Two-player board games are the perfect solution when you only have a few people willing to play. They are not a consolation prize; however, between different game mechanics, it’s not easy to find these types of board games. That’s where our selection of the best two-player board games on the market helps!
Something that all these board games share is flexibility. Many can be scaled up for a larger group, offering better value for money in the long run. Even better, many of them fit easily into a backpack or pocket when you’re out and about. This is particularly useful if you are looking for good board games to play with your children.
What Makes a Good Two-Player Board Game?
We will introduce you to many games for a game evening for two, but first, let’s outline what makes good games for 2 players:
- A good game doesn’t necessarily have to be designed for exactly two players only. Some games go from 2 to 6 players. However, many games in this area are very inexpensive.
- What is much more important is that the games offer equal opportunities for both players or a catch-up mechanism. This way, the tension is maintained until the last moment.
- Games for two players are available as board, card, or dice games, each more different than the other.
Now that you know how amazing two-player board games can be, here are the board games perfectly suited for two players:
7 Wonders Duel
This game is a version of 7 Wonders, but specifically remodeled to be played by two people. The proposal remains the same: achieve the greatest development and construction over three eras. 7 Wonder Duel is a card game (just like the original game) with a good level of strategy and the need for resource management.
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Repos Production 7 Wonders Duel |
$21.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
Your objective is to duel against your opponent, eclipsing their civilization. This can be done in several ways. You must build wonders during your gaming session, which should last about half an hour. Victory conditions can be achieved through science, culture, and the military, to name a few.
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is considered a classic game in the generation of modern board games. The game has as its backdrop the construction of the French city of the same name, where players place the pieces they remove from the pile of game pieces and assemble the game board. The game mechanics are as simple as possible: the player takes a piece, places it on the table in the best possible way according to their strategy, and passes the turn.
After that, you may not place one of your followers to score that particular region. Regarding regions or structures, they can be roads, cities, or monasteries, and there are different ways to point them out.
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Carcassonne Board Game (BASE GAME) | Board Game for Adults and Family | Strategy Board Game |... |
$33.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
The strategy lies in that followers are limited pieces; therefore, they must be used prudently when dividing the points of structures dominated by two or more players.
Codenames Duet
Codenames Duet is an exciting game in which you’ll decipher the most complicated codes and have to identify your secret agents with a code that is just one word.
In this game, a group is divided into two teams, with a master spy for each. Several cards with code names are placed on the table, but only the spymasters know which codes belong to operatives on their team, their opponents, ordinary citizens, or the assassin.
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Codenames: Duet - The Two Player Word Deduction Game by CGE Czech Games Edition |
$19.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
Using just one word and one number, each spymaster gives clues to his team as to who his operatives are. The game’s objective is to discover all the operatives on your team first, without choosing the assassin.
Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar
Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar is a cooperative game that allows players to create unique island adventures while reliving the movie’s moments and characters across 12 chapters.
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Funko Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar | 31 Reviews |
$69.65 |
Buy on Amazon |
The game involves solving puzzles, building facilities, inspecting specific areas, and protecting and herding dinosaurs across the board while keeping yourself safe from dinosaurs who may take each other out.
Pandemic
Cooperation instead of competition! In Pandemic, the opponent is the game itself. The setting is eerily relatable. Four deadly viruses are sweeping the world, and you must cure them. No pressure, right? Fortunately, the characters you’ll control have unique abilities to help you. Mastering them is crucial to victory, and you’ll need to learn how to use them with your partner if you want to have any hope of surviving.
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Pandemic Board Game (Base Game) | Cooperative Board Game for Adults and Family | Ages 8+ | 2 to 4... |
$27.54 |
Buy on Amazon |
This is a game of strategy and cooperation, not blind luck. This means it’s something you can play over and over again without it becoming stale. Especially when diseases appear in different locations every time you play. Once you’ve mastered the base game, you can up the ante with expansion packs or the Pandemic Legacy edition. In the latter, your actions have consequences that spread from one game to another.
Patchwork
This game is a masterpiece by game master Uwe Rosenberg and is considered one of the best games in the world for two-player board games. Patchwork is a board game for two players, with approximately 20 minutes per game.
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Patchwork | Strategy / Puzzle Game | Family Board Game | Two Player Game for Kids and Adults | Ages... |
$28.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
The gameplay here involves you creating a patchwork quilt with the best pieces available on the table using buttons and time. In the end, the player with the most buttons will win! The problem is that they will lose every empty space that the player leaves on their individual board.
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
Strategy games are great, but sometimes you just want to work together with your partner. That’s where mystery epics like Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective shine. Described as a game of logic and deduction, it tasks you with solving a crime before the great Baker Street detective himself.
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Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective - The Thames Murders & Other Cases Board Game - Captivating... |
$49.39 |
Buy on Amazon |
It’s easier said than done. In addition to piles of evidence and the obligatory red herrings to sort through, you’re fighting against the clock and will need to use every bit of wit you have to solve these cases. They are a real challenge. There are several adventures included in the box as well. As a result, it’s worth going through them all with the same player whenever possible; they often lead or enlighten each other, so going through each case is a great shared activity.
Star Wars Rebellion
In this 2-person game, we experience the fight between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. From individual well-known people to missions to the Death Star that destroys the entire planet, everything that defines the franchise is here. It manages to integrate the Star Wars fluff well and, at the same time, create an exciting game for both sides.
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Star Wars Rebellion Board Game | Strategy Game for Adults and Teens | Ages 14+ | 2-4 Players |... |
$87.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
The small, loving models make every Star Wars fan’s heart beat faster. The possibility of destroying a few planets, cutting off Darth Vader’s head, or destroying a Death Star is a highlight in everyone’s daily routine. The three to four hours of gameplay is normal unless the rebel base is discovered early through luck; then, it can go faster. This is also one of the best war board games available today — so don’t miss out on this one!
Monopoly Indiana Jones
Relive the fascinating moments from the first three Indiana Jones movies with Monopoly Indiana Jones Edition. The game involves you playing to take control of the Well of Souls from the Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Temple of Doom from the 1984 movie while facing traps, spiders, snakes, and other dangers.
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Hasbro Gaming Monopoly Indiana Jones Game, Inspired by The Indiana Jones Movies, Board Game for 2-6... |
$20.00 |
Buy on Amazon |
The only way to win the game is to be the last player left with money. So, if you’re both the Indiana Jones and Monopoly fans, this game is for you.
The Game of Life
Some say that life is a game, so our main objective should be having fun. A few use this playful philosophy to set goals as if there was a winner. Others take this statement to the extreme to create a board game about life, literally. That was what Milton Bradley did in the 19th century when he created The Game of Life, a legendary board game.
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Hasbro Gaming The Game of Life Game | $30.98 | Buy on Amazon |
In the center of the game, the famous roulette wheel is placed, and you have to choose one of the cars and begin the game by deciding whether you want to have a profession or, on the contrary, go to university. The game is a roller coaster full of surprises where the player experiences many professional and personal ups and downs. The winner is the player who, at the end of his life, has the most money and not the one who reaches the goal first. When it comes to the best family board games, you’ll rarely find The Game of Life to NOT be a part of the collection!
Wrapping Up
Usually, board games require large groups of people to play. However, as our selection shows, many others have engaging themes and very creative ideas that only require two players. So, grab a game as a couple, with a friend, or with your kid; everything is possible as long as there are two of you!
Looking to explore mythical worlds through your board? Check out our list of the best fantasy board games to play today!
