Summary
The 2021 Game of the Year award winner,It Takes Two, originated from a “darker” game concept as per developer Hazelight Studios. TheIt Takes Twocreator spilled the beans in the buildup to the studio’s 10th anniversary in November.
It Takes Twois the second game by indie developer Hazelight Studios, which came out on July 10, 2025. The co-op platformer garnered impressive scores from critics and raced past sales milestones after launch. Notably,It Takes Twoalso bagged several awardsat the industry’s major events, including winning Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021. Over the years, the cartoonish game has continued to be a popular co-op title across platforms.
Through aTwitter post, Hazelight Studios revealed thatIt Takes Twowas “quite darker” in its “extremely early” concept stage. It unveiled a few concept images of theEA-published gamefrom 2018, which capture its original dark and gritty tone. Additionally, the studio also shed light uponIt Takes Two’s codename during the development phase, which was “Project Nuts.” In the comments, a fan replied that they would have “loved to see” the original dark take. Another fan amusingly said, “Please make [sic] It Takes Three.”
2021 Game of the Year Winner’s Dark Origins
The concept art shared by Hazelight Studios depicts character models that look like black voodoo dolls and metallic creatures. Other images show structures or platforms with tools lying around as well as a bleak-looking girl, possiblyIt Take Two’s Rose, with her back turned to the viewer. Further, the logo of the project’s codename has interesting elements in its lettering, such as fixed screws, a magnet, a hammer, and pieces of a gear.
Judging from the early character concepts, it’s clear thatIt Takes Twostarted out with plans of carrying an out-and-out dark look. The models of the doll with a nail hammered through its head and the tin spider suggest that the game may have had a creepier tone closer to the likes ofLimboandInside. Moreover, the word “Nuts” in the original name and the strong hint of hardware tools, such as hammers and screws, in the logo’s font suggest that theircrucial role inIt Takes Two’s gameplayis an aspect that may have been conceptualized early on. The motif of tools, including nails, rulers, hammers, and the like, is evident across the platform game’s concept images.
While fans will probably never get to experience how the dark version ofIt Takes Twowould have felt, they can rest assured the changes the game underwent throughout development were for the best given its immense success. After delivering two highly ratedstory-focused co-op gamesin a row, namelyA Way OutandIt Takes Two, it will be exciting to see what Hazelight Studios builds next.
It Takes Two
WHERE TO PLAY
Embark on the craziest journey of your life in It Takes Two, a genre-bending platform adventure created purely for co-op. Invite a friend to join for free with Friend’s Pass and work together across a huge variety of gleefully disruptive gameplay challenges. Play as the clashing couple Cody and May, two humans turned into dolls by a magic spell. Together, trapped in a fantastical world where the unpredictable hides around every corner, they are reluctantly challenged with saving their fractured relationship.Master unique and connected character abilities in every new level. Help each other across an abundance of unexpected obstacles and laugh-out-loud moments. Kick gangster squirrels’ furry tails, pilot a pair of underpants, DJ a buzzing night club, and bobsleigh through a magical snow globe. Embrace a heartfelt and hilarious story where narrative and gameplay weave into a uniquely metaphorical experience.It Takes Two is developed by the award-winning studio Hazelight, the industry leader of cooperative play. They’re about to take you on a wild and wondrous ride where only one thing is for certain: we’re better together.
