Pitfall Planet

A stranded pair of astrobots turns a derelict mining planet into a cheerful, hazardous playground for cooperative problem-solving. Pitfall Planet is a local co-op puzzle adventure built around navigating underground caverns, recovering valuable ore, and keeping both players alive amid lava, drops, and hostile machinery. Its colorful, compact presentation keeps the mood playful even when a mistimed throw sends your partner plummeting into danger. The focus is less on reflex-heavy action than communication, experimentation, and laughing at the chaos your plans create. Our team found that the game’s tone stays light even during the trickiest sections, which makes failure feel like part of the fun rather than a frustration.

Every stage asks the two robots to combine their grappling tools with the objects scattered around the environment. Hooks can grab crates, lanterns, movable equipment, and even the other player, allowing one partner to be hauled across a gap, launched toward a ledge, or repositioned for a tricky switch puzzle. Buttons, spring pads, rockets, tanks, hazards, and enemies gradually complicate the route to each level’s ore, so success depends on timing and understanding how each toy-like system interacts. A connected overworld links the caverns together and rewards curious players with optional routes and secrets beyond the critical path. During our playthrough, we noticed that the overworld map is more than a menu — it hides small side rooms that are easy to miss unless you deliberately explore.

The ability to physically toss your co-op partner is Pitfall Planet’s best idea, because it turns ordinary platform-puzzle design into a shared physics comedy. Hidden gems add an extra layer of completion hunting and unlock cosmetic hats, giving teams a reason to revisit levels after simply reaching the exit. Flexible local controls support keyboards, controllers, and even two people sharing a single pad, making it unusually accessible for couch sessions. Fans of cooperative games such as Death Squared, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, or the more puzzle-focused moments of Overcooked should find plenty to enjoy, especially if they prefer teamwork over competition. If you enjoy exploring lighthearted planetary adventures, you might also like A Planet Full of Cats, which shares a similarly playful tone.