Games Like Split Fiction: Co-op Adventures That Reinvent Every Level
The best games like Split Fiction, co-op games built for two players with constantly inventive mechanics and emotional storytelling.
Split Fiction is Hazelight Studios' third mandatory-co-op game. Two writers trapped inside their own stories (one sci-fi, one fantasy) must work together across constantly shifting genre mashups. Josef Fares continued the philosophy from It Takes Two and A Way Out: every level introduces completely new mechanics that only work with two players.
Finding games like Split Fiction means hunting for co-op games designed exclusively for two players with inventive mechanics that change constantly. The games like It Takes Two post covers the broader co-op space. This focuses on what's new since that post.
What are all three Hazelight co-op games?
Hazelight Studios has released three mandatory co-op games: A Way Out, It Takes Two, and Split Fiction. Each is designed exclusively for two players with mechanics that only work cooperatively. Split Fiction is widely considered the studio's most polished and inventive entry, building on everything the previous two games established.
Play all three if you haven't:
| Game | What Sets It Apart |
|---|---|
| A Way Out | Prison break co-op. Hazelight's first game. More cinematic, less mechanically inventive. |
| It Takes Two | Game of the Year 2021. The game that proved co-op-only design is commercially viable. The games like It Takes Two post has the full breakdown. |
| Split Fiction | The newest, most polished entry. Reviewers call it Hazelight's best. |
What are the best co-op adventure games like Split Fiction?
The best co-op adventure games like Split Fiction include Unravel Two, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, the We Were Here series, and Portal 2. Each features two-player cooperative puzzle-solving or platforming with mechanics built around teamwork, making them strong picks for anyone who loves Split Fiction's collaborative design.
Unravel Two is cooperative puzzle-platformer about two yarn characters physically connected.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is 3D co-op platformer with levels designed for two.
We Were Here series is asymmetric co-op puzzle solving. Each player sees different things.
Portal 2 co-op remains the gold standard for cooperative puzzle design.
What are the best chaos co-op games like Split Fiction?
The best chaotic co-op games like Split Fiction include Overcooked! All You Can Eat, Plate Up!, Moving Out 2, and Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime. These games trade puzzle-solving for frantic coordination, testing your teamwork under pressure with physics-based mayhem and time-sensitive objectives.
Overcooked! All You Can Eat is kitchen chaos that tests relationships.
Plate Up! is cooperative kitchen management roguelike.
Moving Out 2 is physics-based furniture chaos.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is cooperative spaceship management.
What are the best narrative co-op games like Split Fiction?
The best narrative co-op games like Split Fiction include Divinity: Original Sin 2, Baldur's Gate 3, and Haven. These titles let two players share a story-driven campaign with meaningful choices, offering deep RPG systems and relationship dynamics alongside cooperative gameplay throughout the entire adventure.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 supports two-player co-op through its entire campaign with independent decision-making.
Baldur's Gate 3 co-op lets two players take different sides of the same story. The bg3 tips post has more.
Haven is cooperative RPG about a couple in love on an alien planet.
What are the best horror co-op games like Split Fiction?
The best horror co-op games like Split Fiction include Phasmophobia, Lethal Company, and Content Warning. These games swap Split Fiction's genre-hopping creativity for tension and scares, but keep the core appeal of cooperating with a partner through unpredictable, high-stakes scenarios that demand communication.
Phasmophobia is ghost hunting with a partner.
Lethal Company is co-op scavenging horror. The games like Lethal Company post has more.
Content Warning is filming scary content for views.
What we make at Choost
Choost Games currently develops single-player titles like Granny's Rampage, but Split Fiction's commercial success proves that two-player co-op design has massive potential. We are exploring cooperative game ideas inspired by the genre's growth, and our other recommendation posts cover even more co-op options.
Granny's Rampage is currently single-player but co-op is something we'd love to build. Split Fiction proves two-player design can be commercially massive. For more co-op content, the games like It Takes Two, games like Helldivers 2, and games like Deep Rock Galactic posts have more.
Which game like Split Fiction should you play first?
If you only have time for one pick, play It Takes Two for the closest match to Split Fiction's constantly shifting co-op mechanics. For puzzle co-op go with Portal 2, for cozy chaos grab Overcooked, for narrative depth try BG3, and for horror co-op start with Phasmophobia.
| If You Want | Play This |
|---|---|
| More Hazelight | All three: A Way Out, It Takes Two, Split Fiction |
| Puzzle co-op | Portal 2 or We Were Here series |
| Cozy chaos | Overcooked or Plate Up |
| Narrative co-op | BG3 or Divinity 2 |
| Horror co-op | Phasmophobia |
Split Fiction's specific formula of "new mechanics every 20 minutes" is uniquely Hazelight. Nothing else does exactly this, but the co-op genre is healthier than ever.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best games like Split Fiction?
The best games like Split Fiction include It Takes Two, A Way Out, Portal 2, Unravel Two, We Were Here, Overcooked! All You Can Eat, Plate Up!, Baldur's Gate 3, Divinity: Original Sin 2, and Phasmophobia. Each offers strong two-player co-op with teamwork-focused mechanics.
Are there any co-op games where mechanics change every level like Split Fiction?
Split Fiction's formula of introducing completely new mechanics every 20 minutes is uniquely Hazelight. It Takes Two comes closest with constantly shifting co-op abilities per level. No other studio does it at the same pace, but Portal 2 and We Were Here both evolve their puzzle mechanics throughout.
What Hazelight games should I play before Split Fiction?
Hazelight has three co-op games: A Way Out (prison break, more cinematic), It Takes Two (Game of the Year 2021, proved co-op-only design works), and Split Fiction (the newest and most polished). All three are mandatory two-player co-op. Play them in release order to see the studio's evolution.
What is the best two-player co-op game on Steam like Split Fiction?
It Takes Two is the closest match to Split Fiction on Steam, with the same Hazelight design philosophy of new mechanics every level. For puzzle co-op, Portal 2 is the gold standard. For chaotic co-op, Overcooked! All You Can Eat is a top pick. All are available on Steam.
