If you want to spend some quality time with your loved one, there are plenty of different options, and picking the best ones can be tricky.
While there are plenty of board games for couples available on the market in 2024, not all of them are suitable. Many board games, while playable between two individuals, are best enjoyed with more. Others might be either too simple or too complex for you and your partner. In this list, I have included ten different board games for couples, which will suit all kinds of moods. Whether you’re feeling romantic or not, the next ten options are sure to cover the requirements.
Chess, Checkers, and Tic-Tac-Toe
Right off the top, this is something simple that offers plenty of hours of entertainment. Chess, Checkers, and Tic-Tac-Toe offer three classics packaged into one unit, saving money and space. I have had one such unit at my home for a really long time. The compact package also makes it ideal to play with your partner when you’re traveling. The availability of three games also ensures that the two of you won’t get bored playing the same thing time and again.
Lacuna
Lacuna is an incredibly cute and romantic game that’s perfect for a date night without being overtly romantic. The idea is to collect flowers of different colors from a pond (don’t worry, it’s not a literal water body). The board represents a pond where the flowers are spread. You and your partner then take turns placing pawns between the flowers.
But there’s a twist – there are way more flowers than pawns. When you place the pawns and collect the uncontested flowers, phase two begins. The player collects the flowers closest to one’s pawn. Don’t worry if you’re confused about who’s closer to a flower – there’s a ruler included. Ultimately, the person with the most flowers of four different colors wins.
Arkham Horror: The Card Game
Arkham Horror: The Card Game is my go-to choice for Halloween night, purely due to its theme. While you and your partner work as investigators to unravel the mysteries, each scenario requires connecting the dots to proceed. As the two of you travel (again, not literally) to different locations, you encounter the dangers surrounding the places. Do note that this game requires a lot of concentration, and completing a campaign can take a while.
Scrabble
I may be biased, but Scrabble is one of the first board games I ever played with my partner, and it’s a really fun activity where you learn something almost every round. The goal of Scrabble is simple – try to make words with the available letters and score as many points as possible. The board is key, as not all letters and words fetch the same points. Do keep a dictionary with you in case the two of you get stuck. Scrabble is a perfect board game for couples who don’t mind having a nerdy date evening.
Carcassonne
One of the easiest board games to learn, Carcassonne provides wholesome goodness with its gameplay. The idea is to use the given titles to create a map and generate your own land. But the tiles are limited, so make sure to add life to your map to score points. Once the tiles run out, the player with the most points wins.
Dorfromantik: The Board Game
Based on the video game of the same name, the board game is a good piece of co-op fun for couples. It’s similar to Carcassonne in some ways, as you create your utopia with hex-shaped titles. A big difference is the campaign mode, which has some reveals unlocked gradually by completing tasks. Unlocking each reveal helps you and your partner score more points. This is a perfect board game for couples who want to play together, rather than against each other.
Fog of Love
A list of board games for couples requires something romantic, and Fog of Love is a perfect fit. The two of you get to play the story of a couple and tinker with it in every way possible. Brew different traits and destinies to live out the scenarios that decide what happens next. This game doesn’t necessarily have a loser, as you and your loved one discover the nuances of life by living in the shoes of two fictional characters. While it’s a really wholesome game, completing Fog of Love can be a bit lengthy.
Splendor: Duel
This modified version of the classic Splendor is a perfect way to spend time with your better half. The core gameplay remains the same, as you have to create beautiful jewelry for your clients. In Splendor: Duel, the raw gems are available on the board, and you have to pick them based on certain rules. There are three victory conditions, and your strategies are based on certain special effects. In many ways, the Duel version is not only better, but the matches are also quicker.
Sea Salt & Paper
Another great game for date night, Sea Salt & Paper is a great game for couples to play in 2024. The idea is to build different sets of cards to score more points. The cards are picked randomly from the deck or from the discard pile (you can see what card you’re picking). You can also irritate your loved one by stealing a card from them or picking an extra one for yourself, albeit with some trade-offs. The fast-paced nature of Sea Salt & Paper makes it perfect for quick sessions, and the origami-based artwork is a big hit in my book.
Codenames Duet
Codenames is one of my favorite board games of all time, so when a Duet version was launched, I picked it up instantly. As the Duet version is played between two people, the emphasis is more on cooperation rather than competition. The core gameplay is the same, but you and your partner will take turns to provide the clues. This version is a lot quicker, and you need to find fifteen clues before the time runs out.
