Whether you want to get to know your date better or you simply want to pass the time during a long car ride, games can help the conversation flow. Each game appeals to some people more than others, and the real challenge is finding the right game for the two of you.
Two Truths and a Lie
In addition to getting to know your girlfriend better, "Two Truths and a Lie" will help you see just how well (or how poorly) she lies. At the same time, she'll get to hear more about your past and get a glimpse of how you handle tall tales. The premise of the game is simple: you tell three stories, two of which are true and the third of which is a lie. Your date must guess which of the three is a lie. She then tells three stories of her own. This can go back and forth as long as you want, and unless you want to keep track of "points," there's no need for a winner and loser.
Hammer or Nail?
"Hammer and Nail" is both poetic and rapid-fire. You ask your girlfriend if she's "this" or "that," and she responds by saying which of the two she identifies with more and why. For instance, you can ask if she's a "hammer or a nail," and she might respond that she's a hammer because she likes to be in control or that she's a nail because she likes to keep things together. After she answers, she asks you a "this or that" question and answer. There is no winning and losing here, and you'll both get to know each other better. You can also weave these questions seamlessly into a conversation so that they don't feel like a game at all.
20 Questions
Also known as "Animal, Vegetable, Mineral," "20 Questions" is a game of logic, pure and simple. It won't help you get to know your girlfriend better -- except possibly as a measure of her deductive reasoning skills. If you both like logic games, though, it can be an enjoyable way to spend your time during a car ride. In the game, you decide on a physical noun such as "cloud," "pancake" or "your mom." Your girlfriend can then ask 20 yes-or-no questions to try to figure it out. It can be any sort of question, so long as it can be answered with a yes or a no. After she guesses it or the 20 questions are up, then she comes up with a noun and you try to guess it.
Board Games
Board games can also be an enjoyable way to pass time with your girlfriend, though they won't always lead to conversation. Some games are specifically designed to facilitate talking, such as "Rumors" and "The Art of Conversation." Others inadvertently lead to table talk. Free-form strategy games such as "Risk" can easily vacillate between periods of conversational negotiation and intensive, silent concentration. Not everyone enjoys strategy games, though, and these games sometimes lead to players getting angry or even crying.
