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Summer Lovin’
Let’s be honest – dating is hard. Even if you’ve been talking to someone for a long time, when you finally take the step to meet for the first time, there can be awkward silences and moments of uncertainty. You’re not sure where to go and what to do. So, here’s my official recommendation: Board Game Café. I’ve been to three and each one had its own unique feel. And this isn’t just for a first date suggestion – even if you’ve been in a long-term relationship, having a game to play on a date is a great way to just spend time together, as so many of us have discovered in the past year. But the key reason for suggesting this (aside from this being a board gaming blog) is because it’s a great way to get to know one another.
There are questions we can ask with our choice of games, so without further ado, we present our Zatu recommendations of games to play on a date!
Would You Like To Play A Game? – Luke Pickles
If you’ve gone with the board game café idea, you’ve already taken a punt at answering this question. If you’re meeting in a pub or restaurant though, you have to think small but powerful, and make sure that the game is simple enough to be explained quickly, especially if you have a non-gamer partner. Entering from stage right is my game to take on a date – Qwirkle Travel! This smaller version of the classic family game is small enough to put in your handbag or rucksack and can be played on a small table with great ease. The gameplay is identical to Qwirkle: lay your tiles down to score points, ensuring that your tiles are unique in the line or column, and matching shape or colour. It’s as if Dominoes had a baby with Scrabble and that baby took an art class.
The game is very replayable, with the combination of tiles coming out everchanging, and it can be explained in a few sentences. I played the full-sized version on the first date with my partner and we loved it, as have at least 4 million other people if the box is anything to go by. It’s also a great gateway game, giving you a simple warm-up before going into something deeper. For a date though, Qwirkle doesn’t require you to be aggressive towards each other. You can only play what’s in front of you and you don’t have the ability to directly attack someone since you can’t see their tiles. (It doesn’t mean they won't see it that way though!)
If things go well, you’ll be playing Qwirkle for years to come in your relationship – perhaps even with your family.
Are We On The Same Wavelength? – Hannah Blacknell
On a date, I want conversation. I want to chat and laugh with a person and have a great time. For me, a game to take on a date needs to be able to fit on a regular size pub table and be able to be taught to someone in a few minutes. I want it to be either a fun way to get to know someone or a cool way to spend time with my significant other. Enter the two-player specific co-operative version of part game Codenames: Codenames Duet.
This game takes the fun of Codenames and pares it down to the perfect meal for two. A card is placed in the centre of the table, which displays a different set of targets for each player. You are working together giving one-word clues that link your targets together for your co-gamer to guess. For example, I might be trying to link Roof, Straw, and Pig together and say “House for 3”. Your opponent then scans the board of word cards to try and find the targets you are alluding to.
Incorrect guesses will mean that you don’t get to guess again this turn, and any other guesses you had will have to be saved until the next round. Guessing wrong can be fraught with danger and may result in game termination if you hit one of the assassins. You win together, you lose together is why I like this as a date game.
Codenames Duet has infinite replayability as there is a big stack of word cards that are all double-sided, as well as a stack of code cards that show you where your targets and assassins are. So, if the date goes well, then you can always keep playing this one. Perhaps you could also complete the campaign that is included in the box too which has you dashing over the world completing different difficulty challenges.
Are They Adventurous And Lucky? – Kyle Gormley
When my partner and I first met, she, like most people, wasn’t particularly aware of hobbyist board games - they’re not exactly mass market and anyone who’s ever played Monopoly could be forgiven for thinking all board games are evil.
I’d like to tell you I played it cool, but the truth is I probably asked her about board games within a few weeks and somehow convinced her to play Tokaido and Lords of Waterdeep with me not long after. Luckily for me, she loved it, and four years later we’re the type of couple who host games nights and visit board game cafes. In that time, we’ve played everything from Quacks of Quedlinburg to Sleeping Gods but, when we want something light and easy, we always come back to our game to play on a date: Jaipur. I bought Jaipur a few years ago, after seeing it on countless ‘best two-player games’ lists, and since then, it’s been on every trip we’ve ever taken and countless dates in between.
The game itself couldn’t be simpler - on your turn, you either take a card from the market in the middle of the table, substituting cards from your hand if you take more than one, or play a set of matching cards to pick up tokens, which become points at the end of the round.
The magic is in the luck of the draw. The feeling of taking a card, only to see it replaced by the card you actually needed is always infuriating. Then watching your opponent take that card only makes it worse. But the very nature of the game means that every time this happens to you, it just as quickly happens to them, which is always hilarious.
