What's the plan for Valentine's Day? Chances are that going to a fancy restaurant and risking plague isn't feeling that romantic this year. How about staying in, opening some bubbly, ordering takeout from your favorite restaurant and playing an excellent board game? Or three of them?
Honestly, that sounds like a plan that's an improvement on the usual routine of going out and fighting the crowds of amateur romantics — the people who only do romance once a year. Am I right?
This is a plan that works for friends, spouses, and entire families. What's missing? The board games? Fortinately, you can get three for the price of two, right now, at Target.
And I have some suggestions.
You need a Ticket To Ride
$49.99
from
Get ready for an evening of travel. Your job is to build a railway between cities in the US. You will need to think strategically to start creating your empire of train travel. And it's fun to watch your trains start to connect cities and spread across the map.
You get pieces, cards, a beautiful board, and an evening imagining not only travel but also yourself as a transportation mogul. Everything about this game is beautiful and worth having in your collection. It's also a fun evening you can enjoy with two people or up to five players.
Hive
The tiles are beautiful to look at and hold, the bugs are cute, and the game play is quick and fun.
Let me introduce you to Hive. Each bug has its own method of movement, and the goal is to surround your opponent's queen. This is a light game of strategy that you can play in a few minutes or stretch out to a contemplative half hour. It's perfect to play between courses of dinner or over drinks. And the kids can join in, too — though it's for two players at a time.
A game for couple's night
This one is perfect for Valentine's Day if it's just the two of you, especially if you haven't had a chance to catch up lately.
This game asks questions. The two of you answer them. They aren't therapy-level questions, but they will have you talking to each other, laughing, remembering, and connecting. Perfect, right?
This is brought to you by the people who created the wildly popular What Do You Meme?
Ready to solve a mystery?
This is a perfect game to play on Valentine's Day because it's not competitive. You work together — using forensic evidence, clues, stories from the characters, and more — to solve the mystery.
This is like being immersed in a mystery rather than watching or reading it, and it's a blast. It will take you some time and effort to solve this, and you will be impressed with the detail, storytelling, and fun you are having.
Was it Mr. Mustard with the wrench in the library?
This is Clue as you remember it, and it's as fun as it ever was. Draw cards, move your pieces, solve the mystery of who killed Mr. Boddy in his own Tudor mansion. There's just enough strategy here to make it fun and without asking you to stay sober or work too hard. The kids will like it, too.
There is one new character in this edition: Dr. Orchid.
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