Stone Age:  (Joel)

 The components are just ridiculously gorgeous. The thrill of the dice keeps it light-hearted and fun without getting too thinky. I would hazard that “Spouse Games” should fall heavily on the side of fun, versus strategic. When I game with my spouse, it is usually on a quiet night or weekend when the kids are occupied or away from the house. We don’t want something that is going to tax our brains. Often, we would rather be surprised by what happens more than being in constant control. The excitement of revealing your cards at the end to find out everyone’s score is a real treat.

Battle Line (Joel)

 Battle Line is a game of fast disappearing options, much in the vein of Lost Cities. In Battle Line, there are a lot more avenues of choice available at any given time, but you still don’t want to commit to any one form of attack too soon. I won’t go into the gameplay details here, as it’s very simple, and a written explanation would basically just be a resuscitation of the very clear and succinctly written rulebook. But, I feel confident in saying that if you and your spouse enjoy Lost Cities, take a look at Battle Line. It’s right in that same vein without feeling like the same game.

Mountain of Inferno (Marco) *

She usually prefers non- confrontational games, and there is degree of screwage in that game – but not much. The terse gameplay, the easy hand management, the quick pace and resolution, the clear options that still leave enough room for meaningful decisions, are all factors that make my wife enjoy this game after a hard day of work. Oh, and there is also the fact that she can hand me my butt most of the times we play, yes, that’s a factor too…

Dragonheart (Marco) *

She usually prefers non- confrontational games, and there is degree of screwage in that game – but not much. The terse gameplay, the easy hand management, the quick pace and resolution, the clear options that still leave enough room for meaningful decisions, are all factors that make my wife enjoy this game after a hard day of work. Oh, and there is also the fact that she can hand me my butt most of the times we play, yes, that’s a factor too…

Dungeon Quest: (Lance)

Strangely enough, the one game my wife likes more than anything is Dungeon quest. We play with the simplified combat variant to speed things along, but other than that we enjoy the mystery of drawing the tiles, the agony of the bad rolls, and the thrill of the race to safety as the sun begins to set. Since it is just the two of us, we usually implement a “player elimination” rule where each of us get a mulligan to be able to keep playing as long as we have a treasure card to discard to stay alive. The game isn’t perfect, but for whatever reason, it is perfect for us.

Tales of the Arabian Nights (Lance)

This game has relatively non-confrontational gameplay, simple rule set, and storytelling aspect. The goal in this game is to tell the best story you can, while attempting to accomplish goals you have set out for yourself. Each person takes on a roll from the classic setting of Arabia, and proceeds to go on an adventure of a lifetime. There is a large book of written encounters that you will read to each other, that allows the players to make choices that may or may not befit their strengths and skills. We always share several laughs at the predicaments we find ourselves in, and it is a great way for us to spend some personal time with one another.

Eruption: (Kevin)

 My partner doesn’t like overly complicated games, and is willing to play a board game if it doesn’t get too fiddly. If it isn’t a game of Tomb or Havana that we play all the time with friends; He likes to sit down and enjoy Eruption. It is a simple, beautiful puzzle game with lots of strategy, but with limited game rules. I enjoy the hidden complexities of options while my partner enjoys the simplicity of game play. There are some cards that mess with opponents but it isn’t too harsh and offers a light evening of enjoyment.

Lost Cites: (Kevin)

I recently paid a visit to a long term friend in Winona, Minnesota. She knew that I loved playing board games and they(Lora and her husband Chad) both sat down and proudly pulled out their copy of Lost Cities. It had the perfect balance of risk management, bluffing, and long term planing. You try and gather sets of different colors.  If you do it well you have a multiplier effect to point values, but if you don’t the cards will cost against you. Some play allows you to taunt the other player, but it doesn’t come across malicious. You could tell by how well the cards were worn that it was a well-played and loved game in this household. The perfect way to cap a long day, and enjoy the night time.