30 Fun Games for Couples to Play During Date Night

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If your usual date nights are starting to feel a little stale and you just can't bear to watch one more movie, try playing a game together instead. Getting a little competitive together can strengthen your relationship, and that goes for everything from those nostalgic board games gathering dust in the hall closet to a rousing hand of cards to video games or activities specifically designed to get you thinking and talking.

“Gaming as a couple can bring out different elements and characteristics of yours that may not be apparent in day-to-day life,” explains certified sex educator and Bumble’s sex and relationships expert, Shan Boodram. “These activities force you to collaborate and communicate constructively with your partner to achieve one common goal of finishing the game. Additionally, reciprocal trust and prioritizing shared goals over personal goals are often required within gaming, too, which are crucial in a successful relationship.”

Depending on the game you choose, playing can also help you work on parts of your relationship that need a little TLC or highlight areas in which you're super solid, Boodram points out. Maybe one (or both) of you takes the smack talk a smidge too far or doesn't communicate effectively when they get frustrated, two things playing a game can help you work out. Or maybe one of you is fantastic at non-verbal communication or figuring out how to use your current skills in a fresh way when trying out a game you’ve never played before.

“Couples are often concerned with how to keep the spark alive, and a huge part of that is through novelty and opportunities within the relationship for self-expansion — two things that gaming can provide,” Boodram says. “You can see new sides of your partner by doing challenging and fun games together, and you may even gain new skills. That’s a win-win, in my book!”

Ready to give it a try? Here are a few of our favorite couples games to put a little competitive spice — or collaborative communication — into your next date together. Maybe even set a friendly bet to spice things up a little. After all, the dishes aren’t going to do themselves.

1. Name That Tune

All you need for this two-player game is your music streaming service of choice and a decent bank of musical knowledge. Play a few seconds of a song and have your partner guess the title and artist. Make it harder by avoiding the hooks, or more meaningful by sticking to songs from your personal history.

2. Where Should We Begin

This card game from Esther Perel, host of the popular relationship podcast by the same name, will get you and your loved one sharing stories. With a mix of story cards and prompts, it may uncover tales from your past that even you forgot about that can teach you and your significant other even more about each other.

3. We’re Not Really Strangers

Designed to be played by anyone from total strangers right down to intimate partners, this game will take players through three levels: Perceptions, Connection and finally, Reflection. It’ll put you in your feelings and draw you closer, guaranteed.

4. Scrabble

Perfect for the wordsmiths among us, Scrabble has just the right amount of competition to keep things interesting. Brush up on those two-letter words ahead of time to really bring the heat. Trust us, they can really make a difference.

5. The Ultimate Game for Couples

Doesn’t the title say it all? This is one part connection game, one part silly challenges, and even gives you the opportunity to play against other couples to demonstrate your titanium bond. Plus, with 200 cards, you can play over and over again without the game play feeling stale.

6. Truth or Dare

It’s not just for sleepovers anymore. Truth or dare is even more fun between people who know each other really well, because you already have a sense of exactly what dares will get them blushing — and what truths will make them squirm.

7. Checkers

This one’s a classic for a reason. Is anything so satisfying as shouting “king me” when your piece reaches the other person’s back row? No, there is not.

8. Toilet Tag Game

Multitaskers, this one's for you. Play this game when you're perched on the throne and then your partner can do the same when nature calls for them. It'll make the one chore we've all got to do a little relationship-builder at the same time.

9. Tacos vs. Burritos

Do yourselves a favor and order some grub before you start this delicious game. The goal is to create a weird and wild menu, while avoiding pitfalls along the way. Yum!

10. Marital Bliss Game

Played over the course of a week instead of a single sitting, this creative card game sends you on secret missions to collect points through performing acts of kindness for your sweetie. It keeps the fun going for several days, instead of a one-and-done.

11. The Mystery Drink Challenge

Did you ever play the Coke or Pepsi challenge when you were a kid? It’s just as much fun as adults. If you drink alcohol, consider having your sweetie taste test different types of hard seltzer, different brands of a favorite beer or wine, or even different spirits. If you go with liquor, buy airplane bottles to keep from running up a serious tab.

