My favorite types of games are ones that are really immersive- stuff with exciting components, narrative, and a hook that can draw you in and truly believe in the world that you've decided to enter for an hour or so.
Star Wars: Rebellion and War of the Ring
Look, I love these games. Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are each of two of my favorite series, and the "Trilogy in a Box" theme of these games lets players tell such unique and interesting stories. That "immersive" thing I was talking about earlier is pretty much epitomized in these games. The problem with them is that they're long, rule heavy, and take a considerable amount of commitment- perhaps not unlike marriage itself, but not universally suited for a romantic evening of gaming.
Another issue with these games is the incongruity of the factions. One side is guaranteed to get absolutely dominated, and unless you're into that (and I'm sure some of us are) then it may make for a more tense evening than you might want.
Carcassonne
Carcassonne can be really infuriating, especially if you're playing competitively against me- I'm a master at stealing cities.
But, if you're just playing for fun, you can really build your own world. When the tiles have all been laid and the cities all placed, you end up with a totally unique pattern that you've created together. At the risk of sounding cheesy, the amazing thing about Carcassonne is that you're able to really create something beautiful, sprawling, and ultimately imperfect with each other. That's kind of cool, I think.
Imperial Assault and Descent: Journeys in the Dark Co-op Apps
It may sound biased since Imperial Assault comprises like 80% of my articles on this blog, but I'd say that these two games lend themselves incredibly well to a date night. Unlike a lot of games that feature competitive or semi-competitive goals, Imperial Assault is all about working like a well oiled machine- especially when playing with the co-op apps, Legends of the Alliance and Road to Legend.
It'll be you two against the world, fighting back to back against bounty hunters and Sith Lords, or goblins and demons. Either of these games offer relatively similar in-app experiences, so it's really up to you guys- are you more into Star Wars, or is fantasy your fantasy?
Dominion
Dominion is an interesting card game. Ultimately, there is very little player interaction- in a way, this is a good thing for a romantic game night. At least there are no mood killers, like when I steal a city in Dominion.
But the lack of player interaction also might be kind of alienating for some couples. If you enjoy heavy player interaction like in One Night Ultimate Werewolf or even in Shadows Over Camelot, this might not be the game for you.
And yeah, I'd by lying if I said Emily and I hadn't played Dominion in candle light before.
I've only played the X-Wing game once, and was pretty underwhelmed by it (to be fair, I only played the core set, which I've heard doesn't make for a great game). One of my biggest memories of it was that we pretty much had to stand and walk around the entire time, to reach what we needed to during the game. That made it feel unique, since I don't have a lot of experience with other tabletop wargames like that.
Love Letter: Batman Edition
Look, I could make a joke about the "5 Minute Fun!" exclamation on the box art, but that's low hanging fruit.
Love Letter isn't a deep experience, but it's actually pretty entertaining for what it is. The Batman edition actually includes some semi-thematic rules, like the Bane forcing a conflict or The Joker being a risky but effective strategy to work with.
It's quick and easy to learn and play, too, so you can get right to five minutes of a different type of fun. Dang it, I went for the low hanging fruit.
Magic: The Gathering
My wife and I trace Magic to being the first tabletop game we really used to play a lot with each other. I taught her how to play a few years after our relationship started- she was skeptical at first, but now it's one of her favorite games.
Generally I'm the deckbuilder for us. At this point, we have 7 or 8 decks, and one of the most fun things about playing is mixing and matching deck combinations. Will we have the two old enemies (original two decks) fight, the Eldrazi and Vampires? Will the Slivers join the fray, or will the passive aggressive Gate stall deck claim victory?
Not to toot my own horn, but I've assembled a pretty unique collection of decks that all play relatively differently. Some are evenly matched, some have a more rock/paper/scissors feel to them. Either way, Magic has always been an old standby for us, and probably always will be.
Arena of the Planeswalkers is, for the most part, just MTG played on a board with minis. A lot of the same cards do the same things, and while obviously the rules have changed and have additions to allow for miniatures play, there are still many similarities with the much more famous CCG.
