The original Switch had amazing couch co-op games, but what about the Switch 2?
This isn’t just a list of Switch 2 exclusives. These are couch co-op games you cannot play on the original Switch at all. Some are full exclusives, while others also launched on PC, PS5, or Xbox but completely skipped Nintendo’s original hardware.
So, if you’re still holding onto a Switch One and wondering whether the upgrade is actually worth it, these are the kinds of games that finally make the Switch 2 feel different.
Split Fiction
This is probably the biggest couch co-op game currently on Switch 2 that the original Switch just never could have handled.
This was made by Hazelight Studios, the same team behind It Takes Two and A Way Out.
I think everyone is already aware of this game. It’s built completely around co-op and there’s no single player mode whatsoever. They throw a bunch of different genres at you. Sometimes you’re platforming, sometimes it’s a third-person shooter, and sometimes you’re just solving puzzles.
The big thing here is scale. The original Switch got a lot of co-op games, but most of them were heavily downgraded ports or simpler indie games.
Split Fiction is running on Unreal Engine 5. It has huge set pieces, advanced lighting, massive environmental transitions, and constantly shifting gameplay styles.
So yeah, this is exactly the kind of game that makes the Switch 2 feel like a modern platform instead of just a weaker alternative.
Donkey Kong Bonanza
Donkey Kong Bonanza is one of the biggest true Switch 2 exclusives so far, and honestly, it’s one of the best examples of Nintendo finally making a game that simply would not work on the original Switch hardware.
The main gimmick here is the fully destructible environments. Donkey Kong can smash through terrain, reshape levels, break apart walls, and carve entirely new paths through the stages all in real time.
It’s basically Nintendo mixing a sandbox platformer with environmental destruction.
What’s really interesting though is the co-op mode. A second player can control Pauline and use vocal-based attacks to help Donkey Kong during exploration and combat.
It’s not exactly an equal experience. It’s more of an assist mode, but when it comes to assist modes, I think this is one of the better versions. Pauline can really help you out.
And visually, this is one of the first Nintendo games that genuinely feels next generation. Just everything. The animation quality, the huge open environments, the frame rate, the resolution. It’s all way beyond what Nintendo was attempting on the original Switch.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is another major Switch 2 exclusive.
Like the other Hyrule Warriors games before it, this is basically Dynasty Warriors with Zelda characters. You fight hundreds of enemies all at once across giant battlefields, but this one specifically ties into the story of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
You can play this game in split screen co-op. And unlike Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, the frame rate here is actually pretty solid.
I remember playing Age of Calamity and even though I really love that game, the slowdown was pretty bad. But with Switch 2 hardware, it doesn’t really have that problem.
The game also supports Nintendo’s GameShare features, which Nintendo seems to be pushing pretty hard on the Switch 2. So if you don’t want to play split screen and you still have an original Switch, you’re able to stream the game to the original Switch and each player gets their own screen in handheld mode.
I think that’s a pretty cool feature, especially since you only need one copy of the game.
Survival Kids
Survival Kids is kind of a weird reboot.
The original Survival Kids games were old survival RPGs on Game Boy Color, but this new version turns the series into a fully co-op focused survival adventure.
This is another one that’s fully exclusive to the Switch 2.
You start out on an island, gather resources together, solve some pretty basic environmental puzzles together, craft tools together, and just explore the environments.
It feels like Nintendo really wanted to have their own family-friendly survival game, and they actually pulled it off here.
Instead of realism and complicated systems, it leans more into quick co-op problem solving and simplified crafting mechanics.
Again, this is another game that skipped the original Switch entirely.
Reanimal
Reanimal came out on basically every modern platform as well as the Switch 2.
So it’s not exclusive to Switch 2, but it did completely skip the original Switch.
The game is fully built around two-player cooperation. It has a really nice creepy vibe and I love the atmosphere.
This was made by the same developers behind Little Nightmares 1 and 2.
I really like the visuals here. There’s a lot of detail in the environments and some really nice lighting effects, but it’s not really trying to push hyper realism. It’s more stylized.
But when it comes to couch co-op horror games, this is honestly at the top of my list already, and one of my favorite couch co-op games of the year.
Rotwood
Rotwood is honestly one of the coolest examples in this whole video because right now Rotwood is mostly associated with PC gaming.
