5 Intellectual Games for Couples That Can Bring You Closer

Couples who play together, stay together—especially if what they play is intellectually stimulating, engaging, and enough to bring them closer together as a couple while at the same time, improving their brainpower. If you want to know some of the very best intellectual games you can play as a couple, consider the following smart games to add to your board game nights.

Chess

Chess for couples is one of the most intellectual games you can play, and for good reason: playing regularly with chess sets is known to improve your brain power, improve your memory, and even increase your IQ. Chess is one of the most beneficial games you can play, so make sure you add chess for couples to your regular game night (or every day!) rotation.

Rummikub

Rummikub is a tile-based game that combines the card game rummy with the tile game mahjong. Rummikub requires both numerical know-how and forethought, as you will need to carefully plan out which sets are going to be most beneficial for your score in the long term. 

 Hive

Hive is often called the next best thing to chess, intellectually speaking! Hive doesn’t require a board, but you will need the tiles and a flat service. In Hive, you need to keep your “queen bee” safe using a myriad of interconnected tiles. One of the best things about Hive is that there are many different strategies and ways to play, so you won’t need to settle for a single game strategy. 

Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride can be played with more than two people, but if you’re looking for an interesting intellectual game, it can be great for couples as well. In Ticket to Ride, you will need to collect train cards and create railway routes on a specific map, while also connecting cities with newly created routes. The rules themselves aren’t complicated, but finding the right routes for each destination requires careful planning, especially as you get further along in the game.

Risk

Risk is a classic intellectual game that is perfect for couples, though it can also be great for a double-date game night if you want to involve more than 2 players. In Risk, you will create your own army in order to take over new territories, protect your current assets, and engage in simulated warfare. Risk is definitely a workout for your brain as it requires creating strategies—often on the fly, as you react to the moves of your opponent.

Let Your Board Games Bring You Closer

There are many options when it comes to intellectual games for couples; from classic intellectual games such as chess for couples, all the way to fun and unique board games like Ticket to Ride and Risk. Having a regular game night—or even playing every evening, if you’d like!—can truly bring you together as a couple. If you want to up your board game ante, make sure you opt for intellectual games that will have you and your spouse using all your brain power every time you break out a board game.