Best Board Games for Couples

"The first two-player-only game to win the Spiel des Jahres — landing a plane together, wordlessly, is a genuine bonding exercise."

"Twenty minutes of tight civilization-building with three different ways to win keeps both people leaning forward."

"A quilt-building puzzle that's oddly romantic — you're literally building something together, tile by tile."

"Fast-paced trading with just enough tension to make "one more round" a running joke by round five."

"No board, no luck, just two people and a bag of tiles — plays anywhere from a park bench to a plane."

"A tense tug-of-war between the Nixon administration and the press — a two-player award winner that plays in about 30 minutes."

"A genuinely underrated two-player worker-placement game for couples who want real strategic depth."

"The single cutest strategy game in print — kittens pushing kittens hides a surprisingly sharp abstract game."

"A sharper, more interactive two-player remix of the gem-collecting classic."

"Calm, gorgeous landscape-building that works beautifully with two. Won Golden Geek Medium Game of the Year and the Swiss Gamers Award."

"A cooperative trick-taking campaign you can't talk your way through — you have to read each other. Great for couples who like a challenge together."

"A quick, clever card tableau game that plays in about 20 minutes. Golden Geek Light Game of the Year."