledged single-player campaign: the entire story revolves around two characters trying to escape prison and sort out their problems.
Players constantly have to interact with each other, with the game regularly forcing them to split up, act simultaneously, or choose different ways to solve a situation. The screen is split between the characters, so you always see what your partner is up to.
This is one of those cases where the second player isn't just an extra participant, but an integral part of the gameplay.
Cuphead
If you want to test not just your teamwork but also each other's patience, Cuphead fits the bill almost perfectly.
Playing through the game together is a lot more fun, but it doesn't get any easier. On the contrary: there's even more chaos, attacks, and moments on screen when both players are simultaneously trying to figure out what's even happening.
One saves the other, the second one immediately falls down, the first one tries to revive their partner — and a few seconds later they're both lying on the arena again.
Cuphead is especially good for short gaming sessions that somehow always turn into "come on, just one more try."
Overcooked! 2
There are games where you need to save the world. And then there's Overcooked! 2, where the main task is to cook dinner and not ruin your relationship with your partner.
Here, two players manage a kitchen and must simultaneously chop ingredients, cook dishes, wash dishes, and pass items around. The problem is that the kitchen constantly tries to prevent you from doing anything normally.
Platforms move, rooms split, fires start in the most inconvenient places, and orders keep coming in.
The perfect game for when you're sure you're great at teamwork.
Moving Out 2
Moving Out 2 takes the familiar idea of cooperative work and turns it into complete absurdity.
Your task is to move furniture and other items, and you need to do it as fast as possible. But it's hard to call what happens a normal move: you have to throw things out windows, drag them through obstacles, and literally force them into places where they physically shouldn't fit.
With two players, the game turns into a true cooperative chaos, where a good plan exists for about the first thirty seconds.
Human: Fall Flat
In Human Fall Flat, even the simplest action can turn into a comedy.
The characters move as awkwardly as possible, grab onto objects, fall, bump into each other, and constantly create situations that were impossible to plan.
Together you can solve puzzles, drag objects around, and find a path through the levels. Though sometimes you'll spend more time trying not to push each other off a platform.
And that's exactly why Human Fall Flat works so well in local co-op.
Resident Evil 6
If you're in the mood for co-op with action, zombies, and constant shooting, Resident Evil 6 is a great pick for playing together.
The game offers several story campaigns, and a second player can join the playthrough and become a full-fledged partner. Together you'll fight hordes of the infected, explore locations, solve minor tasks, and constantly cover each other.
However, Resident Evil 6 is noticeably different from the slower entries in the series. There's much more action, gunfights, and large-scale scenes. One player can distract enemies while the other deals with the most dangerous foes, and in some moments, interaction is simply unavoidable.
Rayman Legends
Rayman Legends proves that a classic platformer works wonderfully in company.
Together you can get through levels, help each other overcome obstacles, and save your partner from tricky situations. At the same time, the game remains dynamic and doesn't turn into a simple journey of one player with a helper.
Local co-op is especially good for those who want something more relaxing after competitive fighters and chaotic party games.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
If you want a big adventure on one screen, take a look at LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
The game lets two players journey through the events of the entire Star Wars saga, explore locations, fight enemies, and solve various tasks.
LEGO games in general are great for cooperative play: they have plenty of humor, simple controls, and situations where the second player genuinely helps you progress.
And the amount of content makes Skywalker Saga a good option for long joint evenings.
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Cooperative play doesn't always have to be a fun arcade game. Divinity: Original Sin 2 offers a full-fledged, large-scale RPG adventure that can be played together.
Players get to explore the world, fight, interact with characters, and make decisions that affect the story.
And each player retains a fair amount of freedom. You can act together, or you can occasionally split up and do your own thing.
This is the option for those who want not just a few matches, but a real joint playthrough of a big RPG.
Stardew Valley
At first glance, Stardew Valley seems like the most relaxed game possible. A farm, crops, fishing, mines, residents of a small town — what could go wrong?
With two players, everything becomes much more interesting.
You can divide responsibilities, develop the farm together, explore the mines, go fishing, or just go off and explore the surrounding world.
The game is perfect for laid-back evenings when you don't want to compete and constantly watch a timer. Here you can simply play together and gradually turn a small farm into a real estate.
The Survivalists
The Survivalists offers a completely different kind of cooperative play. Instead of endless gunfights, here you'll find a deserted island, exploration, building, and an attempt to create your own survival system.
Doing all this together becomes much more interesting. You can divide tasks: one gathers resources and builds while the other explores the island, goes to dangerous places, or searches for useful items.
The Survivalists is a good fit for those who want to spend a few calm evenings together, gradually exploring the world and developing their base. There's no need to constantly hurry — you can simply go off together to look for resources and see what adventures that leads to.
EA SPORTS FC 25
You don't always have to go through a story together or explore a huge world. Sometimes you just want to grab two controllers and find out who the real champion is today.
EA SPORTS FC 25 is perfect for exactly that kind of format.
One screen, two teams, and a match that can completely turn around in a few minutes. There's no need to spend a long time explaining the rules: pick your teams, get on the pitch, and start playing.
And matches between friends become especially interesting, where every goal becomes a reason for a separate celebration.
Mortal Kombat 11
If a football showdown isn't enough, you can move on to something much more radical.
Mortal Kombat 11 is the classic local PvP option, where two players are on the same arena and settle things directly.
A large roster of fighters, different playstyles, and spectacular finishing moves make each match its own mini-show.
And you hardly need long gaming sessions here. You can play a few rounds, switch characters, and have a rematch.
When One Screen Is All You Need
Games for two on one screen are a completely unique format. It's not just the gameplay itself that matters, but also the reaction of the person sitting next to you.
You can laugh together at the physics in Human: Fall Flat, try not to destroy the kitchen in Overcooked! 2, beat tough levels in Cuphead, embark on a big adventure in A Way Out, or just settle your differences in Mortal Kombat 11.
And the most important thing — for a great evening, you really don't always need two systems. One screen, two controllers, and the right game are enough.