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Even for the most devoted couple, evenings at home can become monotonous after a while. As fun as it is to read and watch TV together, sometimes you want something different. To help you out, we’ve put together this list of the very best board games for couples.
Why Playing Games is Great for Couples (and Which Ones to Play)
Studies show that “couples who game together, stay together.” So not only is game night date night a whole lot of fun, it’s good for your relationship, too.
Here, we present a list of games that are just perfect for couples. All of these are great games for two people, and you can pick the style of game you’re looking for to fit your mood. Some of the games will help a couple learn more about each other and establish a greater emotional intimacy, while others will help turn on the physical and sexual energy. And still others are good for a simple night of fun, ranging from strategy games to card games and more.
These are fun games for two players, but many of them can also accommodate more players, so when you’re feeling social, bring them over to share with friends! Couples game night, anyone?
Looking for romantic games for couples to play on a rainy day or a chilly winter night? Board games for a late night date night? Whatever you’re after, here are 18+ great board games to consider:
Romantic Board Games for Couples – Relationship Building Games
These couples’ board games are less traditional but can provide a perfect accompaniment to your next date night.
Looking for some more romantic things to do? Sometimes, a board game can be an essential part of date night, taking your intimacy to new—more physical—levels. Here are some of the best couples games for a sexy date night, ranging from sweet, romantic games to more sexy games for two. These are excellent married couple board games, by the way!
This is a unique two-player game with a fairly simple premise: each of the 250 cards contained in the game box tells you what to TOUCH and what to TELL. In essence, this game gets you communicating and physically interacting. Really, who can say no to something so sweet?
One promising review mentions how great this game is for date nights: especially for couples whose love languages are Physical Touch and/or Words of Affirmation!
Remember playing truth or dare back in middle school? Well, this is like that, but way more adult! Couples looking for a fun new game that's really more of a list of racy ideas will enjoy this straightforward option.
According to the description, this game is "provocative, yet approachable." That might make it perfect for couples who are looking to spice things up in the bedroom, but don't really know where to begin, or are looking for a simple, slightly tame way to turn up the heat.
If you're only going to pick out one game for two from this list, this option might be it! Talk Flirt Dare has really high ratings on Amazon, showcasing it as one of the best couples' games.
Choose from the Talk, Flirt, or Dare card stacks, based on whatever level your relationship is at. (Dare cards are the most romantic and intense of the 3). You'll be given questions or prompts of things to talk about or do together. The Talk cards are tame enough that they can be used in group settings, perhaps at a party as ice breakers or with other couples on a group game night.
The tagline of Monogamy is: "A Hot Affair with your Partner!"
Similar to Talk Flirty Dare, this is a game that can be played at different levels of "intimacy." Progress from Intimate to Passionate to Steamy, depending on your relationship closeness. There's no doubt you'll be growing closer during a game of Monogamy: the game is all about connecting with your significant other.
The rules of the game are simple, and you roll dice to move your pieces around the Trivial-Pursuit-looking game board.
There are more than 400 different tasks and questions on the Monogamy cards, which means you have dozens of different things to experience each time you play. Pull this out for a fresh take on each pf your at-home date nights.
There are also a few fun extras with this game. Grab the Fantasy deck for quick inspiration on a romantic evening for two. These are the cards you'll use when you win the game, too: allowing you to play out one of your favorite fantasies in the coming days.
For couples with a thriving bond or those who need a little encouragement in their lives together, the Discovery Game includes a deck of cards that will help you learn about each other and establish an even stronger bond.
Whether you've been together for a decade or are newlyweds, this game will teach you something new about your partner. (The game says that it is geared towards married couples, but it seems suitable for any pair in a long-term relationship.)
Some call this game a mix between Monopoly and Life, as you compete with separate "assets" like money, property, and even children! But the game can be as lighthearted or deep as you want, and it can also be more emotional/mental or physical, depending on your mood!
Fun little quirks are included like a card for "2 minutes of having your partner do whatever you want." This is a great excuse for a quick back massage or simply to have your partner do something silly.
While it encourages competition (competitive couples take note), users have found that the game ultimately brings them together through fun!
Less a board game and more of an adult "toy", the Kama Sutra Board Game is designed to spice up your evenings with your partner. The game is full of ideas for intimate activities, which you complete while moving your pieces on the game board.
After performing the acts suggested within, users report becoming distracted with each other and not even finishing the game!
Excellent for physical intimacy and exploration, one reviewer said of the Kama Sutra Board Game, "This game is probably the most passionate connecting fun sex game I have ever played!"
PS: You could also try your hand at a dirty version of the classic game Twister. Strip Twister, anyone?
Another game featuring a deck of cards, Our Moments: Couples offers conversation-starting questions with an eye toward getting to know each other better.
This may not technically be a board game, but rather a card game for couples. The conversation-starter cards are the basic element of this "game" which make it ideal for a game on-the-go.
Users have placed these cards on their bedstand to spark late-night conversation and taken them on roadtrips to pass the time learning about themselves and their partners. You don't have to sit and play for hours, but can pick up a card at random and spark a meaningful, fun conversation.
ARTAGIA Fun and Romantic Game for Couples: Date Night Box Set with Conversation Starters
The Talk/Flirt/Dare game comes with three decks of cards to let you decide your level of intimacy. Essentially, this is three games in one.
Choose your pack of cards to decide what direction your date will take tonight.
The "Talk" deck is appropriate for conversations alone with your partner or at parties. The "Flirt" and "Dare" decks are best reserved for you and your significant other, letting you chat and dare your way to intimacy, romantic or physical.
Reviewers of the game have stated that the Talk deck is perfect for road trips. The Flirt and Dare cards are ideal for a more intimate night together, but are at "just the right level."
