Another first for us today, reviewing a board game. The game in question is Monogamy. It’s been around since 2002 so you may have seen it in your local adult store or online, as we had. We never considered buying a copy as I suppose we viewed the game as a means for a couple to spice up their love life, and ours is spicy enough already.
If we hadn’t been sent a copy to review by the manufacturer Creative Conceptions we would never have known …
A quick synopsis of the game: Two players, over the age of consent move around a board up to six times using a single dice to dictate their moves. Each position on the board is marked out indicating whether the player should take a Monogamy Card (see below), have a drink, kiss the other player, remove an item of clothing, nibble an erogenous zone, give the other player a massage or use their imagination to stimulate their partner. Oh sorry, I forgot, you need to keep a little rude food to hand too because some of the squares require you to eat this from your partner’s body.
After each circuit of the board by your phallic little counter an extra ring is added to its shaft (hehehe) and you pick up a Fantasy Card. You retain up to two fantasy cards (you choosing which one to discard when you pick up the third) until the end of the game. The first person to complete the six circuits of the board (two at each level) gets to choose which of the two fantasy cards they retained is acted out.
The whole concept sounded a little too contrived to us when we viewed the game in-store. It isn’t, for two reasons. First the cards instruct you to indulge in/talk about activity that is highly arousing, without describing it in a gratuitously pornographic way. Secondly it’s not all about actual sex, you’re encouraged to talk about what you like and dislike, what turns you on.
As a couple who are notoriously open with each other and the rest of the world we were surprised at the way in which the game made us talk to each other about things that we simply hadn’t discussed in ages. We talked about group sex, oral sex, where our ultimate fantasy location to have sex would be and what essential sex toys we’d take on a weekend break. Suze also ended up riding me like a naughty little cowgirl at one point too!
The Monogamy Cards are grouped into three levels, intimate, passionate and steamy. Each progressively more intimate and sexual. The deeper into the game you get the deeper into each other you’re required to go LOL.
It was while Suze was nibbling and licking my ear that it came to me just how wrong we had been about this game. It can be played by couples still getting to know each other and relatively early in a relationship to break down the barriers and broach (random) sexual topics without having to deliberately bring them up. In doing so you can advance your relationship, open up to each other and avoid the awkwardness that a deliberate discussion of anal sex for example might cause. But even in a relationship as well established and honest as ours the game reminds you to revisit sexual themes and activities that you no longer indulge in, in our case because we’re always trying something new.
A nice feature is that some Monogamy Cards are meant to be retained for use days after the game has completed. These are the “Treats”, and describe special things you can do for your partner to keep the passion burning, it can be as simple as taking them for a meal or as complex as arranging a fantasy scenario for them in secret.
We didn’t play the full game, indeed the manufacturers claim that people rarely finish a full six circuits of the board before the passion takes over and naughtiness ensues. You don’t have to play the full game to get hot and steamy. You can play a speed version, jumping straight in at the steamy level if you’re both almost ready for action, or even quicker, pick a fantasy card at random and act it out.
The game (in its full version) does take a long time to play, the 90 minutes claimed on the box is wildly inaccurate. I’d say about 3 hours. And you’d be into each others pants well before that time. You have been warned.
One criticism I have of the game is that the board, because it’s printed in dark, sensual reds and purples, can be difficult to read in low light. The cards too can lack contrast, being black lettering on a flaming red background. It’s hardly romantic to have to turn up the lights just to read your instructions, kind of breaks the flow.
Something we are going to do is retain and act out all four of the fantasy cards we accumulated. We will of course let you know what happens when we act them out on AlexSuze.com.
Monogamy is available from your high street and online from adult retailers such as Bedtime Heaven. It’s the perfect gift for any open minded couple at any stage in their relationship. So take the phone off the hook and enjoy the naughtiest board game we’ve played.
Tags: Monogamy, Monogamy Game, Monogamy Board Game, Adult Game, Adult Board Game,