Outside of PC, the Switch 2 is the only console that actually got a port of this game. It’s not on PS5 or Xbox.
This game was made by Klei Entertainment, the same studio behind Don't Starve Together.
It’s an action roguelite with some beat ’em up gameplay mixed in. This is a very combo-heavy game. There’s a lot of juggling enemies and giant boss fights.
It kind of feels like a mix between Hades and Castle Crashers.
Of course, you can play this game single player, but it’s clearly designed around co-op and you can actually play with up to four players locally.
Every class has different abilities, so when you’re playing multiplayer it works really well coordinating attacks and different strengths and weaknesses together.
Again, this is another game where the original Switch got skipped entirely.
Upcoming Couch Co-op Games for Switch 2
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight comes out on most platforms first, but the Switch 2 version is arriving later.
I’ve heard December thrown around, but there’s still no exact date yet.
The LEGO games have always been a really solid source for couch co-op gameplay, and this is another one to add to the list.
What makes this one stand out though is the huge open world. One player controls Batman while the other plays as Robin.
I’ve always liked the LEGO games, so I’m definitely looking forward to this one.
Out of Words
Out of Words is one of the more artistic games in this lineup.
It’s a fully co-op platformer focused on communication, movement, and emotional storytelling. It has this stop-motion style animation that looks really, really cool.
There’s a ton of attention to detail here, and a lot of people are comparing it to It Takes Two and Unravel Two because it seems heavily built around two players constantly interacting and solving puzzles together.
But these are exactly the kinds of games I get excited for. Unique visuals, creative storytelling, and gameplay built around cooperation.
This one is coming to pretty much all modern platforms as well as the Switch 2.
Adventures of Elliot
Adventures of Elliot is an action RPG that’s definitely inspired by the older Zelda-style games.
There’s going to be a lot of exploration like those older games, but with more modern mechanics mixed in.
I really love the visuals here. It’s made by the same team that worked on Octopath Traveler, so visually it definitely has a similar style, but this isn’t turn-based. It’s a real-time action RPG.
There is a co-op element where the second player controls this little fairy character, but it’s more of an assist mode, so I’m not really sure how in depth it actually goes.
Still though, I’m really looking forward to this game.
Orbitals
Orbitals is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, and if you’re into couch co-op gameplay, this might honestly be the main reason to get a Switch 2.
It’s definitely taking notes from Hazelight Studios. It’s a co-op only game, so there’s no single player mode whatsoever.
It has a really nice hand-drawn art style with some ’90s anime vibes. Kind of reminds me of Cowboy Bebop or something.
They recently put out a gameplay trailer and there’s definitely going to be asymmetrical gameplay elements where each character has their own role, weapons, and unique abilities that you have to combine together to solve puzzles.
This is probably my most anticipated game of 2026 on any platform.
Hela: Of Mice and Magic
Hela: Of Mice and Magic is another game coming to basically every modern platform.
This game just looks really nice.
It was made by the same team behind Unravel 2, but this is a fully 3D game. You control these tiny mice exploring giant oversized environments where normal objects become massive obstacles.
I think the game supports up to four-player co-op. I’m not fully sure if all of that is local or online, but it at least has two-player local split screen.
This is another one I’m really looking forward to, and I think this team already proved they know how to make a good co-op game.
Star Fox
And then there’s Star Fox 64.
This was definitely a surprise announcement, and it’s coming pretty soon on June 26th as a full remake of Star Fox 64.
This is obviously another Switch 2 exclusive, and visually it looks really impressive. The water effects especially stood out to me.
I’ve always liked Star Fox games, and I think this is going to be a really fun way to revisit Star Fox 64.
Much like Star Fox Zero, this one includes a co-op mode where one player pilots the ship while the other controls the firepower.
I actually thought that worked really well in Star Fox Zero, and overall I think that game was really underrated when it comes to co-op gameplay.
So far we haven’t seen a ton of first-party Nintendo games on Switch 2 yet, so I was really excited to see this one announced. The co-op mode was a really nice surprise too.
Outro
So if you still have an original Switch and you’re thinking about upgrading to a Switch 2, these are some couch co-op games that actually make the system feel worth owning.
Hopefully we keep seeing more Switch 2 exclusives with couch co-op support because there still aren’t a ton of them yet, but the ones we do have are honestly pretty strong already.
Which game are you most excited for?
