Gaming with the Girlfriend: Tag Team or Co-Op?

Girlfriend? Games? It’s like chocolate and peanut butter–what guy wouldn’t want to bring those hands together? You’ve seen the dozens of articles on how to get your lady into the room while you get your frag on (if she wasn’t in there already). But now that you can have your cake and eat it too, what’s your flavor? Do you play side by side, or do you simply look to her for support?

It’s most men’s dream to have a gamer girlfriend. Especially if the two of you are equally savvy in your favorite genres. Who wouldn’t want a buddy that you could play in your favorite game, discuss the same dorky topics with you, AND have sex with?

This, however, is a rare arrangement, whether your girlfriend’s got game herself or simply respects your hobby. No matter how you slice it, men are notoriously competitive by nature and we all want our own lady-in-waiting there to congratulate us post-battle. Some primitive part of us wants to be that knight in shining armor who wins the heart of the princess after slaying the dragon. Or we want to go home with the cheerleader that’s been calling our name as we scored the winning touchdown. It’s hard to be the hero when your girlfriend is racking up more points than you are.

Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with chivalry; some claim it’s a lost art. However, it can get us men into trouble if left untamed. Having a gamer girlfriend is awesome…a rare treasure. Why mess that up? Allow me to illustrate…

I come from the realm of arcade fighting games. Those familiar may recognize some of the terms given to various styles of how people will play. The defensive “turtle.” The aggressive “beast.” The novice “scrub.” But there’s one term that I’d coined that covered one participant to most matches, often overlooked by the central crowd: The “cup-holder.” The “cup-holder” is the girlfriend of the guy at the machine whose sole purpose in the situation is to hold his drink while he pounds fists with the punks surrounding him. A devoted “cup-holder” will cheer her man on at each passing victory and become the coveted trophy he walks away with even in defeat. But usually she just stands off to the side, neglected, bored out of her mind (and possibly open to be snatched from you!).

This is why the tag-team couple, so to speak, is the more difficult path to tread in a relationship when video games are involved. As I’ve suggested in a previous article, the key to the relationship is maintaining a bonding experience for the two of you. If your gaming habits are becoming a wedge between you and your lover, it’s time to take a break. Engage in something that she likes to do or impress her by taking charge of your responsibilities (this also helps cut down the nag factor). Most importantly, remember–whether you play co-op or versus her–she’s your partner.

And nobody wins with friendly fire.