20 Fun Games To Play With Your Spouse When You’re Bored 

What are good games to play with your spouse? For many, when they hear the word “play,” they’re transported back in time to playing with dolls or LEGO sets as a kid. Maybe, you think about playing with your little ones or occasionally pulling out a deck of cards to play a game with your spouse. Are we on the right track? Playing doesn’t come naturally for many adults—it’s like this aspect of childhood was left behind. So, is playing with your spouse a thing?! Yes! It is. And it’s fantastic for your marriage. 

In fact, there are several great games to play with your spouse to change up your typical routine—dinner and a movie before dozing off on the couch and walking sleepily to bed. We’re here to help you get the playful feelings moving again between you and your spouse! 

But first—let’s do a quick break down of “play personalities.” Because if you don’t know what type of play you like to engage in, you’re probably not going to have as much fun as you could. Through thousands of interviews and observations, eight primary play personalities have been described by Dr. Brown. Most people tend to have a dominant play personality type—a mode they are most comfortable being playful. The eight play personalities are collector, competitor, creator, director, explorer, joker, kinesthete, and storyteller. Learn more about each play personality below as well as a list of 20 fun games to play with your spouse based on that play personality. 

Collector 

Collectors love holding an interesting collection of objects or experiences.  

Competitor 

Competitors don’t play for the sake of playing; they play for the sake of winning. 

Creator 

Creators find joy in making things, be it art, furniture, or even baked goods. 

Director 

Directors plan—and planning for them is playful. Organizing and executing events, parties, vacations, and more is their jam. 

Explorer 

Explorers love going to new places—physically, emotionally, or even mentally.  

Joker 

At its most basic level, jokers are the ultimate “players.” They play by engaging in fun and foolishness.  

Kinesthete 

Kinesthetes need to move, push their bodies, and feel the result. They may play sports, but competition is not the main goal. 

Storyteller 

Storytellers use their imagination—they are engaged in all aspects of the story, experiencing the thoughts and emotions of the characters. 

Now that you have a basic understanding of the eight play personalities, we’ve listed 20 games to play with your spouse—and don’t stop reading here because it’s not just a list of 20 board games. Some of these “games” may not feel like games at all, but they are playful and will certainly bring out a playful side of your spouse depending on their play personality. Check out the examples below as well as what play personality they can connect to, keeping in mind it’s not a comprehensive list. Depending on which play personality you and your spouse fall into, consider playing some of these games together to break up the monotony of your day-to-day responsibilities. 

1. Pillow fight (kinesthete) 

This game to play with your spouse doesn’t need much explaining—grab the pillows and get to moving—it’s time for a pillow fight! 

2. Scavenger hunt (collector, explorer) 

Going on a scavenger hunt is the perfect activity for the spouse who is a collector or an explorer. If your spouse loves visiting antique shops and even collecting antique items, for example, go on a scavenger hunt to antique shops in your area. Even if you don’t purchase every item on the list, collecting the memories will be playful. 

3. Shopping spree (collector, explorer) 

For the spouse who collects books, pocketknives, coins, etc., spend an afternoon shopping with them for items to add to their collection. Instead of waiting for a birthday to roll around to gift them an item to add to their collection, think proactively about how you can play together by going shopping for an item they’ll cherish. If you’re an explorer, this would also be playful for you to explore new shops with your spouse. 

4. Create a photo album (collector, director, creator) 

If you’ve been on a recent trip with your spouse, creating a photo album together counts as play! Spend the afternoon collecting your favorite photos from your trip and then organizing them into a beautiful album.  

5. Two-person board games or card games (competitor) 

Competitors love participating in competitions where there are specific rules. So, engage in play with your spouse by playing your favorite two-person board games or card games. Some great options are: Codnames Duet, Hive, Ticket To Ride, Monopoly Deal, and Uno. 

6. Redecorate your bedroom (creator, director) 

If your bedroom needs a makeover, this can be playful, especially for the creator or director. Getting to put together a brand-new space, or make updates to an existing space, that is warm, cozy, and comfortable is a creator’s dream and getting to organize plans for it and then execute on them is a director’s dream. Support your spouse in this endeavor knowing the end result is a peaceful place you’ll enjoy together. 

7. Plan a vacation (director) 

Sitting down and ironing out the details of your next vacation together is a perfect playful afternoon for a director. Even if you don’t find this particularly playful, enjoying a glass of tea on the back porch next to your spouse while you observe their excitement can be restful and rewarding for you, too! 

