These 15 Games Will Totally Liven Up Your Boring Date Night

Whether you’re in a new relationship or have been settled into a long-term partnership for a while, having regular date nights is a great way to strengthen your bond and create lasting memories. If you find yourselves bored with the usual dinner and drinks, there are plenty of fun games for couples to play at home, says Carlos Cavazos, a licensed professional counselor, certified sexologist, and host of the Naughtylicious podcast. “Games help build bonding memories, take the pressure off having to come up with things to talk about, bring laughter into the room, and help you learn new things about each other both emotionally and sexually.”

In fact, in a 2016 study at the University of Virginia, researchers found that women cohabitating with their partner were four times more likely to report being “very happy” in their relationship when they had date nights once a week, and men in the same situation were 2.5 times more likely to report being “very happy” in their relationship. The study also suggested that having regular “couple time” improved each pair’s communication, sexual satisfaction, and commitment.

Wondering which games might work best for date night? Whether you’re in the mood to ask each other thought-provoking questions or try activities that’ll heat things up in the bedroom, here are 15 games for couples to play at home.

About The Expert

Carlos Cavazos, MA, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor, certified sexologist, and certified relationship coach. Cavazos loves working with others regarding LGBTQ issues, kinks, open relationships, gender identity, sexuality, and so much more. Cavazos’ Naughtylicious podcast also offers a space where listeners can learn about sex-positive topics such as kinks, fetishes, domination and submission, and more.

The Best Deep Games For Date Night

If you’ve had a hard time scheduling intentional time with your partner, or have been opting for less-than-quality time together, try a card game with deep and thought-provoking questions to ask each other. “You might think you know everything about your partner, but these types of games have questions that you would never have thought to ask yourself, which will reveal new layers of the person you are with,” Cavazos says. “Give it a shot, and you might be surprised that there is still so much you can learn about each other.”

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If you’re looking to deepen your connection with your partner, these 150 conversation starters will encourage each of you to speak intentionally about your relationship. The cards focus on both the past and the present, and inspire you to speak truthfully with one another about what’s ahead, with questions like, “How can I make you more confident in our future together?”

Review: “After so many years of marriage it’s easy to think you know everything about your spouse but these cards triggered many meaningful conversations and unexpected responses,” writes one Amazon reviewer.

With vulnerable questions like, “Have you ever told someone ‘I love you’ but didn’t mean it? If so, why?”, this popular game bonds couples through mindful, candid conversations. Playing this with your partner might even reveal something you didn’t previously know about them.

Review: “This game really had a positive effect on our relationship, we both have a hard time communicating how we feel sometimes and I think this was a great avenue to open up to each other in ways we never had before,” writes one Amazon reviewer. “We both felt so much closer by the end. I highly recommend this game for any couple that’s looking to build a deeper connection.”

If your love language is quality time, this is the game for your relationship. This particular deck has meaningful questions (for example, “What’s something you’ve tried that you will never, ever try again?”) to ask your partner, giving each of you the floor to share your thoughts and feelings.

Review: “My husband and I were driving for over 5 hours to our last vacation, and instead of just listening to the radio, we started some very deep conversation using those cards. We've been married for so many years now and there were questions there that we've never asked - which made the conversation so interesting and fun,” writes one Amazon reviewer.

This game was designed by psychologist Dr. Tania Sharma, and the activities and questions are based on different therapeutic techniques. Questions like, “What was significant about the timing that I came into your life?” encourage you to open up to each other’s experiences and perspectives.

Review: “Loved these! We recently celebrated our 13th anniversary. I ordered these out of curiosity to see what they were about and I was not disappointed! These cards gave us new things to talk about and are great conversation starters! We went through a few cards each night just before bed and we laughed at some of our answers, the images on these cards evoked a feeling of love and romance,” writes one Amazon reviewer.

The Best Funny Games For Date Night

Spending one-on-one time at home together doesn’t have to be boring. Use your sense of humor to create hilarious memories with your partner by trying one of these goofy games. “Nothing bonds couples more than laughter,” Cavazos says. “When you think about your relationship, those moments you spend having fun and laughing tend to be the ones that you value the most, and the ones that help you get through the not-so-fun times.”

Created by the team behind the famous Cut videos, Truth or Drink is a hilarious (and occasionally awkward) game usually involving alcohol. The cards cover a wide range of questions and topics, like, “What is the most embarrassing thing you’ve had to ask Google?” and “Do any of your friends not like me?” Whether you choose to imbibe or make yourself a mocktail, this is a fantastic way to spill some secrets and make some memories with your partner.

Review: “My boyfriend and I loved playing the game, and I especially enjoy that there are different decks depending on who you play with, so it could be either NSFW, or adult family-friendly,” writes one Amazon reviewer. “I Highly 10/10 recommend buying this!”

Doubling as a fun party game, this raunchy card deck is perfect for a rowdy night in with your partner. The game involves shouting lewd language as you match the terms and symbols on the cards — perfect for couples with dirty minds who want to get loud (in more than just the bedroom).

Reviewer: “Took it out to game night with a couple of friends everyone is absolutely in love with it! We all agreed this is a 5 star game! Perfect for party game nights,” writes one Amazon reviewer.

