Hi all, not sure if there’s a better place in the fediverse to ask, but I’m looking for suggestions for a 2 player game. Something that is pretty quick in terms of set up, learning, and play. My go to for this scenario right now is the Tacocat game by the makers of Exploding Kittens, but I’d like to branch out and try some others if they fit the bill. Doesn’t necessarily have to be for 2 players specifically but preferable if that’s what it’s designed for. Heck doesn’t necessarily have to be a board game really, just something to play face to face (I mean, I don’t really know what the alternative would be other than a straight up card game but that’s why I’m asking for recommendations).
Catan Duell/ the cardgame. Great Strategy game.
Seven Wonders has a two person game called Seven Wonders Duel that’s really easy. It comes with expansions and it’s my husband’s and my favorite game to play ^^
I love Seven Wonders Duel but I wouldn’t call it super accessible compared to something like Hive. There’s quite a lot to keep track of for the first few playthroughs. But for two people who are experienced with other games it has a good amount of replayability!
As the certified Dumb Dumb of the relationship, I’d quibble, but to each their own!
Something that is pretty quick in terms of set up, learning, and play.
You had many recommendations, but I think very few beats Sea Salt & Paper in term of setup, learning and play.
One is missing:
Wing span!
This is really strange because I’ve been googling this exact question for the past two days. So, I guess it’s my turn to return the favor.
My wife and I play games constantly, and the kids are getting older and leaving us playing one on one more often. The ones that we play the most are Silver, Boss Monster, Machi Koro, Heckmeck, and Dungeon Mayhem.
They are all pretty simple games, quick set up and tear down. That seems to be what we lean into.
Oh, as for my search, the consensus seems to be that the best two player game is Jaipur. I can’t vouch for it yet, as I haven’t played it, but it should arrive tomorrow. 😁
Jaipur is very good. I’m always down to play and wife usually wins so it’s a bonus
It is. I’m a big fan, but have lost my copy.
My favorites for two are Carcasonne, Seven Wonders Duel, and classic Cribbage. Those first two aren’t exactly simple to learn though.
Another suggestion is to play a cooperative game with two. This can be really fun to talk about thr strategy together since you are on a team. For simpler, I like Forbidden Island and Forbidden Desert.
Check out Quarto. There’s smaller and larger boards, mine is I think 5x5. It’s like a more complex Connect Four where you pick your opponent’s next piece at the end of your turn.
The “Connect Four” part is getting four in a row, the complexity is that the four can be in any combination (piece height, color, dimpled or not, etc.). Quick to learn, hard to master.
-
Targi - Cards are displayed in a 5x5 grid. The “outer” square of the grid are action spots while the “inner” 3x3 grid are resources/objectives. During your turn you will place one of your 3 workers in one of the available action spots. Then your opponent places their worker but they cannot place their worker in the same column or row than your wokers. After both players have placed their 3 workers, you place tribe markers (the cilinders) on the cards where your workers intersect. At the end of the round you get all the resources/objectives where you have cilinders and perform all the actions where you have workers!
-
Hanamikoji - This is a “I split, you choose” 2 player game with some area majority in the mix. I honestly think this game is fantastic but I have had very low success in introducing it to other people. The game is very quirky, very different than everything I’ve tried. You force players to make hard and unintuitive decisions and I think that turns off some people. “Why would I split these cards, I want them all. How can I have them all?”. Split wisely! I guess the art work and box doesn’t help people get excited about it either.
-
MicroMacro: Crime City - There is some debate about wether this is even game or just an activity but I don’t really care about that. This game is absolutely brilliant. It’s basically a “Where’s Waldo” but with all timelines printed into a single map. Each mission points you to a crime and you have to trace back the map to understand what actually took place there. Where did the victim come from, what were they doing, who looked at them funny? I would put this game as the best 2 player game but it have felt weird for the best 2 player game to be a game where you can play with an infinite number of players. Wouldn’t recommend more than 2 players tho! Get it!
-
Space base is pretty fun! It’s for 2-5 players. What I like about it is it’s a base building game where you don’t really hinder your opponents, and there’s stuff for you to do when it’s not your turn.
+1, a majority of my play has been 2P. But I agree it’s better with more. Pretty easy to learn too.
I love Space Base. The designer is a mad genius. But I will say it’s more fun with more people and it has a lot of setup. Mystic Vale is another by him that works well for two and is slightly less piecey. There’s an app if you want to try it for cheap.
But if you want extremely easy to learn, not too hard to set up, and quite fun to play, Santorini is phenomenal. It’s literally about as easy to learn as checkers. The instructions are basically one page for the core game and then you can spice it up by adding special powers. But the core mechanic is so elegantly simple it’s hard to believe how little there Is to learn.
Radlands - my personal favourite 2 player game. Tower defence with cards. Design a mix of borderlands meets Mad Max
Aeons end - not two players but works really well at 2. coop card game against a nemesis. Multiple expansions available. Many characters and card combinations. This game is a close second in my two player list.
Shadows of Kyoto - a game from emporers4, and I have to admit I like their games. Two player slightly asymmetrical trying to get your spy to your opponent site or try to catch their spy.
Hanamikoji - trying to get the favours on the right site with only four possible turns. Kosmos has it too, and it is language independent, no need to get it from Taiwan if you have better access through them. Geisha‘s road is pretty similar.
Shottentotten - name could be more sensible but a quick to learn Poker with multiple games one plays at the same time
One my favouit 2 player boardgames is Hallali (Not sure if it has a diferent wnglish titel). It is a fantastic game with a big strategy part, but also some luck.
I love 2 player games and the vast majority of my plays are with 2 players. My top recommendations are:
Azul—plays 2-4 players, and I love it with 2. Tile placement in patterns. Quick to learn and plays fairly quickly as well
Beer and Bread—you are playing as 2 rival towns using the same ingredients to make a variety of beers and breads. At the end of the game, your final score is whichever of the 2 is lower between beer or bread. A slightly longer time to learn than Azul, but still plays in under an hour
Splendor Duel—a tableau builder —you’re collecting gems to buy cards that count like permanent gems in your hand. Time to learn and play falls between the other 2, in my experience
Second Azul. Fun. Easy to learn and quite quick.
Beer and Bread rules!
I think out of those, splendor duel is the best one. We play it a lot for a quick session. While Azul is fine and easy to learn, it is kinda heavy on math if you want to be good.
The great thing about Azul is that it works well at all player levels. For beginners it’s easy to teach, it has great table presence and you can have a lot of fun playing it completely casually. For experienced players it can turn into a cutthroat duel of probability calculations and mind games.
I like A little Wordy. It’s like combative wordle, made by Matt Inman, the oatmeal/exploding kittens guy. It’s like 12$ at target if you don’t want to wait for shipping
War of the Ring: The Card Game
All the flavor of the gigantic classic, but in a nice quick-setup card game form.A few from my closet: Castle Panic (with expansion set), Labyrinth (Ravensburger), Classic card games: Crazy 8s, Go Fish, Hearts and Old Maid. Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots, Mille Bornes, Pirate’s Cove, Stratego, Battleship, Chess, Checkers, Chinese Checkers, and Laser Khet 2.0.
And story dice are fun with any number of people.
