Valentine’s Day is on the horizon, and what better way to celebrate than bonding over some semi-stressful games with your significant other? There are popular choices like “Minecraft” and “Overcooked,” but there are a few lesser-known titles that deserve a spotlight.
“Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime”
“Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime” is a cutesy, chaotic cooperative 2D shooter. Pilot the Bubblegum Zero ship as you spread love across galaxies and save helpless anthropomorphic animals, all whilst blasting bug-like aliens out of the atmosphere. Explore the levels to find upgrades for your ship in preparation for a final battle with a constellation-come-to-life at the end of each galaxy.
The challenge comes in the ship management, as the crew must keep track of various stations while blasting alien foes. Unlockable ships and upgrade combinations offer opportunities for creativity and experimentation, such as choosing between engine boosters or a metal-reinforced shield. Play as a two-critter crew or a four-player group for a double-date game night.
“Castle Crashers”
Cult classic beat-em-up “Castle Crashers” is a window into late-2000s internet culture with Newgrounds humor. Choose between color-coded knights with unique magic abilities like fire or rainbows and take down villains ranging from barbarians to aliens.
The gameplay is simple, with limited combos and attacks that become more complex as you level up. The casual nature of “Castle Crashers” makes it a great game for less experienced couples. Like “Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime,” “Castle Crashers” supports up to four-player co-op for third wheels or double dates.
“Untitled Goose Game”
Sticking to the theme of silly, simplistic games, “Untitled Goose Game” is a puzzle game where you take control of mischievous geese and cause trouble in a small, peaceful town.
A shorter game, the pair of geese must complete to-do lists in various areas by sneakily tricking the town’s residents and stealing their belongings.
“It Takes Two”
2021’s Game of the Year, “It Takes Two,” is a split-screen platformer with everchanging gameplay. Take control of May and Cody as they’re transformed into dolls and navigate through their homestead as they try to mend their relationship with the help of anthropomorphic everyday objects.
Hazelight Studios is known for delivering engaging co-op games like “A Way Out.” Although “It Takes Two” is a platformer, the game doesn’t shy away from switching the gameplay and setting on a whim. In one moment, you’ll be solving puzzles in space, and in the next, you’ll be dungeon-crawling with “Diablo 3” like gameplay.
“The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope”
“The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope” offers an eerie story experience for horror-loving couples. Part of Supermassive Games’ “The Dark Pictures Anthology” series, the game follows a crew of characters being haunted by the town’s past and facing present-day dangers as they trek through the mysterious town of Little Hope.
This game offers a unique shared story mode, where players choose from the cast of protagonists to control, passing around the controller as the story progresses. The atmosphere draws from “Silent Hill 2” and plays like an interactive movie. The game is short, with about five hours of playtime.
Dinner and a movie can cost over $100 and only last an evening, while some of these games can be found for as low as $15 and provide days of fun. Plus, most of these games go on sale often, or, in the case of “The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope” and “Untitled Goose Game,” they are included with a Playstation Plus subscription.
Cuddle up on the couch, grab two controllers and that heart-shaped box of chocolates and figure out how to work together with your partner this Valentine’s Day!
