Get down on one knee... and romantically hand her the second controller for an action-packed Gaming Valentine’s day

Expensive restaurant bookings made a month in advance, the last-minute rush to buy gifts and the demands of trying to plan the perfect romantic evening are all part and parcel of that large marketing event we know as Valentine’s Day. Sure, if you boil the day down to its basics, it’s a time when you and your partner can get together and spend some quality time.

So why not quit that love-infused rat race and try something different this V-day? There’s nothing that says ‘I love you’ more than sitting in, firing up the game console, lighting some candles, pouring some wine and cuddling up with controllers to play some games together. After speaking to several couples that game, here’s a hand-picked bunch of games that you guys can jump right into.

Diablo III

Why would you need a ﬁreplace when you and your loved one can bask in the warm glow of ﬁre and brimstone as you take on the forces of evil together in Diablo III? With fantastic co-op play, you can choose from seven character classes and blaze through the acts together. Diablo III is incredibly easy to just pick up and play; in no time you will ﬁnd yourself watching each other’s backs, choosing your powers and buﬀs to complement each other’s. If you have Diablo III on the Nintendo Switch, then you can take the demonic war with you on-the-go.

Lego games

Building a relationship is hard work, so take a break and build stuﬀ with Lego. The building block company’s games have been consistent with every release, featuring easy gameplay and a zany sense of humour.

Plus, it does help that they have games based on all the biggest franchises — from Star Wars to Harry Potter, from Batman to Lord of the Rings to Marvel, they’ve got it all. Just pick one and get started together.

Overcooked 2

If you want something more fun and light, there’s Overcooked 2. A fun game where you and your signiﬁcant other have to fulﬁl orders in absurd restaurants. Serving food up on time in chaotic circumstances, unlocking recipes as you go along. Plus, if you are double-dating, your friends can join in too.

Catherine: Full Body

This one is a doozy of a game and it so happens a remastered version is coming out on, you guessed it, Valentine’s Day. Which is ironic, considering Catherine is a game about the temptations of cheating on your loved one with another. Kind of awkward, but at its heart it’s a really engaging story-driven visual novel, as the lead character’s dreams manifest into a puzzle-like game. Think of it as watching an interactive Netﬂix movie, that’s one of the ﬁnest pieces of storytelling.

Divinity: Original Sin I and II

It’s always good to add some role-playing to spice up that relationship and we have the perfect game. Divinity: Original Sin is the perfect way to play together in a thoroughly entertaining RPG, which features some genuinely funny writing and excellent action and two main lead characters that each of you can control. With real decisions to be made, the game settles conﬂict between the leads with a rock paper-scissors routine. If you all liked the ﬁrst game, the second one is even better.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

The best way to eliminate uncomfortable pauses in conversation is to bring out your Nintendo Switch, load up Mario Kart 8, each take a joy-con and have some fun in the greatest Go-Karting game on the planet. Choose one of your favourite characters across all of Nintendo Games (tip: Cat Peach is a rockstar) and race across colourful tracks ﬁlled with deadly traps. If you want, you can even get competitive and hurl banana peels and bombs at each other, or you can co-op and help win the Grand Prix.