12. Couple Connect

This card game for couples was created by licensed psychologist, Dr. Tania Sharma, so you know it’s based in tried-and-true techniques. The questions will help you think deeply about your relationship, and it’s portable enough to bring on road trips, camping or to a coffee shop date.

13. The Couples Game That’s Actually Fun

Once again, this one’s all in the name. Take a break from soul-searching for a game that will get you giggling. This easy, silly game is perfect for a low-budget date night at home.

14. Uno

The kids’ card game is just as much fun for adults, and you can toss it in a bag to bring to the coffee shop or brewery to add another element to nights out. Plus, other patrons are bound to strike up conversation when they see what you’re playing.

15. Rainbow of Feelings

Taste the rainbow in a whole new way with this game that combines confections and conversations. Assign a feeling to each color of skittles, M&Ms, Starburst or your favorite multicolored sweets. Maybe yellow is happy, blue is sad, and so on. Then, close your eyes, choose a candy, and tell a story that matches that emotion. You’re bound to learn a few things about each other.

16. The Gottman Institute Quiz

There’s a reason why this is the O.G. relationship quiz: it’ll teach you everything from your partners’ life philosophies to their approach to everyday scenarios. Pour each other a glass of your favorite beverage and get into it.

17. Put a Finger Down

The classic “put a finger down” game can get daring, so players beware! Hold up five or 10 fingers and ask your partner to “put a finger down” if they’ve ever “shoplifted from a drugstore,” “gone through my partner’s email,” “done (insert adult act here),” you get the picture. The last person with fingers still up at the end of each round wins.

18. Monopoly

Over the winter, my family played Monopoly and actually read the rules. We discovered we’ve been playing a wrong (and much longer) way all these years, and when we actually adhered to the rules, everyone had a lot more fun. If that’s you too, give it another go.

19. Two-Person Cook Off

Heat up the competition in the kitchen and re-enact your favorite Top Chef episode by challenging each other to a cooking contest. If neither of you have chef skills, it can be as easy as decorating prepared personal pizzas, or you can level it up with from-scratch dishes. Let’s be honest, everyone wins when you eat the results.

20. Online Escape Room

If you love escape rooms but don’t want to leave the comfort of your couch, play online instead. The collaboration, communication and puzzle-solving required will definitely give your relationship a boost.

21. Guess the Episode

Are you an absolute Friends fanatic? Think you know The Simpsons better than anyone? Have every episode of Gilmore Girls memorized? Cue up your favorite show on your streaming service of choice, start playing an episode at random and see how long it takes your S.O. to realize which one it is.

22. Marriage.com Couple Quiz

Spend an evening figuring out just how well you really know each other with this bank of couple quizzes that run the gamut in topic and difficulty. With 65 of them, you can play for hours.

23. Name That Tune

If you play Heardle, you basically already know how this game works. Start playing a song, then time how long it takes your partner to name the artist and title. Fastest song aficionado wins!

24. Progressive Story

A campfire favorite, this game also works great for car trips, quiet moments at home or just about anywhere. The first person begins telling a story with one word, then the other person has to jump in with a word of their own. Go back and forth until you've created a funny, scary or even hot tale.

25. Pass the Pigs

Not only is the goofy premise guaranteed to get you giggling, this game is also easy enough to play without really thinking about it. That makes it perfect for those times when you need something to occupy your hands while you turn off your brain.

26. Exploding Kittens

We'd like to say no kittens were harmed in the making of this fast-paced card game, but we don't like to lie to our readers. The NSFW version is fun for adults but you might want to pick up the more vanilla deck if you've got kids in the house.

27. Monogamy Board Game

This board game is sort of like truth or dare without the truth. As your piece moves around the board, players get prompted to do various actions that increase in intimacy and intensity as time goes on.

28. Wheel of Love

If you played Spin the Bottle in high school, turn it up a notch with this wheel that follows a similar idea. It's got even spicier options that are more appropriate for already established couples than kids at a party, if you know what we mean.

29. Staring Contest

It's proven that sustained eye contact can bring you and your sweetheart closer. Turn it into a game by holding a staring contest. After a few rounds, you might find yourself graduating to, ahem, more strenuous activities.

30. Love Lingual

Go deep with this question deck that covers five categories: Family, Intimacy, Couple, Individual and Past & Future. Stick to one category you want to explore further or shuffle them up for a more surprising experience.

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