Looking for a good 2-player game

[DNK]

My gf just got a laptop, and I'd like to find a fun game we can play together over LAN that we'd both enjoy. I'm up for pretty much anything that isn't nauseatingly bad, but she's a bit pickier. Basically, I think what's best is an RPG-styled adventure game. The thing is, neither of us is going to want to play a grind-a-thon like NWN, and I don't have much experience with other RPGs (that aren't primarily FPSs, save KOTOR) but my impression is that this is common in the genre: it's not that fun and there are a lot of slow parts that resemble: queue actions, kill a few easy bad guys, move to next area, rise wash repeat, finally meet a "boss", level up, pick lock, open treasure, find treasure, pick lock, try again, try again, open treasure, etc, etc. Perhaps a standard RPG isn't what I'm after...

Basically, something that meets these criteria:
Interesting and challenging enough for me to enjoy (not the Sims or something)
Fantasy or real-world or historical
Involves characters
Involves puzzles or scenarios that require 2 people to solve (or at least can be solved by 2 people)
Is 2-player (or more)

She hates:
guns
scifi
complicated things like Civ (I've tried a few times but it's "boring")
TBS games

Needs to run on a C2D 1GB notebook, so something pre-DX9c in terms of requirements is a must. If it's something where one can host most of the heavy processing on just one computer, I can handle that as I have a mid-range gaming rig. This would be a lot easier with a console, but alas we haven't one.

I doubt she's up for RTS games either. She hasn't really developed the fast-clicking RTS-style rapid management required anyway, although I might try a Total War game on her since they're a bit light on that.

[Felch]

Lord of the Rings Online is free to play (with high level content for sale), but it's an MMO and those tend to get a little grind heavy. The problem is that multiplayer RPGs are usually either MMOs or Diablo clones, and either way they involve a lot of grinding for levels and loot. Still, it's more challenging than the Sims, it's set in Middle Earth with bunches of characters, and it has multiplayer content. No guns, no sci-fi, nothing as complicated as Civ, and it's not turn based. Might be worth checking out.

[Nostromo]

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Trine 2 - Review Pod HD, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

[DaShi]

Sex?

[Al B. Sure!]

I don't know if you can play it over LAN but Age of Empires Online might be appealing to her. It's free and has a cutesy art style:



The units look like they're out of a Disney cartoon

Yes, it's an RTS but she's playing against you, right? Just go easy on her and it won't be a clickfest.

[Dinner]

Try some of the sports games. There are dozens of them out there.

[OzzyKP]

Sex?

[N35t0r]

My GF (non-gamer) got hooked up on lego indiana jones.

[Snotty]

I don't know if you can play it over LAN but Age of Empires Online might be appealing to her. It's free and has a cutesy art style:

Yes, it's an RTS but she's playing against you, right? Just go easy on her and it won't be a clickfest.

Most of the missions are set up to be played 2 player co op against the AI. Working as a team was good fun, as you can help each other out in a bunch of ways