The Nintendo Switch is praised for seamlessly allowing you to play alone or with friends. Since the Joy-Cons can function together as one controller or two separate ones, it’s easier than ever for you and your buddies to play at home or on the go. But what about your partner?
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Whether you’re both hardcore gamers or casual players, or a mix of the two, there are some awesome Switch games to play together. They’ll stir up tension, laughter, but above all give you a really fun time. Read on for the best Switch games to enjoy as a couple.
Updated July 2, 2021 by Tom Bowen: With two controllers built right into the console itself, the Nintendo Switch was seemingly made with multiplayer gameplay in mind. The huge number of great multiplayer games on the system would definitely support this assumption, with the Switch offering some of the very best multiplayer and co-op games in home console history. This makes it a great console for couples, who'll not only find plenty of excellent games in the Switch's library, but also a staggering variety.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
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| Developer: | Nintendo EPD |
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| Publisher: | Nintendo |
| Release Date: | February 12, 2021 |
| Genre: | Platformer |
| Metacritic Rating: | 89 |
| User Rating: | 8.6 |
When it comes to multiplayer and co-op gameplay, few, if any, of the mainline Mario games can compete with Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. It offers the same great four-player experience found in the original release of 3D World while also including a well-implemented co-op mode in the Bowser's Fury section of the game.
If you're looking for a way to share some of the very best platforming around with a partner without having to periodically pass the controller, this is the game for you. There's a ridiculous amount of content on offer, plenty of collectibles, and even an unlockable character for those willing to sink the time in.
Mario Golf: Super Rush
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| Developer: | Camelot Software Planning |
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| Publisher: | Nintendo |
| Release Date: | June 25, 2021 |
| Genre: | Sports |
| Metacritic Rating: | 72 |
| User Rating: | 6.1 |
Mario Golf: Super Rush's single-player-centric Golf Adventure mode may be a little lackluster, but the multiplayer components of the game are a lot of fun. There are multiple game types for players to enjoy, including the frantic and fast-paced Battle Golf.
The lack of team-based game types and the limited number of courses may disappoint some players, but if you're the competitive type and are looking for a chance to assert your dominance on the links, you could definitely do a lot worse. It's also worth noting that Nintendo has promised to continue updating the game with new content post-launch, so things can only get better.
Super Mario Maker 2
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| Developer: | Nintendo EPD |
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| Publisher: | Nintendo |
| Release Date: | June 28, 2019 |
| Genre: | Level Editor / Platformer |
| Metacritic Rating: | 88 |
| User Rating: | 8.5 |
Though Super Mario Maker 2 does feature local co-op for up to four players, the real fun is arguably found elsewhere. Couples can have a real blast creating challenging courses for each other, while also demonstrating both their creativity and their competitiveness as they do so. The possibilities really are endless.
RELATED: The Best Mario Games On Nintendo Switch, RankedEven if you're not that great at coming up with new ideas for courses, there's still a lot to love about the game. At this point, there are tens of thousands of user-created courses, and couples can work together to complete them or go head to head to see who can make it to the flagpole the fastest.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
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| Developer: | Omega Force |
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| Publisher: | Nintendo |
| Release Date: | November 20, 2020 |
| Genre: | Hack and Slash |
| Metacritic Rating: | 78 |
| User Rating: | 7.9 |
There's something strangely cathartic about hacking and slashing your way through hundreds of enemies after a long and tiring day. Doing it together with somebody that you love is even better, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity allows players to do just that.
Building on the excellence of the original game, Age of Calamity features plenty of unlockable characters, a ridiculous number of challenges, and some of the very best musou-style combat available on the Nintendo Switch. Omega Force and Nintendo have plans to release plenty of DLC content over the next year too, which should keep the game feeling fresh for a little while longer.
Snipperclips Plus: Cut It Out, Together!
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| Developer: | SFB Games |
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| Publisher: | Nintendo |
| Release Date: | November 10, 2017 |
| Genre: | Puzzle |
| Metacritic Rating: | 84 |
| User Rating: | 8.1 |
Playing as two little bits of paper, you and your partner will have a fantastic time in Snipperclips. You work together to snip each other into the perfect shapes to help complete puzzles. You might cut your partner into a bowl shape to carry a bowling ball to the goal, or a hook to yank down a lever.
It’s great fun that really tests your creativity. You can even attack your partner if you feel like it; if you cut them too much, their little paper friend disappears and respawns. You might spend more time hacking at each other than progressing!
