Valentine’s Day has to be one of the most divisive holidays of them all. Many people view it as a consumerist nightmare that preys on humanity’s biggest weakness: our loved ones. After all, what’s a few bucks when it comes to your sweetheart’s feelings?
Flowers, cards, and chocolates are the gifts of choice for many lovebirds all over the world seeking to make their partner feel special. However, celebrating the holiday doesn’t have to be about something you purchase; you can also aim to give an experience. It’s the perfect opportunity to loop your significant other into one of your biggest hobbies: trophy hunting.
That is, if you have a special someone. Everyone knows that gamers aren’t ones to go on dates! In this article, we will discuss 8 different video games that will scratch that Valentine’s Day itch whether you’re paired off or single.
These games cover a wide variety of flavors, including either co-op gameplay where you and your cherished duo bring the heat or story-based titles where you can instead enjoy another couple’s blooming romance on screen. Choose your degree of involvement and make this February 14th a day you’ll never forget!
Table of Contents
8. A Hat in Time
Let’s start the list off with something not explicitly romantic at all. A Hat in Time is a cutesy 3D platformer in the vein of the Super Mario series. It’s adorable, isn’t too difficult for gaming novices, and most importantly, it has fully functional co-op!
That means you and your favorite person can help Hat Kid find all the time pieces—the game’s preeminent collectible—together. Follow this sassy child on an adventure across several different worlds in a bid to acquire enough fuel for her ship to return home.
In a sense, you’ll be the one to bring romance into the equation. A Hat in Time makes for a great Valentine’s Day pick because it invites cooperative play with low stakes and an easygoing story. You can teasingly rib your lover for missing jumps, be the hero for solving hard sections, and laugh together over the silliness on screen.
From a trophy hunting perspective, A Hat in Time is easy. If your duo has some gaming experience, you can very likely get all the trophies with them by your side. The PSN Profiles trophy guide puts the game at 20 hours and a 3/10 difficulty. The two DLCs are ranked much worse, with Seal the Deal at 20 hours and a 7/10 difficulty and the Nyakuza Metro at 2 hours and a 3/10 difficulty.
Personally? I find these rankings to be blown out of proportion. Assist Mode drastically changes the difficulty for the Seal the Deal DLC. If you’re worried about not being able to get through to 100% completion, don’t be.
My recommendation is to play through as many challenges as you can without assistance (for fun), then turn it on to wrap up what remains. You can take turns with your partner every challenge or death to make it a bit competitive if you’d like! As I recall, there were two challenges that I needed an extra boost in my playthrough, and they were the boss rush and buffed Snatcher fight.
I played the game in its entirety for just under 100 hours. That includes me earning all the trophies, doing a second run in co-op when it was released, and just generally fooling around with my sweetheart. For Valentine’s Day, consider doing the same with yours, and then clean up the trophies over time.
7. Sackboy: A Big Adventure
The order of these games is no coincidence. Sackboy: A Big Adventure is another 3D platformer that leans on its charming aesthetic and tight controls. This time, you play as a doll-like character on a quest to save his friends, who’ve been kidnapped by a dastardly fiend with his own ambitions.
Just like A Hat in Time, Sackboy: A Big Adventure has co-op. You can play the entire game with a buddy at your side. In fact, you can have more than one if you truly desire. Once again, the game doesn’t have anything overtly romantic about it, so it’s up to you to make the moment.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is light on story, but it’s big on fun moments. You can work together with your +1 to complete trophy objectives and find collectibles. One of the best aspects of the game is the music levels, which may get your partner dancing depending on their familiarity with the songs. Is your loved one a Britney Spears or Frank Sinatra fan?
This time, you don’t have any DLC stacks to worry about. Sackboy: A Big Adventure only has a single group of achievements, and they come from its base set. The trophy guide on PSN Profiles rates it as needing 30 hours to complete and with a 5/10 difficulty rating.
Honestly? I’d say this is a fair assessment. I actually spent 30 hours and 54 seconds playing this game, so I was right on the money with the author’s expectations. The majority of Sackboy: A Big Adventure is straightforward for trophy hunting purposes, but the reason for the difficulty spike must be because of one notorious trophy.
“String it Together” requires getting a gold rating on a very difficult stage that tests everything you know about the game. It’s a 10-minute gauntlet that demands perfection, as any slip-up will cost you a run. If you consider yourself to be a fairly seasoned and skilled gamer, you’ll be fine. With enough practice, you’ll nail it. Just maybe don’t sit your poor significant other down and task them with this trophy.
For Valentine’s Day, see how far you can get with your partner. Have some snacks, make jokes about each other’s failed moves, and see who can dress in the best fit. Simple, light fun.
6. Life is Strange
I think that’s enough of the cute and wholesome games for now. So far, we’ve only discussed games that will largely appeal to trophy hunters with a partner—or a fully consenting robot companion—but what about those of us with only plush toys to keep us warm at night?
