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A dozen red roses and a big heart box wrapped in cellophane, filled with the same variety of chocolate you have tasted since your first boyfriend in highschool. Convenient? Yes. But it doesn't take long watching couples to notice what lovers (and all of us) really want for Valentine's Day: connection. We want to see, be seen, and be loved by someone else.
So in the name of convenience, I have compiled a list of gifts to inspire connection with the one you love. The following games are tested with real life couples and include some of my favorites for adding fun, playfulness, intimacy, and attunement back into your relationship. All of these are inexpensive, so go ahead, buy the roses and toss in a game to bring you and your partner closer together this Valentine's Day and for long after the chocolates are gone.
Get- To-Know-You Games
Either Or Couples Card Game:
Think Would You Rather in a card game version for couples. Pack includes a REVERSE card for make your own answers and special rules. With 200 unique cards the game can be as long or short as you want to play.
Unpack That:
Includes 125 cards for exploring deeper conversations with loved ones. Includes 4 card decks that focus on different aspects of your relationship, as well as an activity wildcard deck. Game is built to inspire trust and build safety as you open up about feelings and experiences without judgement.
Love Lingual:
Another great set of conversation starter cards targeting towards couples. Cards are divided into 5 categories to make sure every topic of life is covered: Family, Intimacy, Couple, Individual, and Past & Future. This type of deck is fun to keep close at hand for dinner time conversation or to pull out during a long car ride.
Date Games
SERVD:
SERVD gamifies everyday life and takes scenarios that come up between you and your partner and turns them into hilarious actions in a card game. Makes real life a game by injecting playfulness and fun. Players each get 27 scenario cards to play when their partner least expects it, which has made this game a personal favorite for me and my spouse.
There are several decks by SERVD, this one is His and Hers to be played between men and women couples, however there are other decks available.
One Year of Love:
The goal with this game is one date a week, 52 dates in a year, drawn from a cards deck and prompts within this set. Most of the ideas take no preparations and can be done in an hour for low prep novel date ideas.
Bonus, the calendar in the front of the box helps you keep track of how many memories you have created.
Jenga:
Hear me out, this classic tumbling tower has the power to help you fall in love all over again. Simply use sharpie to add questions, activity prompts, flirty suggestions, or truth or dares to the blocks. When you pull the block, you follow the instructions. Fun prompts could include "play me a song that makes you think of me," "Thumb war" or "I couldn't live without you because..."
Romance Games
Let's Get Deep: After Dark Expansion Pack
This deck is an extra 200 cards that can be added as an expansion pack to the classic Let's Get Deep game, or played as its own spicy mini game. From the creators of What Do You Meme?, Lets Get Deep plays with 3 levels of cards: Ice Breaker, Deep, and Deeper. This deck will turn up the heat, asking all types of questions about intimacy.
Talk, Flirt, Dare:
Why make it complicated? Draw a card and answer the question or complete the romantic dare. The three decks can be played together or split up to suit any kind of company. The talk deck is a great conversation starter with couple friends, or play the flirt and dare with your special someone.
Games for Connecting with Friends
We're Not Really Strangers:
This game is meant to be played by everyone; strangers to family to partners. With 3 levels of play and dig deeper questions, this game is designed to deepen, or start building, any type of relationship. As the warning on the box states; "Feelings may arise."
The Skin Deep Card Game:
The Skin Deep started as an interactive documentary project which filmed emotional conversations between two people as they asked intimate questions. Now you can play a version of that game geared towards getting to know your friends. Perfect for happy hour, girls night, or down time at work. There are also packs for getting to know your partner, a stranger, and yourself.