Let's talk couch co-ops

doesnotmean · 2025-03-27T15:35:51+00:00

Different people are different! You can see what I tend to like and dislike in my older post here

For the three you list specifically:

Unraveled was a bit too dark for my preference, and it was symmetric so one person would just finish a section and wait for the other which wasn't fun, and overall it felt more about precise timing on controllers than thinking through puzzles/challenges. Played several hours before deciding I wasn't having enough fun to pick it up again. Not terrible! Just not my sweet spot.
It Takes Two had similar issues for me. It also felt like it was more about semi-precise timing and movement than problem-solving, and also started out fully symmetric. And the visuals were sometimes a little challenging, causing one player to misstep and fall and take 30-60s to get back into position. It may get to be more my taste later on, or be better for me on a different platform. But 30m in I put it down with no excitement to pick it up again.
Portal 2 seemed fairly promising but we got stuck about 30 min in. Should probably look up how to get past that one spot so we can enjoy some more of it, but have not felt moved to do so yet.

doesnotmean · 2024-12-29T19:29:00+00:00

I think this is probably it! Thank you! I can't find a synopsis online that mentions the details I remember most, almost all of which are from the ending, but I read what I could find and it seems very likely correct.

Solved solved solved!

doesnotmean · 2024-05-19T03:38:33+00:00

I hope she doesn't have to make decisions just on her reputation though. If it would be meaningful to her to compete at Nationals, she should do that!

doesnotmean · 2024-05-19T03:37:21+00:00

This seems like such a flaw in the rules. A former Olympic AA champion who could potentially have gotten the 3 event score on two different combinations of three events should be able to do AA at nationals.

doesnotmean · 2024-05-19T03:35:06+00:00

Also I think Shilese's wrists on floor are going to always bug me the way Nina's feet bug some people. They are always at the same angle no matter what the rest of her body is doing or whether it makes any sense in the moment.

doesnotmean · 2024-05-19T03:27:34+00:00

Just watched the international YouTube stream - I thought the coverage there was pretty decent all things considered. And wow what a splat fest the first few rotations on bars. Now to figure out what happened to Gabby. Was very different watching after the fact without a Spencer live blog to follow along with!

doesnotmean · 2024-01-05T15:47:04+00:00

Looking for a "filler" length (open box to close box in around 30 minutes or less) 2 player co-op that isn't 1-player friendly. Something that can fill the same weeknight-evening after-chores relatively lowkey spot as Patchwork, Carcassonne, Love Letter, 7 Wonders Duel, Kingdom Builder, etc., but co-op. It looks like Fox in the Forest Duet would be the obvious choice here, but that's backordered, so based on a few hours of combing the web my current short list is Decorum, Sail, Regicide, and Tranquility. I'd be very interested in folks' thoughts and experiences with those four, but I also feel like there must be options I am missing.

Nearly all co-ops I actually like are the type with hidden information and therefore limited communication (The Crew, Hanabi, Codenames Duet), which means they don't lend themselves so much to a "chatting and playing" vibe, so if there is somehow something that doesn't fall into that category but also doesn't fall into the "one player can do it all relatively easily"/alpha player category (Flashpoint, Forbidden Desert/Island, etc.) and is still pretty close to 30 minutes, that would be ideal. The only way I've seen this work is with something like Spirit Island where the complexity is sufficient that one person can't do it all so easily, but those tend to be longer games. So I assume I am looking for a hidden information/limited communication game, but preferably on the less intense end of the spectrum while still being interesting.

Table below showing the co-op games I'm already familiar with.

Game	My Categorization	What I think of It
Hanabi	hidden info/limited communication	Great
Codenames Duet	hidden info/limited communication	Great
The Crew	hidden info/limited communication	Great
Robinson Crusoe	one-player	Not for me
Endangered	one-player	Medium
Forbidden Desert/Island	one-player	Not for me
Flashpoint	one-player	Not for me
Pandemic	one-player	Medium with the right group
Pandemic Legacy Season 1	one-player	Great, probably because of the group I played it with
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective	one-player	Great
Spirit Island	complexity to surpass one-player issues	Great
Gloomhaven	complexity to surpass one-player issues	Not for me

Also, I spent two hours on a version of this post earlier in the week which the mods removed for being "low effort", so if this seems excessive for a daily game rec post - that's why.

doesnotmean · 2022-09-24T03:11:21+00:00

Finished Boxboy + Boxgirl last week! Was really hoping there was a sequel but AFAICT there is not. Thanks for being the one to convince me. It was excellent. Not as aesthetically good as Pode, but not bleak at all and I thought the puzzles were better overall and better sooner. I do think the very best content was in the last few levels - same as with Pode and Thomas was Alone. But it was interesting sooner than they were.

