Our Favorite Marital Bliss Reviews #1: Samantha & E.J.

I was recently digging through some older Marital Bliss game reviews, and I thought it might be fun to share them over the next several posts, and discuss what it was like on the receiving end these reviews as a game creator.

I’m kicking things off with my favorite review of all time. It’s from 2016, by Samantha and E.J.

Nicole and I met E.J. at Gencon in 2016. He was working in a booth that was right across from ours, and after chatting for a while he bought two copies of the game, and that was that (so we thought). Unbeknownst to us, a few weeks after he and his wife Samantha started playing the game, they loved it so much that they recorded this amazing review.

What I like most about this review is that they go way beyond the typical content in game reviews. While they touch on the normal things like the components, quality, rules, gameplay, etc. they also dedicate a lot of time in the video to discussing the impact the game had on their day-to-day relationship, and they do it in a way that makes the game feel more meaningful than a typical board or card game.

For example, they point out that the game helped them to remember to do things that they either didn’t normally do, or may have stopped doing… simply because when you’re married for years, life gets busy, and it’s easy to fall out of step with the things you used to do.  EJ explains it best at the 3:40 mark here.

Then later, around the 11:30 mark Samantha talks about how the game reminded her to be more mindful of doing things beyond just the missions to find new ways to be supportive and helpful in her relationship.

At the 13:00 mark Samantha talks about how she enjoyed having something throughout the day to look forward to and think about. Not only the little rush of enjoyment when she found a way to accomplish a challenging mission, but also the anticipation of knowing that E.J. was out there accomplishing similar missions, and she had to keep an eye out for it.

She continued by commenting that even though their lives are busy, it was nice knowing there was going to be a night that week where they would have some quality time together to sit down and review missions, and decide the winner.

Towards the end, they point out that they think the game works in a variety of relationships.

  • If you’re someone in a great relationship, maybe a new relationship or just married, the game can be an excellent way to add even more fun to your lives.
  • Or, if things have slowed down a little, maybe you have kids and find yourself in a rut, it’s just a fun way to spice up the day-to-day routine.
  • Lastly, If you’re committed to overcoming some struggles together, it could be a good way to start things off again on the right foot.

Thanks Samantha and EJ! Nicole and I have so much gratitude for your support, and your video. It’s still a crazy and humbling feeling to know that you enjoyed our game enough to go out and tell others about it.

If you’d like to help us tell others about Martial Bliss, and review the game on your blog or website, drop us an email on our contact us page, and we’d be happy to ship a review copy your way ASAP!

Or, if you already own the game and want an easier way to let others know what you think about it, please consider leaving us a review on Amazon here.

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