If both sound equally appealing, we would start with It Takes Two: its household objects turned into shared obstacles make a memorable introduction to Hazelight’s co-op design. Choose Split Fiction first if science-fiction action and fantasy adventures excite you more, or if being able to skip a difficult section would help you keep playing together.
There is no story order to follow. These are separate adventures, released in 2021 and 2025 respectively, with different characters. Both require two players and support local split-screen and online co-op. The decision is about what you want to do together, not catching up on a series.
It Takes Two: make your tools work together
One early pairing gives Cody throwable nails and May a hammer. Cody places nails in wooden surfaces; May hooks her hammer onto them to swing across. Elsewhere, a nail can hold a moving platform in position. Understanding the solution is only half the job: one player must create the opportunity and the other must use it.
The tree chapter makes that relationship equally clear in combat. Cody coats targets with sap, and May ignites it with her match weapon. Even if one of you is a better shot, you still need the other player to do their part.
That is why we favour it as a first introduction if working out how your abilities fit together is the main attraction. It is still an action platformer, with bosses, jumps and timed sequences. The miniature scenery does not make it a gentle puzzle game.
Split Fiction: jump between sci-fi and fantasy
Mio writes science fiction; Zoe writes fantasy. Trapped in a simulation of their stories, they move between worlds that justify dramatic changes in what you control. Cyber-ninja combat, vehicle chases and dragon riding belong to the same adventure. Choose it first if that range of action is what makes you want to pick up a controller.
Its spectacle still depends on complementary roles. In one robotic boss encounter, Mio uses her gravity abilities and sword to expose a weak point while Zoe dodges attacks and uses her whip to throw objects at it. The attraction is coordinating different actions while the fight keeps moving, rather than watching one player do all the interesting work.
It Takes Two also changes mechanics constantly, and Split Fiction also asks you to solve puzzles. Our distinction is a matter of emphasis: would you rather begin with familiar objects made strange at doll size, or jump straight into an adventure that moves between science fiction and fantasy?
If one of you is less experienced, compare the help available
Being quick to retry and being easy to control are different things. It Takes Two’s frequent checkpoints limit how much you repeat after mistakes, but jumping, aiming and steering a 3D camera can still take practice. Neither character is a permanent passenger whose partner can complete everything for them.
It Takes Two has useful accessibility settings, including camera adjustments and a separate Simplify Button Mashes option for each character, reducing those prompts to roughly one press per second. These can remove a specific input problem; they do not turn the platforming into an automatic journey.
Split Fiction offers more direct ways past a sticking point. You can reduce enemy damage and enable skipping to the next checkpoint. The damage option helps with combat, not every missed jump. Skipping moves you beyond the section, so it trades playing that challenge for continuing the adventure. Button-mashing prompts can also be changed to holding a button or automatic completion, alongside camera assistance and control remapping.
If you both enjoy practising until a sequence clicks, choose by the mechanics and setting that interest you. If repeated failure might end the evening, Split Fiction’s checkpoint skip is a strong reason to play it first, even when its action looks more intimidating. Agree whether you are comfortable skipping before you get stuck; an unused escape route can be reassuring in itself.
Choose a story you both want to spend time with
It Takes Two follows Cody and May, parents on the verge of divorce who become dolls. Arguments and attempts to repair their relationship sit alongside slapstick and fantastical situations. You do not need to be a romantic couple to enjoy the mechanics, but the marital conflict is central. If that is not the subject you want for your evenings together, Split Fiction’s developing friendship may be a better starting point.
The optional activities differ too. It Takes Two has optional competitive minigames within its co-op campaign. Split Fiction’s optional Side Stories send you through portals into separate adventures: one turns the writers into pigs with different abilities. These are substantial changes of activity rather than just another fight on the main route. Take the detours if discovering the next odd idea is part of the appeal.
Check your devices before buying a copy
For either game, one full copy is enough for two people playing on the same system. Online, the owner can invite a partner using that game’s free Friend’s Pass. The guest still needs the download and required accounts; console online play also needs the appropriate online-play subscription.
Crossplay is no longer a reason on its own to choose Split Fiction. It Takes Two added it with the Nintendo Switch 2 release on 15 October 2026. The supported combinations are:
- It Takes Two: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 support crossplay. The original Switch edition is outside that group. To play online with an original Switch, a Switch 2 owner needs to use the original Switch edition.
- Split Fiction: crossplay connects PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, including Friend’s Pass players. There is no native PS4, Xbox One or original Switch version. An original Switch can participate locally through GameShare from a Switch 2; that is a separate local arrangement, not online crossplay.
For a pair relying on PS4 or Xbox One, It Takes Two is therefore the practical starting point. For PC players, compare the requirements on your chosen store: Split Fiction lists higher minimum hardware requirements. Sharing the game through Friend’s Pass does not lower them.
Let the first session settle a close decision
You can try both before buying. It Takes Two’s Friend’s Pass lets you play the first chapter together for free; Split Fiction’s pass offers its opening stages. Both trials support local and online co-op, though the opening will not show you every challenge that comes later.
Both full games let the host resume a save or select previously reached chapters, so either can be a campaign spread across evenings.
Use those trials to check the camera controls and try the available assists with your partner. Choose the game you both want to return to; if neither feels right, explore our selection of co-op platformers for more options.