39 Days To Mars
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| Developer: | It's Anecdotal |
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| Publisher: | It's Anecdotal |
| Release Date: | April 26, 2018 |
| Genre: | Puzzle |
| Metacritic Rating: | 71 |
| User Rating: | 4.6 |
This quirky little indie project almost feels as if it were designed to get couples to hone and strengthen their communication. The crux of this hand-drawn puzzler revolves around 2 players working together to solve and complete a slew of distinct brain-busters at once. These mostly visually-oriented puzzles range from assembling pictures to unlocking contraptions to carefully guiding objects through hazard-laden courses.
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39 Days to Mars makes for a relatively simple, laid-back experience that couples can enjoy playing for brief stints while still having enough challenge to be entertaining.
Stardew Valley
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| Developer: | ConcernedApe |
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| Publisher: | ConcernedApe |
| Release Date: | October 5, 2017 |
| Genre: | Simulation / RPG |
| Metacritic Rating: | 87 |
| User Rating: | 8.7 |
Since the multiplayer update was released on the Switch, Stardew Valley has become an absolute must-play for couples. Start from the beginning and build yourselves a farm from the ground up, or if your other half is happy to lend a hand, they can join in on the one you've made already.
Cultivate crops, sell them off, and upgrade the town together. Teamwork makes the dream work! While you can still choose to romance the NPCs, if you play with your partner the two of you can get married in-game! How cute is that?
Terraria
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| Developer: | Re-Logic |
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| Publisher: | 505 Games |
| Release Date: | June 27, 2019 |
| Genre: | Sandbox |
| Metacritic Rating: | 82 |
| User Rating: | 8.4 |
Often described as the "2D version of Minecraft," Terraria offers enough depth and enjoyment that players could spend hours on end building, mining, and fighting their way to prominence. At the same time, there's enough simplicity and intuitiveness that allows for an experience that isn't overwhelming.
The free-flowing gameplay, vast environments, and solid co-op mechanics make Terraria a great choice for couples to enjoy playing together. With the abundance of tasks in-game, you and your partner can almost always occupy yourselves with something fun, and allocate tasks accordingly.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
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| Developer: | Nintendo EPD |
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| Publisher: | Nintendo |
| Release Date: | April 28, 2017 |
| Genre: | Kart Racing |
| Metacritic Rating: | 92 |
| User Rating: | 8.6 |
This may be a classic game for friends and families, but it’s great for couples too. Often times multiplayer games can get even more intense and personal between a couple, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is no exception!
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If you want to reduce competition you can play in teams, or simply keep the CPU characters in the race to give you targets other than your partner. Still, the thrill of slamming a red shell into your lover’s behind and racing over the finish line is sweet, if vicious, victory. Just don’t trounce them too hard – you may end up sleeping on the couch.
Overcooked! 2
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| Developer: | Team17 |
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| Publisher: | Team17 |
| Release Date: | August 7, 2018 |
| Genre: | Simulation |
| Metacritic Rating: | 81 |
| User Rating: | 7.8 |
Overcooked! 2 has the potential to be super fun or super stressful (it’s often both). Work together to chop ingredients, cook them into meals and serve them to impatient customers. It gets pretty wild when you’re lobbing tomatoes across the stage and racing to switch off the hobs.
Beyond a simple pass or fail, there’s a 3-star rank system, encouraging you to get an even better score (which is tricky in later levels). This game will test you and your relationship; if you still love each other after one of you burns the soup for the tenth time, you’re probably solid.
Super Mario Party
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| Developer: | NDcube |
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| Publisher: | Nintendo |
| Release Date: | October 5, 2018 |
| Genre: | Party |
| Metacritic Rating: | 76 |
| User Rating: | 7.1 |
The enjoyable minigame fest that is Mario Party has typically been known for its 4-player gameplay that's more tailored to party settings with many people. Yet, Switch's Super Mario Party is perhaps the best rendition of the series for couples to enjoy.
Not only is there a fun plethora of all-new minigames and board games to play, but the game also introduces a number of co-op minigames in River Survival Mode. You can even engage in team battles against AI opponents or real players online, providing an endless stream of entertainment that's sure to bring plenty of laughs and heckling.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
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| Developer: | Asteroid Base |
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| Publisher: | Asteroid Base |
| Release Date: | October 3, 2017 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Metacritic Rating: | 84 |
| User Rating: | 8.0 |
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime sees you take control of the different parts of a spaceship – turrets, shields, lasers, and thrusters – but only one person can control each function at a time. This makes for a chaotic good time, frantically communicating to keep the ship on course as you navigate through hostile environments.
