It Takes Two: Walkthrough & Tips

A spoiler-light guide to It Takes Two. It covers how to set up co-op (Friend's Pass, Steam, split screen), each chapter's abilities and bosses, the minigames and achievements worth chasing, and tips for couples and mixed-skill pairs.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the May 2024 Steam update (Steam friends invites, Steam Deck Verified, EA app no longer required). The game is complete and no longer receives content updates; check the linked sources if something differs.

Status note: It Takes Two (Hazelight, March 2021) won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021 and has sold over 20 million copies (as of October 2024). Hazelight's follow-up Split Fiction launched March 6, 2025. It Takes Two is still fully playable and sold on Steam. Since May 29, 2024, the Steam version doesn't need the EA app. Invites go through your Steam friends list, although you still need an EA account for online play.

Quick Start

1. It's co-op only. There's no single-player. You need a second person, either on your couch (split screen) or online.
2. Only one person needs to buy it. The Friend's Pass is a free download that lets a friend play the whole game with you online, as long as the host owns it.
3. Online co-op is same-platform. Use the Steam version of Friend's Pass, which works with Steam invites. The older EA app Friend's Pass still works but uses EA invites.
4. Couch co-op works on one PC with two controllers (or keyboard plus controller). Steam Remote Play Together also works for playing online with someone who doesn't install anything.
5. Choose Cody or May carefully. Each chapter gives them different, complementary abilities, and neither character is "harder" throughout. Many couples switch who plays whom on a second run.
6. Look for minigames. There are 25 hidden competitive minigames scattered through the levels. They're great fun and tied to an achievement.
7. Deaths don't matter much. Checkpoints are generous, so experiment.
8. Talk to each other. Most puzzles need one player to set something up while the other acts.

Setup and Technical Tips

Performance: the game is well-optimised. On lower-end PCs, reduce shadows and effects first. Split screen doubles the rendering load, so drop settings slightly if you get stutter.

Controls Basics

• Jump, double jump, dash, wall jump and ground pound are core moves for both characters. A dash after a double jump carries you across longer gaps.
• Ground pound (crouch in mid-air) breaks some objects and triggers switches.
• Each chapter adds character-specific abilities on the shooting/aiming and ability buttons. The game shows prompts, so there's no need to memorise.
• Grinding rails and swinging points appear everywhere. Jump to swing and release at the top of the arc.

Chapter Walkthrough Outline

The game has seven main chapters, and each one introduces a new pair of abilities. Here's what to expect (the story is left for you to discover).

1. The Shed

• Cody: throws nails into wood (to create swing points and stop objects) and recalls them.
• May: a hammer that swings on nails and smashes objects.
• Bosses: the vacuum cleaner early on, and a giant toolbox at the end of the chapter.
• Tip: Cody sets up nails, then May swings or smashes. Most puzzles work in that order.

2. The Tree

• Cody: a sap gun that sprays explosive sap.
• May: a match launcher that ignites sap.
• You fight the wasps with the squirrels' help, including a flying sequence and a boss fight against the wasps' queen.
• Tip: sap first, then fire. Cody paints the target and May detonates.

3. Rose's Room

• Several sub-areas built from Rose's toys: a pillow fort, a space station, a dinosaur land and more.
• Abilities change inside each sub-area. In the space station, for example, Cody can change size and May uses gravity boots to walk on walls and ceilings.
• The Moon Baboon is the big boss of this chapter.
• This chapter includes the infamous Cutie the Elephant scene.

4. The Cuckoo Clock

• Cody: time control. He rewinds objects to earlier states.
• May: creates a clone and teleports back to it.
• Tip: Cody rewinds platforms while May uses her clone to go through doors or reset her position.

5. The Snow Globe

• Icy village and lake. Magnet abilities let the two of you pull toward or push away from each other and from coloured magnets.
• Look for ice-skating sections and the village's side areas, which hide several minigames.
• Tip: magnet puzzles almost always need one player to anchor while the other flies. Agree on who holds the magnet before you jump.

6. The Garden

• Cody plants himself in soil patches and turns into different plants to attack, climb and grow.
• May clears the way and waters or sprays to help Cody's plants.
• Several combat arenas and a large boss at the end.

