Valentine’s Day is a time lovers anticipate a day filled with romantic activities and a night filled with even more romance. Naturally, there’s one thing on the minds of every victim struck by Cupid’s arrow: board games.
It may seem unlikely, but board games are a great way to have an intimate experience with that special someone across the table. The right game can be an opportunity to collaborate, compete, get to know someone better, and create lasting memories. Though many board games have tackled the topic of sex, few have successfully encapsulated the theme of love.
10 Fog Of Love Steams Up The Windows
Fog Of Love (2017) offers a rom-com experience, from the meet-cute to the grand romantic gesture; it allows players to embody unique characters within familiar tropes. Players navigate the triumphs and pitfalls of a romance worthy of the silver screen.
In this semi-cooperative game for two, each player has secret objectives related to their personality characteristics but share a goal of building a lasting relationship. Therein lies the innate tension of the game: will the protagonists make things work without sacrificing core values, or will their fates burn bright and burn out? Either way, players find out within the two-hour playtime. For those looking for a game with role-playing and deduction elements, this could be ‘the one.’
9 Love Letter Pushes The Envelope
Wooing a princess is no easy feat, but it certainly can be a good deal of fun. Love Letter (2012) Is an astonishing little game, proving that love comes from unexpected places. The game consists of only 16 cards and can play from 2 to 4 players (though it’s best at 4). Players take turns as competing suitors sending allies to deliver love letters to the princess’s quarters. Whichever player wins the affections of the princess wins the game. Love Letter is a great filler game that takes a brisk 20 minutes to play and involves deduction and player elimination mechanics.
The game rosters a fun cast of characters in the king’s court where players can ally with the Baron, the Spy, or the Handmaid, among others. Love Letter allows the resulting courting experience to come to the table as both colorful and cutthroat.
8 It’s What’s On The Surface That Counts In Ladies & Gentlemen
Ladies & Gentlemen (2013) is a satirical game leaning into the gender norms of Victorian England. 4 – 10 players couple off, one playing as the fashion-loving loose-lipped matriarchal wife, the other as the stodgy penny-pinching patriarchal husband. Over half an hour, Ladies take turns shopping across town in all the most luxurious boutiques while the Gentlemen gamble at the stock market. A team wins when their Lady is definitively the most elegantly dressed in the bunch.
Like any marriage, the key to success is compromise; as the Gentlemen attempt to satisfy their Ladies’ insatiable desire to fill their wardrobes better than their opponents, they must avoid financial ruin. It can be a fun and silly group experience if players get into character (especially when gender roles are swapped.)
7 Never Look At Calamari The Same After Playing Consentacle
In this bizarre but beautiful 10-35 minute cooperative card game, players attempt to have a gratifying consensual romantic encounter between a curious human and a sensitive alien made of tentacles. Players manage their hands and play cards simultaneously to build trust and satisfaction. Additionally, players can catapult themselves into new heights of euphoria by playing risky with the special Kink cards.
Ultimately, it’s a freaky, silly game that replicates the uncertainty of exploration with a new romantic partner and rewards good communication. For the tentacle-curious, an added bonus is that Consentacle (2014) is accessible to thrifty couples in a rush through its print-and-play option.
6 The More The Merrier In Dream Crush
Dream Crush (2021) sees players going on a series of dates with three eligible Crushes. Each date reveals new details about the dreamy trifecta, but to win, one must correctly guess which hunk their competitors’ hearts belong to. Dream Crush is a two to six-player paper and pencil party game about knowing one’s opponents. The memorable moments often flow from the players defending their choices.
Learning opponents’ romantic inclinations is a 30-minute romp in this tried and true board game format (satirical dating show.) For players looking for a more casual and surface-level board game experience, Dream Crush can be that booty call.
5 Marrying Mr. Darcy Is The Name Of The Game
Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice is interpreted here as a two to six-player competition in which opponents play as Austen’s unique heroines and compete to win the affections of their preferred suitors. To do so, players must bolster their reputation by attending events and displaying their beauty, wit, and friendliness.
To get ahead of opponents, players may choose to use their cunning, but in so doing, they become less desirable to their snobbish suitors (due to the antiquated ideas about gender norms that they hold.) Proposals, the game’s final phase, is an exhilarating treat, as players roll dice to see which suitors ask for their hands in marriage. Marrying Mr. Darcy (2014) is a fun and fancy way to spend 30 to 60 minutes.
4 …And Then We Held Hands. Doesn’t Hold Back
In entertainment media, an ascetic experience is rare, but in the case of …And Then We Held Hands. (2015), players take a silent, meditative journey in a beautifully illustrated and elegantly crafted cooperative two-player game. Players set out as a couple in a failing relationship; they play emotion cards to move closer to the center of the problem.
To win the game, players must coordinate nonverbally to reach the center while maintaining an emotional balance; if achieved, they have solved their problems. At first glance, this is a relatively simple 30 to 45-minute hand management game. However, the game brings strategic depth to an otherwise thought-provoking and heartbreaking concept with communication limits.
3 The Ravens of Thri Sahashri Is Unforgettable
For a tearjerking board game experience, players may gravitate to The Ravens of Thri Sahashri (2013). Players personate the roles of two young star-crossed lovers, Ren & Feth, on the run, at a critical juncture in which Ren has fallen into a deep coma. Boasting a 45-minute runtime of asymmetric gameplay, The Ravens of Thri Sahashri sees the Feth player use mystical powers to dive into the wastelands of his lover’s ailing psyche and attempt to bring her back to the mortal plane. Ravens scavenge the wastelands shredding unsolved memories to bits.
The Ren player spends turns trying to communicate nonverbally through card play, indicating to Feth which recollections might bring her back to life. The gameplay is complicated but rewarding for those looking for a folktale in a box.
2 Obsession Is In The House
By hosting the most fabulous social activities, players battle for the hand of a wealthy love interest in mid-19th century England. Obsession (2018) is a two to four-player worker placement game with a healthy dose of hand management and a 30 to 90-minute runtime. Players renovate their estates and earn reputation but must be graceful in balancing to make sure they have the right staff for each event or risk great embarrassment.
Obsession is a delightfully thematic experience that slightly satirizes the British upper crust while creating tension through gameplay. Eventually, It has opponents earnestly yearning to build a more posh estate and cultivate a more refined reputation than their snobby opponents.
1 Codenames: Duet Sings Like A Love Song
In Codenames: Duet (2017), the brain-burning party game Codenames (2015) is tweaked to create an intimate 2-player experience. Players cooperate by dropping one-word clues for each other to reveal the 15 hidden agents from amongst the grid of 25-word cards. In 15 – 30 minutes, Codenames: Duet provides a thrilling, push-your-luck experience by combining elements of word puzzles, timed challenges, and hidden information.
Though it isn’t an inherently ‘love’ themed game, the level of collaboration and intimacy make for a playing experience that wildly differs depending on the pairing of players. Despite Codenames appearing to be a game about deceitful spies, Duet is an ultra-fun exercise designed to get players on the same wavelength.
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