If you’re reading this, you’re probably in the exact same boat as half of our YouTube comment section: you love your PS5, you love your partner, and you’re desperately trying to find a way to merge those two worlds without it ending in a massive argument.
We’ve all been there. You hand her the DualSense controller, load up a first-person shooter, and watch in horror as she spends five minutes staring directly at the virtual ceiling while walking into a corner.
The biggest hurdle for non-gamers isn’t learning the buttons; it’s the right analog stick. Controlling a 3D camera while moving is a learned skill. If you want to introduce your wife or girlfriend to gaming, you need to start with games that remove that friction entirely.
Here is the ultimate, field-tested list of PS5 local co-op games that are actually fun, easy to pick up, and won’t make her want to throw the controller at your TV.
1. The Gold Standard: It Takes Two
You literally cannot make a list about couples gaming without this masterpiece. It won Game of the Year for a reason. You play as a married couple on the brink of divorce who get turned into dolls and have to work together to get back to their human bodies.
- Why it works for non-gamers: The game is constantly changing. One minute you are flying a plane made of underpants, the next you are fighting a gangster squirrel on top of an airplane. It is incredibly forgiving, if she dies, she respawns instantly right next to you as long as you are still alive. You can absolutely “carry” her through the harder platforming sections.
- Camera stress level: Medium. It is 3D, but the game heavily assists with the camera angles.
2. The Zero-Stress Puzzle: Unravel Two
If the 3D camera of It Takes Two is still too intimidating, this is where you start. Unravel Two is a beautiful 2D side-scroller where you play as two creatures made of yarn tied together.
- Why it works for non-gamers: It’s a 2D game, meaning zero camera management. You just move left, right, and jump. The puzzles require communication, not fast reflexes. And the best part? If a jump is too hard for her, you can literally “merge” your yarn characters together, make the jump yourself, and separate on the other side. It’s the ultimate safety net.
- Camera stress level: Zero.
3. The Cozy Time-Sink: Stardew Valley
Forget high-octane action. Sometimes the best way to get your partner into gaming is to hand them a watering can and tell them to go pet some virtual chickens. Stardew Valley on the PS5 supports fantastic split-screen co-op.
- Why it works for non-gamers: There is no “Game Over.” You both share a farm. You can go down into the mines and fight monsters to gather ore, while she stays on the farm decorating the house, planting pumpkins, and talking to the townsfolk. It appeals to the exact same brain receptors that make mobile games so addictive, but with actual depth.
- Camera stress level: Zero (Top-down 2D view).
4. The Casual Platformer: Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Think of this as PlayStation’s answer to Super Mario 3D World. It is bright, colorful, and features a phenomenal licensed pop-music soundtrack (playing a level perfectly synced to “Uptown Funk” is a blast).
- Why it works for non-gamers: The camera is fixed. The game tracks both of you automatically, so nobody gets lost. It’s also incredibly satisfying just to run around slapping each other off the map when things get boring. It starts incredibly easy and only ramps up the difficulty much later in the game when she’s already comfortable with the controller.
- Camera stress level: Very Low (Fixed isometric 3D).
5. The “Relationship Tester”: Overcooked! All You Can Eat
A massive warning before you buy this: This game is known in the gaming community as a “Divorce Simulator.” You run a kitchen together, chopping tomatoes, cooking burgers, and washing dishes while the kitchen is literally catching on fire or splitting in half on a pirate ship.
- Why it works for non-gamers: The controls are literally just two buttons: pick up/drop, and chop. That’s it. It is incredibly simple to understand, but the communication required to win will either make you the ultimate dream team or have you yelling at each other about who let the soup burn. Play at your own risk.
- Camera stress level: Zero (Top-down view).
6. The Fresh Innovative Puzzle: Splitfiction
One of the newest additions to the PS5 co-op library, Splitfiction feels like a breath of fresh air for couples who want something highly stylized but deeply cooperative. It leans heavily into its unique screen-bending mechanics to tell a story where you have to rely on each other.
- Why it works for non-gamers: It trades fast-paced combat for communication and spatial puzzles. You aren’t being rushed by a timer or swarmed by enemies; instead, you’re working out how your side of the screen affects hers. It’s incredibly rewarding, visually striking, and gives you both that satisfying high-five moment when you finally figure out a tricky room.
- Camera stress level: Low. The perspective tricks are part of the puzzle, but it doesn’t require “gamer reflexes” to navigate.
7. The “Just One More Run” Addiction: Vampire Survivors
It finally arrived on PlayStation with full couch co-op, and I cannot stress this enough: this is the ultimate non-gamer gateway drug. You are a little pixel character trying to survive against thousands of monsters for 30 minutes.
- Why it works for non-gamers: You literally only use the left analog stick. There are no buttons to press. Your character attacks automatically. There is no jumping, no aiming, and absolutely no camera control. You just walk around, dodge bats, and collect shiny gems to level up. It sounds almost too simple, but I guarantee within 10 minutes, your partner will be screaming at you to revive them while a wave of skeletons closes in. It’s chaotic, hilarious, and requires zero technical skill to start.
- Camera stress level: Zero (Top-down fixed 2D).
Pro-Tip for the “Gamer” Boyfriend/Husband
Patience is your best weapon here. Don’t rush her, don’t yell instructions, and don’t grab the controller out of her hands to “do it for her” unless she explicitly asks you to. The goal isn’t to beat the game as fast as possible; the goal is to make sure she’s having enough fun to say, “Hey, can we play that game again?” tomorrow.
What game finally got your partner hooked on the PS5? Drop it in the comments below, we are always updating this database.
