It Takes Two May: Her Story, Abilities, and Co-Op Tips

Who Is May in It Takes Two?

May turns a hammer, a matchstick launcher, and even her singing voice into ways through an extraordinary co-op adventure. This It Takes Two May guide explains who she is and how her changing abilities connect with Cody’s, so you can understand your role when a puzzle demands coordination. Whether you’re choosing a character or learning a new chapter mechanic, the It Takes Two May experience centers on making your partner’s actions count.

May is an engineer, Cody’s wife, and Rose’s mother. Their troubled relationship becomes the center of an unexpected adventure when magic transforms the couple into dolls. May takes on a wooden form, while Cody becomes a clay doll.

Getting back to their human bodies means navigating a fantastical world together. Familiar spaces become enormous obstacles, and everyday objects become characters, tools, and threats.

May fact	Character detail
Playable role	One of the two protagonists alongside Cody
Family	Cody’s wife and Rose’s mother
Occupation	Engineer
Doll form	Wooden doll
Personality	Perfectionist, driven, and caring
Personal passion	Music
English voice actor	Annabelle Dowler

May’s engineering background fits her practical personality, but her story reaches beyond solving problems. Work and responsibilities have pushed her love of music aside. Rediscovering that part of herself becomes an important thread in the adventure.

Her relationship with Cody also gives the puzzles emotional context. These are two people struggling to get along, now facing challenges built around helping each other. Their arguments travel with them, even when they’re small enough to explore a toolbox.

It Takes Two May Abilities by Chapter

The defining feature of It Takes Two May gameplay is change. Her tools shift with the setting, and each new ability connects with something Cody can do.

That means learning the current partnership matters more than getting attached to a particular weapon. The hammer teaches one kind of cooperation; the matchstick launcher asks for another.

The table below includes chapter and ability spoilers.

Chapter or area	May’s ability or equipment	Cody’s connected role
The Shed	Hammerhead for smashing and swinging from nails	Throws and recalls nails and pins objects
The Tree	Matchstick launcher that ignites sap	Fires sticky, flammable sap
Rose’s Room: Space Station	Walks on walls	Changes size
Cuckoo Clock	Places a clone she can teleport to	Manipulates time
Snow Globe	Uses a magnet for traversal	Uses a complementary magnet
The Garden	Uses a water gun and scythe	Transforms into different plants
The Attic	Sings and shouts to affect obstacles	Uses a cymbal

The Shed: Work With Cody’s Nails

May’s hammerhead can smash objects and let her swing across gaps using nails Cody places in walls. Cody can also pin objects, making his tool useful beyond creating swing points.

Before jumping toward a nail, ask Cody to leave it in place. His ability to recall nails makes communication part of the crossing.

Look at the obstacle from both screens. May’s route and Cody’s throwing position are different parts of the same puzzle, and discussing both helps you plan the movement.

The Tree: Ignite Sap With Purpose

May’s matchstick launcher works with Cody’s sap gun to create explosions. The sap can also weigh objects down, so firing at it changes more than its immediate surroundings.

Let Cody explain what he’s trying to move before you ignite a cluster. If the sap is holding something down, an explosion removes that weight.

During combat, coordinate around the sap Cody has placed. The combination gives both players a role in producing the explosive effect.

Space Station and Cuckoo Clock: Think About Position

In the Space Station area of Rose’s Room, May can walk on walls while Cody changes size. Check surfaces and routes from May’s perspective instead of assuming both characters need the same path.

Cuckoo Clock changes the partnership again. May can leave a clone and teleport to it, while Cody manipulates time.

Choose a clone position with the return trip in mind. Tell Cody where you plan to reappear, then coordinate that movement with his time ability. The challenge asks you to consider both location and timing.

Snow Globe, The Garden, and The Attic

Snow Globe gives both characters magnets for navigating its wintry environments. Discuss where each player needs to go before trying to coordinate a crossing.

In The Garden, May supports the action with a water gun and scythe while Cody transforms into plant life. Use the water gun on soil involved in his transformations, and keep the scythe’s combat role in mind when enemies appear.

The Attic connects May’s abilities directly to music. Her singing can raise records, and her shouts can break obstacles. Cody carries a cymbal, giving the pair another distinct set of tools to combine.

How to Coordinate May’s Tools With Cody

Understanding your equipment is only part of playing May. You also need to understand what your partner is trying to accomplish.

For It Takes Two May puzzles, describe the intended result before calling for an action. “Keep that nail there while I swing” gives Cody more useful information than “Use the nail.”

The same principle applies when several possible interactions appear on screen. Explain which object you mean and why you need it changed.

