E-Mail This Article to a Friend Scoring on Valentine’s Put some fun and games back into your romance BY NAZ SIOSHANSI

What if you replaced long-stemmed roses with dice, chocolates with playing cards, and sexy lingerie with darts this Valentine’s Day? At first, it doesn’t seem romantic. These ingredients may make for a great poker night, but a questionable romantic celebration.

Or so you thought. But before making that ritual dinner reservation for February 14, consider rolling the dice and spending the night at home, playing ... games. After all, don’t love and games go hand in hand?

Of course, we’re not talking about preteen games like spin-the-bottle. Nor are we discussing the agonizing mind games experienced during love’s torrents. Instead, think back to recess and the playground. Remember when you were the neighborhood checker champion? Use that old prowess to make your significant other nibble, fondle, strip, or strut as you capture his or her checker. Each piece in RedEnvelope’s Jump Me Checkers ($40) has a command written on it, which the loser must enact. Just imagine what "king me" means ...

Or perhaps you prefer a game of darts — Dirty Darts ($24), that is. RedEnvelope offers a magnetic dartboard that spells out different commands based on where the dart lands. Needless to say, you’ll still score when you hit the bull’s-eye, but with the appropriate Valentine’s Day interpretation.

If it’s a more (or perhaps less) conventional board game you enjoy, try one of the editions of Be My Lover: The Game ($25–$55), available at Barnes & Noble. Moving your playing piece across the board with each roll of the die, you’ll land on different segments that entail choosing "intimacy" or "pleasure" cards. To warm you up, Be My Lover comes with a spinner game that allows for plenty of foreplay.

No Valentine’s Day would be complete without a tip from the Kama Sutra; better yet, play along in game format with the Kama Sutra Board Game ($24.99), available at Amazon.com. The game comes with 56 activity and position cards. Should any disagreement arise, never fear — there are instructions for how to settle on the "right side."

Where to find it:

• Amazon.com, www.amazon.com

• Barnes & Noble, various locations; www.bn.com

• RedEnvelope, (877) RED-ENVELOPE; www.redenvelope.com