If you're a long time MTG fan, this is a neat game simply for all the minis it comes with (and you get a lot for really cheap). The miniatures rules aren't terrible, either, and I really like the "Battleship" tactics that come out when multiple players join the fray. But as a 1v1 game, Arena is vastly inferior to the card game it's based on.
Risk: Star Wars Edition
Risk: Star Wars edition is an enigma. It bears the infamous "Risk" logo, but plays absolutely nothing like the family-ruining epic that it identifies as. In fact, this game is pretty quick, especially considering its scope.
Instead of portraying a big way, this game features the Battle of Endor, but does so at multiple levels. You have the fight above the planet with the Rebel and Imperial fleets duking it out near the second Death Star. Then there's the land battle where Han and Leia's strike team assaults the shield generator. Finally, you have Luke and Vader's duel aboard the battlestation.
It's lite on rules, and heavy on dice rolling, but a card based action system still allows for some tactical play. The quick, swingy nature of the game makes rematches an inevitability- but if you want to make your spouse happy, tell them to play as the Rebels (it's a lot easier, especially for beginners).
So, those are just my thoughts today. If you have any other games that you and your loved one(s) like to play, let me know in the comments!
May the Force be with you!
My second favorite type of game is anything that can be played with as little as one or two players.
It's always a shame, then, when a big exciting looking game basically takes half of the people in your graduating class to even hit the table. I mean, I've owned the Game of Thrones 2nd edition game for almost three years now and haven't played it once. I'd love to, but you basically need a perfect amount of six people to play it, no more and no less, or you have to start fidgeting with alternative (and inferior, in my opinion) rules.
So, unless you're in a mass poly-amorous relationship (which if you are, good for you!) then you may be wondering what to play on Valentines Day. Here are just a few thoughts on two-player games that I've had experience with, Star Wars and otherwise.
Star Wars: Rebellion and War of the Ring
Sweetheart Rating: 2/5
Perfect for: Couples into kinky stuff
Look, I love these games. Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are each of two of my favorite series, and the "Trilogy in a Box" theme of these games lets players tell such unique and interesting stories. That "immersive" thing I was talking about earlier is pretty much epitomized in these games. The problem with them is that they're long, rule heavy, and take a considerable amount of commitment- perhaps not unlike marriage itself, but not universally suited for a romantic evening of gaming.
Another issue with these games is the incongruity of the factions. One side is guaranteed to get absolutely dominated, and unless you're into that (and I'm sure some of us are) then it may make for a more tense evening than you might want.
Carcassonne
Sweetheart Rating: 4/5
Perfect for: Couples who want to (pro)create
Carcassonne can be really infuriating, especially if you're playing competitively against me- I'm a master at stealing cities.
But, if you're just playing for fun, you can really build your own world. When the tiles have all been laid and the cities all placed, you end up with a totally unique pattern that you've created together. At the risk of sounding cheesy, the amazing thing about Carcassonne is that you're able to really create something beautiful, sprawling, and ultimately imperfect with each other. That's kind of cool, I think.
Imperial Assault and Descent: Journeys in the Dark Co-op Apps
Sweetheart Rating: 5/5
Perfect for: Couples that work as a team
It may sound biased since Imperial Assault comprises like 80% of my articles on this blog, but I'd say that these two games lend themselves incredibly well to a date night. Unlike a lot of games that feature competitive or semi-competitive goals, Imperial Assault is all about working like a well oiled machine- especially when playing with the co-op apps, Legends of the Alliance and Road to Legend.
It'll be you two against the world, fighting back to back against bounty hunters and Sith Lords, or goblins and demons. Either of these games offer relatively similar in-app experiences, so it's really up to you guys- are you more into Star Wars, or is fantasy your fantasy?
