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Release Date: March 26, 2021｜Developer: Hazelight Studios｜Publisher: Electronic Arts｜Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
The 2021 Game of the Year at The Game Awards went to a game that requires two people to play.
Five years later, its sales have surpassed 30 million copies. Counting players who joined via the Friend’s Pass without purchasing the game, over 50 million people worldwide have experienced it.
That game is It Takes Two.
Story: A Couple’s Absurd Adventure
Cody and May are a couple on the verge of divorce. Just before they plan to break the news to their daughter, they are magically transformed into miniature dolls she made by hand.
They find themselves trapped in a fantastical world filled with childhood memories and everyday objects. To return to their normal lives, they must work together and overcome a series of challenges.
Guiding them is Dr. Hakim, a self-proclaimed love guru (who happens to be a talking book) — though the two spend most of their journey bickering.
On the surface it’s a family comedy, but beneath that, it’s about marriage, relationships, and why two people came together — and why they drifted apart.
Gameplay: Two Players Required, No Repeats
It Takes Two‘s most uncompromising rule: there is no single-player mode.
You must find someone to play with. You can play local split-screen co-op, or one person can buy the game and invite another to join for free via the “Friend’s Pass” — the invited player doesn’t need to spend a cent to enjoy the full experience.
The game’s standout feature is that its level designs almost never repeat. Each new area gives you and your partner a completely new set of abilities — one player might become a gardener while the other controls a bee; in the next level, one of you controls time while the other can duplicate themselves.
Every set of abilities requires both players to coordinate. It’s not one person carrying the other — neither of you can progress without the other.
Some players have called it “a massive mash-up” — but it swaps gameplay styles almost every level, drawing inspiration from classic platformers, and somehow it all works.
Sales: From 20 Million to 30 Million
In October 2024, It Takes Two reached 20 million copies sold globally.
By January 2026, it was approaching 27 million.
By April 2026, it officially surpassed 30 million.
Five years in, sales show no sign of slowing down. Director Josef Fares said in an interview, “We never expected the Chinese market to be this massive.” He also admitted he’s not sure why Chinese players love his game so much — “For some reason, players really seem to like our games.”
Including Friend’s Pass users, over 50 million people have experienced the game.
TGA 2021: Game of the Year
At the 2021 Game Awards, It Takes Two won three major categories: Game of the Year, Best Family Game, and Best Multiplayer Game.
It beat out heavy hitters like Deathloop, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Resident Evil Village.
A purely co-op, two-player-only, single-purchase game with no microtransactions became the most celebrated title of that year.
Behind the Scenes: Josef Fares and Hazelight Studios
The director of It Takes Two is Josef Fares.
He became widely known in 2017 when he shouted “Fuck the Oscars” on the TGA stage — a moment that instantly became legendary.
Before this, he made Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (2013) and A Way Out (2018) — both cooperative games. In 2014 he founded Hazelight Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, focusing exclusively on cooperative experiences.
Hazelight currently has around 80 employees. They don’t do microtransactions and don’t chase market trends — in Fares’ own words: “We never do that. We always do what we believe in.”
In 2025 they released their latest title Split Fiction, which has already sold over 7 million copies. Across all three games, cumulative sales have surpassed 50 million, with It Takes Two contributing 30 million.
Who Is This For?
Highly recommended if:
- You have a friend or partner willing to play with you — without a second person, you literally can’t even start the game
- You enjoy solving puzzles together, yelling at each other while figuring things out, and laughing out loud
- You want to see what made a “Game of the Year” title
Not for you if:
- You’re flying solo (you literally can’t play it)
- You and your co-op partner have completely different pacing — one wants to slowly explore every detail, the other just wants to rush through to the next level — you’ll probably end up driving each other crazy
Copyright Notice:
All game screenshots, character designs, and related materials referenced in this article are the property of Hazelight Studios, Electronic Arts, and their respective rights holders.
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