The Board Games For Couples: Pandemic Iberia, 7 Wonders: Duel & More…

We’ve put together the best board games for couples, a selection of great tabletop adventures in which you’ll be able to work to show just what you can do as a pair. Just don’t get too competitive.

Board Games For Couples

Whether you’re playing to rekindle some fun childhood memories, trying something new for date night, or just plain combatting boredom, board games are a great choice for couples.

Studies show that couples who play board games have an improved love life. A study out of Baylor University found that couples who played board games together released more oxytocin.

Referred to as the “love hormone,” elevated oxytocin increases trust and bonds between partners, while simultaneously releasing calming effects on stress and fear.

Additionally, in Eli Finkel’s book, The All-or-Nothing Marriage, he shares that couples become more attracted to each other when they go on dates together (woohoo!). What’s even better, his studies found that this attraction increases even more when you go on a date with another couple.

So, why not plan a double-date game night with another couple this weekend? The thing is, it can be hard to find the best two-player couple’s board games.

From there, we went down a rabbit hole and learned more about board games than we ever thought possible. Did you know, in 1978, the annual Spiel Game Fair began, awarding — out of hundreds of games from 50+ countries — the yearly Game of the Year (aka the Spiel des Jahres)?

The panel considers things like design and game concept. We include 5 of these award winners and nominees in our list of classic board games for couples.

In addition to having the straight-up best, two-person board games for couples, we include several relationship-building board games as well to spice up your date nights.

The Best Board Games For Couples

Plenty of the entries on this list put their players in situations filled with conflict – which can be an exciting prospect for any couple looking for adventure – but there are an equal number of titles here that offer a decidedly more peaceful experience that’s perfect for a relaxing evening, just the two of you. So hang your coats up, get out the table, pour some drinks and get cozy with the best board games for couples.

Pandemic Iberia

Fight diseases in ancient Europe with this co-op board game.
The original Pandemic is a classic beginner board game wherein players work together to save the world from mass disease by inoculating citizens and finding a cure.

Pandemic is traditionally quite a stressful game to play – with everyone needing to react quickly to outbreaks and race across the world to minimise casualties – and doesn’t exactly have the most breathtaking of themes. However, Pandemic Iberia transports players back in time to 1848 when the very first railroad in the Iberian Peninsula has just been constructed – and what could be more romantic than historically-accurate diseases?

A co-op board game where you and your partner travel from Barcelona to Lisboa, Pandemic Iberia takes the formula of the original and alters it to fit the setting. Instead of facing unknown diseases, you’re battling malaria, typhus, cholera and yellow fever – and instead of distributing medicine you’re handing out purified water, making for a surprisingly unique experience. There are a few gameplay differences from Pandemic, too, with the new ability to build railroads to travel around the beautiful landscape faster.

7 Wonders: Duel

Players will run through three eras, jostling to secure a win through either military or scientific development. You will also need to start building your four allotted Wonders, meeting all prerequisites, gathering resources and playing mind games. Rather than choosing cards simultaneously, as the original 7 Wonders had you do, players take turns picking face-up and face-down cards from a central collection. You’ll have to work your way to the resources you most desperately need, hoping they aren’t snapped up by your opponent first.

Although tallying up your points at the end of a match can sometimes be a bit of a mood killer, 7 Wonders: Duel makes up for this minor annoyance by offering tons of variation, and replayability, in each game. It’s a solid choice for repeat game nights, and is sure to keep you coming back for more board games.

Azul

Regularly hailed as one of the finest two-player board games of all time – and rightly so – Michael Kiesling’s Azul is a game that authentically delivers on that old cliché: a feast for the senses. The gorgeous, patterned tiles are endlessly pleasing to the eye, clack together satisfyingly in their bag, and give the game a calming energy – even when your partner has just beaten you three rounds in a row.

Azul casts you and your opponent(s) / life partner(s) as rival interior decorators, vying to impress the King of Portugal with your breathtaking five-by-five-tile wall designs. You’ll take turns choosing your desired tiles from shared pools, then using your picks wisely to create the highest-scoring, matching patterns you can. Better patterns mean more points, and the player with the most points wins. It’s quite the epitome of the ‘easy to learn, hard to master’ mantra that so many modern board games strive for.

Dominion

This is the best kingdom building game and is great for couples who enjoy building and developing kingdoms and thrones. Dominion is one of the most popular deck-building games worldwide and is an ideal introduction to the mechanics of deck building for new players, as well as seasoned vets. Playing this game with your partner will encourage you to be collaborative in strategizing, and to be creative, which is ideal for relationship bonding.

While the general concept of the game remains the same, each individual game will look a little different, as there is an endless supply of deck combinations in board games. The great thing about this game is that if you enjoy the core game, there are a lot of expansion sets available to help keep it fresh and stimulating for years to come. But that being said, unlike some other deck-building games, Dominion allows players to build decks without having to spend countless hours and excessive amounts of money on card booster packs. You get every card that you need in just one box.

The endless strategies and card combinations that can be played make each game unique and exciting. After a few rounds of this game, you will clearly see if this style of game is something you and your partner will enjoy.

Star Realms

If Star Wars and Firefly had a love child, Star Realms would be it. There is a two-player max for this card game, and it includes four factions you can use to wage battles in space. You can choose from any faction during gameplay, but cards of the same faction often build off one another. So it’s a good idea to stick to 1-2 factions during a game.

The romance of Star Realms rests in the array of expansions available. These expansions can spice up what might otherwise become a tired and overplayed game. Plus, you get the privilege of someday using the line, “Back in my day, Trump was a reality TV star, Google didn’t exist, and there were only three Star Realms expansions.”

Codenames: Duet

The card game Codenames: Duet lets you get your Mr. and Mrs. Smith vibe on, while still celebrating the word geek you are. In the game, you and your partner are two spies working together to deliver messages to other secret agents. You do so by giving one-word clues that your partner must then use to guess a series of other words.

If you and your partner have a thing for word games, then Codename: Duet are one of the best board games for you. It’s all about luck and forming word associations. So breakout your mental dictionary, draw a card, and talk synonyms to me, baby.

Do couples play board games?

Whether you’re playing to rekindle some fun childhood memories, trying something new for date night, or just plain combatting boredom, board games are a great choice for coup.

What is the most popular board game in America?

The 10 Most Popular Board Games: Chess, Checkers, Monopoly, Scrabble, Backgammon.

What is the easiest board game to play?

Bananagrams is the word game with no board and super simple rules. Each player has to make connecting words using all of their letter tiles. They then shout ‘peel’ making everyone collect another tile and starting the race all over again.

Why do adults play board games?

Playing board games triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural “feel-good” chemicals. “Happy hormones” have the power to improve conscious and unconscious mind functions, leaving a person feeling cheerful, compassionate, and ultimately content.