Dominion
Sweetheart Rating: 3/5
Perfect for: Couples that enjoy each others' company, but still like to do their own thing
Dominion is an interesting card game. Ultimately, there is very little player interaction- in a way, this is a good thing for a romantic game night. At least there are no mood killers, like when I steal a city in Dominion.
But the lack of player interaction also might be kind of alienating for some couples. If you enjoy heavy player interaction like in One Night Ultimate Werewolf or even in Shadows Over Camelot, this might not be the game for you.
And yeah, I'd by lying if I said Emily and I hadn't played Dominion in candle light before.
X-Wing: Miniatures Game
Sweetheart Rating: 2/5
Perfect for: Couples feeling a little more physical
I've only played the X-Wing game once, and was pretty underwhelmed by it (to be fair, I only played the core set, which I've heard doesn't make for a great game). One of my biggest memories of it was that we pretty much had to stand and walk around the entire time, to reach what we needed to during the game. That made it feel unique, since I don't have a lot of experience with other tabletop wargames like that.
Love Letter: Batman Edition
Sweetheart Rating: 3/5
Perfect for: Couples that have other things to do
Look, I could make a joke about the "5 Minute Fun!" exclamation on the box art, but that's low hanging fruit.
Love Letter isn't a deep experience, but it's actually pretty entertaining for what it is. The Batman edition actually includes some semi-thematic rules, like the Bane forcing a conflict or The Joker being a risky but effective strategy to work with.
It's quick and easy to learn and play, too, so you can get right to five minutes of a different type of fun. Dang it, I went for the low hanging fruit.
Magic: The Gathering
Sweetheart Rating: 4/5
Perfect for: Couples that like to mix it up
My wife and I trace Magic to being the first tabletop game we really used to play a lot with each other. I taught her how to play a few years after our relationship started- she was skeptical at first, but now it's one of her favorite games.
Generally I'm the deckbuilder for us. At this point, we have 7 or 8 decks, and one of the most fun things about playing is mixing and matching deck combinations. Will we have the two old enemies (original two decks) fight, the Eldrazi and Vampires? Will the Slivers join the fray, or will the passive aggressive Gate stall deck claim victory?
Not to toot my own horn, but I've assembled a pretty unique collection of decks that all play relatively differently. Some are evenly matched, some have a more rock/paper/scissors feel to them. Either way, Magic has always been an old standby for us, and probably always will be.
MTG: Arena of the Planeswalkers
Sweetheart Rating: 2/5
Perfect for: Couples wanting a more tactile experience
Arena of the Planeswalkers is, for the most part, just MTG played on a board with minis. A lot of the same cards do the same things, and while obviously the rules have changed and have additions to allow for miniatures play, there are still many similarities with the much more famous CCG.
If you're a long time MTG fan, this is a neat game simply for all the minis it comes with (and you get a lot for really cheap). The miniatures rules aren't terrible, either, and I really like the "Battleship" tactics that come out when multiple players join the fray. But as a 1v1 game, Arena is vastly inferior to the card game it's based on.
Risk: Star Wars Edition
Sweetheart Rating: 4/5
Perfect for: Couples that want to go multiple times
Risk: Star Wars edition is an enigma. It bears the infamous "Risk" logo, but plays absolutely nothing like the family-ruining epic that it identifies as. In fact, this game is pretty quick, especially considering its scope.
Instead of portraying a big way, this game features the Battle of Endor, but does so at multiple levels. You have the fight above the planet with the Rebel and Imperial fleets duking it out near the second Death Star. Then there's the land battle where Han and Leia's strike team assaults the shield generator. Finally, you have Luke and Vader's duel aboard the battlestation.
It's lite on rules, and heavy on dice rolling, but a card based action system still allows for some tactical play. The quick, swingy nature of the game makes rematches an inevitability- but if you want to make your spouse happy, tell them to play as the Rebels (it's a lot easier, especially for beginners).
So, those are just my thoughts today. If you have any other games that you and your loved one(s) like to play, let me know in the comments!
May the Force be with you!
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