Fear not, we have options. Life is Strange is an incredibly popular story-driven game that excels in its relationship building and unique gameplay elements. Max Caulfield is moving back to Arcadia Bay after five years, and one thing she’s worried about is facing her childhood best friend.
And for good reason: Chloe Price is no longer the sweet little girl that Max remembers playing with. While repairing your relationship with Chloe, you must also build friendships with the other residents of Arcadia Bay, solve the mystery of another girl’s murder, and prevent anyone else from getting hurt.
Oh, and since when did Max have time control powers?
In Life is Strange, you control how the narrative develops. That means you have an active role in how all of your relationships flourish or wither. In terms of romance, you have two options: Chloe Price and Warren Graham.
For Valentine’s Day, it would be a fantastic idea to experience this story-rich title and see your preferred romance bloom. While these relationships may not be perfect, they are complex and very riveting for that reason.
If you do have a significant other, this game can still be a great choice if they enjoy watching drama unfold. Heck, you can even let them pick the dialogue choices and simply ferry the game along on their behalf!
The trophy hunt for Life is Strange is a cinch. All you have to do is beat the game and find all the photographs, which are the collectibles. The PSN Profiles trophy guide has stated it takes 10 hours with a 1/10 difficulty ranking on average.
Overall, I spent 27 hours playing through the original Life is Strange. This includes multiple playthroughs where I wanted to see how my results varied with different actions.
It just goes to show how much I enjoyed seeing Chloe Price and Max Caulfield’s relationship take off. Just… don’t look into Life is Strange: Double Exposure if you really resonated with their love story. That would absolutely be foul play on Valentine’s Day.
5. Eternights
Eternights is the one title on this list that had me questioning its inclusion. Not because it’s not a romantic game—there are four different romance options with fully fleshed-out storylines—but rather because there are some genuinely creepy moments that might not always lend to a fuzzy date night mood.
After all, this game is based in an apocalyptic setting with infected humans. You must balance your time wisely to get a cutie and also save the world. If you can get past the tense atmosphere, there is a lot of lovey-dovey content to enjoy.
Best of all, this game can be fully enjoyed by single trophy hunters. Couples can have one main driver to play the game and a passenger to watch and advise as if it’s their very own interactive movie.
It’s worth mentioning that Eternights covers a wide variety of character types that you can romance. That means you can pursue whichever personality type best suits you. Your romance options include:
- Yuna, the kind and preppy idol;
- Sia, the smart and sassy scientist;
- Min, the quiet and awkward athlete;
- Yohan, the late-game ethereal being.
Of particular note is Yohan, who is the only male romance option. However, you’ll be getting well-acquainted with them all throughout your time trophy hunting in this game. That’s because you must fully complete all of their romance routes for the platinum trophy.
The PSN Profiles trophy guide places Eternights at 15 hours and a 3/10 difficulty. Bear in mind that this is calculated assuming that you create a save state and do every romance option in one playthrough.
While I don’t necessarily disagree with the difficulty rating, I would say that this game’s action-based combat was very annoying and required much patience. I played for 20 hours and actually did do more than one playthrough. If you’d like to see more about my time with Eternights, I actually wrote an article all about the game here.
4. Haven
Haven is the only game on this list that I have not played through to completion. As a matter of fact, it’s the one I actually intend to play with my special someone this Valentine’s Day. So, if you choose this one as well, we’ll be in good company.
Although I’m writing this somewhat sight unseen, I’m confident that this title will make a fantastic co-op romp with a romantic edge. The game’s synopsis says it all: you play as established couple Yu and Kay, runaways who sought refuge on a lost planet. They gave up everything and everyone they knew to be together.
Importantly, Haven can be enjoyed as a solo or co-op experience. That means our bachelor and bachelorette friends can still enjoy trophy hunting in this game. For that matter, the PSN Profiles trophy guide says it’s only 15 hours long and a 3/10 difficulty.
In the absence of my own stats with this game, I’ll share something that may make you even more interested in it. The game developers of Haven actually added a free update post-release that allowed players to choose the genders of their characters.
That means you can play this romantic storyline featuring either a man and a woman, two men, or two women, all with completely redone dialogue and voice lines. This is a greatly appreciated gesture that goes a long way toward inclusivity for all kinds of people.
3. Stardew Valley
If you’re a trophy hunter visiting my blog, you’ve more than likely heard of this game in one way or another. Stardew Valley is an insanely popular farming simulation game in which you get to start over in a quiet village. Befriend the townsfolk, grow vegetables, explore the treacherous mines, and decorate your home; the skies are the limit!
Stardew Valley is a cozy game that never truly asks anything of the player. In other words, you and your partner can do whatever you like in the game, including delineating separate tasks. So if your lovebird prefers to make your home base look pretty, they can do that while you acquire materials in the mines. That’s some solid teamwork.
