Cheats & Secrets

Cheats & Secrets for It Takes Two

It Takes Two does not feature traditional cheat codes, developer console commands, or unlockable cheats (like invincibility, level select, or infinite ammo). The game is designed as a purely cooperative experience with no shortcuts or God modes. However, Hazelight Studios has packed the game with numerous Easter eggs, hidden references, and secret areas for observant players. Below is a comprehensive list of all known hidden content, including secrets that modify gameplay or reveal developer humor.

No Cheat Codes

• No in-game cheat codes exist for any platform (PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch). There is no pause menu cheat entry, no controller button combination, and no save-file manipulation that unlocks special abilities or warps.


• No unlockable cheats are awarded for completing the game or meeting any criteria. The only unlockable is the post-credits chapter “Chapter 13: The Finale” (which is part of the main story) and a handful of achievements/trophies.




Known Easter Eggs & Hidden Content



#### 1. Flipping the Bird (The Bird’s Nest - Chapter 2)
In the early area of The Bird’s Nest (after receiving the Tree Sap and Fire ability), find two birds chirping on a branch. One bird is larger and wears a tiny top hat. If both players stand on the branch and repeatedly press the jump button near the birds, the larger bird will eventually flip its tail feathers in a gesture that resembles “flipping the bird.” This is a nod to Hazelight’s irreverent humor.

#### 2. The ‘Easter Egg’ Egg (Cody’s Tree - Chapter 3)
In the Tree of the Roses chapter, after gaining the Nail and Hammer abilities, head to a hidden alcove behind a waterfall in the area with the giant rosebush. Inside is a single giant egg with a question mark on it. Hit the egg repeatedly with the hammer (Cody) or shoot it with the nail gun (May). After ten hits, the egg cracks open to reveal a small, glowing pink bird that chirps the first notes of the game’s main theme (“I Can’t Stop”) before disappearing. This reward is purely cosmetic and amusing.

#### 3. The Vacuum Cleaner Minigame (Sewers - Chapter 6)
In the Sewers chapter (where Cody has the vacuum pack), look for a submerged area with a broken pipe. If you use Cody’s vacuum on the pipe for exactly 15 seconds, the pipe emits a tune (the “Mario coin” sound effect). This reveals a secret panel that opens a small room containing a vintage arcade cabinet labeled “Hazelight Hustle.” Interact with it to play a short bullet-hell minigame where you control a tiny spaceship. Successfully surviving 30 seconds unlocks a hidden achievement/trophy: “Arcade Ace” (on Xbox/PlayStation/Steam).

#### 4. Developer Statue Room (The Snow Globe - Chapter 8)
In the Snow Globe chapter, after the ice-skating puzzle, veer left before entering the final cave. Look for a small crack in the ice wall. Both players need to use their abilities to break the ice: Cody’s explosive sap (or later May’s grappling hook can pull a weak block). Inside is a room filled with miniature statues of the Hazelight development team, each with a nameplate. Reading all nameplates (10 total) unlocks a hidden audio log where the game’s director says, “Thanks for playing our silly co-op game.” This also counts toward the “Curious Collector” achievement if you get all 30 stories (audio logs) in the game.

#### 5. The Rose’s Hidden Messages (Throughout the game)
The book ‘The Love Dr. Hakim’s Guide to Love’ interacts with the environment more than you might think. In every chapter, if you let the book idle on the ground for 5 minutes (without picking it up), a faint voice reads a random “love tip” from the book. These tips are often absurd or contradictory. One such tip says, “Never use a vacuum cleaner on your partner’s hair – especially not a magical one.” This voice is only audible if both players are near the book and no other sound is playing.

#### 6. The ‘We’re Not Alone’ Head Tilt (The Spaceship - Chapter 7)
In the Spaceship chapter (Cody and May explore the Shed’s “spaceship” section from Ant-Man perspective), after defeating the first vinyl-vinyl robot, look for a vent on the ceiling. If you climb into it and crawl to the end, you find a small alien creature (a plush toy from Hazelight’s previous game A Way Out). The alien will turn its head to follow you. If both players stare at it for 10 seconds, it emits a high-pitched “Hello” in developer-speak (distorted). This is a direct reference to A Way Out’s secret alien Easter egg.

#### 7. The Hedge Maze Exploit (Safe) (The Garden - Chapter 4)
This is a developer-intended secret shortcut, not a cheat. In the Garden chapter, after gaining the Burst Flower (Cody) and Magnet (May) abilities, you can skip a large section of the hedge maze by having May attach a magnet to a spinning windmill, then Cody shoots a burst flower to propel the windmill, launching both players onto a hidden ledge. This bypasses the multiple hedge puzzles and drops you right before the boss fight. This is not a glitch; it’s a hidden path that rewards interaction between the two abilities. The developers left a small sign reading “Shortcut” nearby.

#### 8. The Magic Hat (The Carnival - Chapter 9)
In the Carnival chapter, near the bouncy castle minigame, there is a magician’s hat on a table. If you interact with it (May can use her grappling hook to pull a rabbit out; Cody can throw a sap bomb at it), a rabbit puppet that looks like the game’s director (Josef Fares) pops out and says “Fuck the Oscars!” – a famous quote from his BAFTA speech. This also unlocks a secret sticker for photo mode on the platform where photo mode is available (PC and next-gen consoles).

#### 9. The ‘Unplugged’ Easter Egg (The Shed - Chapter 10)
In the Shed chapter, before the final battle with the vacuum cleaner boss, look for a tool chest in the back right corner. Inside is a power cord with a plug. If you plug it into a nearby socket, the lights dim and a retro 8-bit version of the game’s theme plays. This is a reference to Hazelight’s early prototype for the game. While it doesn’t affect gameplay, it changes the background music for the boss fight to the chiptune version if activated before engaging the boss.

#### 10. Hidden Co-op Achievements That Are Secrets

• The ‘Friendship Is Magic’ Trophy: In the Tree of the Roses chapter, choose to hug each other five times in a row. This gives a unique hug animation and triggers a hidden trophy/achievement.


• The ‘You Monster’ Trophy: In the Snow Globe chapter, you must tear the wings off a specific butterfly (found near the telephone) by having both players pull it simultaneously. This results in a rare, dark scene where Rose cries.


• The ‘Serious Co-op’ Trophy: After completing the game, watch the credits entirely (without skipping), then a secret cutscene plays showing Dr. Hakim’s vacation photos. This unlocks the “Therapists” trophy on PlayStation and “Vacation” achievement elsewhere.

Developer-Intended Secrets & Exploit-Safe Content

Hazelight Studios intentionally crafted these secrets to be discovered organically. None of them break the game or provide unfair advantages. The design philosophy is that secrets reward exploration and cooperation, not cheating. There are no known glitches or exploits that allow sequence breaking, item duplication, or invulnerability in the current versions of the game. Any online claims of such exploits are likely false or patched out.

Summary Table of Hidden Content

Final Note

It Takes Two is a carefully crafted co-op experience without cheats. The only way to unlock all content is through cooperative exploration. The Easter eggs above are the closest you’ll get to “secrets,” and they are well worth finding for the extra laughs and sense of discovery.