Having a collection of the greatest two-player board games on hand is a smart idea because planning a big gathering of people can be more bother than it’s worth.
Finding just one other person to play with—be it your spouse, a friend, or a relative—is far simpler. Nevertheless, having a few board games that may accommodate two players is insufficient because other games are better suited for a bigger gathering. For this reason, the majority of the games on our list of the best two-player board games are designed to be played by a maximum of two players.
Board games meant for two players only frequently guarantee a more intense, personal, and competitive experience, demonstrating why playing as a pair is intrinsically unique.
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There are games on this list to suit almost any mood, be it a lighthearted tile-laying game, a fast-paced card game, or a challenging strategic match. There is something for everyone among the many topics addressed here, which range from gothic horror to Ancient Egypt to nature. Check out the top board games for two players available right now and don’t settle for anything less than the best!
1. Jaipur
A quick-paced card game centered around camels and trading
Jaipur layout picture
In Jaipur, certain card kinds will be more valuable than others because to their rarity. | Photo courtesy of Space Cowboys
There are many different two-player card games available, but Jaipur is among the best. Jaipur is a trade game that invites players to unleash their fiercer personalities and take advantage of opportunities to steal an advantage over their rivals. The players are competing merchants trying to make an impression on the maharaja by executing some of the most amazing bargains they can. Players buy a variety of items from the market at the beginning of each round, then sell them in quantity. They will gain more points the more they are able to sell at once. To keep ahead of their rival, gamers will need to move quickly, though.
A player may select to take one card from the market during their turn, or they may exchange any number of cards from their hand for an equal number of cards from the market. It helps when players are attempting to gather as many matching cards as they can that the cards they take must be of the same kind. Players can sell cards to get the same number of matching point tokens after they have at least three of the same kind. Players that sell their tokens early on accumulate more points because the higher value tokens of each category are stored at the top of the stack.
Conversely, players receive a bonus token worth a random number of points if they wait for multiple cards to sell at once; the more valuable tokens are awarded to the larger transactions. Every card type has a limited supply, and rarer cards provide more expensive tokens. As a result, players may get into physical altercations over particular card types. Witnessing a card of the kind you are collecting being taken by your opponent is the most terrible thing that can happen. Fortunately, Jaipur is a quick game that will pique your interest enough to make you want to play it again immediately.
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2. Corinth
Yspahan: The Dice Game is being remade with an Ancient Roman theme called Corinth. | Photo courtesy of Days of Wonder
In contrast to many roll-and-write games, which essentially involve players playing different games side by side with limited opportunity for direct contact, Corinth incorporates direct rivalry into its box-ticking points feast. As they attempt to trade their commodities to market stalls and create new buildings, players take turns claiming dice from a central board. They then use the results to win goods and gold or activate other effects. Additionally, you can use dice to move your steward across a different grid and earn more products and points.
Some may recognize Corinth from its version of Yspahan: The Dice Game, which was derived from the 2006 Spiel des Jahres-nominated dice-drafting game designed by Sébastien Pauchon. Many aspects of Yspahan will be recognizable to even people who haven’t played it; it’s a game that shines at being a cozy retelling of previous experiences rather than something entirely new.
That’s not to minimize how enjoyable it is to play Corinth, though. Even in the game’s relatively short 20-minute duration, there’s plenty to consider with a very small pool of six actions branching into a web of scoring routes and alternatives on your turn. The engaging roll-and-write engine underlying is enhanced by the more dynamic dice-drafting mechanisms, which provide a competitive edge. This makes it ideal for small groups or even just two players trying to pass the time during lunch or in between larger games. It’s also perfect for new players of board games because of its simple rules.
Corinth is a pleasantly light roll-and-write that you shouldn’t pass up. It comes neatly packaged in a compact box with beautiful art and craftsmanship on its dice.
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3. Patchwork
Your ultimate score will be reduced by the number of points you receive for covering your board.
Nothing like a private board game session when it’s pouring outside and all you want to do is wrap up inside nice and cozy. Patchwork is a two-player board game as endearing as a corgi in a little hat, and it’s the perfect fit for days like these. You have to piece together a quilt using the many trimmings you have accumulated throughout the years, making sure to use as much space is possible and, of course, earning as many points as you can.
Every player receives a personal board on which the different quilt pieces are arranged in a circle. The pieces must be positioned adjacent to one another in a straight line in order to produce a neat queue. You get to choose from a wide variety of textiles, each with a distinct shape and size. It’s crucial to cover as much of your board as you can since, at the end of the game, any empty square will cost you points. A player may pick up a piece of the quilt during their turn. Players can choose to advance their player token along the turn track to gain buttons equal to the number of spaces they move if they are out of buttons or do not want to purchase anything.
