Board games can strengthen and challenge your relationship with your significant other. They force you to think on your toes and think outside of the box which can improve your abilities to tackle the real-world problems that come your way. Break away from Monopoly and The Game of Life (you play that game every day, yawn) and try some more fun and interesting board games. There are thousands of games out there, so ditch the monotony, grab some snacks, and get your nerd on with some of these games!
Sushi Go
Couples love going out for sushi. Take the date night home with this card game where you have to build the perfect combination of menu items to be the sushi master. Save room for dessert, because it could your ticket to victory. It’s easy, quick, and provides lots of laughs.
Ticket to Ride
Who says you need to spend your hard-earned money to travel the world? Ticket to Ride will have you building and strategizing train routes across the country and far off places. Best your partner by building the longest and most efficient operating train system to get from one city to the next.
King of Tokyo
Mutant monsters and strange aliens run amuck in the city of Tokyo. Become Godzilla and create chaos and destruction against your opponents (your loving partner) and see who the ultimate B-film monster is. You’ll have a laugh taking down each other’s beasts, using special abilities, and rolling the dice to cast your fate as the big bad king of Tokyo.
Settlers of Catan
There have been many a friendly argument during this game. Settlers of Catan will certainly challenge your relationship and spoiler, someone will go home a sore loser, but you will both come out stronger because of it. Collect items to build towns and cities to be the surviving settlers in uncharted territory. This cult classic will have your mind racing like no other.
Pandemic
A deadly virus has spread to multiple cities in the world and will keep infecting more if you don’t find a cure. Play as quarantine specialists, scientists, researchers, and military personal to get resources all over the world to stop the outbreak. This is a co-operative game, so you’ll be strategizing together to win, but make no mistake – trying to agree on a course of action could never be more difficult. There are multiple expansions and versions of this game because of its popularity. Start with the original and work your way toward saving the world together one game at a time.
Board games are a fun alternative to going out for date night. Schedule a regular game night for the two of you and it will strengthen your communication and capability to work together. You’ll be tackling home improvement projects and taxes way more efficiently as a couple and you can thank board games for those life skills.