It’s never been easier to play a game with a friend, no matter where they are in the world. Unfortunately, this also means that it’s becoming harder to find a good local co-op game. Games likeSplit Fictionand theBorderlandsfranchise still make it possible to play cooperatively with someone sitting on the couch next to you, but there’s an even better option already out there… that is, if you’re looking for a game that’ll seriously put your teamwork to the test.
Bipedappears to be a cute little game that was released in 2020 by NExT Studios. But take just one step forward, and you’ll discover the true, surprisingly brutal nature of the co-op game. Getting throughBipedwill put yourcoordination and communicationto the test and test the relationship between you and your teammate of choice—be it your spouse, significant other, or an unsuspecting friend.
Only The Strongest Bonds Can Survive Biped
Watch Your Step, Or Your Teammate Suffers
The idea behindBipedis deceptively simple. You control one of two adorably spherical robots by moving each of its two legs with the respective thumbstick or left and right mouse buttons. You canmove in any direction by alternating between the two legs(as one does, when walking), and use the same simple controls to interact with different parts of the world by grabbing, pulling, or throwing various objects.
Just when you begin to master the complicated art of walking,Bipedbegins in earnest. The game throws puzzles at players that requirecareful navigation through obstacles in tandem.This includes walking across color-coded paths that only allow one of the robots on, passing items back and forth to each other as you zip along a fast-moving track, and literally hanging on to a lifeline as your partner swings you across to the next platform.
“Whatever you do, you have to do it together.”
Some tasks test your reflexes and quick thinking, while others require coordination—like paths that vanish underneath you unless you time placing down your feet in unison.Whatever you do, you have to do it together.
Biped Has A Death Count Fit For A Soulslike
The Penalty For Not Working Together Is (Hilarious) Death
As you’re able to imagine, the trials ofBipedoften result in death. And, more often than not, thisdeath is directly caused by your partner.Putting your foot down at the wrong moment, failing to account for your teammate’s whereabouts, or experiencing brain lag all have the potential of leading to your partner’s hilarious demise.
Giving one player the power of life or death over the other alsocreates plenty of opportunities for shenanigans. Sometimes, it’s just too tempting to stomp down on a path you know is holding your friend up, or to leave your husband hanging just barely out of reach of where he needs to be.
Levels are just challenging enough that a misstep can cause an unfortunate failure, but just simple enough that sometimes your “misstep” is entirely intentional. Either way,Bipedwill have teams of two flailing, yelling, and holding their breath in anticipation through the various cooperative puzzles thattest how good you are at working together, and whether you can trust your partner as far as you can throw them.
We Need More Co-Op Games Like Biped
Bring Back The Era Of Couch Co-Op
The era of online co-op is upon us,with games likeFortniteandCall of Dutydominating. This has led to several ill-advised ventures into multiplayer—like the notoriously fast rise and fall ofSony’s ill-fated live-service game,Concord—and some more thought-out integrations of online multiplayer. Nintendo’s Switch 2, for instance, has abuilt-in social buttonthat allows friends to play games together, even when they’re not playing the same game.
But just because it’s easier to play together online doesn’t mean that we should completely stop playing games together in person. There’s something incrediblynostalgic and magical about a good old-school couch co-op, and I hope that more games likeBipedare on the way in the coming years.
If you’re looking for some good couch co-op experiences, here are some more recommendations likeBipedthat you might not know about:
+Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
+ PixelJunk Scrappers
+Just Shapes & Beats
Games likeSplit Fictionare great news for fans of couch co-op. Thesuccess of Hazelight Studios' newest hit(and previous games) shows game developers that there’s still a market for the old-school art of sitting down to play a game side by side. Just don’t start games likeBipedunless you’re sure that your relationship will make it out of the ordeal intact!
