5 Best Heavy Board Games for Couples! Once you have kids, date nights are harder and harder to come by. Board Games offer the perfect solution! The board games that follow are our favorite heavy board games for couples. These are for you if you love a game that really makes you think and you and your partner don’t mind sitting down and playing a game that can take an hour or two to complete!
[Stephanie’s note: If the voice sounds different it’s because this post was written by Tyler, my husband, and originally published on Kidsloveboardgames.com which is now defunct!]
If you like this post, you might like these too!
- Benefits of family game night & tips for raising game loving kids
- 10 Best Family Board Games for All Ages
- 5 Cooperative Board Games for Couples
- Top 5 Board Games for Couples: Casual Gamers
- The secrets to playing board games on a budget
Pin this round-up of date night board game ideas with this photo or link!
5 Best Heavy Board Games for Couples
When you’re shopping for games, consider looking on Facebook marketplace for secondhand, buying from your local, small board game shop/toy shop, searching on Ebay, or checking Kidizen for used games. These are linked to Amazon for convenience but we’d much prefer you shop secondhand and/or small when you’re able!
Bora Bora by Ravensburger
In Bora Bora each player takes over an island dwelling tribe and controls their development. I really like that Bora Bora is not just about growing the biggest tribe, while growth is one way to earn victory points, players can also focus on resources, religion, jewelry making, influence, and other items to win the game. Bora Bora has amazing balance with two players and their the different strategies are all viable toward winning the game. This game will put your decision making and planning skills to the test as each round consists of multiple phases, all of which present you with decisions that will help or hinder your chances of becoming the best tribe.
Agricola by Mayfair Games
In Agricola, players compete to successfully manage their family homestead. Players start off managing a couple’s action on their homestead. From their they can expand their homes, grow their family, grow crops, raising livestock and more. With a lot of games you take actions that benefit you but never have to face the consequences, not in Agricola! Planning to grow your family? You better make sure you have a way to feed the new kids! I love how this game makes you plan ahead, and presents realistic challenges to those plans, forcing you to adapt. If this version is too heavy for you but you’re interested in the concept, check out Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small. It still presents strategy and planning challenge, but takes out some of the complexity compared to the original.
Twilight Struggle by Flat River Group
Ever wonder what it would have been like to lead a super power during the cold war? Here’s your chance! In Twilight Stuggle, players take control of either the United States or the Soviet Union during the cold war. The game addresses historical events of the cold war and asks you to make decisions to expand your influence and win the game while balancing the limited resources available to you. This game is less complex then some of the others on the list, but offers an immersive experience for the serious gamer (and requires a 1-2 hour time commitment). This game is really fun to play with your significant other and ‘battle it out’ without ever actually battling.
Castles of Burgundy by Ravensburger
Castles of Burgundy challenges players to build and expand their kingdom by building settlements and castles, expanding trade, and acquiring knowlegde. The game is played over five rounds, with five phases in each round, all offering different complexities and decision making. The player that acquires the most victory points through out the game is deemed to have built the best kingdom and wins. I really love the balance of skill/planning/strategy combined with luck that this game presents. The game does a great job of presenting multiple windows of opportunity only to watch them close as your opponents or your own limited resources prevent you from pursuing them.
Terraforming Mars by FryxGames
Take over a futuristic corporation and use your resources to terraform Mars and make it habitable for the human race! Terraforming Mars has an amazing dynamic of working together to terraform the planet, but also competing to be the most profitable/successful corporation in the process. Playing with two players really amplifies this dynamic and adds a whole layer of strategy toward the end of the game as you approach completion of the terraforming. This game has great balance and the planning that goes into each turn makes it really engaging for serious gamers.
Which game will you try?
If these games sound too strategy filled for you, check out the best cooperative board games for couples. I’d love to hear what heavy games you play during date night in, comment below!
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