Picture this — the temperature outside sits at an icy 15 degrees, but you and your partner are cuddled up on the couch in your thickest, coziest blanket, soaking in the elegance of the falling snow while leaving out the frostbite. Winter provides the perfect backdrop for intimate, indoor date ideas and quality time sessions. These little moments are foundational to a relationship and they matter, whether they’re mundane or memorable, but incorporating gaming is a fantastic way to liven up an evening.

Getting Heated Together for Warmth

With some friendly competition or strained teamwork—or both, it’s easy to get the laughs going. Overcooked and Cuphead are casual-player friendly(mostly) and accessible to anyone since they’re simple to learn, quick to get started with, and consistently engaging the whole time. They’re guaranteed to piss you off in the best way, ultimately bringing you closer together as you overcome the challenges.

Overcooked 2’s Winter Wonderland

Both Overcooked and its sequel are highly regarded and a no-brainer recommendation as part of your activity list. They’re arcade-like, cooperative cooking simulations that task you with preparing orders by juggling tasks like chopping vegetables, delivering orders, and extinguishing kitchen fires. The core gameplay is all about testing teamwork and pressure management, as the goal is to deliver enough orders before time runs out while adapting your plans to all the wacky gimmicks thrown in to shake things up.

Overcooked 2’s Winter Wonderland DLC is perfectly on theme for the evening, with frost-covered kitchens, fruit cakes, and hot chocolate orders to deliver. It’s such a wholesome aesthetic to add to the usual chaos as players earn their stars. The game’s difficulty is balanced exceptionally well, allowing it to be palatable without being too frustrating, but there’s also the added challenge of achieving perfect scores for those who want it, but don’t let your partner settle for less than 3 stars. Be sure to roast each other for every accidental slip into the water or missed order, and have a great time while doing it.

Cuphead Co-Op

While Cuphead isn’t winter-themed, it’s another fun, engaging option for two, and its 30’s cartoon charm is immediately captivating. Aesthetically, Cuphead is unmatched with its gorgeous hand-drawn animations and booming jazzy soundtrack. It’s a fairly challenging side scroller action game with a focus on boss battles.

While the difficulty of Cuphead’s levels may limit the amount of progress made for some, it’s still more than worth it to enjoy some groans and “one more try” moments together. The high adrenaline is and the constant intensity is guaranteed to keep you both warm through the night, doubly so for the surviving player tasked with clutching out the level for the fallen one.

Winter-Themed Puzzle and Chocolate Cake

For those who aren’t hooked playing the games all night, you can slow the evening down by pivoting to a cozy physical activity. Jigsaw puzzles are a solid pick, encouraging teamwork but very much at whatever pace feels right to the players. Dim the lights, turn on your favorite reality show, and settle in with a 300-piece wintery landscape, for the best chance at finishing it in one sitting so that the pieces don’t create a mess.

And don’t forget the star of the evening—a decadent chocolate dessert. Chocolate mousse makes for the perfect romantic winter treat paired with your favorite wine.