Games Like Fireboy and Watergirl: Co-op Puzzle Platformers
Updated
Games like Fireboy and Watergirl are co-op puzzle platformers for two players on one keyboard: each player controls one character, the two characters can do different things, and a level only counts when both reach the exit. Fireboy and Watergirl is a series by the developer Oslo Albet that began in 2009. The games below are original games by independent studios built on the same idea.
What makes Fireboy and Watergirl work
In Fireboy and Watergirl one player moves Fireboy with the arrow keys and the other moves Watergirl with WASD. Only Fireboy can cross lava and only Watergirl can cross water; touching the other element is fatal, and green acid kills both. Each character collects diamonds of their own color, and levers and buttons have to be operated carefully so that both characters can finish the level.
Three ideas carry the whole series. Here is where to find them in the games below:
| Idea | What it looks like in play | Games that use it |
|---|---|---|
| Different abilities | One character can do what the other cannot | Duo Bad Brothers, Dog and Cat Sweet, Fire Dragon Adventure |
| Color-coded goals | A red key and a blue key to fetch, for a red and a blue player | BrotMax 2 Player |
| A shared exit | Nobody wins until both get out | Happy Devil and UnHappy Angel, Duo Bad Brothers |
Two characters, two different skills
- Duo Bad Brothers is the closest in spirit. Two zombie brothers break out of a lab: the big one breaks wooden walls, the little one goes through small holes. Collect all 3 stars to open the door, then reach it together.
- Dog and Cat Sweet asks a dog and a cat to work as a team on the way to the doghouse. Only the dog can open the bridge and the iron gate, and you collect food for both of them.
- Fire Dragon Adventure pairs a hero with his dragon. The hero moves with WASD, hits with F and can wall-jump; the dragon moves with the arrow keys and breathes fire with L. Some levels have puzzles that need both of you.
Keys, doors and a shared exit
These keep the controls simple: get both players to the exit, often after picking up a key or items on the way.
- BrotMax 2 Player gives the red player WASD and the blue player the arrow keys. Fetch the red and the blue key and reach the finish while a cube monster tries to eat you.
- Happy Devil and UnHappy Angel has a devil and an angel escaping from hell. Collect the gold, get the key, and reach the portal at the same time as your friend.
- Red and Blue Adventure is a straightforward run for two past plenty of enemies: collect the diamonds and reach the door, with a double jump for each player.
- Space Prison Escape follows two friends, kidnapped by robot aliens, looking for the exit of a space shuttle. Player one uses WASD and F, player two the arrow keys with K and L, and you can double jump and hang on walls.
Bigger co-op adventures with tools
In these, each player also carries tools, so you split jobs as well as paths.
- Miners Adventure sends a grandfather and grandchild underground for precious stones. One player shoots and cracks a whip, the other digs and throws grenades, and you solve the puzzles together to get out of the mine.
- The Pyramid Adventure spreads 20 levels across ancient pyramids. Collect diamonds, complete the sculptures and open the locked doors, and split the work: one player shoots, the other throws grenades and carries boxes.
- Lost Pyramid plays on a split screen with a mini map. Avoid mummies and booby traps, collect all the gems and find each other again.
- Ghost Wiper has two brothers cleaning a haunted house, twenty rooms in all. The younger one fires a laser; the older one throws boxes and traps.
How to play co-op puzzle games well
- Talk before you move. Agree who goes first, who holds a switch and who waits.
- Learn what each character can do. In Duo Bad Brothers only the big brother breaks wooden walls and only the little one fits through small holes, so the route depends on who goes where.
- Collect what the exit needs. In BrotMax 2 Player you fetch the red and the blue key before you can reach the finish.
- Arrive together. In Happy Devil and UnHappy Angel you both have to reach the portal at the same time.
Games like Fireboy and Watergirl FAQ
What are the controls in these games?
Most use the same split as Fireboy and Watergirl: one player on WASD and the other on the arrow keys, sometimes with an action key each. The tips for sharing a keyboard are in the guide to 2 player games on one keyboard.
Can you play them alone?
They are built for two, but one person can steer both characters, one hand on WASD and the other on the arrow keys. It is harder, because some levels need both characters to work together, and in Happy Devil and UnHappy Angel both must reach the portal at the same time. For jump-and-run levels made for one player, open platformer games or the obstacle courses in obby games.
Can you play them online on two computers?
The games in this guide are made for two people at one keyboard, and their descriptions do not mention online play.
Can you play them on a phone or tablet?
Duo Bad Brothers and Happy Devil and UnHappy Angel list touch controls, and Dog and Cat Sweet says it plays on mobile. The site itself works in the browser of a phone, a tablet and a computer.
More games for two, co-op and head-to-head, are in 2 player games.
