February 12
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The Couple that Games Together, Stays Together
The Couple that Games Together, Stays Together
By: Terra Clarke Olsen
Ah, February. A time when love is shoved down your throat. Don’t get me wrong, I actually like Valentine’s Day. But it saddens me to see forced quality time. However, it’s not all our fault. In today’s fast pace world, it becomes harder and harder to spend time with a significant other. Life is busy and exhausting, so it’s understandable why so many couples turn on the TV first thing when they get home. However, it is hard to maintain a relationship that is meaningful when you don’t spend real time together. So I have a proposition: every now and again, turn off the TV and play a game. Even if just for one night a week, play a game with your spouse.
Gaming is not only a good outlet and escape from life’s daily hustle, but it can also create new bonds with your partner. For one, gaming allows for conversation to flow more freely than watching TV. In between moves/plays, you can talk about your day, ideas, hopes and dreams. (I would suggest not talking about stressful things while gaming, as it would defeat the purpose of the activity.) In addition, gaming can provide new insights about your partner’s personality, such as the way they strategize, organize information, humor, etc. Gaming can also be good for team building if you play a cooperative game together, which is an important skill and can be applied to real life situations. And of course, gaming is fun! It allows for playful interactions through trash-talk and praise.
So now that I’ve convinced you that you should try gaming with your partner, the question remains: What game should you play?! Well, I happen to have a few suggestions.
The following list aims to court those that might not otherwise be ‘gamers’ (although my personal motto is that everyone is a gamer-they just need to find the right game).
Games to Play as a Couple:
Guillotine
This card game is fast-paced, fun, and great for two players. The twists and turns create ample opportunities to trash talk, while the easy game play allows for conversation flow. It is easy to learn, so even the ‘non-gamers’ will like it. Plus it involves beheadings. Who doesn’t love beheadings?
Pandemic
This game is interesting and challenging. You play as a team to stop the spreading of diseases-which can be fun and frustrating. Although the game play is simpler with only two people, it is still fun and challenging. I love this game because of the cooperative element. Die or win, you to do it together. Awww.
Tetris
Everyone loves Tetris. Even people who don’t like video games at all like Tetris. For that reason, it is a good way to game together. It is fast paced, so you can game together as long or as short as you want. In addition, Tetris nowadays has so many variations that you can play as a team or screw each other royally. I personally like Tetris Party Delux for the Wii because it has a great variety of game play but is true to the original in important ways (e.g. music).
Mario Party/Kart
Mario is a classic. Everyone loves Mario. Seriously, have you ever met anyone who said they don’t like Mario? I didn’t think so. You can’t really go wrong with these games, especially since it allows you to play at the same time (unlike other Mario games where you have to take turns). And although I didn’t ‘list’ it, I would also suggest Mario Galaxy since there is a cooperative mode where one player is Mario and the other player is Star Pointer, who then collects the Star Bits. Good times are sure to be had no matter which Mario game you play.
Buy ! Or ! Or ! Or all three! 😀
Carcassonne
This might be my favorite couples game. It is a tile-laying game, so it is always changing, and it involves meeples (‘my peoples,’ pictured in the header). You collect points by putting your meeples on roads, farms, in castles, or in monasteries. It also has a lot of expansion sets, so you can always add new and fun elements to the game. This game involves strategy, but does not require so much brainpower that you can’t enjoy conversation and wine.
Buy it here! And add an expansion set while you’re at it.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful and plan a game night with your partner. I have to admit that this post was inspired by my husband, who was previously not a ‘gamer’ before we met, but has since been converted. Some of our most enjoyable evenings together have occurred over a board game. Ah love and gaming, what could be better?
Be sure to add your game suggestions below. Happy Gaming and Love Day!
I completely agree! My other half and I game together quite a bit, we have been together since we were 19 and its been over a decade since. This is one of the passions we both have in common, although our tastes differ at times it is something that always brings us together and allows us to escape into our own little universe
Lately, Lauren and I have been playing the Assassin’s Creed series (we’re on Revelations)
This is fine for us, since we’re both way more about the story than the achievement of beating a mission, and this lets us trade when the game would get too frustrating otherwise. Plus, there’s nothing like having an audience for all the hilarious ways to gank in that game.
My girlfriend and I can spend hours on the xbox together and it is such special time spent together! Our fav at the moment is Gears of War we’re almost done with number 3 😀 Game on Gamers! in the name of love and stuff 😀
Love it! 😀