For many of us, playing video games is an inseparable part of our lives, shaping our thoughts and personalities. Sharing this source of joy with our partners, however, isn't as easy as it might seem. For a non-gamer, getting the hang of even the games that you might consider "easy" can be stressful and rage-inducing. Hence, you will probably need to ease them into the hobby with a carefully curated list of games.

These games are simple to pick up, relaxing to play (mostly), and offer a unique shared experience that you and your non-gamer partner can enjoy for hours. If you've been struggling to get your partner into gaming for years, try one of these titles together and watch them become addicted.

10 Good Job!

Tag-team your way up the corporate ladder

There’s nothing quite like teaming up with your partner to crack a puzzle. The Switch exclusive Good Job! takes that idea to hilarious and chaotic heights. Not only does the game give you and your partner the challenge of completing office tasks like setting up projectors or operating machinery, but it also gives you free rein to take creative and destructive shortcuts.

For non-gamers, the simple premise and forgiving mechanics of Good Job! make for immense fun. Even if your partner fumbles with controls, it leads to hilarious destruction on the screen and endless giggles on the couch, as every mistake only adds to the mayhem and fun. Good Job! promises unforgettable gaming memories with your partner.

9 Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee to the rescue

Another stellar Switch exclusive that promises immense fun for you and your partner is Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Platformers are usually a great place to start for non-gamers, and if you mix that up with this game’s vibrant environments, accessible difficulty, and Kirby’s overall cuteness, you have a winner on your hands.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is also mechanically rich, delivering highly varied levels and gameplay elements that don’t just keep things interesting, but keep you and your partner engaged and laughing throughout. However, the game’s bizarre choice of keeping the camera fixed on Player One (Kirby) can often lead to Player Two falling off the screen, which could be a letdown. If the priority is to ensure that your non-gamer partner has fun, consider letting them be Kirby while you play a supporting role.

8 Moving Out

Move out of the way!

Packing and moving tons of heavy cartons is much more fun when it’s restricted to the screen, and SMG Studio’s Moving Out seems to get that. You and your partner play as Furniture Arrangement & Relocation Technicians (yeah I know), driving house to house help clients pack under strict timelines. Keeping things fun, of course, are the cartoonish characters you control and the hilarious obstacles along the way, including extremely fragile furniture, confrontational chickens, and even ghosts.

Some items might require both players to heave-ho!, and if you can’t get something through the door, well, the ability to destroy windows and throw items out of the house is always there to ensure a good time and laugh-out-loud moments. The co-op gameplay keeps things fairly easy for your non-gamer partner, so the controls or the chaos never get overwhelming.

7 Golf With Your Friends

The golf might be mini, but the fun isn't

You can play Golf With Your Friends with up to 12 friends online, but even with two people on the same device, it can be a relaxing yet challenging few hours of non-stop entertainment. You'll never know where the time is going as you play through 13 courses in the base game, and more through DLCs. Even for your non-gamer partner, getting the hang of the controls is simple, as there are no complicated mechanics to learn.

The game is a unique spin on mini-golf, allowing you to use power-ups to create hilarious obstacles for your opponent's ball. Player beware, as this might drive a wedge into your relationship if you push your partner to the edge. With multiple game modes, a level editor, and cool customization options, Golf With Your Friends promises to be a refreshing change of pace for you and your partner after a long day of work.

6 Unravel Two

Unravel your partner's hidden gaming bone

A heartfelt and stunning co-op adventure, Unravel Two brings the joy of gaming to non-gamers without being overly complex to master. Unravel Two’s gentle learning curve goes easy on your partner while offering up intricate environments, playful soundtracks, and relentless doses of dopamine with each moment of shared problem-solving.

At its core, the game presents a heartfelt adventure with cooperation remaining at the forefront. The plus side, of course, is that you can always act as a safety net for your non-gamer partner, thanks to a mechanic that allows you to tether your yarn-based character to your partner’s. From strong emotional beats to gorgeous visuals, Unravel Two is a tour-de-force that will leave your partner wanting for more.

