If you want to spend some quality time with your loved one, there are plenty of different options, and picking the best ones can be tricky.
While plenty of board games for couples are available on the market in 2025, not all of them are suitable. Many board games are playable with just two players, but most are best played with more. Others might be too simple or too complex for you and your partner. I have included ten board games for couples of all types in this list. Whether you’re feeling romantic or in the mood to challenge a good friend, the following ten options are for you.
Best Board Games For Couples (Quick List)
Chess, Checkers, and Tic-Tac-Toe
Right off the top, this is something simple that offers plenty of hours of entertainment.Chess, Checkers, and Tic-Tac-Toeoffer three classics packaged into one unit, saving money and space. I have had one such unit at my home for a really long time. The compact package also makes it ideal to play with your partner when you’re traveling. The availability of three games also ensures that the two of you won’t get bored playing the same thing time and again.
Lacuna
Lacunais an adorable and romantic game perfect for a date night without being overtly romantic. The idea is to collect flowers of different colors from a pond (don’t worry, it’s not a literal water body). The board represents a pond where the flowers have fallen. You and your partner then take turns placing pawns between the flowers.
But there’s a twist – there are way more flowers than pawns. Phase two begins when you place the pawns and collect the uncontested flowers. The player collects the flowers closest to one’s pawn. Don’t worry if you’re confused about who’s closer to a flower – there’s a ruler included. Ultimately, the person with the most flowers of four different colors wins.
Arkham Horror: The Card Game
Arkham Horror: The Card Gameis my go-to pick for Halloween night, purely on vibes. While you and your partner work as investigators to unravel the mysteries, each scenario requires putting the puzzle pieces together to proceed. As the two of you travel (again, not literally) to different locations, you encounter the dangers surrounding the places. Note that this game requires a lot of concentration, and completing a campaign can take a while.
Scrabble
I may be biased, butScrabbleis one of the first board games I ever played with my partner, and it’s an enjoyable activity where you learn something almost every round. The goal ofScrabbleis simple – try to make words with the letters at your disposal and score as many points as possible. The board is key; not all letters and words fetch the same points. Try and keep a dictionary with you in case the two of you get stuck.Scrabbleis a perfect board game for couples who don’t mind having a nerdy date evening.
Carcassonne
One of the easiest board games to learn,Carcassonneprovides wholesome goodness with its gameplay. The idea is to use your given titles to create a map and generate your land. But there are only so many tiles, so add life to your map to score points. Once the tiles run out, the player with the most points wins. It’s simple, but it’s a great way to spend time with that special someone if you’re both too tired for something more intense.
Dorfromantik: The Board Game
Based on the video game of the same name, theboard gameis an excellent box of co-op fun for couples. It’s likeCarcassonnein that you create your utopia with hex-shaped titles. A significant difference, however, is the campaign mode, which has some reveals that are unlocked gradually by completing tasks. Unlocking each revelation helps you and your partner score more points. This is a perfect board game for couples who want to play together rather than against each other.
Fog of Love
A list of board games for couples requires something romantic, andFog of Loveis a perfect fit. The two of you get to play the story of a couple and tinker with it in every way possible. Brew different traits and destinies to live out the scenarios that decide what happens next. This game doesn’t have a winner or a loser, as you and your loved one discover the nuances of life by living in the shoes of two fictional characters. It’s about closure, not victory. While it’s a wholesome game, completingFog of Lovecan take a while, so don’t sit down for a game if you or the other player has other plans.
Splendor: Duel
This modified version of the classicSplendoris perfect for spending time with your better half. The core gameplay remains the same, as you have to create beautiful jewelry for your clients. InSplendor: Duel, the raw gems are available on the board, and you have to pick them based on specific rules. There are three victory conditions, and your strategies are based on unique special effects. TheDuelversion is better, and the matches are quicker.
Sea Salt & Paper
Another excellent game for date night,Sea Salt & Paperis a great game for couples to play in 2025. The idea is to build different hands of cards to score more points. you’re able to choose cards randomly from the main deck or abandon uncertainty and peel one off the discard pile. You can also irritate your loved one by stealing a card from them or picking an extra one for yourself, albeit with some trade-offs. The fast-paced nature ofSea Salt & Papermakes it perfect for quick sessions, and the origami-based artwork is a big hit in my book.
Codenames Duet
Codenamesis one of my favorite board games, so when I heard aDuet versionwas launching, I picked it up instantly. The regularCodenamesgame supports up to eight players, but theDuetversion only needs two, thus emphasizing cooperation over competition. The core gameplay is the same, but you and your partner will take turns to provide the clues. This version is much quicker: you only have to find fifteen clues before the time runs out. It’s short, fun, and a fantastic way to spend a rainy evening in doors with friends, family, and that special someone in your life.