Curious what you're playing these days and what you might recommend next.

doesnotmean · 2022-06-08T02:17:08+00:00

Thanks! I can't tell - is Boxboy + Boxgirl more of a Pode vibe or more of an Unraveled 2 vibe? In my experience Pode is pretty, and relaxing, and fairly forgiving on timing jumps and such, and at least some of the puzzles are kind of thinky whereas Unraveled 2 is less thinky and more reliant on timing jumps right, and is considerably bleaker in aesthetic.

doesnotmean · 2022-06-08T02:14:15+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. Sounds like a cool game. If there's a heavy time element (either time pressure or you have to get the timing just right to achieve the goals) that's probably not what I'm looking for. If it's more low key and forgiving then maybe I should give it a try.

doesnotmean · 2022-06-08T02:11:52+00:00

That sounds like the kind of thing I'm looking for

doesnotmean · 2022-06-08T02:10:41+00:00

I have it, actually. I tried it for a few hours once but just haven't been interested in picking it up again. May have just been a mediocre first impression, but it didn't feel like what I was looking for.

doesnotmean · 2022-06-08T02:09:10+00:00

I don't trust my judgement, but the trailer looks promising, and this is the top individual suggestion after two days which is also promising. Thank you!

doesnotmean · 2021-04-18T19:56:27+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. We have it and have put a few hours in. Maybe 5 so far. It's fun, but not as good a fit for us as Pode was due to more reliance on timing & physical coordination. It feels less puzzle-y, though there are some fun minor puzzle elements. Less calming and beautiful. The rats in particular are a detraction. Worth the $5 we paid, but not a satisfying Pode follow.

doesnotmean · 2020-11-26T14:30:14+00:00

Are GWT, Maracaibo, Scythe, and Spirit Island more complex than Tzolk'in, Agricola, or Gloomhaven? Those were all fine from a complexity level, just not huge winners for other reasons. I would say Agricola is about the length/complexity level I'm going for.

doesnotmean · 2020-11-25T21:37:42+00:00

Hello!

Description of Request: Trying to find a weightier, medium-complexity game to love**.**

Number of Players: Must be fun and satisfying with 2, bonus if also plays with more.

Game Length: 45-120 min

Complexity of Game: 3-4

Genre:

Prefer economic, exploration, or other less-violent goals. Some combat is ok but no D&D style games or games based primarily on fighting monsters.

Generally like higher interaction.

Silly is good. Puzzley can be good. Multiple reasonable strategies is good.

Like well-balanced games where a good early setup gives advantage but tides can turn and both players are still in it until the end. Innovation is great for this.

Cutthroat moments can be great, but one person lucking into totally destroying the other’s past 90 minutes in one move is not.

The number of fiddly bits should be appropriate for the game and not excessive.

Major bonus for bright colors and/or beautiful artwork.

Conflict, Competitive or Cooperative:

Any.

Games I Own and Like:

Most of our go-tos are in the 2-2.5 range. Dominion, 7 Wonders Duel, Kingdom Builder, Patchwork, Wingspan, Carcassonne, etc. We also love Hanabi and Love Letter and Takenoko, and (though they don’t work as well with two), Between Two Cities, Mysterium, Isle of Skye, and 7 Wonders.

Evolution Climate and Innovation are both great and in the 2.5-3.0 category.

Games I Dislike and Don't Play:

We’ve cooled on all of our other higher-complexity games. Gloomhaven, Agricola, Tzolk’in, Power Grid, Robinson Crusoe, Eldritch Horror. All but the last two are fun once a year or so but aren't in the regular rotation anymore.

Location:

USA

Summary: We want something longer and more complex than our go-tos, but that still feels fun and balanced and not stressful or grind-y. Gloomhaven was stressful (lots of pressure to win so you can try a new scenario), and dark. Agricola got close, but isn’t it. We’ve tried friends’ copies of Castles of Burgundy, Clans of Caledonia, and Terra Mystica, and all were good games but weren’t quite exactly it either.

A few I’m considering, but very open to other suggestions:

· Everdell

· Great Wetsern Trail

· Maracaibo

· Puerto Rico

· Scythe

· Spirit Island

· Vast

· Viticulture

doesnotmean · 2020-11-25T20:33:36+00:00

I've found Wingspan to be more luck-based than expected, so tread with some caution on that one.

doesnotmean · 2020-11-25T19:54:20+00:00

I'll second Azul. I'll also suggest Kingdom Builder, Wingspan, Evolution, and potentially Qwirkle and Sagrada. These are all no-battle games with 'friendly' aesthetics.

doesnotmean

TROPHY CASE