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This week i'm very excited to hand over the Game Night blog to Lauren from @ourboardgamelife.

Lauren is another gamer I met for the first time at UKGE (common theme here!). On this occasion we had both been invited to a very exciting and early morning exclusive preview demo game of The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship. What a treat!

Lauren's gone for a romantic theme for her game night which sounds positively lovely... and will make you hungry too.

Take it away, Lauren!

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Normally I’m planning a game night for us and our friends - or I’d turn up on Craig’s doorstep (the wonderful @MidlandMeeple on Insta) and get him to host! But as it was our 11-year wedding anniversary last week (eek!), I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to plan a *romantic* board game date night for me and Matt instead!

Setting the mood…

The location: our dining room table.

The music: ambient soundtracks that I pick based on each game we play.

The lighting: We’d start with cozy side lamps and candles, but I know we’ll end up with the big light on to see the cards properly. At least the candles will still smell nice, though.

The toddler: definitely asleep and definitely won’t wake up all evening - perfect, we’re ready for take off!

Warm your engines!

First we’ll warm our brains up with one of our favourite 2-player games, Sky Team: you’re working together to land a plane safely, silently placing dice onto the control board from behind your own hidden screen. We love a co-operative game with limited communication - a.k.a. what I like to call cheap couples therapy. If we were looking for a bit less adrenaline, the simply gorgeous Take Time would be our alternative.

In it for a good time, not a long time

Our ideal ‘big’ game nowadays is something I would describe as mid-weight (2.5-3/5 on Board Game Geek) and mid-length (60-90 minutes). With the tot it’s harder to have the time or brainpower for something heavier - no Twilight Imperium for us!

So, for a mid-mid game, I’d choose between Wingspan or Everdell, or maybe even introduce Matt to Wondrous Creatures. You’ve probably noticed a common theme here; we love games themed around nature and animals (even fantastical ones!).

Stay in your lane

To round off our lovely date night, we’ll be reaching for a lane battler. Which one will depend on how we’re feeling at the end of the night. If we’re still awake enough for something more tactical (and more mean!) Desperate Oasis or Katmai are perfect - more animals, see! But if we want to finish off with something lighter, Muster is great for a quickie and has been a table favourite of late.

It’s not a date without some dindins!

Every game night needs its fuel. If we’re going all in with a nice meal, we’d pick a cheesy lasagne al forno with a side salad and garlic bread, followed by sticky toffee pudding for dessert. But if we’re just snacking, my go to choice for a gaming sesh is Sensations lime & coriander poppadoms, or maybe some Haribo if I’m feeling sweet. Matt would rather snack on chocolate (any kind, as long as it’s not mint!). As for drinks, root beer is Matt’s favourite, whereas I love a Dr Peppy, or coffee, depending on how much caffeine is needed. If we’re feeling really fancy, we might treat ourselves to some non-alcoholic lager!

So that’s what a quiet date night would look like for us: starting the night in it to win it together, and ending with a battle for the game night crown!

- Lauren