7. The Attic

• A music-themed chapter. May uses sound-based abilities and Cody uses a cymbal shield/throwing ability.
• The final sections bring the story to an end.

Minigames and Achievements

• 25 minigames are hidden through the chapters (examples: whack-a-mole, tug of war, horse derby, shuffleboard, tic-tac-toe, snowball fight). A small icon and a prompt appear when you get close.
• Winning or playing them gives bragging rights, and there's an achievement for finding all of them.
• Tip: explore off the main path, especially in open areas like the Snow Globe village and the Garden. Many minigames are near side paths.

Achievement advice

• Many achievements are side interactions ("do something silly with an object"). They're easiest with a guide open on your second screen.
• Chapter select lets you replay any sub-level, so you can clean up missed achievements and minigames after finishing the story.
• Some achievements need both players to do specific actions, so coordinate.

Difficulty and Accessibility

• There's no difficulty setting, but checkpoints are generous. Boss fights are the hardest parts.
• Mixed-skill pairs: give the less experienced player whichever character has the simpler ability in the current chapter. Cody's abilities are often "set up" and May's "act", but it varies by chapter.
• Take breaks between chapters. Each one takes roughly 1.5–2.5 hours, and the whole game is about 12–15 hours.

Boss Fight Principles

The bosses change completely from chapter to chapter, but a few rules apply almost everywhere:

• Watch for the vulnerable phase. Nearly every boss telegraphs a window where one player's ability (nails, sap, rewind, magnets, plants) exposes a weak point for the other player to hit.
• Split roles. One player baits and survives while the other deals damage. Swap if one of you keeps dying.
• Revive each other fast. If one of you goes down, the other can usually keep going until the respawn timer ends. You only fail if you're both down.
• Don't panic-jump. Most boss attacks are dodged with a single dash or double jump. Spamming jumps usually lands you in the next attack.

Tips for Couples and Mixed-Skill Pairs

• Decide on a "caller" for puzzles. One person says the plan out loud, and the other executes.
• The more experienced player can take on the platforming-heavy role in each chapter. The ability split is shown in the first minute of every chapter, so pick then.
• Don't take the competitive minigames too seriously. The game keeps score, and that's half the fun.
• Swap characters on replay. Both halves of every chapter are different, so a second run as the other character feels like a new game.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Buying two copies for online play. Only one person needs to own it thanks to Friend's Pass.
• Assuming you can cross-play. Friend's Pass online play needs both players on the same platform (Steam with Steam, for example).
• Rushing through the levels. You'll miss most of the minigames.
• Getting frustrated at a boss. Checkpoints are frequent, and most bosses have simple patterns. Look for the phase where they're vulnerable.
• Not communicating. Even simple puzzles need coordination.

Advanced Tips

• Split-screen layout: in local co-op the split is vertical, so you get a big view of each other. On a big TV, sit a bit farther back.
• Remote Play Together works surprisingly well if the host has good upload speed.
• Speedrunning: the game has an active speedrun community with categories on speedrun.com. Learn the dash and double-jump combos first.
• Achievement cleanup: after credits, use Chapter Select to replay sub-levels for minigames and achievements.
• Photo moments: the game is full of set pieces, so pause and look around. Many easter eggs are visual.

FAQ

Can you play It Takes Two solo? No. It's co-op only, local or online.

Does my friend need to buy the game? No. They download the free Friend's Pass on the same platform and join you online. Only the host needs to own it.

Do I still need the EA app on Steam? No, not since May 29, 2024. You still need an EA account for online play.

How long is It Takes Two? About 12–15 hours for the story. Longer if you find all the minigames and achievements.

Is It Takes Two on Steam Deck? Yes, it's Steam Deck Verified (since May 2024).

Is there cross-play? Online co-op requires both players on the same platform.

How many minigames are there? 25, spread across all chapters.

Sources

• Steam Friends and Deck Verified — EA Launcher No Longer Required, Steam, May 29 2024
• It Takes Two has sold over 20 million, Steam, Oct 17 2024
• Split Fiction & It Takes Two soundtracks, Steam, Nov 18 2025
• It Takes Two – Wikipedia
• Steam store page