It Takes Two won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021 and has sold more than thirty million copies. It is also the most unusual purchase on this board: it cannot be played alone, and only one of the two players has to pay.
Every level a new game
Cody and May, a couple on the edge of divorce, are shrunk into dolls and sent through a house turned adventure park. Hazelight gives each player a different, complementary tool in every chapter, a nail and a hammer, a sap gun and a match, and then throws those tools away for new ones an hour later. Few games spend ideas this freely.
Dozens of optional two-player minigames are scattered around, and they are some of the best moments: quick, silly head-to-head contests with nothing riding on them but pride.
Built for two, all the way through
It plays in split-screen on one sofa or online. Everything is designed around cooperation, so neither player is ever the passenger. HowLongToBeat puts the story at about thirteen hours, a good length for a series of evenings together.
Where it stumbles
There is no single-player mode, full stop. Some critics found the writing uneven and one character, Dr Hakim, grating. The Switch version makes technical compromises and scores lower than the others.
Who should buy it
Couples, siblings, parents with older children and friends who want a shared adventure. If you have EA Play or Game Pass Ultimate, it is already included.
Plays well
- Constant mechanical invention
- Genuinely equal roles for both players
- Only the host needs to own it
- No in-game purchases
Watch for
- No way to play alone
- Uneven writing
- Weaker on the original Switch
Screenshots and key art: Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts, from the official Steam store page. Shown for review.
The checkout: buying It Takes Two in the UK
The standard edition is £34.99 on the PlayStation Store (one purchase covers PS4 and PS5), the Xbox Store (Xbox One and Series X|S) and the Nintendo eShop. On Steam it was on sale at £10.49, 70% off, until 28 September 2026. A Switch 2 version arrives on 15 October 2026, free for existing Switch owners.
The Friend's Pass is the key detail. It is a free download on every platform. The owner hosts, the friend joins, and the friend can play the whole game. If neither of you owns it, two Friend's Pass holders can play the first chapter together as a trial. If the friend later buys the game, their progress carries over.
On console, both players need the platform's online subscription to play online. On Steam, online play needs an EA account linked to Steam; local play and Steam Remote Play Together do not.
| Store | Platform | Edition | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | PC | Standard | £10.49 | 70% off until 28 Sep 2026 |
| EA app | PC | Standard | Sold; UK price not verified | |
| PlayStation Store | PS5 | Standard (PS4 + PS5) | £34.99 | |
| PlayStation Store | PS5 | Hazelight Bundle (with A Way Out) | £54.99 | |
| Xbox and Microsoft Store | Xbox Series X|S | Standard | £34.99 | |
| Nintendo eShop | Switch | Switch | £34.99 |
Extras and what they add
| Extra | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Original Soundtrack | The score as a download (Steam). No game content. | £8.99 |
In-game spending
None. There is no store, currency or paid add-on inside the game, and PEGI shows no in-game purchases notice.
Subscriptions
Included in EA Play (£5.99 a month) since November 2021, and therefore in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, which include EA Play. It is not in PS Plus, though the PlayStation Store shows it as included for EA Play members.
Paying at each store
| Method | Steam | PS Store | Xbox Store | Nintendo eShop | EA app |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debit card | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit card | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| American Express | No | Yes | Some | No | Some |
| PayPal | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Pay | No | Yes | No | No | Some |
| Google Pay | No | No | No | No | No |
| paysafecard | Yes | Yes | Some | No | Some |
| Klarna / pay later | Yes | No | Some | No | No |
| Phone bill | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Bank transfer | Yes | No | No | No | Some |
| Store gift card | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
If you change your mind
| Store | Game refund rule | Money goes back to |
|---|---|---|
| Steam | 14 days, under 2 hours played | Card or PayPal, or Steam Wallet (your choice) |
| PlayStation Store | 14 days, if not downloaded | Original method where possible, else wallet |
| Xbox and Microsoft Store | Usually 14 days, little play | Original method; balance-paid back to balance |
| Nintendo eShop | No refunds once bought | Faulty or statutory cases: same method |
| EA app | 24 h after first launch | Same method; wallet purchases to wallet |
Because the Friend's Pass is free, the cheapest way to share the game is for one person to buy it. Two people buying two copies only makes sense if you both want to host.
Questions about It Takes Two
Do both players need to buy It Takes Two?
No. One player buys it and the other downloads the free Friend's Pass, which lets them play the whole game while the owner hosts.
Can I play It Takes Two on my own?
No. It is designed for exactly two players, in split-screen or online.
Is It Takes Two in Game Pass?
Yes, through EA Play, which is part of Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. It is also in EA Play on its own.
Can a PC player play with a PlayStation player?
EA's Friend's Pass page says play is cross-generation but not cross-platform. EA has announced crossplay alongside the Switch 2 version, so check the store page before relying on it.
Sources
Every price, date and policy above was checked against these pages on 25 September 2026.