Preorder Split Fiction and Get a Free Keychain (Plus a Friend Plays Free)

Split Fiction is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on March 6. A co-op sci-fi game from Hazelight Studios, the makers of It Takes Two, Split Fiction is available to preorder now (see it at Amazon) for $39.99. And just like Hazelight’s previous games, anyone who buys it gets a free Friend’s Pass that lets a friend play the whole game with you in co-op for free.

Split Fiction – Where to Buy It

How Does Split Fiction’s Friend’s Pass Work?

The main unique thing about Split Fiction is that you must play it in co-op mode. There’s no single-player option. So you can play it in couch co-op split-screen mode on a single display, or you can play it via online co-op, with just a single copy of the game. This even works cross-platform, meaning you can play it with a friend even if they’re using a different console or PC platform than you are.

To play with a friend online, just have your friend download “Split Fiction – Friend’s Pass” from the digital marketplace of their choice after the game comes out, on March 6. This version is free, and it lets your buddy play the game with you at no additional cost after you send them an invite. Hazelight did a similar thing for for its previous games It Takes Two and A Way Out. The only caveat is that your non-paying friend can’t play it without pairing up with someone who has purchased the game.

What Is Split Fiction?

Split Fiction is a co-op-only two-player action adventure game about a pair of writers – one who writes sci-fi and one who writes fantasy – who get sucked into their fictional worlds. The two players have to work together to fight enemies and solve puzzles in levels that spring from science fiction and fantasy respectively. So in one level you might find yourselves riding Tron-style motorcycles and navigating gravity plates, while in another you’ll shape-shift into fantasy characters in an enchanted forest.

Levels also contain portals to “side stories,” which are basically minigames you can play, like riding on a Dune-like “sand fish” as it swims through the desert, or water skiing behind a drone flying across the sea.

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Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Bluesky @chrislreed.com.