Polygon ran a piece this month about the Halo: Campaign Evolved remake gating PS5 split-screen behind a PS Plus subscription, which is the kind of news that pushes a lot of couch players back toward the keyboard and monitor. On PC, local co-op never really left. Steam Big Picture, controller passthrough, and a generation of indie studios who refused to drop two-stick play mean the split-screen co-op games on PC catalogue is wider than it was a decade ago, not narrower.
We spent a weekend testing eight of them on a 4K TV with four controllers paired over Bluetooth. A few are story-driven and built for two. A few are party fighters that hold up with four on the sofa. One is a farming sim that quietly turned into the best couch game on the list. Here is what worked, what stuttered, and what we would actually buy again.
What to look for in a split-screen co-op PC game
A few things separate a game that genuinely supports couch play from one that just lists co-op on the store page.
- True split-screen versus shared-screen. Some games divide the display so each player has their own camera. Others use a single shared camera that zooms out as players spread. Both can work. Hot-seat (one player at a time) is the weakest option and rarely fun for more than a round.
- Friend Pass or single-copy local play. The best co-op games either ship a free companion copy for online partners or let everyone play from one installed copy when the second player joins on a controller.
- Controller passthrough on Steam Big Picture. Plug in two or four pads, launch from Big Picture, and the game should detect them without keyboard fiddling. Anything that needs Steam Input remapping per pad is friction you will pay for every session.
- Steam Deck verified. A Deck docked to a TV makes a tidy couch console. Games that hold a Verified rating tend to handle controller hot-plugging better than the ones that do not.
- Sensible per-player accounts. Achievements, save slots, and DLC ownership should not punish guest players. The good ones let a second player jump in without making an account.
Quick comparison
| Game | Co-op type | Players | Controller-friendly | Steam Deck |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| It Takes Two | Split-screen | 2 | Yes | Verified |
| Overcooked! 2 | Shared-screen | 1 to 4 | Yes | Verified |
| Cuphead | Shared-screen | 1 to 2 | Yes | Verified |
| Stardew Valley | Split-screen | 1 to 4 (8 online) | Yes | Verified |
| Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime | Shared-screen | 1 to 4 | Yes | Verified |
| Castle Crashers Remastered | Shared-screen | 1 to 4 | Yes | Verified |
| Brawlhalla | Shared-screen | 1 to 8 | Yes | Verified |
| Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy | Shared-screen | 1 to 4 | Yes | Verified |
The games
1. It Takes Two, best for one long story night
Hazelight’s two-player platformer is still the gold standard for couch story co-op. Every level introduces a new mechanic built for two players, and the Friend Pass lets the second player join online for free, no second purchase needed. Local split-screen on a single PC works exactly the way it should: plug in two controllers, pick split-screen, go.
Where it falls short: It is strictly two-player, so a third friend on the couch is reduced to commentary. Mouse and keyboard works but feels wrong; you really want two pads.
Pricing:
- One-time purchase, often discounted heavily on Steam
- Friend Pass companion is free for the second player
Platforms: Windows. macOS and Linux play via Steam Play / Proton (community reports it runs well on Deck).
Download: It Takes Two
Bottom line: If you only buy one couch game this year and you have one regular partner, buy this one.
2. Overcooked! 2, best for short, loud sessions
Team17’s kitchen brawler is the party game that turns dinner guests into rivals in about twelve minutes. Up to four players cook on one shared screen, no split, and the chaos scales with player count. Setup is straightforward: in the lobby, hit the plus icon, choose “split controller” or “add player,” and the new pad drops into the kitchen.
Where it falls short: A pure keyboard session is awkward; you really want at least one pad per pair of players. The shared camera means everyone needs to face the screen, so it does not work well in long living rooms.
Pricing:
- One-time purchase, plus optional DLC kitchens
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Download: Overcooked! 2
Bottom line: The fastest path from “want to play something” to “we are all yelling” in any PC library.
3. Cuphead, best for two-player precision
Studio MDHR designed Cuphead from day one as a local co-op boss-rush. The second player joins as Mugman, shares the same scrolling screen, and can revive a downed partner mid-fight. It is brutally hard, looks like a 1930s cartoon, and rewards practice in a way few co-op games still do.
Where it falls short: Co-op actually makes some bosses harder because hitboxes scale. There is no online matchmaking; the official mode is local only.
Pricing:
- One-time purchase, plus The Delicious Last Course DLC
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (native build).
Download: Cuphead
Bottom line: Pick this when you and a friend want to grind something hard together for an evening.
4. Stardew Valley, best for slow weekends
ConcernedApe’s farming sim quietly became one of the best couch games on PC after split-screen landed in version 1.5. Version 1.6 raised the cap, and you can now share one PC with up to four players, each on their own quarter of the screen. Every player gets a character, their own inventory, and their own bed in a cabin on the farm.
Where it falls short: Four-corner split-screen on a single monitor gets cramped fast; a TV helps. Some menu screens still pause for everyone.
Pricing:
- One-time purchase, free updates ever since
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Download: Stardew Valley
Bottom line: The best long-running couch game on this list. One save, a year of evenings.
5. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, best for a single shared mission
Asteroid Base built a co-op space shooter around one giant neon ship that needs two to four people running between cannons, shields, and engines. Everyone is on a single shared screen, and every player needs to be at a different station for the ship to fight back. It is the rare game where one player can solo it with an AI pet, but the magic only really shows up when there are four humans shouting positions.