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The controls are pretty simple, making it easy for your partner to join in if they’re not an avid gamer. It’s working together that requires real brainpower. And hey, if you two can pilot a spaceship together against all odds you can make it through anything, right?
Luigi's Mansion 3
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| Developer: | Next Level Games |
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| Publisher: | Nintendo |
| Release Date: | October 31, 2019 |
| Genre: | Action-Adventure |
| Metacritic Rating: | 86 |
| User Rating: | 8.5 |
Those looking to have a cooperative experience that's both fun and innovative should look no further than this 3rd rendition of Luigi's Mansion. You've got a slew of fun multiplayer game modes, like ScareScraper, to take part in and hunt some ghosts as a tag-team or compete head-to-head.
But more significantly – for the first time, players can partake in the entire campaign as a duo, allowing one player to use "Gooigi." You can now capture ghosts and seek out riches with the help of your partner, who can scour areas of the environment unreachable by Luigi. This makes for some truly fun and dynamic co-op exploration.
1-2-Switch
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| Developer: | Nintendo EPD |
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| Publisher: | Nintendo |
| Release Date: | March 3, 2017 |
| Genre: | Party |
| Metacritic Rating: | 58 |
| User Rating: | 4.8 |
1-2-Switch is a go-to for couples – it’s designed to be played by two people. Perfect for the functionality of the Joy-Cons, you grab one each and wherever you are the fun can begin. It’s essentially a load of mini-games, which makes it easy to pick up.
Sometimes the simple things are the best – racing to snatch the phone and answer it on time in ‘Telephone’, and the fast-paced shootout of ‘Quickdraw’ spurs some good laughs. Plus, the games are designed to make you look at each other in the eye rather than at the screen, which adds to the fun.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
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| Developer: | Sonic Team |
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| Publisher: | Sega |
| Release Date: | December 8, 2020 |
| Genre: | Puzzle |
| Metacritic Rating: | 80 |
| User Rating: | 8.5 |
Combining the long-loved Tetris and SEGA’s Puyo Puyo, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is great for entertaining couples. It has a slight learning curve, but it’s worth it. The competitive nature of the game will have your thumbs tapping away as you scrabble to pile blocks while sticking it to your partner.
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You can use power-ups that dramatically make it harder for them to succeed, but the game can tilt in their favor again at any moment. Both branches of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 are fun and competitive, but the Puyo Puyo segments tend to be more aggressive, for a real cutthroat game.
Super Mario Odyssey
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| Developer: | Nintendo EPD |
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| Publisher: | Nintendo |
| Release Date: | October 27, 2017 |
| Genre: | Platformer |
| Metacritic Rating: | 97 |
| User Rating: | 8.9 |
This is a good one for couples that include a regular gamer and someone who is a little experienced. If your significant other is happy to take more of a backseat role, Super Mario Odyssey can offer a fun experience fun for both of you.
While one player controls Mario, the other controls Cappy, his bizarrely powerful hat, who can ‘capture’ enemies and give Mario new abilities. It can be a great experience for a new player to help their partner out, or even hinder them if they feel like it. Traverse through the different worlds and defeat Bowser together!
Diablo III Eternal Collection
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| Developer: | Blizzard Entertainment |
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| Publisher: | Blizzard Entertainment |
| Release Date: | November 2, 2018 |
| Genre: | Action RPG |
| Metacritic Rating: | 88 |
| User Rating: | 7.5 |
Blizzard's renowned dungeon-crawling hit Diablo has always stood on the strength of its online multiplayer. Yet, the Switch rendition of Diablo III makes it easier than ever to take part in seamless, endlessly entertaining co-op gameplay. There's ample depth for players to get serious, but also a passive nature to the game that allows couples to just kick back and have fun with ease if they so choose.
While 4 player couch co-op can get a bit chaotic, things are kept to a manageable level with just 1 other person at your side assisting you, while still making for an epic and action-packed monster-slaying romp.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
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| Developer: | Bandai Namco Studios |
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| Publisher: | Nintendo |
| Release Date: | December 7, 2018 |
| Genre: | Fighting |
| Metacritic Rating: | 93 |
| User Rating: | 8.6 |
Another game that is an obvious multiplayer staple, but is a different ballgame when it comes to couples. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is possibly even more fun with just the two of you duking it out. With four people it’s frenzied, but with two it gets personal.
Any helpful items you pick up to sabotage opponents will only have one person to go to. Blue shell? Guess who that’s crushing. There’s nowhere to hide when it’s 1-on-1. It’s really good fun, though. Besides, what better way to hash out your relationship problems than beating the digital stuffing out of each other?
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