Split Fiction.

The Gavler Review.

Split Fiction Review: The Co-op Game Every Duo Should Play

Split Fiction ranks number 7 on Gavler's Best Games of 2025 list with a 9.0. Hazelight Studios' follow-up to It Takes Two throws two writers — one working in sci-fi, one in fantasy — into their own stories, and mines that split premise for a nonstop stream of new mechanics that almost never repeat. GameSpot didn't hedge: "Split Fiction could very well be the best cooperative game I've ever played. At the very least, I firmly believe it sets a new standard for the genre." The catch is built into the concept itself — this is a two-player-only game, full stop, so its 9.0 score only matters to you if you have someone to play it with.

What it is

Split Fiction is a mandatory-co-op action-adventure from Hazelight Studios, the team behind A Way Out and It Takes Two, published by Electronic Arts and released March 6, 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows, and Switch 2. The premise: two aspiring writers, Mio and Zoe, get physically pulled into their own manuscripts — one a science-fiction epic, the other a fantasy tale — and have to cooperate their way out. Levels alternate between the two genres, and nearly every chapter introduces a fresh gimmick, from dragon flight to gravity-bending puzzles, that's used and then retired rather than recycled for the rest of the campaign.

It plays via local split-screen or online, and a Friend's Pass lets a second player join the full game for free if only one person owns a copy — a system that made It Takes Two a couch-co-op staple and carries over here.

In use

What sets Split Fiction apart from most co-op games isn't difficulty or spectacle, it's variety density. Where a lot of two-player games lean on one or two core mechanics stretched across ten hours, Hazelight keeps introducing new ones — a new movement ability, a new puzzle type, a new set-piece structure — at a pace that rarely lets the game feel repetitive. Push Square's review captured this directly, calling it "one of the most accomplished and fun co-op titles on PS5 to date." The sci-fi and fantasy halves genuinely feel distinct in tone and mechanics rather than being a cosmetic skin over the same systems, which is part of why the constant switching stays fresh instead of whiplash-inducing.

Communication is the actual engine of the experience. Because most puzzles and set-pieces require both players doing different, complementary things simultaneously, Split Fiction works best when you're talking through solutions together rather than one player carrying the other. That's by design, and it's the same formula that made It Takes Two a critical and commercial hit — Split Fiction just applies it to an even wider range of gameplay ideas.

Strengths

• Constant mechanical invention. Side stories and main chapters alike rarely reuse the same gimmick twice, which keeps a roughly ten-to-twelve-hour campaign from ever feeling padded.
• Genuine two-player design, not co-op bolted onto single-player. Every puzzle and set-piece assumes two people are actively engaged, not one player watching the other solve things.
• Friend's Pass value. One purchase covers both players for the full campaign, which meaningfully lowers the real cost of entry for the pair.
• Cross-genre structure. Alternating between sci-fi and fantasy stories keeps the tone and mechanics varied in a way a single-setting co-op game couldn't match.

The trade-offs — who should skip it

The obvious one: you cannot play Split Fiction solo. There's no single-player mode, no AI companion, nothing — it's built exclusively for two people in the room or online together, and if you don't have a consistent co-op partner, the 9.0 score is irrelevant to you. That's a real limitation, not a minor footnote, and it's worth being honest about before buying: this is a game you're purchasing for a relationship, not just for yourself.

It's also worth noting that a game this reliant on constant novelty can occasionally introduce a mechanic that lands better than others — not every gimmick in a nonstop stream of them is going to be everyone's favorite, and pacing preferences will vary between a duo who wants more puzzle-solving and one that wants more action set-pieces. Neither is a dealbreaker, but they're the kind of trade-offs inherent to a design built around breadth over depth in any single system.

How it compares

On the same Best Games of 2025 list, Blue Prince ranks one spot higher at 9 with a 9.1 — but it's a solo puzzle-mansion roguelike, essentially the opposite experience: single-player, methodical, and built around daily runs rather than shared spontaneity. Doom: The Dark Ages ranks 10 with an 8.7 and is another single-player pick, a grounded, shield-driven first-person shooter with none of Split Fiction's cooperative DNA. Split Fiction is the only genuinely two-player-mandatory experience among the year's top-rated titles, which is exactly why it's worth seeking out if you have a partner — nothing else on this list scratches that itch as well.

The Gavler verdict

Split Fiction is Hazelight at the top of its game — a couch- or online-co-op adventure that keeps reinventing itself scene to scene instead of coasting on one good idea. The 9.0 score reflects genuine critical consensus: this is regularly cited among the best cooperative games ever made, and the Friend's Pass makes the real-world cost of entry lower than the sticker price suggests. The only question that matters is whether you have someone to play it with — if you do, grab a partner and don't look anything up going in.

— The Gavler Team

Common Questions

Is Split Fiction worth it in 2026?

Yes, if you have a regular co-op partner. GameSpot called it 'the best cooperative game I've ever played,' and Push Square went further, saying it's 'Hazelight Studios' best game yet.' At $49.99 with a Friend's Pass that lets a second player join for free, it's an easy recommendation for pairs.

Can you play Split Fiction alone?

No. Split Fiction is built exclusively for two players, either in local split-screen or online co-op — there is no single-player mode. If you don't have a regular gaming partner, this isn't the game for you regardless of how well it reviews.

Do both players need to buy Split Fiction?

No. Only one person needs to own the game — Hazelight's Friend's Pass lets that owner invite a partner to play the full campaign together for free, the same system It Takes Two used.