New Orleans is like nowhere else on earth — jazz drifts from open doors, the food is extraordinary, and the city has a magic that gets under your skin. Game nights work for couples because they bring out personality in unexpected ways — how you handle competition, collaboration, and losing tells you more about someone than almost anything else. Here's how to make yours great.
Music cities like New Orleans have an exceptional relationship with sound — build a shared playlist before home dates, drawing from the musicians and labels connected to New Orleans.
Local food and drink in New Orleans are often tied to the music culture — find the spots that musicians actually go to and source from them.
At-home dates in New Orleans can be soundtracked in a way that connects you to the city's identity — the right music makes the space feel bigger.
Pandemic, Forbidden Island, Mysterium — games where you win or lose together are perfect for couples because they build teamwork instead of testing it. You're both invested in the outcome and working toward the same goal, which is a surprisingly good relationship metaphor.
If you're playing a game where one of you wins and one loses, make it silly rather than serious. Establish a small forfeit for the loser — they have to do the dishes, or choose the next restaurant — something that keeps winning fun without real tension.
Write 10 questions about each other and take turns answering. How well do you know your partner's favourite childhood memory? Their biggest fear? Their dream holiday? It's a game, but it's also the best kind of conversation starter.
Rummy, Cribbage, Jaipur, Lost Cities — there's a whole world of excellent two-player card games that most couples have never discovered. They're portable, quick to learn, and just competitive enough to be exciting.
Don't overlook co-op video games. Stardew Valley, Overcooked, It Takes Two — these are games literally designed to be played as a couple, and they require genuine communication and teamwork to complete. Overcooked in particular will reveal everything about how you handle pressure together.
Alternate who chooses the game each session. It means both of you get to introduce the other to something you love — and you're always playing something slightly new, keeping game night from going stale.
A standing game night — even monthly — gives you something to look forward to and builds a shared tradition. Some of the best couple rituals are the simplest ones, repeated often enough to become something you both treasure.