My wife plays video games.

I like to think my gentle tutelage over the years that has led her to this, but I will not be so presumptuous as to take all the credit.

That being said, like any gamer, there are games she likes, and games she doesn’t like.  She loves puzzle games, but I don’t think I could get her to play an FPS even with bribery.  What she loves more than anything (I think) are games that we can play together.  I love them, too.  It’s great to be able to sit next to your loved ones and work through a game that you both enjoy, together.

The problem is, there aren’t many games left anymore designed with such play in mind.  Most multiplayer gameplay is built to take place over networks against invisible opponents, and the games that still have local multiplayer are usually competitive instead of cooperative.  Fortunately, there are still a few out there, and they get an awful lot of our playing time.

Perhaps the greatest play-together game out there, Lego Star Wars manages to create a multiplayer experience that is both involving and inviting for all types of players.  Consisting of a series of episodes that can be played in any order, along with a variety of side challenges and puzzles, the game uses a core set of mechanics that remain consistent throughout play, making it very simple to pick up and learn for a first time player.

What also makes it extra inviting for new players is that the penalty for making mistakes in the game is almost non-existent.  Accidentally drove Luke’s speeder into the Sarlac Pit?  No problem!  You just reappear right next to it, ready to move on.  There are no lives in the game, and death only costs you the loss of some of your chits, which can quickly be re-collected.  This is good, because it’s actually incredibly easy to get yourself killed in the game; open pits and angry stormtroopers are trouble, but the biggest problem usually tends to be your partner swinging their lightsaber wildly, or chucking thermal detonators with reckless abandon.  This low threshold of penalty may seem a joke to more seasoned gamers, but when you are trying to enjoy some time together with someone who is not “hardcore,” it makes playing far more enjoyable.  It also allows the newer player to improve their skills and grow better at the game without the risk of encountering a frustrating wall of “Game Overs.”

Along these same lines, every level in the game features multiple levels of victory, meaning that just because you beat it once doesn’t mean you’re done with it.  Every level has a story ending, but they also have a point goal for you to try and reach, as well as hidden “minikits” for the players to try and find.  Succeeding at these secondary goals unlocks new features and cheats, which creates more opportunies for play further down the line.  Additionally, every level has an ultimate time-challenged mode where the players must race against the clock to find a collection of hidden items.  This mode is the hardest, but the game is structured in such a way that, by the time you have unlocked it, you and your partner should be more than able to handle the task.  It is this iterative use of levels and increase in challenge that makes the game a great gateway for a new player.

Of course, if for some reason the more experienced player wants more of a challenge, but still wants to  involve their partner, the new Super Mario Galaxy 2 offers a very nice compromise.

In Galaxy 2, while two players are indeed playing together, they both play in very different ways.  Player One takes up the reins as Mario himself, handling all of the platforming elements of the game as one normally would.  Player Two, however, controls a tiny icon on screen (represented as a Luma) that can make life easier for Player One in a variety of ways.  The simplest ways is that any star bits the second player moves their cursor over are instantly collected, meaning the first player doesn’t have to run about trying to grab them all before they fade.  Secondly, player two can also pick up remote coins for the first player, as well as things like 1-Up mushrooms that may have sped out of range.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Player Two has the ability to stun enemies and disable “traps,” which can often mean the different between life and death for an overwhelmed (or inattentive) Player One.  An on-the-ball Player Two can help turn a dire situation into a victory, and it really helps to encourage open communication between both players to make sure that the most pressing issues are the ones being dealt with.  This helps keep both players engaged, while still allowing players of very different skill levels to play together.

Unfortunately, there aren’t too many games beyond these two that we’ve found that really hit on this same quality of two-player experience.  It seems that, despite the explosion in “casual” gaming, the idea of two people playing cooperatively together is not something that developers are in any particular hurry to embrace.  Fortunately, Lego Harry Potter is just around the corner, so we’ll see how that holds up to its Star Wars-ian brethren.

Are any of you out there playing together with a loved one?  If so, what games have you found that really work for you?