With a mixture of funny challenge cards (“You have eight seconds to name five of my relatives”) and meaningful conversation starters (“What would I do with three extra hours in a day?”), this game can be played alone or on a double date night with friends. The deck has over 200 cards, so it’s perfect for longer gameplay or playing again and again.

Reviewer: “This is a great game for any couple, regardless of how long you have been dating because it goes beyond your usual boring surface-level questions along with adding fun and unique challenges/dares,” writes one reviewer.

Another fun adults-only party game, this deck is also great for a double date night. Best used with four or more players, the 458 different cards are sure to get hilarious conversations started. Examples include juicy open-ended prompts like, “My mind’s telling me no, but my body’s telling me _” and “Comments you shouldn’t leave on an old picture of your ex”.

Reviewer: One Amazon reviewer writes, “Loved it! 👌🏽 We laughed so much playing this! Literally crying with laughter! Worth every penny, I even bought extra packs!”

The Best Unique Games For Date Night

If you aren’t into the raunchier stuff, but still want a fun and engaging activity, one of these unique take-home experience games would be a great choice. “The most successful relationships are the ones in which problems are dealt with as a unit as opposed to [a] you versus me approach,” Cavazos says. “These games help you learn to work together, build off each other’s strengths, and provide insight into each other’s problem-solving skills — which can be used in other areas of the relationship.”

The über popular “Hunt a Killer” series offers an escape from the usual date night activities and follows a mysterious and exciting storyline. With plenty of interactive challenges and clues, this top-rated game will have you feeling like a true-crime detective.

Reviewer: “Best date night we've had in forever! I give it a very, very strong recommendation. It's not so much a game as a series of clues you unravel to determine the murderer out of a number of suspects, and it was incredibly fun,” writes one Amazon reviewer.

For a cozy date night with a twist, this escape room offers all the excitement of the real thing — without requiring you to wear real pants. The game has a time limit of 60 minutes, so it’s a great exercise in your teamwork and communication.

Review: “Bought this as a birthday present for my husband who is a massive locked room fanatic and we absolutely loved this experience,” writes one Amazon reviewer. “The locked boxes take this game a step ahead of the usual escape room in a box as you get the sense of excitement when you enter a code and hear the click of the padlock opening! Found the storyline well written and the theming works well with the puzzles — everything is tied together very well.”

This game deck offers wild (and sometimes gross) situations for a unique take on “Would you rather” games. Questions include examples like, “Would you rather have tastebuds in your butt” or “Would you rather have the number of days since you’ve had sex displayed on your forehead?” It requires at least three players, so it’s best played on a group or double date night when you want to shake things up.

Review: “Such a fun game to play! Me and my girlfriend have laughed for hours,” writes one Amazon reviewer.

The Best Sexy Games For Date Night

For a spicier, more intimate date night, a sexy game might be the way to go. Especially if your sexual connection has reached a plateau, a hot and steamy game could certainly help. “Sometimes, couples get into routines, like only one partner giving oral to the other because the other partner is not much of a fan,” Cavazos says.”These games help shake up routines and let people explore or revisit things they might enjoy.”

Everyone likes a little excitement sometimes, so try this game if you’re looking to mix things up with your partner. The cards provide three different levels of hot intensity: “Talk” cards, which are more party-friendly questions (“If you and your partner quit your jobs to become bloggers, what would you blog about?”); “Dare” cards, which have spicy action commands (“For the next 10 minutes, be your partner’s servant and do anything they desire.”); and “Flirt” cards, which offer fun questions (“Which of my outfits is your favorite?”).

Review: “[If] you want to re-connect with your partner this game is for you! Get it for yourself or as a gift,” writes one Amazon reviewer.

For an even more wild option, explore your kinky side with this game that dives deep into your fantasies and role-playing desires. There are three different levels of cards for varied gameplay: the “Intimate” cards encourage softer actions like kissing or cuddling, the “Passionate” cards get a bit naughtier, and the “Steamy” cards become even more explicit.

Review: “I really thought this game would be corny, but OMG we had soooo much fun playing this, writes one Amazon reviewer. “Definitely reignites the passion in a relationship. Husband loved it as well and keeps requesting that we play it again.”

Sex dice are a classic way to really get frisky, and these are no exception. Try out new techniques with the set of two foreplay dice, which encourage actions like “lick” and “stroke” on certain areas of the body. Or, you can try one of the 24 positions using the sex position dice.

Review: “My husband and I are going on 7 years married, 11 years together. I was looking for something to spice sex up in the bedroom because we both are in a routine and bored. This playset is VERY NICE and VERY NEEDED,” writer one Amazon reviewer.

Both funny and sexy, this game comes in different categories: Kisses, Fondles, Talks, and Fun Activities. Actions range from giving your partner a sensual kiss on the neck or removing an item of clothing, to more explicit ones involving sexual foreplay. The game also includes a satin blindfold, so you know it’s bound to heat things up in your date night routine.

Review: “10 million stars. I bought this because I like to surprise my man with things to spice things up so that the fire never burns out and OMG. This game is amazing. The first time we played I got a hilarious, but impressive striptease, we danced in the living room, learned a LOT about each other (and we’re already pretty open and comfortable), and had AMAZING and sweaty you-know-what,” writes one Amazon reviewer.