5 Spiritfarer

Time for some feels

One of the best games you can play with your partner, Spiritfarer is a 2D platformer and management sim. You’re in charge of a boat that ferries spirits to the next life, feeding them and helping them with tasks. Almost every interaction in Spiritfarer is emotionally charged, and the gameplay loop includes charming activities like fishing, farming, and crafting combined with gentle exploration that never gets too complex.

Any non-gamer will find it easy to lose themselves in the world of Spiritfarer, as you can always switch between the protagonist Stella and her helper Daffodil. Any time your partner feels overwhelmed, you can take the helm and guide them through the journey, so that they can enjoy the adventure, conversations, heart-warming soundtrack, and pleasant visuals.

4 Escape Academy

Escapism at its finest

Visiting escape rooms with your partner can be insanely addictive, and when you can do it from the comfort of your couch, it’s even better. In Escape Academy, you and your partner play students who go through quizzes, tests, traps, and assignments — all in the form of escape rooms. Your collective creative muscles are going to require a lot of flexing as each room gets progressively tougher to crack.

The split-screen view is a plus point, as you can always see what your partner sees, and help each other overcome those tricky challenges. There’s also a hint system for when the going gets tough, ultimately leading to a scoring system that both you and your fellow case-cracker can revel in. So, if you’re itching for some escape room fun with your loved ones, Escape Academy delivers in spades.

3 Bugsnax

Snack all you want

A quirky and delightful adventure that’s nearly perfect for playing with a non-gamer, Bugsnax will have you and your partner working together to capture adorable creatures called Bugsnax. No surprise that the creatures aren’t just bugs, but also snacks. There’s an overarching whimsy to the narrative, but it’s Bugsnax’s enjoyable mechanics and accessible control scheme that keep players stuck to their controllers.

You and your partner will lure creatures to entrap them, basking in the game’s humor, charm, and imaginative design. There are plenty of vibrant biomes to explore, endless quirky names to chuckle at, and countless Bugsnax to capture, all of which together guarantee eight hours of stress-free fun for you and your partner.

2 Untitled Goose Game

Let your intrusive thoughts win

“Honey, do you want to cause unbridled chaos as a pair of geese?” is a question that will rarely go unanswered. If you and your partner want to engage in pure mischief, Untitled Goose Game is the game for you. As a pair of feathered saboteurs, you will find yourself wreaking havoc on a peaceful village, upturning food carts, dowsing gardeners with hoses, and generally being as disruptive as possible.

The controls are rather simple and intuitive, and for non-gamers, there really is no pressure to get things right. Each moment in the gameplay loop is about planned actions never going right, which only adds to the hilarity and enjoyable moments that the game promises and delivers on. However, the only potential drawbacks are the game’s multiplayer aspect being exclusively local co-op, and the campaign itself being only a couple of hours long.

1 Stardew Valley

The best cozy life sim

A list of cozy co-op games to play with your partner can never truly be complete without Stardew Valley, can it? A relaxing farming sim, it will make you and your non-gamer partner fall in love with managing a farm, growing crops, raising animals, and exploring the beautiful, vibrant, and homey locale of Pelican Town.

The game allows non-gamers to ease into its gameplay, thanks to its laid-back and flexible pace. You can fish by the river, mine some caves, fight monsters, or decorate your adorable little home together, reaping the rewards of not just the in-game challenges, but of building a farm and life together, basking in the feeling of shared accomplishment with your loved one.

Gaming is surprisingly tough for non-gamers

We sometimes fail to realize that, for our partners who've never been part of the medium for decades, playing video games doesn't come easy at all. It's like learning a new skill that demands a lot of you, and easing your partner into this wonderful hobby requires the right gateway games. The list of co-op games I've shared should help you introduce your partner to some endlessly enjoyable yet fairly easy games that both of you can play together.