The time of love and pink things is upon us. The stores have been stocked to the brim with all things heart-shaped, pink, and chocolatey for the past month. Instead of coming up with an overly complex and expensive Valentine’s Day date this year, why not rely on your old pal video games, to help bring you and your significant other closer together. Throw in a nice dinner and a bottle (or a few) of wine and you have yourself a great night! Scott and Jurge give you their picks on some great choice of games that will be a blast for you and your shnookums to play together! These games are great too if you are celebrating Singles Awareness Day too!  Go out there and get playing, tiger!

Scott’s Choices:

Diablo 3 (Console)

The Diablo games have always been fantastic multiplayer titles.  For this Valentine’s Day, I am specifically going with the console version of Diablo 3.  Before you members of the PC master race start getting up in arms, I specifically mention the console version as it has couch co-op.  You and your lovebug can be snuggled up, nice and cozy, as you slay demons and loot grind.  If you both have computers (or you happen to have multiple) and want to add some tension, play Diablo 2 instead where you both will have shared loot drops!

Borderlands 2

A couple who shoots crazies and mutant monsters, is a couple who sticks together.  Borderlands includes similar loot fest gameplay that Diablo does, but the tone and rest of the gameplay is completely different.  Much more comedic and colorful, Borderlands will bring you both closer together as you laugh at all the fun characters and shooter style gameplay.  Just be warned though, after playing this, getting a simple diamond engagement ring won’t make it anymore, they will want a full-sized diamond horse to name “Butt Stalion” instead.  

Don’t Starve Together

 

Recently I’ve been playing this with my girlfriend and she has become hooked. She was initially drawn in by the Tim Burton-esque visuals, and now whenever we have a day on a weekend to just relax and don’t have anywhere to go, she is quick to suggest more Don’t Starve Together.  A survival exploration title, it puts you two in the shoes of a variety of characters that have different perks and skills that will assist you in your days of survival.  The balancing act between finding food, building shelter, and improving your creations can get hectic, but it never stops being addictive.  So far we have made it to day 10, onwards to day 11!

Super Mario Odyssey (or really any Mario game)

Mario Odyssey is another one of the games that my girlfriend and I have been playing lately.  The Mario series has always been a great series to play with friends and loved ones.  Odyssey is a perfect entry to play with someone that isn’t incredibly experienced in playing video games.  For my girlfriend and I, she loved playing and controlling Cappy, Mario’s body-stealing sentient headgear, while I ran around and did the platforming aspect as Mario.  Regardless if you both are pro gamers or you are both new to games, Mario Odyssey will pair perfectly with a romantic night-in and a delicious dinner.  

Dungeons & Dragons

What is Valentine’s Day without some role play (wink nudge) but why don’t you and your S.O. role play as wizards and druids?  Gather some nerdy friends together, have a nice double or triple date with some friends and play a one off campaign.  There is no better way to see what kind of person your partner is then how they play their character. Watch out for those that suddenly have an evil laugh.  If you do want to spice the game up a bit, you could always incorporate the Dungeons and Dragons Book of Erotic Fantasy, which yes, is a real thing.  

Jurge’s Choices:

Until Dawn

Until Dawn may seem like an unconventional choice, being a story focused single player game, but watching a cheesy horror movie with my significant other has been one of my favorite things to do and Until Dawn is video games’ best cheesy horror movie. Making decisions to choose the fate of the game’s irresponsible twentysomethings and seeing how the game adapts to your choices,whether it’s your first time playing or your second, it’s always a great time.

Bum Rush

Bum Rush is a multiplayer, pixel art, car combat game where the goal of the game is to take your date back to your apartment for some intimacy before any of your other roommates with the same goal do. Its lead designer is Nina Freeman, creator of Cibele and How Do You Do It, and this game has her sense of humor and wit. It’s also a solid arcade-like co-op game that would be great to play with a friend, but its lighthearted approach towards sex makes it an especially good time with that person closest to you.

Spelunky

I’m not the biggest Spelunky fan, but the most fun I’ve had with it is trying to see how far my partner and I can make it through its randomly generated levels. Spelunky is usually a high stakes game, but if you trust your team mate and just go with the flow when something goes terribly wrong, it really can be a blast.

Well This Is Awkward

Well This Is Awkward is a choose your own adventure game that is certainly more intimate, but also sillier than most on this list. I feel like many have that slight fear when they buy condoms that someone in the chain of events leading up to you walking out with your purchase will call you out with a, “Hey, are you buying condoms?” Well This Is Awkward is a game about avoiding awkwardness in your quest to purchase condoms and still arrive in time to have some fun with your partner. It’s a fun game to play behind your partner’s shoulder to see how they react to the game’s writing and their choices or to play together.

Ladykiller in a Bind

Some of the games on this list are dipping their toe in the pool of of injecting sex into a game, but Ladykiller In A Bind is that deep end of the pool for those who are interested. It’s a visual novel about a sexual character and their interactions with other very sexual characters, but it’s written in a manner that is sincere and welcoming. In the genre of erotic visual novels, Ladykiller In a Bind is a stand out, and while most would play it by themselves, why not take the plunge with someone you’re already intimate with? This one is for those who’re truly adventureous.

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Hopefully one of these games will pique the interest of you and your significant other this Valentine’s Day!  Remember that regardless if you have someone or not, video games love you just the same.  They don’t care, they think you are awesome.  Happy Valentine’s / Singles Awareness Day Everyone!