The first of our games that can be won
Online couple games all look the same: draw a card, answer, start again. It's pleasant for ten minutes. Then it stops, because nothing pushes you to carry on. No progression, no ending, not the slightest reason to want the next card.
A board fixes that instantly.
You can see where you are, you can see where your partner is, and those three squares between you are enough to make you want to roll again. It isn't the content of the cards that changes, it's the reason for drawing them. Reckon on twenty to thirty minutes for a full game, a bit less if the dice are generous.
The six kinds of square
The board alternates the challenges so no two games feel alike. Here's what waits behind each colour.
| The square | What happens on it |
|---|---|
| Truth | A question you have to answer properly. Answer and you move one square forward; pass and you move one back. |
| Dare | Something to do, right now, in front of the other one. Same rule: done and you move forward, refused and you move back. |
| Duel | A question starting with "which of you". You both point at the same time: if you agree, the player whose turn it is moves two squares. |
| Memory | You have to tell the story. A first trip, a first argument, a fit of laughter. The square that slows the game down, and often the one you remember. |
| Forfeit | No way out on this one: the forfeit drops and it has to be done. It comes from the hundred and forty forfeits on our wheel. |
| Luck | The event that turns everything around: move three forward, two back, roll again, or swap the two pawns. |
The rules, in four points
You can read them in a minute, and the game handles the rest.
Enter your names and roll the dice
One pawn each, one turn each. The game announces who's playing and moves the pawn on its own to the square you rolled.
Every square triggers a challenge
Truth, dare, duel, memory, forfeit or a stroke of luck. You discover the card once the pawn has landed, never before.
Succeed and you move up, refuse and you move back
A truth or a dare taken on gives you one extra square. Refusing costs you one. That's what makes refusing possible without making it free.
First to the finish wins
No exact count needed: reaching or passing the last square is enough. The loser then draws one final forfeit, and that's that.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a game last?
Between twenty and thirty minutes as a rule. The number of turns depends on the dice, but mostly on you: a memory square can be dealt with in fifteen seconds… or start a ten-minute conversation.
Do I need to print anything?
No! The board is on screen and the pawns move by themselves. One phone between the two of you is all it takes, nothing to install and nothing to create.
Where do the cards come from?
The truths and dares come from our truth or dare game, the forfeits from the forfeit wheel. The memories, the duels and the luck squares were written specially for the board.
Can you cheat or skip a challenge?
Skipping is built in and costs one square, except on a forfeit square where there's no way out. Beyond that it's a two-player game with no referee: nobody is going to check whether you really answered…
Can more than two people play?
The board is built for two pawns and two first names. With more of you, the simplest thing is to play in teams of two and pass the phone each turn.
Why a board changes everything
It isn't the content that makes a game night last, it's the stake. The same question asked at random is forgotten; asked three squares from the finish, with your partner catching up, it becomes a moment. The board does nothing more than that: it gives you a reason to carry on.
And at the finish there's a winner, a loser and one last forfeit. Next to nothing… and it's exactly what most online couple games are missing.