For just five bucks, you can ruin up to four relationships at once in Chained Together, a platformer that’s pretty much exactly like the viral hit Only Up, but this time in co-op.
You may remember Only Up as a third-person platformer in which players performed hair-pullingly precise jumps over floating debris, which made it go viral on Twitch and TikTok. The game was eventually permanently pulled from sale due to its use of copyrighted elements, but Chained Together went for a similar vibe.
“Begin your journey into the depths of hell, chained to your companions. Your mission is to escape hell by climbing as high as possible,” the game explains. Steam The blurb says: “Each jump requires perfect coordination to scale platforms and escape the scorching heat.” Take a look at Chained Together and you’ll see that the game feels a lot like a floating platformer thrown around everywhere, deadly obstacles around every corner, and a frustrating fall if you miss a step.
Just two weeks after its launch, Chained Together has already racked up nearly 10,000 Steam user reviews, 90% of which have given the game a thumbs-up. The only criticism I’ve seen is that the game doesn’t include a “push” button for when you’re annoyed by one of your chain friends, though I suppose pushing your friends to hell would also result in some self-inflicted pain. You can hug them, though.
What makes Chained Together so special is the chains. “The chain isn’t just a visual element,” developer Anegar Games writes, “it’s driven by a physics simulation that allows it to wrap around platforms.” The trailer above also shows how you can have your friends hang from platforms or swing through the air while clinging to others. If you want to make things a little more frustrating, a “lava mode” also lets flames flood the levels, giving you a deadly timer to race against.
Discover our best cooperative games ranking for more friendship destroyers.