You can win a game of Jaipur through sheer good fortune, but you can equally lose a game through sheer hubris. It feels unknowable, and therefore wonderfully fresh, every time you play.
Are They Confident And Competitive? – Favouritefoe
Back when I was dating, my requirements in a romantic match were quite specific; tall, dark, handsome, cut-throat…... Wait, what?
Ok, so I didn’t seek out a sexy assassin, but I didn’t swoon for the laid-back lads either. My partner of choice had to match me in terms of ambition and attitude. And, because of that, my world didn’t shake, rattle, or roll until I met my now-husband.
Luckily, Shadow Meeple has also now become my number one gaming partner. Around the table (and in real life) he gives as good as he gets. Better, in fact, most days. I actually had a feeling he would be “the one” from our first date when he smashed me at pool. No niceties or engineering a miss. He was skills-on-show and in it for the win. I liked it. Cute and competitive from the off, I was going to have to raise my game to keep him interested. 10 years on and we are still going strong, so I must be doing something right!
Having recently been asked for a good game to play on a date, my go-to suggestion therefore must be something character-revealing. And Battle Line will show your suitor’s true colours in six subtle shades. A head-to-head set collecting, hand managing duel to capture flags, this game will quickly reveal your beau’s underlying essence, courtesy of Reina Knizia’s cunning card play.
To me, knowing whether your date has the mettle to meddle with your sets on the table is key to a solid match in life. You don’t want somebody who stumbles and fluffs their way around a game. Imagine what they would be like with your parents or, worse still, your friends!
No, you want someone who can commit and bring the fight where and when it’s needed. And Battle Line will force your potential mate into making tough choices from the get-go. Watch the beads of sweat appear as they look at their cards, into your eyes, and then back to their hand. Will they channel Alexander the Great and steal a flag, or will they surrender? I know which way I would rather they choose. After all, if your cardboard companion has the confidence to smash your game plans apart and then invite you to better them, you are onto a winner!
Are They Handy And Accessing Their Inner Child? - Craig Smith
A perfect game to play on a date? Rhino Hero Super Battle. Wait, come back… I’m being serious.
My partner wasn’t overly familiar with board games when we started dating. He knew the classics but had no idea that there were literally thousands of other possibilities. He wanted me to introduce him to my collection, so I knew I had to pick carefully.
I didn’t want anything too rule-heavy or anything that brings out my competitive side. He’s now seen that side of me and says he still loves me, so that’s quite lucky. One bright yellow box stuck out as an option. I had bought Rhino Hero for my goddaughter, and as soon as she went to bed, her parents and I stayed up all night playing it. It led me to buying the Super Battle version for myself. I knew this wouldn’t lead me to be too competitive because… *whispers* I never actually won.
We started building upwards, embracing the dexterity race, moving the superheroes from one floor to the other. Swapping the lead time and again. Moving those dastardly monkeys from one floor to another. Then it happened. He placed his hero on top, causing the whole thing to collapse. It happened in slow motion. He tried to catch it, but the other floors buckled. He laughed, I laughed (mainly because I had finally won) and we played again immediately.
After we packed it away, we talked about what games he could try next. Since then he always asks me to bring a board game or two with me when I visit, but Rhino Hero Super Battle is always packed in the suitcase too.
Can We Fill The Silences? – Rachel Page
The main worry on a first date is what are you going to talk about. What if you run out of conversation? Or what if they think you are boring? Or if you say something stupid? The Mind is a great way to alleviate all your worries, and my go-to game to play on a date.
Firstly, The Mind is fab because it easily fits in your bag. The box is only slightly bigger than a pack of cards, so it can be left in your bag ready for a lull in the conversation. No matter where you are, pub, restaurant or sky-diving, you can have a quick game. Have it in your bag and whip it out whenever you want. It doesn’t have to be a pre-planned gaming session.
Of all my games, The Mind is definitely the one that requires the most eye contact and least talking. Inside there is a deck of cards numbered from 1 to 100. Between you, you have to place the cards in numerical order. It sounds easy, but you are not allowed to speak. There should be no communication whatsoever. It is all about reading the other person’s body language and getting into their head. You need to be in sync with your partner to be able to complete all 11 levels. It starts simply with one card each, but by the time, you have 11 cards in your hand, it is near impossible.
It can be a frustrating game if you keep getting it wrong. When between you, you have the cards for 98, 99 and 100, it can be very difficult. However, if you actually manage to get through all the levels, then you have clearly found someone you are compatible with. If they can pass the Mind test, then maybe you will go the distance...