The Best Video Games for Couples (Gaming Marathon)
Is it possible to find video games for couples to play together? Well yes it’s technically possible, but you need the right games. Yes, yes this is clearly dependent on the couple and the people involved we know but in general there are some great games that most anyone can play together and enjoy. Not just hardcore gamers or not just casual gamers. Some of these games might even appeal to the haters that would “never play video games.” Today at Kind of Going places we are making another twist on our usual and we are having a couples Gaming Marathon.
What is a couples gaming marathon?
A gaming marathon is when you play video games for a long ass period of time consectutively. Usually with disregard for health, nutrition and hygeine. Now combine there are 2 people together doing this who are in some sort of relationship together. Some of you are going to have a difficult time with one or all of these but keep in mind this is all in the name of fun! Seriously though, video games are a great activity for couples(As long as no one is overly competitive). There is a lot of variety of games to play, they are easy to pick up and go and generally they are pretty entertaining(Maybe that depends on who you ask?)
What Video Games for couples do we play?
Whether you are a serious or casual gamer, we wanted to pick games for you to play that will be fun for most anyone. That means easy to figure out, no super complicated controls, relatively simple objectives. We broke these down into 2 types. Story type, which means that progress continues towards a greater goal aka finishing the game. They may have one continious story or may be divided into levels or missions. The other type is “pick up play” These games you can pick up and play smaller contained activties either against eachother or cooperatively. Some examples would be Mario Kart or a sports game. Every game listed comes with our seal of approval meaing we have personally played the game. Also we are trying to include some classics (these may require some effort to be able to access) as well as modern games.
Story Type Game for Couples
Overcooked(1 or 2)
Overcooked is a great way to test a couples communication skills and test is the definitely the word to use. This game should be used in couples therapy, you will either learn to work together or kill eachother. Hopefully the first thing. Anyways the premise is you need to cook, you have to make the meals that pop on the screen as quickly and effeciently as possible, all while working together and dividing up the tasks. Trust us it is fun(as long as you don’t kill each other.)
It Takes 2
It takes 2 tells the story of a couple who is struggling and well are forced to work together in some very bizarre ways. This absolutely brilliant creation of a game, forces players to work together in ways you can’t possible imagine. This won’t test your relationship as much as overcooked but you will definitely have to learn how to communicate well to succeed.
As Dusk Falls
The cool thing about As Dusk Falls is it essentially as infinte number of possible ways to play the story. On top of that you can’t really “lose”, no matter what happens the story continues. It’s a choose your own adventure story with twists and turns that you could not possibly imagine. This is really a unique experience that can be shared with as many as 6 people.
Any of the 6 million Lego Games
Lego games are great, especially for people that don’t really play video games. They follow well known story lines, they are easy to pick up and play and most importantly you can’t really lose. Dying is only a minor inconvience. Personally we really like the Lego Star Wars, but you can find Marvel, Harry potter, Indiana Jones, Batman, and more.
Toe Jam and Earl
Toe Jam and Earl is an amazing Sega Genesis Classic. Super easy to play, in fact all you really do is walk. There is challenge, there is cooperation, and the cool thing is it is relatively short so you can play over and over. The other cool thing is the levels are randomly generated so everything is sort of unique every play through. This is one of my all time favorites.
Old School Mario (Super Mario World or Mario 3 are top choices)
If you are not familiar with Mario games you probably have been living under a rock. Anyways this is the quintisential video game. It’s simple to play but has challenges. There are many games to choose from over years and platforms. And almost everyone knows how to play them. We really do not need to say much about these games.
Pick up and Play Type Video Games For Couples
Mario Kart (Any Version but 8 is probably the best)
Mario Kart is well Kart Racing but with Mario Characters. As with most of these, easy to play, fun for everyone, and mostly fair despite skill level. Almost no one doesn’t love Mario Kart, it’s fun for anyone.
Tetris or other Puzzle Games
Puzzle games are great because they transcend gaming. Non gamers are usually familiar with puzzle games, particularly Tetris. It’s quick and easy and anyone can figure it out and be competetive. These are really great for quick and easy fun.
Mario Party
Mario Party is a digital board game. The good thing is it’s super easy to play and there are enough random elements to make it fun for mostly anyone. The bad news is games take forever to play. If you are looking to kill a longer period of time, this is a great choice.
Fighting Games (Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter)
Fighting games are great for quick, competitive matches and if both competitors are equal in skill it’s great fun. The problem is if there is a skill mismatch, it won’t be fun, as someone skilled will destroy someone who is not everytime. Still these can be great fun for quick bursts.
Sports Games(Classic or Modern)
Sports games are great for fun, contained matches. There is a huge variety of sports to play(pretty much any sport that exists). Much like the fighting games though, it’s very easy for their to be a major skill gap. If so it won’t be fun for anyone.
Roll Credits
These are far from the only video games in the world and there are likely hundreds of video games for couples to play together. While we may not do marathons we regulalry have gaming sessions at home during low key nights at home and almost always have a blast. Except when it gets too competetive, which can happen from time to time and someone gets frsutrated or feels like they can’t win. Make sure you keep things fun, this is not super serious, remember that. For more fun outside the box ideas check out our How To Throw a 90’s Inspired Sleepover blog post!
