Valentine’s Day Guide: 9 video games to play for a cosy date night

A challenging platformer about two penguins attached to each other attempting to climb a snowy mountain, Bread & Fred requires patience, cooperation, and precision to complete. A fair warning, though, is that each fall could remove a great deal of progress, so patience is key. While it’s best played with a partner, solo players can strap themselves to Jeff, a nonchalant rock.

A game made purely for multiplayer, It Takes Two brings players back to the nostalgia of couch co-op with its split-screen format. With a plot centred around the clashing couple, Cody and May, working together to save their fractured relationship, it offers a relatable and heartwarming story of love and collaboration. Its adventurous nature, paired with a gripping narrative, has earned it Game of the Year at the Game Awards 2021. The best part is that only one person has to buy the game—allowing your friend or significant other to play it for free with the Friend’s Pass.

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After inheriting a plot of land, some worn-down tools, and a few coins, you’re tasked with transforming the overgrown fields into a thriving farm. Often regarded as the best relaxation game to play, Stardew Valley also allows for multiplayer—up to eight people. From farming and mining to fishing, foraging and combat, there’s plenty of content to go around. Players can even marry NPCs or each other, offering a more intimate gameplay experience.

Gather your party and embark on the biggest adventure of your life set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. With over 12 classes and 11 races straight from the D&D Player’s Handbook, players have a myriad of options for their characters, allowing you to play in whatever way you like—with sword and shield or as a spell slinger. 

In a peaceful, quiet village full of people trying to get on with their day lies a goose who wants to wreak havoc for no apparent reason. This slapstick stealth sandbox game has you playing pranks on everyone by stealing items, destroying furniture, and honking at everyone you see. You and a friend or significant other can ruin everyone’s day together with a new two-player co-op mode.

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A true test of synergy, this game tasks one to be the bomb defuser while the other instructs using the Bomb Defusal Manual which can be found as a PDF online. Only the defuser can see the bomb, so you’ll have to communicate the puzzles that you see clearly and listen carefully for how to proceed. 

Play as puppies, kittens, geese, seals, crocodiles, and other cute animals as you fight each other for first place. With plenty of minigames, maps, and customisation available, you can mess with your friends in a hundred different ways. 

A wilderness survival game set in a procedurally generated world, Don’t Starve Together has players exploring multiple biomes, fighting fearsome creatures, farming crops, and building a fortress. As you gather resources to become stronger, you can start unravelling the mysteries of “The Constant”.

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