I admit, unabashedly, to being what one would call a nerd. Gaming has alwaysseemed to be a big part of my life, even as a young girl. I remember vividly the day I got my first Tandy computer, and falling in love with parser driven games like King’s Quest, Space Quest, and Hugo’s House of Horrors. Because my love for computers and video games blossomed at such a young age, it stayed with me up until adulthood, and has even managed sneak into my love life. As backwards as it may sound, I am a girl who would rather play a video game on a date then go to a movie, so when I am looking for a candidate suitable for dating, I make sure that video game play is going to be on the agenda. But what exactly makes a game appropriate for a date? In my experience, some date games only lead to disasters (like Tetris. God. The blocks. STOP THE BLOCKS!) but other games can lead to a pleasant experience, and can even lead to…ahem…other activities of a more sexual nature. So when you finally do find that perfect partner that likes video games almost as much as you do, you can refer to this list of possible date games. These are games I’ve played personally on dates, and have had success with.
Phantasmagoria
Wow, where can I even start with this game? One might look at it and immediatelydoubt its ability to be a good date game, but I am telling you, it has the potential to make an eventful night.
So what are the pros exactly? It’s very long. (…that’s what she said?) It’s especially long if you are new to the adventure type genre, and you are not familiar with the classic Sierra puzzles. Because it’s very time consuming, this is a good game to play over a nice chunk of time, which means more dates. Give your date an excuse to come back, I say. Even if it’s just to continue a game. Even if your date doesn’t like you, well, maybe he or she will like the game enough to go back for more.
The cheese factor in this game is exponentially more than other games, which makes it amusing. Because the game is so interactive, it will cause you and your date to engage in conversation and work together to solve the puzzles, and we all know how awkward it can be when you have nothing to say on your date.
Because the game is categorized as horror, it’s also good to scare the living daylights out of each other to provoke comforting. There was a point in this game where a cat flies out of nowhere and attacks your character, and when this happened during my date, I clung to my partner like wet clothes. It’s very much like seeing a scary movie with your date, only this is much more interactive, so instead of stiffly sitting there in a theater or on the couch watching a movie with your date and constantly wondering what your next move would be, you could be engaging in puzzles, talking with each other, and laughing over how cheesy this game actually is.
Kings Quest 6
Alright, alright. I know this is the second Sierra game I have mentioned, but it really needs to be, and I’ll tell you why. This game fills me with tremendously wistful and romantic feelings, because it’s basically a romantic comedy in game form. This game pretty much encompasses every Jennifer Aniston chick flick ever made. Even if you are a guy or a girl that happens to flee from all things cheesy and romantic, there are still some pros to consider. The most important point being, it’s simply a fun game, filled with whimisical and fantastical creatures, references to fairy tales, challenging (but not overly obtuse) puzzles, and pleasing to the eye graphics. Because it’s challenging, it makes it a great game to collaborate on, and because of it’s romantic nature, it’s a great game to spark some amorous feelings. The sentiments of the main character are very sweet and good natured, and really emphasizes the heroic prince archetype.
I admit, the premise is a bit overused and corntastic. But I still find myself slipping into that giddy teenage girl, hoping for a handsome young prince to come sweep me away from the voracious Minotaur!!! Well. At least come sweep me away from my math class.
Super Mario World
Super Mario World is one of the games my generation grew up on. I was six when it came out, which put me at an age where I was old enough to at least understand the game, but too young to actually be very good at it. I guess I was a pretty ill-attentive girl, because I seriously didn’t beat this game until my late teens.
Super Mario world is a great date for gamers and non gamers alike. Even if you are not a big gamer, chances are, you most likely know who Mario and Luigi are, and are pretty familiar with the games. Nintendo has always been really good at creating games that everyone can play regardless of their age and gender, and also the masters of making an enjoyable multi-player. This game is good in particular for it’s turn based style collaboration.
The game is also not very emotion heavy; it’s seriously a happy go lucky fun game. Out of the three games I mentioned thus far, this is probably the most light hearted. No drama, no heavy emotions, no odd feelings, just a good time for a fun date.
Note * If I am on a date, I refuse to be Luigi. Don’t even think of trying to play Mario. I will harm you.
Rock Band
One of the most socially adept games I have ever played has to be Rock Band. Guitar Hero was okay, but Rock Band was the first game I played that really managed to get me to open up at parties and social gatherings. Not only can the players actually play together simultaneously (unlike the turn based style of Super Mario World) but it’s a good way to start conversations about your music interests! I know I am not alone when I say that similar music interests are important to me when looking for boyfriend material. I can tell what kind of music my date may or may not like based on the songs they choose, and there’s nothing better than finding common interest on a band we both like. I think it’s safe to say that everyone likes music (and if you don’t…well..what planet are you from?..) and listening to music can be a great way to lighten the mood and have a good time (unless you’re listening to Morrissey. Liiiiife suuuuuuucks).
Lumines
…Wait a second. Lumines!?!? No no no, this isn’t supposed to be on my list! I hate this game with every fiber of my being! Ugh, I am just so bad at this game it makes me angry. It makes me feel so…riled up. So…aggressive. So…..aroused?? Could it be the sheer frustration of losing this game to my opponent makes me want to bone him? (I know. I’m such a tactile girl.)
Huh. Interesting. You’d think losing at a game like this would make me pretty irritable. After all, no one likes losing a game to someone else. But this game is so exciting, so challenging. I hate it!!! ….But I love it.
The multiplayer mode in Lumines can be very very competitive. For some people (like myself) a good competitive game can really get the heart goin’, and cause a lovely adrenaline rush. Let’s just say, this game has led to some very good times for me and my date.
….I still hate it though.
Technically, any game can be made into a decent date game depending on the person. These games may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they have certainly made for some fun times with the dates I played them with. So, don’t just look for a date to go see a movie with or go out to dinner with. Add some fun; pop in that old SNES cartridge or break out the Xbox! And for gods sake, keep Lumines away from me unless you are looking to be mauled.
I’d love to hear other people’s experiences with playing games on dates, so spill ‘um!
