This is the fifth of a guest post mini-series on our family’s favorite games by Amy’s husband, Evan Hays–middle school social studies teacher and board game enthusiast. (Click here for part one, two, three and four.)
A fun part of board gaming is the chance to spend some quality time with your significant other. Amy and I don’t take too much time out for dates, but one thing we’ve tried recently on some shorter dates is a walk to a coffee shop where we spend time talking but then also reserve a little time for a short board/card game or two. Below is a picture from our actual 17th anniversary. The weather was bad so we went to the mall, got a fancy chocolate bar and a decaf americano and played a quick roll and write game. (It was actually Silver and Gold, which was on Lily’s favorite list of games, but fairly similar to #5 on this list: My City Roll and Build.)
The tables at coffee shops (or mall food courts or on a tray on top of a bed) are small, so the games on this list put space and time at a premium. But these games also pack a punch and would be fun with others and in most cases with larger groups as well. So here goes on our list of 5 date night games.
Fun for Two: 5 Date Night Board & Card Games
1. Dominion (deck-building card game). This is a top five of all-time game for me. While it can be played with up to 4 players, in my humble opinion it is by far its best when only playing with two for a number of reasons that I don’t need to get into here. A deck-building game means a game in which you start with the same cards as your opponent, but as you go through the game, you have a chance to gain cards from a marketplace that alter the overall makeup of your deck. Once you use up your deck the first time, you re-shuffle and include any new cards you have gained, so those new cards can now be used the next time you go through the deck. So, in this game for example, Amy might choose to go for more money cards while I might choose to go for more action cards. Either one might work out the best to win, which in this game is a race to gain the victory point cards before they are gone. When Amy and I play, we tend to leave out any attack cards because they can be a bit mean, especially for a date night game. One of the things that makes Dominion so fun to play, whether you win or lose, is the card variety. There are so many unique combinations to try, even with just the base game, but if you really got into this game, there are something like 15 different expansion decks available at this point. There is also a free app version of this game for Android and Apple, so you are able to try this game out for free to see if you like it before buying.
2. Lost Cities (two player only set-collection card game). This is the only game that is two players only on this list, and Amy and I have played many, many games of this over the years. It’s another by the esteemed Dr. Reiner Knizia. It’s one of those games that is simple to learn to play but incredibly difficult to get just right. Basically, there are five colors of cards with numbers going from 2 up to 10. Your goal is to collect cards of the same colors and play them in front of you in ascending order. But because you have to play a card every turn, you may be required to play a card you really don’t want to, thus preventing yourself from playing a valuable card later on because it is out of order. There are a few more rules than that, but if you are looking for a quick two-player card game (in my opinion, two—player card games with just a regular deck of cards leave something to be desired, sorry Cribbage players) that you will find yourself wanting to run back right when you finish, you can’t do much better than this.
3. Sea Salt and Paper (rummy style set-collection card game). This is the newest game on this list, and it has become a favorite in a short time. First off, the artwork on this game (designed by the brilliant French designer Bruno Cathala) is stunning origami, and it contributes to an overall aesthetic and soothing game play experience. You are essentially collecting cards like a rummy game to create sets that give you points, but there are a couple of things that set this game apart. First, some of the sets give you special abilities to use right away. Second, when you get at least seven points in a round, you can either just stop and count points for all players, or the player can give “one last chance” to the other players to best his/her score, adding a push-your-luck element to this game. If the first player still has the most points, he/she gets bonuses and vice versa. This is a game that can seem rather simple, but I think there is actually some real depth to its strategy. It’s very affordable, and it’s a winner.
4. Next Station London (flip and write). The final two on our list are somewhat similar multi-player solitaire style flip and write/ roll and write games. These are the sort of games that can work really well for couples because there aren’t any “take that” moments that don’t go down so well on a date night. Yes, there still is some player interaction, but it’s more about the enjoyable experience and the chance to compare how well you both did once you finish a round or a game. This game has a great theme of constructing the best underground routes for the London Underground. There are four rounds, each with a different color, and you have to follow certain track laying rules (actually just drawing colored lines on a piece of paper) in order to maximize your points. Regardless of your final points, you end up with something that looks really cool, and we always have fun seeing if we can get better each time we play this one.
5. My City Roll and Build (roll and write). This is another game by Dr. Reiner Knizia. Are you sensing a theme here? This is actually the first roll and write/flip and write game we ever played, and while it may not get as high of ratings as some others, this is a really fun game that is different from any other of this style of game we have played. And if you like this one, it is actually based on a full board game that many couples love to play as well. One aspect that makes this game unique is that it is what is known as a “legacy” game, which just means you play through a series of rounds with gradually increasingly complex rules. This means that the game sort of teaches you and challenges you to get better as you play through, and this also matches the theme of this game which is constructing a city in an undeveloped forest area. Another cool aspect of this game is that for each turn, you roll some unique dice, which you connect together to form a tetris/polyomino style shape. This shape becomes what you must draw on your piece of paper, with various placement rules that also create situations to score points. If you are into spacial awareness type of challenges (think, how else could I arrange my furniture in this room?), you will be great at this game.
6. Honorable mention: One other game I will mention very briefly as an honorable mention if you are looking for something a little more challenging and unique is a new game called Skyteam, which actually just won the biggest German board game award. This game is cooperative, meaning you are both playing together to beat the game. Now, you might be thinking, “Wow, cool, we could team up together! That sounds great for a date night!” And for some of you, it might work out that way. But these kinds of games can also create tension if there is disagreement about a best choice/play within the game. Skyteam mitigates that well by adding in a limited communication rule as you cooperatively try to land a plane by rolling dice secretly. It’s a really cool game, but just be aware of its dynamic.
All of these games have the right vibe for a date night, or for that matter, a bonding time with a child who is a little older and interested in gaming. They aren’t mean, they are relaxing to play, they don’t take up much space, and they are fairly quick to play. We love all of them and hope you do too!
What are your go-to date night games? How do you carve out time and mental space with your significant other to do fun activities together?
