It Takes Two puts two players in one story, and neither can finish it alone. That single design choice shapes every minute of the game, for better and for almost no worse.
Trailer, via Electronic Arts.
Cody and May
The story follows Cody and May, a married couple on the edge of divorce. A magic spell traps them inside two dolls built by their daughter. To become human again, they must work together, which means the players controlling them must work together too.
Level to Level
Each chapter swaps genre and toolset. One level hands players magnet powers. Another turns the game into a platformer built around time control. A later stage drops players into a shooting gallery aimed at wasps.
That range keeps the game from repeating itself.
Puzzle Design
The puzzles never rely on one player watching the other solve them. Both Cody and May get distinct tools, and most obstacles need both tools used at once, often at the same moment. That forces constant talk between players, which is the point.
Split Screen
The split screen is used with care. When one player finds a hidden collectible or triggers a small side minigame, the screen adjusts so both players can see it without losing track of the main path.
Comparing the Toolsets
| Chapter | Main Tool | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Tree | Sap and nails | Platforming |
| Snow Globe | Time control | Puzzle timing |
| Garden | Magnet powers | Physics puzzles |
| Wasp Attack | Shooting | Combat |
Tone and Pace
The tone shifts often, moving from comic set pieces to quieter, sadder scenes about the couple’s marriage. That mix could feel uneven, but the pace rarely lets either mood overstay.
The minigames scattered through each level add extra texture. Some are pure fun, some are short competitive games between the two players, and none of them are required to finish the story. They exist purely to give players a reason to slow down and enjoy being in the world together.
Combat sections are the weakest part of the game. They work, but they lack the invention shown in the puzzle and platforming stages. A few boss fights run longer than the ideas driving them can support.
Voice acting for Cody and May carries the emotional weight of the story, especially in scenes where the couple argue about their daughter and their failing marriage. The writing does not shy away from the messier parts of separation, even inside a game built around wasp fights and magnet puzzles.
None of that undercuts the core achievement. It Takes Two is built entirely around cooperation, and it never breaks that promise. Every mechanic, every level, every joke depends on two people being present and paying attention to each other.
It Takes Two is best played with someone who wants to be there.
The game runs on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and its design holds up across all of them. Nothing about the experience feels reduced on any platform.
By the time the credits roll, It Takes Two has moved through more genres than most games manage in a full catalog, and it never lost its footing. That range, paired with a story willing to sit with real marital conflict, makes it stand out in a crowded field of co-op games.
It Takes Two earns its score through consistency as much as ambition. Few games ask this much cooperation from players and reward it this well.
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