Where it falls short: Two-player works but feels stretched; three or four is the sweet spot. The campaign is short by modern standards.
Pricing:
- One-time purchase
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Download: Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
Bottom line: The best three-or-four-player game on this list, and a clinic in how to design for one screen.
6. Castle Crashers Remastered, best for old-school side-scrolling brawls
The Behemoth’s remaster of the original 360 brawler holds up. Up to four players hack their way through the campaign on a shared, side-scrolling screen, with deep character progression and dozens of unlockables to chase across replays. The 60 fps remaster is the version to install on PC.
Where it falls short: Combat is shallow if you only play once. The whole appeal is grinding levels with the same four friends across multiple sessions.
Pricing:
- One-time purchase, often deeply discounted
Platforms: Windows. macOS and Linux play via Proton on Deck.
Download: Castle Crashers Remastered
Bottom line: The four-player brawler that refuses to age out.
7. Brawlhalla, best for free four-player chaos
Blue Mammoth’s platform fighter is free, runs on anything, and supports up to four local players on a single PC out of the box (eight if you push the lobby). Pick a Legend, plug in pads, and you have a Smash-style brawler that costs nothing to try. Cross-play with consoles and mobile means an online partner can join from wherever they are.
Where it falls short: The free roster rotates weekly; if you want a specific Legend always available, you buy them. Tournament-level players have a steep skill gap.
Pricing:
- Free to play
- Optional Legend purchases and cosmetic skins
Platforms: Windows, macOS via the official client, Linux via Proton.
Download: Brawlhalla
Bottom line: The free download to keep installed for anyone who shows up with a controller.
8. Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy, best for puzzle platforming with friends
Frozenbyte’s fifth Trine entry runs up to four players locally on a shared, dynamic camera that zooms in and out as players move. The three classic hero classes (knight, thief, wizard) still anchor the puzzles, and the art holds up at 4K. There is no traditional split-screen, but the shared view works better than you would expect because the puzzles are designed around it.
Where it falls short: Shared camera means one player wandering off forces the camera to compromise. Best with people who can stay together.
Pricing:
- One-time purchase, with optional Hero Pass DLC
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Download: Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy
Bottom line: The prettiest puzzle co-op on PC, and a softer entry point than Cuphead for new players.
How to pick the right one
Start with the player count you actually have on the couch. If it is two, the answer is It Takes Two for story, Cuphead for action, and Stardew Valley for slow nights. Skip the four-player ones until you have four people who actually plan to show up, because games designed around four players feel thin with two.
If it is three or four, weight the list toward shared-screen games like Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, Brawlhalla, Castle Crashers, and Trine 5. Four-corner split-screen on a single monitor (Stardew Valley) only really works on a TV; on a 24-inch desk monitor it gets cramped.
Then think about session length. Overcooked! 2 and Brawlhalla are perfect for twenty-minute drop-ins. It Takes Two and Trine 5 want a full evening. Stardew Valley wants a season of evenings. Match the game to the time you actually have, and you will play it more than once.
Last, consider what gear you have. Two Xbox or PlayStation pads paired to a PC will cover almost every game here. A Steam Deck docked to a TV with two pads paired to it is the lowest-friction setup we tested. Mouse and keyboard works for some titles (Stardew Valley, Brawlhalla) but feels like a compromise on almost everything else.
FAQ
Do I need two copies of the game for local split-screen?
No. Every game on this list lets a second player join from a single installation on one PC, as long as the second player has a controller. Online co-op is a separate question; that is where Friend Pass systems matter.
What is the Friend Pass and which games on this list have it?
Friend Pass is Hazelight’s system that lets the owner of It Takes Two (and Split Fiction) invite one friend to play the full game online for free. The friend installs a small companion download and plays the entire campaign without buying the game. None of the other titles on this list use the same model; some are free outright (Brawlhalla), and the rest just rely on shared local play from one copy.
Will these games run on a Steam Deck?
Most of them, yes. All eight are either Steam Deck Verified or play well with minor tweaks. The Deck docked to a TV with two paired controllers is the closest thing PC has to a plug-and-play co-op console. Check the per-game Verified badge on the Steam page before you commit.
Is split-screen the same as shared-screen co-op?
Not quite. True split-screen divides the display so each player has their own camera (It Takes Two, Stardew Valley). Shared-screen co-op keeps everyone on one camera that zooms or scrolls to follow the group (Cuphead, Overcooked! 2, Trine 5, Brawlhalla, Castle Crashers, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime). Both count as local co-op; the difference matters most when players want to explore independently.
Can I mix keyboard and controllers?
Usually. Stardew Valley, Brawlhalla, and Overcooked! 2 all let one player use keyboard while others use pads. It Takes Two, Cuphead, and Castle Crashers strongly prefer pads for everyone. If you are buying gear for a couch setup, two wireless Xbox or PlayStation pads will cover the entire list.
What about cross-play with consoles?
Brawlhalla is fully cross-play across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, iOS and Android. It Takes Two and Split Fiction added cross-play across PC, PlayStation and Xbox. The rest are PC-only or PC plus their respective console family. If a console friend is the priority, start with Brawlhalla and Hazelight’s titles.
