# Portal 2

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/portal-2/

8 people recommended Portal 2 in Hacker News comments, 1 had mixed feelings and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 6 of 12 months, in 8 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** A puzzle game people call a favorite, with fun split-screen and local co-op play that friends enjoy together.

Summary written by Claude from 9 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Fun local split-screen co-op (2 comments in the sample): "I was able to get Portal 2 to run split screen across 2 full screens for each player, which was super fun!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46408301)) "all come to mind as positive local coop experiences I've had" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45947905))
- Favorite game, better than the first (2 comments in the sample): "if anything I liked 2 better than 1" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49123615)) "Portal 2 being my favorite." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48669408))

## Other puzzle games people recommend

- [Outer Wilds](https://hackerapproved.com/p/outer-wilds/): 56 recommend, 6 mixed, 7 criticize
- [enclose.horse](https://hackerapproved.com/p/enclose-horse/): 45 recommend, 15 mixed, 9 criticize
- [The Witness](https://hackerapproved.com/p/witness/): 41 recommend, 15 mixed, 16 criticize
- [Braid](https://hackerapproved.com/p/braid/): 30 recommend, 5 mixed, 5 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Portal 2", https://hackerapproved.com/p/portal-2/ (8 recommend, 1 mixed, 1 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.