Best Games For Couples On Nintendo Switch

Summary

• The Nintendo Switch has always been a versatile system, and some of the best Switch games for couples span across several different genres.
• Titles like Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Overcooked, and Don’t Starve Together require cooperation and communication to complete a goal as a team.
• Meanwhile, if you’d rather go head-to-head, games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Party, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate never fail to bring the heat.

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?

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, and laughter, but above all give you a really fun time. Read on for the best Switch games to enjoy as a couple.

Updated on February 5, 2025 by Bobby Mills: Still looking for the best Switch games for couples? Well, while we can’t guarantee one way or the other whether they’ll ruin your relationship or improve it (hello, Blue Shells!), our list now has an even broader selection of versus and co-op multiplayer games that make for a fun night on the couch with your special someone. Ah, l’amour des jeux vidéo!

The games in this list are in no particular order – there’s no one size fits all game for every couple! Whether you and your partner enjoy platformers, puzzles, or party games, our list has a bit of everything.

It Takes Two

A rare case of the Game of the Year award going to a colourful platformer, as opposed to the typical grimdark RPG or shooter, It Takes Two has swiftly cemented itself as the quintessential game to play with your spouse. In fact, the entire story is about a disillusioned couple reigniting their love for one another.

When Cody and May find themselves on the brink of divorce, a spell borne of their daughter’s sadness binds their consciousness into a couple of dolls. In this exclusively co-op experience, you and your other half will need to… well, what don’t you do in this? Quell a war between wasps and squirrels; carry out targeted hits on stuffed animals; race on frogs; perform xylophone concerts. It’s top-class black comedy from beginning to end.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

Granted, it may have been outclassed by Mario Wonder in almost every way (and indeed we even have Wonder on our list a bit further down), but make no mistake: the OG 2D Mario experience on Switch is not to be sneezed at. An enhanced port of New Super Mario Bros.’ Wii U installment, this packs in all the riotous co-op hilarity you could want.

If NSMB DS was too easy, and NSMB Wii was too unforgiving, U strikes the perfect difficulty balance for all ages. You can still steal powerups or chuck your partner down bottomless pits, but it always feels deliberate this time – and therefore more fun. Top it off with a classic-style overworld map, and you have pure platforming goodness.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

In many ways, Disney Dreamlight Valley puts Animal Crossing: New Horizons to shame. For one thing, it’s got about quadruple the amount of content, continuing to see live updates several years after Nintendo quit doing those for their biggest cash cow since COVID. It also has the better IP recognition; doing quests and building furniture for Ariel or Olaf is inherently more amusing than Dog With Bowtie #74.

You can enjoy the magic of the Valley in co-op, too. Simply invite Vanellope to your town and have her set up the multiplayer portal, and from there you can visit each other’s domains. Mining, fishing, stealing resources and shop stock – nothing’s off limits. Be sure to grab some photos too!

Lego City Undercover

Perhaps the most criminally (if you’ll pardon that pun) overlooked entry in the Lego series of games, City Undercover is a joyous perp-busting hoot. Sharp writing, comedy chops, satisfying gameplay, it’s got it all. In its original Wii U incarnation, it was single-player only; but the Switch remaster rectifies this, and the fact it can even run at all given the size of the open world is astounding.

There must be some processing magic going on here. The self-contained story levels are one thing, but once turned loose in the city, you and your partner can be at absolute polar opposite ends of this gargantuan map working on different tasks – and there’s nary a hiccup or loading screen to halt the flow. Hours and hours of collectathon fun, highly recommended.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

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.

Cuphead

Cuphead is an extraordinary gaming experience for solo players or couples! It’s a wonderfully chaotic “run and gun” title that’s quite unlike any other game on the market today.

The amount of blood, sweat, tears, and love that has gone into this game is almost unbelievable; development began 7 years before its official release and took so long because everything you see is drawn by hand. The creators were inspired by so-called “golden age” cartoons (think of the original Mickey Mouse).

The Stretchers

In this aptly titled game, you and your partner play as ambulance drivers, struggling to rescue civilians from their cases of the Dizzies! Your job is to get them onto a stretcher and into an ambulance. If you ever get the itch to play by yourself, it’s also playable solo.

Your ultimate goal is to take down Captain Brains, who is causing all the Dizzies around town, but you can also spend your time mastering levels, earning special outfits, and finding hidden secrets.

Mario Golf: Super Rush

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 do a lot worse.

Super Mario Maker 2

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 are endless.

Even 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

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 (and very, very long) 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.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Hopefully you and your significant other have patience with one another in this pick for the best Switch game for couples, since cooperative platforming doesn’t always go so smoothly when one of you is vastly better at the genre! Either way, exploring the delightfully vibrant world with your sweetie is a treat in its own.

Chose one of several iconic Mario characters and prepare to transform! Acquire new superpowers and venture through vastly different lands to help save the Flower Kingdom in this gleefully colorful sidescroller.

Kirby And The Forgotten Land

Kirby and the Forgotten Land, the first-ever full game in 3D for the series, has not disappointed fans. This adorable title has Kirby venturing across gorgeous landscapes, saving Waddle Dees as he goes. And, the mischief can be experienced in two-player, too!

Second players take on the role of Bandana Waddle Dee, a character with a long spear used for attacking. Unfortunately, the nature of Kirby’s uniqueness means that only the first player will get to experience Kirby’s various Copy Abilities and the newly added Mouthful Mode, but the second player can entertain themselves with the platforming and secret-hunting all the same!

Snipperclips Plus: Cut It Out, Together!

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 really pushes your creativity to the max. 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

his 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.

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

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?

Sonic Origins

Whether you played these Sonic games growing up or have just heard about them a lot in adulthood, you’ll enjoy this 2022 treat. Sonic Origins is a compilation: it includes remastered versions of the first four Sonic platforming games!

• Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992)
• Sonic CD (1993)
• Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994)

Two of these four include multiplayer modes. There’s a reason these games have survived for so long! They’re fun and challenging in equal measure. Plus, having a partner around will help you get through the parts where you may or may not want to tear your hair out.

Don’t Starve Together

Don’t Starve was a notoriously difficult game, and its counterpart, Don’t Starve Together, is no easier. In this fantastical survival game, every second counts and every night could be your last.

The game tasks the players with working together (or not – your choice) to survive. There are meters for your hunger, exhaustion, and sanity level that you must maintain. Otherwise, you risk being unprepared when the horrific creatures attack in the night.

Terraria

Often described as the “2D version of Minecraft,” Terraria offers enough depth and enjoyment. 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

This may be a classic game for friends and families, but it’s great for couples too. Often multiplayer games can get even more intense and personal between a couple, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is no exception!

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

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 three-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.