5 Best Games Like We Were Here Forever

We Were Here does exactly what it says on the tin: it brings two players together to work through a variety of perplexing trials and tribulations over an otherwise fun-filled and evidently puzzle-heavy journey. This alone rings so many bells that it's almost too easy to get lost in the abundance of couch co-op puzzle games that bulk out most modern markets. It's choosing which ones to adopt into your library, of course, that's the issue here.

The point is, if you enjoyed any of the We Were Here entries—particularly We Were Here Forever—then you'll be pleased to know that there are, in fact, plenty more of the same kind to hurl both yourself and your closest friends at. But if you're looking to soak up the best of the best, on the other hand, then look no further than these following five.

5. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is an adrenaline-fueled online co-op game in which two players must work together to defuse a ticking time bomb. As a team, both players must allocate one of two responsibilities to themselves: the blind instructor, who must read out the instructions on how to defuse the device, and the bomb defuser, who must listen carefully to said instructions in order to complete the steps and safely disarm it before the clock whittles down its final seconds.

It goes without saying that Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes isn't the laid-back couch co-op game that you'd necessarily play on a lazy weekend. But having said that, it does pose a great challenge, and it's also an incredible test of will power and communication, regardless of the bond between you and the one scanning through the manual. So, if you're truly interested in testing the moral fibre of your closest online friendship, then look no further than this.

4. Escape Academy

Escape Academy is a lock-and-key type of puzzle game that bases its entire universe around distinctive escape rooms. As a student under the respective banner of the famous campus, you must prove your worth as the next Houdini. This of course means having to tackle a multitude of tough-as-nails escape rooms and puzzle-heavy scenarios. Its biggest downside, which definitely won't help you out in the long run, is that you must do all of this alone and without assistance.

Escape Academy may not be the longest puzzle game in the world, but its short and immersive rooms certainly boast enough complexities to make you want to round back to the beginning and crack the codes all over again. And with that said, you should honestly consider enrolling as one of the academy's next students—if only to test your mettle against some of the most advanced puzzles in gaming history.

3. Firewatch

Firewatch may not be the couch co-op game you and your buds had in mind, but it's definitely a love letter to the We Were Here series, for sure. And on that note, if you enjoy long-term isolation, two-way communication, and the romance of an unsolved murder-mystery case, then you'll no doubt find plenty to love with this award-winning walking simulator.

Firewatch casts you as Henry, a waylaid husband-in-grieving who seeks a season of isolation in the eerily vacant canyon district of Shoshone National Forest. Hired as a firewatch assistant, you must communicate with the only other person within a hundred miles—a mysterious and somewhat reserved woman named Delilah—and endure a summer of silence. However, with a cold case surrounding a missing boy still in the air, you will also need to go beyond what's expected of you and unravel the mystery for yourself.

2. Unravel Two

If you're looking to test your strength and endurance as just one of two halves, then you needn't explore any further than Unravel Two, a quirky co-op platformer that follows two hand-knitted dolls of yarn on a whirlwind adventure. Joint at the hip by one multicolored thread, two of you must work together in unison to help overcome an enormous variety of obstacle-filled levels and original worlds.

It's easy to see the appeal with this one, to be fair. Although relatively short and without any dialogue, its puzzles and soundtrack are still perhaps some of the most thought-out and well-orchestrated in all of the known indie realm. Therefore, if you're looking to delve into an original work of art that's both intriguing and effortlessly wholesome, then be sure to shed some love for this Coldwood Interactive original.

1. Portal 2

It seems odd to put a game that dates back to 2011 on a list that's predominantly next-gen, yet its timeless design is still very much approachable even today. Besides the fact that it's actually locked to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, there are still a fair few Portal 2 players running around the latter, which alone speaks volumes for the decade-old puzzler. And so, if you've got either an old console or a Steam account, then you'll no doubt find a perfectly sturdy lobby to enrol in.

Of course, if you've played the first Portal entry, then you'll already have a vague idea of how the second works; it's a two-player co-op game in which you must work together to operate various slides, gears, and mechanisms using a portal gun. All of this comes enveloped in a humours albeit slightly wacky story-driven experience that's both available for lone wolves and desperate duos. With that said, if you have the patience to spare, then it's definitely worth giving the time of day.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up any of the above five games? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.