Staying in?  Traditional restaurant or movie dates may be out, but that’s no reason not to have fun!  There are a lot of wonderful board games specifically designed for two players.  For your next date night, get out the champagne and chocolate (tea and strawberries, or whatever treats suit your fancy) and celebrate your love by going head to head against each other in a test of luck and strategy!

The acclaimed historical card game 7 Wonders, where you build great arts and innovations of ancient civilizations, got a two-player variant with 7 Wonders Duel!  Plan out your advances or crush each other with your military might as you struggle to dominate the classical world.  Will your civilization be one known for its great artistry or its ruthless cunning?  There’s only one way to find out...

Codenames is a grown-up version of classic party guessing games, but Codenames Duet makes it cooperative, as you work together to find all your secret agents.  It’s a tight and fast-paced game of deduction and espionage that can be played over and over (and despite being designed for two players, there’s room to fit your friends in!)  Check out this new twist on the phenomenally popular board game, and see if your date night feels a little closer-knit at the end.

In the world of experimental indie board games, few have gotten as much praise in recent years as Fog of Love.  It’s a storytelling game about a love story between two fictional characters you make up together (and there are variants of the board game for any gender combination.)  You could work together towards a happy ending, or you could sabotage things and go for tragedy.  There’s great replay value with multiple different story templates, and that’s before you add in the expansions to add trouble with the in-laws, and paranormal romance!

If you’d rather imagine yourself as ancient Egyptian royalty than ordinary folks on a date, you might be looking for Imhotep the Duel.  The great Nefertiti and Akhenaten, despite being a famously loving couple, are competing to gain fame and monuments to help their names last through the ages.  It’s all about set collection, worker placement, and area influence as you strategize to build your own legend.  As a couple, you will make history- but you’ll each want to make a little more history than the other!

Finally, if you’d like to have your date in Wonderland, Tea for 2 lets you recruit Alice and all her friends, enemies and acquaintances to do battle over a tea party.  Get those tarts and teas and flamingos in this fast-paced but tricky card game, and build up your hand until you can buy your way to victory!  Like the book it was inspired by, Tea for 2 is a lovely mix of reason and unreason, so keep your mind sharp even amid Wonderland’s insanity!

These games will keep you entertained throughout the year, but especially on days you want to make a little bit special!  Have fun, and no matter how heated the competition gets, remember that this is supposed to be a date!

Written By: Mira G.

Edited By: Irenee W.