Not all couple games need to lead to sex, and there are plenty of romantic (and free!) games that can help bring you and your partner closer together or at least make for an interesting date night.
"Games trigger novelty, which can help you avoid a relationship rut," says Maggie Dancel, PsyD, a couples therapist who hosts the podcast Full Disclosure. Not to mention, playing games with your S.O. can be a fun way to learn more about each other. The couple games here will help you do exactly that.
1. One Word One Answer
If you want to go down memory lane, this is the game for you. Dancel says that, in couples therapy, she often asks couples how they met to remind them why they fell in love. Remembering the good times can not only remind you of why you made your person your person, but also “build connection and increase fondness for one another.”
To play One Word One Answer, start with a word, any word. The other partner replies with another word that helps build on the sentence. The goal? Use the words and answers to tell your love story. Awww.
2. NudgeText
This is one of Dancel’s go-to recommendations for couples looking to mix up their dating life. It’s a free service that suggests fun things to do in a city near you, along with creative ideas for homebodies.
3. The Dating Divas
The Dating Divas are another one of Dancel's go-to game sites. The Dating Divas will send you a whole box of stuff you can do with your partner, as well as date ideas that come from all around the world. For example, their Paris box contains recipes to create your own Parisian picnic, French love notes to share with your partner, and more.
4. 36 Questions
These 36 questions were first published in a 1997 study. Six months later, two of the participants were married. Since then, the questions have been rumored to make people fall in love. A new question for couples: Can it make you fall more in love? The questions start light, then get a little more ~intense~. (P.S. Take This Couples Quiz To See How Well You Know Your Partner)
5. Twenty Questions
Learn about your partner’s favorite pop culture figures (or favorite anything). One person thinks of a famous person, and the other asks 20 "yes or no" questions to guess who it is.
6. Write Poems
Do you have an artsy partner? Or do you ever wish you could get a chance to show off your creative side? Maybe you just want to pretend to be living inside a Shakespearean sonnet for a bit? No shame. Try making an erasure poem from a magazine article or a page of a book. All you have to do is black out (erase) any words you don’t want in your poem.
7. The Gottman Institute Quiz
How well do you know your partner? It’s a question that the Gottman Institute is qualified to answer. The institute was founded by Dr. John and Julie Gottman—pioneers in the study of human sexuality. Combined, they’ve published over 200 academic articles on the subject and almost 50 books. Take their quiz to see if you really know everything about your partner.
8. Stare Off
To play, look into your partner’s eyes without blinking for as long as you can. Often, this leads to kissing, maybe ~more~. Play anywhere, any time.
9. Sushi Go Card Game
For a laid-back game that's fun, entertaining, and a bit competitive, consider this popular card game. Not only does it go super fast, but it's easy to learn. The goal is simple: Collect as many cards as you can to create your "sushi meal." The player with the most points wins. Bonus: The game pairs perfectly with takeout.
10. Dare Duel
In Dare Duel, you take turns drawing cards and selecting words or phrases to create fun and romantic dares. Once you've created a dare, battle it out to see who will rise to the challenge. Because there are hundreds of different words and phrases to choose from, the combinations are almost endless, making every game unique.
11. Adult Loaded Questions Game
With 308 questions, how could you *not* learn something new about your partner? While there's no “winner” of the game, the lighthearted—and sometimes sexy—questions are sure to make for a good time.
12. Exploding Kittens
Do you happen to love kittens, laser beams, and goats? What about fast-moving card games? Yeah, same. Be sure to check out their NSFW edition card deck.
13. Find Out What Kind of Couple You Are
Are you the Too Adorable Couple or the Train Wreck couple? This short quiz will let you know.
14. Copy Cat Movie
Want to mix up your movie night? Put on a rom-com or one of your other fave films, and act out a scene. While it can be something steamy, you can also just reenact your best "I'm Flying" scene from the prow of the Titanic (or, you know, your bed). (Movie inspo ahead: The 35 Best Summer Movies You Absolutely Need To Watch This Season)
15. The Sing-Along Challenge
Start singing a song and challenge your partner to continue with another song based on the last word you sang. It doesn't matter if you have a good singing voice! Not hitting every note just gives you something more to laugh about.
16. The Pretzel Challenge
Yes, this couples game involves literal pretzels. Find your favorite pretzel recipe and enjoy each other’s company in the kitchen. Then, see who is faster at twisting the dough into pretzels. No matter who wins, you both get a tasty homemade snack.
17. Nexci Scrimish Card Game
A beloved card game, Scrimish is classic and fun. Each deck has 25 red and 25 blue cards. Work as quickly as you can to reveal your partner's crown card. If you can keep up and do it first, you win! The lightning-quick rounds help create a fun sense of competition between you and your partner.
18. Origami Challenge
If you’re looking for a way to do something creative together, origami can be a great pastime. No worries if you’re not already an origami expert. There are plenty of videos on YouTube that will walk you through how to get started. Once you get the hang of it, turn the activity into a fun game by making it a timed challenge.
19. Scrabble, But With a Twist
Bored of playing normal scrabble? Try playing it with this twist. The person who completes a word first asks the other person to choose truth or dare. It’s is the perfect opportunity to talk, have fun, and put your vocab skills to the test.
20. Off Topic Adult Party Game
Get to know what’s on your partner’s mind with this adult party game. Draw a card to set the topics, and roll the die to set the letter that your responses must begin with. Flip the sand timer and you're off! Warning: Your answers might get a little ~off topic~.
21. Quiz Each Other
This quiz is designed to be played with your partner. You can remember how you met, and what you always like to do together. If you want to get creative, you can always extend the game by creating your own questions at the end.
22. Twister
Just because you’re all grown up doesn’t mean you can’t have fun twisting it up. Remember what it was like to have fun playing as a child...and bond with your favorite adult.
23. Yes or No
This game is similar to two truths and a lie, but better. You can play with your favorite alcoholic drink or your favorite flavor of La Croix. You and your partner take turns asking each other questions. Taking two sips of your drink means "yes" and one sip says "no."
24. Karaoke
No worries if you don’t have a karaoke machine. If you want to enjoy singing with your partner, you can simply download a karaoke app on your laptop or search up your favorite songs on YouTube and enjoy belting out your favorite hits. Try Karafun, which is free to download and gives you access to their library of over 28,000 karaoke videos.
25. Guess The Movie
This is one of the easiest games that you can make yourself. Each of you creates a PowerPoint with screenshots from your favorite movies, then guess away! You might find your next flick for movie night.
