Marital Bliss Couples Gift – Better Marriages Through Subterfuge – Surprisingly Strategic, Sneaky, Healthy, and Romantic Card Game Adventure Ideas for Newlyweds, Husband, Wife, and Date Night

Gamifying love languages, genius!

So, let me start off with saying, I LOVE GAMES! I am always the one coming home with games I found at second hand stores or estate sales that my family has never heard of before. I grew up with an amazing Daddy, but he just did not like games. His mother's family immigrated here and playing games was something only gamblers did. So, he never was able to and never learned to love them. Every culture and generation is different. And that is okay with me.SO, on to Marital Bliss... The cards are colorful and well made. The box easy holds all of the cards (right size selected for manufacturing). The directions were easy to read and follow along. You get a choice or competitive to cooperative play. Each has its own level of fun!So, hubby and I sat down together and opened the box. Read both ways to play. Both selected cooperative play. We followed the rules and picked our reward and our missions. They all looked achievable. Well, that is where our bliss fizzled.Here is why I think it didn't keep our attention or motivation:1. We have been married for over 20 years.2. We naturally do some of the missions we selected, such as warm up the car or pick up the groceries and get something special just for your spouse.3. We both have ADHD and like shiny objectsI think this would make a fabulous wedding shower gift or even an anniversary gift for that special couple you have in your life. I will happily give this a go again in the future. I am hopeful my hubby and I can maybe make up some slower paced rules for us to be able to enjoy the benefits of what this game offers. I believe it is very well written and engaging. I believe hubby and I are just outliers on the curve.

I liked the challenges and I especially liked the clarity it brought to our differing perspectives. For example, my husband pulled several "chore" (his words) cards. Which I loved, as help around the house is my love language lol And I pulled a bunch of "stop what your doing and play/cuddle/kiss" type cards. Which you guessed it, is his love language. So, it reminded me that while I might think making his morning tea shows my love, he'd rather make his own and get a good morning hug. And, I need coffee first lol

After more than ten years together, my partner and I are in a pretty great groove - but there's always room to freshen things up a bit, and we're always looking for ways to keep the spark alive. This is our second couples' game we've explored, and we like it a lot more than the other one we tried; you can tell a lot of care and thought went into putting this together.Essentially, there are two types of cards: challenge cards and reward cards. If you've ever played Ticket to Ride, you might be familiar with the basic dynamic - you draw challenge cards, decide which ones you think you might be able to accomplish, then try to accomplish as many as you can within a given timeframe. The trick is that you have to pull it off without your partner guessing that you're doing the challenge just because of the game.This turns out to be a surprisingly deep mechanic; everyone knows the cards that are in the deck, but it inspires you to do other things you don't have a card for just to throw your partner off. Did you get flowers randomly after work? Was that just because, or was it a challenge, or was it an intentional red herring to throw you off from the challenge? The fun is figuring that out!The reward cards are pretty straightforward and I think most couples would agree on most of them - a discretionary purchase you don't have to account for, or a night out on the town, or a weekend getaway are the most lavish, and it goes down from there to simple, free everyday things.The cards included are pretty tame/family friendly, overall. There's a quickie card in there as a reward, but other than that, this isn't really a spicy game and would be suitable for couples of all romantic comfort levels. Actually, while a lot of card games have NSFW expansions that feel unnecessary, this is one game where we think it would actually be an appropriate optional inclusion. We're making our own to mix in, but it would be nice to see an official option that can spice up the core gameplay. On the other hand, if you're not comfortable with that sort of thing, you can rest assured that the content included here isn't overtly sexual.One of the coolest parts of this game is that you get to customize it. The cards aren't a secret, so nobody gets blindsided by a reward or challenge - everyone is able to veto items before you start playing. Thoughtful!The packaging for this is like any other indie card game - it's mostly a deck of cards, so it doesn't need to be complicated, but it's nice enough that I'd be comfortable giving this as a gift. It would be perfect for a newlywed couple, and it would also make a great anniversary or valentine's gift if you are looking for a way to freshen things up with your spouse or partner.If you and your partner have a bit of a competitive streak, you'll have a lot of fun with this - it basically overlays a metagame overtop of your daily chores and interactions. And if you're not competitive, you can give the co-op rules a try, too - although we think this is probably best with the competitive rule set. Highly recommended.