8. The mystery drink/food challenge (joker) 

Have your spouse taste test different foods and drinks and see if they can guess which is which! How does this relate to the joker? Try taste testing different jelly bean flavors—will you try tutti-frutti or stinky socks?! 

9. The floor is lava (joker, kinesthete) 

There’s no getting around moving your body for this game! The goal is to make it from point A to point B without falling in the “lava.” You’ll need agility, flexibility, and your imagination to play. Like Twister, you may find yourself in a precarious position leading to another fun adult activity. 

10. Cook-off (creator, competitor) 

Get ready for an afternoon of fun in the kitchen. It’s time for a cook-off! If you love creating, get your hands dirty using only the ingredients you have at home to create different dishes for one another and then enjoy a meal together trying your tasty creations. Play music and take it slow. Remember—if your spouse is a competitor, you can take this game up a notch by adding specific rules to the cook-off that must be followed as well as making sure there’s a prize on the line. 

11. Write poems (storyteller) 

Make a fresh batch of cookies and join your spouse at the dining room table, on the couch, or on the back porch with a pen and paper (if you still have that lying around)! Spend time together reflecting on your marriage and writing a poem to another—it could be cheesy and silly or romantic and sentimental. 

12. Fortunately, unfortunately (storyteller, joker) 

This silly game to play with your spouse is going to require you to step outside of your serious adult brain for a moment and channel your fun imagination. It’s simple. You’re going to take turns telling a story back and forth. Spouse one starts with the beginning of a story—it can be anything—“Once upon a time there was a dog named Cinnamon who lived in a cabin with his owner.” Spouse two adds to the story—“Fortunately, Cinnamon…” Continue back and forth until one spouse concludes the story—“Unfortunately…” This is also a great game for a road trip!

13. Would you rather (joker) 

You have no excuse not to play this game with your spouse—we have 120 would you rather questions teed up for you! If your spouse is naturally a joker, challenge them to create their own hysterical and outlandish questions to add to the mix. 

14. Massages (kinesthete, explorer) 

Yes, massaging your spouse is playful, especially if you love moving your body. Massage your spouse using different body parts and see if they can guess—are you using your hands, elbows, or chin? 

15. Conversation starters (storyteller) 

You don’t have to leave our website to play this game with your spouse—we’ve got nearly 300 free conversation starters for you! Pick based on how lighthearted or serious you want your discussion to be. Pick based on the season. Whatever you choose, you can spend hours deep in conversation with our prompts. Don’t rush through them—let your spouse who is a natural storyteller reminisce and share stories pertaining to each question. 

16. Trivia (explorer, competitor) 

Sometimes when you’re looking to play a game with your spouse, relying on the tried-and-true games we all know and love like trivia is the perfect option. Explorers aren’t always looking to explore a new place physically; they could just want to explore mentally such as learning about a new decade via trivia questions. 

17. Hide-and-seek (kinesthete, explorer, competitor) 

We’re back at it with a tried-and-true example—hide-and-seek. Between the two of you, who will be better at finding the best hiding spot? Do it just for fun, or put a prize on the line! 

18. Romantic Scrabble (competitor) 

All the rules for Scrabble stay the same with one additional rule—for this game with your spouse, you can only create words that are romantic. 

19. The category game (competitor, storyteller) 

Put your memory skills to the test when you play this game with your spouse. Pick a category and take turns moving back-and-forth providing answers. For example, “We went to the farmers market and bought…flowers, tomatoes, bananas, etc…” The first person to repeat an answer or not think of an answer loses. You can do this with so many categories, and you can even personalize the category. “Remember when we did X date.” How many times can you go back-and-forth naming dates you’ve been on before someone loses? 

20. Staring contest (explorer, competitor) 

Prolonged eye contact can facilitate improved communication, connection, and even trust. This game requires nothing other than yourselves—have a staring contest with your spouse and see if you elicit deeper feelings based only on your nonverbal interaction. 

There are enough games to play with your spouse here to keep you all busy for quite some time! Play is fun; there’s no true “goal” involved other than stirring up playful and lighthearted emotions between the two of you. This can be so helpful especially if you’re walking through a challenging season in your marriage. It also reminds your kids that marriage is fun—it’s not supposed to be so uptight and boring all the time. We hope you feel inspired to play creatively with your spouse—we’re confident it’ll strengthen your marriage when you do.