Get in the game, make a Play Date

I threw my intern Sarah into the game to find some relief from nightlife boredom… and she brought back a board game. 2 points for the intern. — Brittney

Although we’ve had gaming systems since back when Atari was considered cool, the 21st Century ushered in the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii. I actually read an article that talked about when the right time is to delete your ex’s Wii character?

That pretty much sums up the extent to which technology has come to rule our world. My man and I love to sit back and play a game of “Call of Duty,” but it always seems to go better for him than for me. “Play Date” may have another solution for nightlife boredom, grab a board game.

For us un-technologically advanced, “Play Date” offers classics like Monopoly, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots and Connect 4 — basically the games we grew up with that will let us make our comebacks. Alongside great games, there’s game foods and alcohol. Then while the floor may already be moving from the drinks, “Play Date” adds another twist — Twister, Musical Chairs and Hula Hoops.

And for those of us who just can’t give up on the video-game dream, there’s games like Pacman and Wii sports — because eventually we’ll get our turn to triumph, right? At least if you lose during a play date, you can at least blame the alcohol.

But “Play Date” isn’t just for couples. Gaming is the perfect play for anyone in the dating game. Different games are set up at different tables, and once you’ve played a game you can move onto the next one. So, if your partner is a sore loser, you can invent a new version of musical chairs — musical dating.

The first play date is scheduled for April 18 at “The Big Chill” off Morehead St. It’s $10 to get in, but that’s less than it would cost to buy a Wii or a new board game, right?

Besides, how does that Mastercard commercial go? Admission: $10. Finally beating your boyfriend at a game: priceless.

This article appears in Mar 17-24, 2009.