Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and assuming you actually have someone special to spend it with unlike the rest of us sad mortals, why not consider playing some video games for your date night?
Here are some suggestions for games you can play with your significant other on Feb. 14, and don’t worry, they’re all very romantic and totally make sense.
Catherine: Full Body
This is basically the quintessential couple’s video game at this point. Players take control of Vincent Brook, a 30-something year-old who’s being pressured into marriage with his longtime girlfriend, but faces a problem when he meets not one, but two other women thirsting after him at the same time.
As you progress through the game, you’ll have to answer pretty heavy questions about your views on relationships. If your own relationship with your partner is pretty new, this will be a good time to see what you both want in the long term.
If you and your partner have been together for years and you both know you’re on the same page, then great, you should be able to breeze through easily and provide reaffirmation to each other. If not, well, good luck.
Until Dawn
If you want something that’s a bit more on the spooky side but still perfect for a romantic date night, Until Dawn is a great candidate.
Forget the mess that was Man of Medan, Until Dawn is still the narrative-driven horror game that will keep you glued to your screen from start to finish. There are several teenage romances to influence and destroy in this game, and tons of spooky things to run from at the same time.
You and your partner can take turns playing with each story chapter and see if you manage to save everyone by the end of the night.
Super Mario Maker 2
For something a little more lighthearted for your Valentine’s date night, you might consider playing Super Mario Maker 2 instead, especially if one or both of you possess a creative mind.
There’s nothing quite like bonding over building a really beautiful and intricate level together in Mario. And hey, if you really wanna get into the Valentine’s Day spirit and do something super mushy, you can create a romantically-themed level just for the two of you.
Oh or hey, if you’re planning to propose on Valentine’s Day for whatever reason (don’t do that, it’s super cheesy), you can create a level in advance and spell out your proposal in there. And then, have your partner play it. Don’t make it too difficult, though, or they might just rage quit.
Overcooked 2
If you’d like to break up with your partner on Valentine’s Day, you sadist, there’s no better way to do that than by playing the classic Overcooked 2.
Within 20 minutes of this game, especially if you and your partner are incapable of working together and communicating well with one another, you’re both gonna get so riled up over who left the pizza in the oven for too long that you can’t stand being in the same room.
And look, this is the best possible way to break up. Instead of spending hours diving into your deep rooted issues that have been festering for years and having to explain yourself, you can just point to the damn video game and have it do all the heavy lifting for you.
“You can’t even be trusted to put the right toppings on the pizza, how can you expect me to trust you with all my finances and, god forbid, marry you?”
Boom, breakup complete. You’re welcome.
Florence
If Overcooked 2 is a little bit too intense for you, Florence is a shorter but slower paced game that might be more your speed.
I don’t know about this one, it could honestly go either way; this game could be perfect for allowing you to reminisce about your honeymoon days, or it could be a grim reminder that your partner’s imperfections are never going away, and can you really live with that forever?
Honestly, though, Florence is a beautiful game that perfectly captures the lightheartedness of young love. And who knows, you might emerge from this experience closer than ever.
Stardew Valley
Ah yes, Stardew Valley. Literally the perfect game to play for couples that have been together for years and are just looking to settle down.
With the ability to play in the same farm via co-op, you and your partner can work together to tend to the crops, get a cat or dog together, and dominate Pelican Town with your fiery social skills and get everyone to love and adore you.
It’s also a great way to pop the question, or at least get your partner to start thinking about marriage.
“Hey, wouldn’t it be nice if we could just spend the rest of our days on a farm? Together? Just taking care of plants and living in the beautiful countryside, and forget the rest of our ambitions and dreams of making it big in the city? Forever?”
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Out of all the games I’ve listed here so far, these last two games might actually be the best ones for a good bonding session on Valentine’s Day.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 allows you to play through the campaign together in co-op, and you’ll both take control of different characters with very distinct personalities and motivations. This means that you’ll both be constantly making decisions together, and trying to find solutions and compromise with each other so everyone gets what they want.
Sometimes one of you might have to give in a little and make some concessions, but that’s just how relationships work apparently –loving each other and solving problems together. Problems you wouldn’t have if you were single.
Wargroove: Double Trouble
If you already own Wargroove, there’s no reason not to pick up the Double Trouble DLC, which got released for free just last week.
Double Trouble includes three new commanders, along with a brand new co-op campaign that you can play with one other person. Wargroove’s tactical gameplay loop of building up resources over your turns and deploying powerful units once you have enough money saved up continues to be extremely fun, and the co-op aspect only helps to deepen the strategy involved.
It’s a great way to bolster communication and teamwork between you and your partner on Valentine’s Day. It’s also low-key a great way to see if your partner knows how to manage their finances correctly in the right situations; for example, will they just keep spending their money on random crap as they get it, or will they save it up for something big in the future?
Video games, man. They can tell you a lot about the person you’re with. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Published: Feb 13, 2020 12:00 pm