Split Fiction: two writers, two worlds, one game for two
Split Fiction is a co-op-only adventure by Hazelight Studios, the team behind It Takes Two, published by EA. It came out on March 6, 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, and on Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, 2025. It cannot be played alone: two players go through the whole story together, on one screen or online.
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The story
Mio writes science fiction. Zoe writes fantasy. Both get pulled into a machine built to copy their ideas, and end up trapped inside their own stories. To escape, they have to work together and stop the machine from stealing their work. The worlds switch between neon cities and space chases on one side and dragons and magic forests on the other.
Why the co-op design works
The screen is split in two for the whole game, and in most chapters each player gets a different ability, so the two of you see and do different things. Most puzzles only make sense when both players use their part at the same time, so you talk constantly.
The game changes its rules every few minutes. One chapter is a platformer, the next a shooter, a racing sequence, a boss fight or a short arcade game. Optional side stories add even more quick ideas. It never settles into one genre, which is why many players finish it in a few long sessions.
Friend's Pass and crossplay
- One copy is enough. The owner invites a friend, who downloads the free Friend's Pass and plays the whole game at no cost.
- Crossplay. PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Switch 2 players can play together.
- Couch co-op. Two players can share one screen on the same console or PC.
Co-op puzzles on Roam
- Split Scare. A separate Roam game: two kids in one haunted theatre, helping each other out on a split screen. Closest to Split Fiction's two-player design.
Play it on Roam
More on Roam
Make your own co-op game with Roam
Roam is a free iPhone app: describe a game and it comes back playable, and friends can join. Give each player a different power and a reason to need the other one. Roam is rated 13+ on the App Store.
Try: "two-player co-op, one of us can freeze water, the other can light fires, escape a sinking pirate ship together"Roam ("Roam - Make Games" on the App Store) is an iPhone app where you play games and make your own by describing them or from a photo. It is free to download and play, and making games works without a subscription; optional Spark and Reality plans and credit packs add more creation. Android: pre-register on Google Play.
Questions people ask
Can you play Split Fiction solo?
No. It is co-op only and needs two players, either on one screen or online.
Do both players need to buy Split Fiction?
No. With the Friend's Pass, one owner can invite a friend to play the full game for free.
Is Split Fiction on Nintendo Switch?
It is on Nintendo Switch 2 since June 5, 2025, with crossplay. It is not on the original Switch.
Sources, checked November 3, 2026
- Hazelight/EA, Mar 6 2025 PS5/Xbox Series/PC, Switch 2 June 5 2025, co-op only: en.wikipedia.org
- Story: Mio and Zoe trapped in their stories by a machine that steals ideas: en.wikipedia.org
- Friend's Pass free; crossplay on PS, Xbox, Switch 2 and PC: ea.com