One thing I get asked frequently is for tabletop board game recommendations. This is as tough for me as naming a favorite book, because there’s so much great stuff out there. There are different types of game for almost everyone. Gwen and Cody love competitive games. I personally prefer cooperative games much of the time, but if a game is well-made, I’ll play almost anything.
Here are some of my favorite date night games, intended to satisfy any type of gamer.
- Legendary: Nothing’s hotter than vanquishing evil together. Well, nothing except doing it with the help of Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, and Scarlett Johannsen. Okay, okay, so the game was created before the recent spate of Marvel movies. The artwork resembles the comic book characters a lot more than, say, Hugh Jackman. It’s still cool. Legendary is a cooperative deck-building game where the players get together to fight against a supervillain and foil their master plan. It plays up to five people, so you can make it a double date if you wish.
Not a Marvel fan? No problem, there are loads of variations, including Buffy and Firefly. Both are their own unique games building off the Legendary concept, and neither requires the base game.
Similar games you might enjoy: Harry Potter: Battle for Hogwarts, Pandemic, Forbidden Desert, Clank, Dominion
- Loaded Questions: Hardcore strategy not your thing? No problem! In Loaded Questions, players move around the board and ask questions of their competitors. Everyone submits an answer, and the asker gets points for correctly guessing who said what. Get to know your date better in a casual environment. There’s also an After Dark version if you want to make it a bit more risqué, but it’s just as fun to provide R-rated answers to the base game questions.
Similar games you might enjoy: Curses, Scruples, Scattergories (These games are intended for groups – they don’t work with two players.)
- Coerceo: This two-player only game is a great way to separate your crush from the crowd. Move gorgeous black and white pieces around the hexagon-shaped board. The game area gets smaller as you play, allowing you to zero in on your goal of destroying your opponent’s soul. Er, I mean, capturing all their pieces.
Similar games you might enjoy: The Duke, Sovereign Chess, Intelle
- Escape the Room!: Escape rooms are hot at the moment, probably because they’re loads of fun. But they can also be expensive, especially considering that you’re ideally getting less than an hour of entertainment for your money. For those of you on a budget (or with kids at home), at home escape rooms are a great alternative. Send the kids to bed, open a bottle of wine, and set a timer. Most of the ones I’ve seen allow up to four players, so invite your best couple friends over and experience the satisfaction of outsmarting the game together.
Similar games you might enjoy: Literally any well-done escape room. Classic Mystery Jigsaw Puzzles such as Grounds for Murder. CityHUNT if you happen to be near one.
- Qwixx: This is relatively fast, with a little strategy but also a fair amount of luck. It’s also a game where you’ve got things to do on the other players’ turns, which is good for people who don’t like waiting. The deluxe version plays up to eight, so another great one for a party night. If you prefer a more strategic dice game, look into Roll through the Ages, Dice Forge, or Favor of the Pharoah.
Similar games you might enjoy: Dicey Peaks, Bloom.
For this blog, I’m leaving out social deduction games (although I love them), partially because they all require more than two people. But also, in my experience, social deduction games are more likely to lead to mistrust and name calling than warm fuzzy feelings. J If you have a group, go with some of the party games above unless everyone knows each other quite well.
But there you go! A variety of games fitting a variety of budgets. Open your beverage of choice, make some non-messy snacks, and enjoy!
Risk Everything . . .
Holly has taken herself out of the dating game since breaking up with her cheating, thieving ex. She barely notices Marc, who comes into the game store every week, hoping to get her attention. Her friends insist it’s time to take on a new role, to leave Quiet Holly behind and embrace her inner flirt. And on paper, Marc’s great: cute, funny, and a hardcore gamer just like Holly is.
Then there’s Nathan. He’s everything twenty-eight-year-old Holly wants…except he’s also her friend’s father. Absolutely off-limits. But as she and Nathan playtest a new legacy game together, they’re growing closer. The game is complex and intriguing, and there’s no way to know how choices will pan out. What seems like a good idea could lead to disaster…or sweet victory. But in gaming, as in love, sometimes you have to roll the dice and take your chance . . .
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