Even non-gamers have been known to enjoy Stardew Valley. It’s a solid bet to play for Valentine’s Day no matter someone’s skill level. There are also a ton of relationship storylines for you to enjoy, plus you can even marry your co-op buddy! Since you can romance several of the villagers, that means the game makes a good choice for single trophy hunters too.
That said, I must warn completionists about the game’s trophy set. You must see and do pretty much everything the game has to offer to earn all of its trophies. The PSN Profiles trophy guide has the game rated for 110 hours and with a 6/10 difficulty. There is also a DLC set with 30 hours and a 3/10 difficulty ranking.
Almost certainly, the difficulty for this game resides in a single trophy. “Fector’s Challenge” requires players to beat an arcade mini-game without a single death. It’s obscenely difficult… unless you know how to cheese it. More on that in my guide linked below.
In other words, the achievements aren’t really difficult so much as they are time-consuming. Play with your sweetheart, and you may just be surprised to see a shared passion for trophy hunting spark. Otherwise, you can always chew through this on your own time after they’ve had their fill. After all, you can trophy hunt in Stardew Valley completely solo if you so desire.
I’ve spent a whopping 140 hours on PlayStation playing Stardew Valley, which is right on the money with the PSN Profiles estimate. I’ve also played 75 hours on Nintendo Switch and 150 hours on Steam Deck, bringing my total playtime with the title up to an incredible 365 hours. That’s a lot of farming.
If you need additional help with the game or just like my insights, check out my Stardew Valley version 1.6 trophy guide. It has everything you need to know to unlock the platinum trophy and all the DLC achievements.
2. KeyWe
You know what we’ve been lacking so far? Party games! Although we’ve been focused on a mixture of single-player story experiences and multiplayer gameplay forward titles, we have yet to discuss a game that truly throws any semblance of story to the wind in favor of pure unadulterated fun.
Enter KeyWe. In this adorable title, you play as a mailman kiwi duo in either single-player or multiplayer to keep the post office afloat. This is accomplished via a variety of mini games that you must master. Fail, and the whole business might just collapse. That’s really all there is to say about its story.
For Valentine’s Day, I’d recommend this game for couples specifically, as the whole point of it is to work together. It’s something low stakes that both players can feel good about. For single trophy hunters, I’d suggest to look for another game on this list unless avoiding romance is the goal.
The PSN Profiles trophy guide lists KeyWe as taking 15 hours on average with a fairly surprising 5/10 difficulty rating. I’m guessing the game is more difficult if you and your partner’s communication needs work, or if you are flying solo.
I spent 13 hours in KeyWe across 10 different sessions. The only issue I encountered when I was trophy hunting for this title when it released back in 2021 was that there was a game-breaking bug that prevented a mini game from working properly. The developers did not patch it for more than a month!
1. It Takes Two
Honestly, if It Takes Two didn’t make the cut for a list of Valentine’s Day games to trophy hunt for I’m not sure that I would take the post seriously. This game is basically the most obvious game to play with someone you share a deep connection with on this most saintly holiday.
Cody and May are a married couple that are on the brink of divorce. I know, romantic, right? Hold on. These two squabbling lovers are shrunk down by some magical power and must work together to return to normal. Although they bicker lots at the start, both characters begin to learn where they went wrong. Thus begins a sweet return to form.
It Takes Two makes for a picture-perfect Valentine’s Day title for two reasons: the gameplay is fun and easy for novices, and it has plot relevance. You can discuss the arguments that Cody and May have and recontextualize them to better understand your own relationship. You also can get the payoff of seeing their relationship improve over time, which will naturally make you feel closer to your own partner.
Single trophy hunters be warned: this game cannot be played without a buddy. It technically can be played with a second controller if you really wanted to… but that seems awfully depressing. Why not play another title instead?
Trophy hunting in It Takes Two is very straightforward. The PSN Profiles trophy guide places it at taking 15 hours with a 3/10 difficulty. For solo players, I fear you will need to sit this one out. The entire game and its whole trophy set practically require multiplayer.
While trophy hunting in It Takes Two, I spent about 13 hours across four different sessions. This is very doable for a Valentine’s Day weekend, should the game resonate with a couple.
If you enjoyed this game, definitely check out the rest of Hazelight Studio’s line-up, including A Way Out and Split Fiction. These titles are not overtly romantic in the way that It Takes Two is, but they do have similar gameplay and co-op focus.
Conclusion
Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about going to fancy restaurants or making grand gestures. It can just be about the small day-to-day moments you share with your partner, like playing a video game together. The important thing is to match your loved one’s energy and put in the effort to make it special, if that’s their thing.
Do you have a romantic date lined up this year? Or is a bad break-up weighing you down? If you’re feeling jaded, consider checking out our list of horror games that we created for Halloween last year instead. Perhaps starting a more difficult trophy hunt with an entirely different kind of mood will get your mind off of the sickly sweet lovey-dovey season.
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