Situation	May’s contribution	Coordination tip
Crossing a gap in The Shed	Swings from a nail with her hammerhead	Ask Cody to keep the nail in place during the swing
Changing a sap-weighted object in The Tree	Ignites sap to remove its weight	Agree on whether the object should stay weighed down
Navigating the Space Station	Uses wall-walking routes	Compare May’s route with Cody’s size-changing options
Combining powers in Cuckoo Clock	Returns to a placed clone	Tell Cody where the clone is before coordinating time changes

Explain What Your Ability Changes

Start with a concrete description: a nail creates a swing point, sap adds weight, and a match ignites it. Once both players understand that relationship, discuss the order of actions.

In The Tree, for example, Cody’s sap has two relevant properties: it burns, and it weighs objects down. Focus only on explosions and you can miss why a platform is moving.

Watch what happens to the environment after each interaction. Use those changes to decide what the other character should do next.

Use Both Screens

Split-screen play gives you access to your partner’s viewpoint. Glance at Cody’s screen when you need to understand his position or see what he is aiming at.

During a hammer-and-nail crossing, compare May’s destination with Cody’s placement options. In the Space Station, compare her wall route with the spaces his changing size lets him use.

Keep your calls specific:

• Name the object you want your partner to affect.
• Explain whether it needs to move, remain still, or lose weight.
• Announce your jump or teleport before asking for the connected action.
• Discuss both characters’ tools when entering a new area.

These habits follow the game’s central design: each character brings an ability the other player needs.

May’s Personality, Family, and Connection to Music

May’s drive helps explain her character, but it also creates tension. She is a caring parent and a perfectionist with responsibilities that have crowded out something she loves.

Cody brings a different temperament. He is a creative, affectionate stay-at-home dad who enjoys gardening, alongside a scatterbrained streak. Their differences give the adventure plenty of friction.

The It Takes Two May story explores what happens when practical demands leave little room for personal passions or a relationship. The doll transformation forces the couple into constant cooperation, but their emotional problems remain part of the journey.

Why The Attic Matters to May

The Attic brings May’s musical interests into the mechanics themselves. Singing and shouting become tools, placing her voice at the center of the action.

That connection gives the chapter a personal purpose. Earlier tools come from the environments she enters: workshop equipment in The Shed, weapons during the conflict in The Tree. Music connects directly to an interest she has buried beneath deadlines and obligations.

Pay attention to how her role changes here. She is using a skill tied to her own identity while still depending on Cody’s contribution.

Where Rose Fits Into the Story

Rose is May and Cody’s daughter, and her connection to the dolls sets the magical adventure in motion.

Her presence gives the couple’s conflict weight beyond their own arguments. Exploring Rose’s Room places them inside a world shaped by their daughter’s belongings, from a pillow fort to space-themed toys.

The family story stays connected to the places you explore. May and Cody are navigating their home at a tiny scale while confronting the relationships within it.

Choosing May for Your Co-op Adventure

Choosing May means taking an active role throughout the game: swinging with a hammerhead, firing matches, walking on walls, and using music to solve environmental challenges.

There is plenty to learn across those roles. Approach the choice with curiosity about her character and tools rather than expecting one permanent playstyle.

The It Takes Two May role includes combat, traversal, and puzzle interactions, with Cody handling equally essential parts of the partnership. Both players need to participate as the mechanics change.

Keep these points in mind before starting:

• Expect changing equipment. Learn what May’s current tool does and how it connects with Cody’s.
• Discuss the character choice together. You’ll be following the couple’s story from complementary gameplay roles.
• Bring a human partner. The adventure is designed for two players in local or online co-op.
• Check Friend’s Pass requirements for online play. The inviting player must own the full game, and the invited player needs Friend’s Pass and the applicable platform account.

You can explore purchase options on the It Takes Two Steam page.

Once you’re playing, give each new tool some attention. Ask what it changes, compare it with Cody’s ability, and plan an interaction together. That process carries May’s gameplay from workshop puzzles to musical obstacles.

FAQ

Who is May in It Takes Two?

May is one of the game’s two playable protagonists. She is an engineer, Cody’s wife, and Rose’s mother. After being transformed into a wooden doll, she travels with Cody through a fantastical world while confronting their strained relationship.

Who voices May in It Takes Two?

Annabelle Dowler voices May in English. Cody and Dr. Hakim are voiced by Joseph Balderrama, while Clare Corbett voices Rose.

What abilities does May have in It Takes Two?

The It Takes Two May ability set changes throughout the adventure. Her tools include a hammerhead, matchstick launcher, wall-walking ability, teleporting clone, magnet, water gun, and scythe. In The Attic, she uses singing and shouting to interact with the environment.

Can you play as May alone?

It Takes Two requires two players. One controls May and the other controls Cody, with local and online co-op available. For online Friend’s Pass play, the inviting player must own the full game, and the invited partner must install Friend’s Pass and meet the platform requirements.