Games You Can Play With Your Partner (Even If They Don't Game)

The wrong way to introduce someone to gaming

You boot up your favourite competitive shooter. You say "it's easy, just aim and click." They die 47 times in 20 minutes. They put the controller down. They never play again.

This happens constantly. The games you love are not the games to introduce someone with. If your partner has never gamed or only plays casually, you need something that meets them where they are.

What works for couples

The sweet spot for a gaming partner who's new to it:

• Simple controls - Two sticks and two buttons max. Anything with weapon wheels, inventory management, or skill trees is too much on session one.
• Low stakes - No competitive pressure. No leaderboards. No "you let the team down." Co-op, not versus.
• Shared screen or easy online - Couch co-op is ideal because you're right there to help. Online works if the setup is painless.
• Short sessions - Games that work in 20-30 minute chunks. Not 4-hour raids.

Start with these categories

Puzzle co-op - Games where you solve things together. Nobody dies, nobody fails, you just figure stuff out as a team. Great for conversations while playing. Cozy games - Farming, building, decorating. Low pressure, creative, and the kind of thing where "winning" isn't really the point. Party games - Fast rounds, simple rules, lots of laughing. Not serious, which takes the pressure off someone new. Story-driven co-op - Walk through a story together. The gameplay is secondary to the experience of going through it as a pair.

Browse co-op games sorted by rating at pickthe.games/games/best/co-op or check what's free to play so nobody has to buy anything before trying.

The trick that works

Don't pick the game yourself. Let your partner have a say. Set up a board on PickThe.Games with just two people. Both of you swipe through games for a few minutes. The results show what you BOTH want to play, not just what you think they'd like. People are more invested in something they chose themselves.

If you're on different platforms

One of you is on PC, the other on Switch or console. That's fine as long as the game supports crossplay. Check our crossplay pages for your specific platform combo before buying anything.

Start small

One game. One 30-minute session. If they have fun, they'll want to do it again. If they don't, try something else. The goal isn't to turn your partner into a gamer. It's to have a good time together.

Try swiping together to find something you both like.