Dr. Hakim is the living “Book of Love” who shows up to push May and Cody toward repairing their relationship. He’s not subtle, not calm, and definitely not the kind of guide you can ignore.

What Dr. Hakim is

In the story, May and Cody end up transformed into dolls, and Dr. Hakim takes the role of an over-the-top relationship “love guru” who inserts himself into their journey. Hazelight’s own product description frames him as the one challenging them to save a fractured relationship.

He’s also intentionally eccentric in presentation, often described as an anthropomorphic self-help love book with a big personality.

Why he matters to the game

Dr. Hakim is more than comic relief. He’s the narrative excuse for why the game keeps forcing cooperation when the characters would rather rush to “fix the spell” and move on. In plain terms, he keeps getting in the way on purpose so the couple has to collaborate to make progress.

That design choice matches what the game is built to do: it’s co-op-only, designed around two players solving problems together.

Think of Dr. Hakim as the game’s coach. His job is to create situations where teamwork is the only way forward.

How Dr. Hakim pushes players forward

He tends to do three things repeatedly.

  • Sets “therapy style” goals that nudge the couple into addressing their dynamic
  • Creates tests and obstacles that can’t be brute-forced solo
  • Ties story ideas to mechanics so what you do reflects what the characters are struggling with

In an official interview, Josef Fares described using gameplay mechanics as metaphors and specifically pointed to Dr. Hakim giving the couple a magnet tied to “attraction” as an example of that approach.

Performance and creation

Dr. Hakim’s physical performance is closely linked to the game’s director. Josef Fares said he did the motion capture for the Book of Love character, but not the voice.

The voice and motion capture work for Dr. Hakim is credited to actor Joseph Balderrama, who is also the voice of Cody.

How to get the most from Dr. Hakim scenes

If you’re playing It Takes Two for the first time, Dr. Hakim can feel like an interruption. Treat him like a signal that a coordination-heavy stretch is coming.

  • Pause and agree on a plan before you rush in
  • Call out what you see on your half of the screen since split-screen information is part of the challenge
  • Let the “annoying” moments do their job because the story is built around him interfering to force teamwork

One practical trick: after a Dr. Hakim appearance, try switching who leads navigation for a few minutes. It often reduces friction because both players stay engaged and communicating.

A quick note on real relationship advice

Dr. Hakim is a fictional character written for a romantic-comedy tone, and the game uses relationship language to support co-op gameplay. Enjoy the themes, but don’t treat it as professional counseling.