According to one reviewer, the Flirts were "romantic with a touch of intimate and Dares were...cool with a touch of kink." She compares this with other games that are often "too blunt" or go way overboard.
Sounds like this game has just the right mix of spice and nice.
Fun and Engaging 2 Player Board Games for Couples
These are generally fun board games for couples (or for two players) that don’t have a romantic twist. When you’re looking for exciting board games for a husband and wife or boyfriend/girlfriend to play together, these make great choices for a fun couples game. Some of the couples board games will have the two of you working together for a positive outcome (such as in the game Pandemic), while others are competitive games that pit you against one another. A little friendly competition might even help spice things up a bit!
A unique choice among the others on this list, Azul is an award-winning game of aesthetic sensibility and resource management that lets players compete to build the loveliest wall of the king's palace.
The beautiful Moorish-inspired tiles will help you build the walls of the palace. But you'll have to employ strategy to make sure you make the right moves.
Azul is not just a pretty, laidback game. While it is easy to learn, your strategies can grow and develop to be quite complex. Players report that Azul can get quite competitive! This is a great game if you're looking for a competitive game for 2!
The object of this game? To save humanity. NBD.
Pandemic is a cooperative board game that takes about an hour to play. While you can engage with up to 4 players, the game is perfect for two to play.
I'm a sucker for end-of-the-world stuff, so this game really appeals to me. Nathan and I bought it when I first wrote this post, and we've already played dozens of times! This is definitely one of our favorite couple board games to play!
You'll work together in this cooperative game to eradicate strains of deadly diseases, using strategy to save all mankind. One reviewer says this game will teach you SO much about a person, and may in fact be the ideal icebreaker. He writes: "Try it on a first date. It will foretell whether or not you and your interest will successfully spawn offspring together."
Check it out on Amazon if you're ready to give Pandemic a try and play a game that will have you trying to save all of the world.
Forget competition; this game is all about cooperation. Forbidden Desert is suitable for 2-5 players, and no matter how big your team, you're all going to work together to win.
With an ever-shifting board, no two games of Forbidden Desert will ever be the same and you'll have a different adventure every time you play.
Alongside the other players, you will work to explore an ancient desert, seeking an abandoned flying machine. Watch out for the elements, like the scorching sand.
In Forbidden Desert everyone wins (or loses, as it may be), so this game might be perfect for those who have a tendency to get a wee bit overly competitive!
This game for 1-8 players is one that seems to be a mix of both skill and luck, and apparently, it can get pretty intense.
Billed as "the classic game of Lovecraftian adventure," Arkham Horror may not be for the faint of heart.
Though many love this game, and it has stellar reviews, some report that it has a major learning curve. (In other words, it may not be easy right at the start). But for true game lovers and gaming couples, this one may be worth the investment of time.
The game is set in the 1920s and based on the horror fiction of HP Lovecraft. To start to play this game, you will select from 16 different investigator characters, and the goal is to help fight against the "8 Ancient Ones."
Sound cool? You should check it out on Amazon.
Want to travel back in time to medieval France? You could do just that with the game The Castles of Burgundy.
This is a strategy game that, like others on this list, involves building. The goal is to become the most prosperous prince, as you trade livestock, build cities, trade, and more. You will buy and sell wares as well as use action tiles for building, shipping, mining, across two game boards.
Designed for 2-4 players, this is a good board game for two people or for two couples who want to challenge one another to a friendly duel. Check it out on Amazon here.
Codenames:Duet is a word-focused game for all you wordsmith couples out there. Designed specifically for two players (or more) this game involves providing one-word clues to your partner. The goal? Work together to identify your secret agents from among the cards placed on the table.
Before the time runs out, you and your teammate must figure out all fifteen of your agents — without revealing either of the two assassins placed among the cards or affecting too many innocent bystanders.
Codenames: Duet has tons of great reviews on Amazon, and with simple rules and easy gameplay, it might become a regular staple for your board game date night.
Classic Board Games for Couples
Sometimes you just want something super easy to play, without having to learn new rules. Or how about a basic card game? We’ve got you covered. For those occasions, we’ve put together a short list of the best couples board games that you’re likely to already know how to play. Some of these are simply the best 2 player board games for adults; can’t go wrong with the classics, right?
There's no better classic game than chess, and this version is magnetized so you'll never lose your pieces.
I mean, who doesn't enjoy the tension of Jenga?! Take turns pulling the narrow wooden blocks out of the stack, trying not to knock the entire thing down. Playing this game can be a really big challenge, especially if you keep giggling the whole time! (Guilty!)
This might be one game that gets better with age...
In Battleship, your player board is the wide open sea. Using coordinates, you'll try to sink your partner's fleet of ships.
So simple and so fun! This is a card game that pretty much every couple knows how to play (and if not, learn it ASAP!) UNO is a simple, original game that never fails to be plenty of fun!
We hope you’ve found some great options among these fun couples games. Trying out new games is a great way to freshen up date night, even if it’s just fun word games like Never Have I Ever or Would You Rather.
Whatever two player game for date night you choose, you’re sure to have a great time playing any one of these fun board games for couples!
Also check out these other date night posts:
- 50+ Best Date Ideas for Couples
- 50 Fall Date Ideas for a Romantic Adventure
- 25+ Adorable Rainy Day Date Ideas for You
- 13 Nerdy Date Ideas that are Super Cute
- 10 Creative & Cute Valentine’s Day Date Ideas for Couples
- 32 of The Best Christmas Date Ideas
- 10 Creative Ideas for Your Next Movie Date Night at Home
- 18 Best At Home Date Night Ideas
- 50 Cheap and Free Date Ideas
Nathan is one half of newlywed travel couple Two Drifters, and typically found behind the camera lens. However, he loves writing too, and works as a freelance editor when not focusing on crafting works of fiction.