Putting quilt pieces that show buttons on your player board is another way to get buttons in Patchwork. Both players receive an equal number of buttons on their player boards if a player token passes through or lands on one of these button slots. Eventually, you’ll develop a rhythm for selecting and arranging the quilt pieces on the board, making sure to pick ones with buttons on them and maximizing the amount of space they cover. Why not get involved in a little Patchwork for a two-player board game that’s both tough and delightfully soothing?
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4. Klask
Surprisingly, the Klask table is quite portable. | Photo courtesy of Klask ApS
Developed one hungover morning by Danish carpenter Mikkel Bertelsen, Klask is aptly the ideal two-player game to play after a few cold ones with pals.
The contemporary equivalent of bar staples like air hockey and table football, but with magnets added, is called Klask, which is Danish for “smack!””- is an entertaining head-to-head match that takes place on a standalone tiny wooden field.
Each player uses a pusher that resembles an air hockey stick to knock a ball across the field; however, instead of using their hands to move the plastic pieces directly, they use a powerful magnet to move them from underneath the board.
With the added pressure of having to stop the ball from entering their goal, a circular pit in the board, players must also be careful not to get their own magnetic piece stuck in the hole, which frequently results in the game’s iconic “SMACK!”
Small white magnets that are positioned along the midway line of the pitch provide additional hurdles. If a player’s magnet stray too close to one of these magnets, it will adhere to it; with a precise shot, it can even be sent in the direction of your opponent. You can lose a point by falling into your own hole or getting two magnets fastened to you. It’s not just about going for the goal.
Klask is an excellent board game for two players because of its straightforward rules and intense, quick-paced gameplay. However, it tends to draw large crowds and create enjoyable mini-tournaments, so limiting the number of players to just two may be challenging! Although there is now a four-player version of the original two-player game, we still contend that the two-player version is the greatest way to enjoy this completely exceptional jewel.
Purchase Klask from Amazon UK and klaskyourway.com
5. Wingspan: Asia
The Wingspan Asia common board
Every time a player plays a suitable bird card, they can place a token on this shared board. | Photo courtesy of Stonemaier Games
A board game for up to five players, Wingspan is all about luring different bird species into players’ habitats. You do not need to possess the original Wingspan game in order to play Wingspan: Asia, which is both an expansion for the original game and a stand-alone two-player title.
As the name implies, the focus is on different bird species found in Asia, whereas Wingspan’s core only includes birds native to North America. Players work to create a welcoming habitat for the birds so they can build nests there. Players take turns doing one of four tasks in the original game: drawing bird cards, laying eggs, getting food, and playing a bird card. By carrying out these tasks, players will eventually be able to accumulate points based on the worth of their bird cards, the quantity of eggs they own, and whether or not they have completed any hidden goals at the conclusion of each round and the game.
Asia is different in that both players share a board. Players can place tokens along a network on this shared board to earn extra points by meeting the round scoring requirements that are displayed on the board. After a player plays a bird card onto their own board, they are allowed to place a token on any available space on the shared board, provided that the bird they played complies with the space’s rules and is not the first token they are placing.
Players race to obtain what they need to play the cards necessary to place another token wherever they choose on the shared board, turning the original Wingspan—mostly a board game where players stay to themselves—into a more intense and competitive encounter. Wingspan: Asia is the perfect game for two players who wish to play a two-player version of Wingspan that is faster and more intense.
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6. Sobek: 2 Players
The tiles that players can select depend on which way the golden ankh points are facing. | Photo courtesy of Catch Up Games
The original Sobek allowed for up to four players, but the decision to limit the number of players to only two was decided during its current remake. Despite preventing larger groups from participating, this decision was unquestionably the best one to maximize Sobek’s gameplay. The core idea of the 2010 original Sobek is taken up by Sobek: 2 Players, who transform it into a dramatic two-player standoff where only the most cunning survive. Players accumulate and trade in items to make the most wealth possible.
Players will need to gather matching tiles before selling them in the greatest bundle they can as traders hoping to make a fortune in the ancient Egyptian marketplaces. In addition to the quantity of tiles, players will seek to gather the tiles with the greatest quantity of scarab beetles because they will yield them more gold than other tiles. Players will alternately select one tile from a shared grid in order to gain tiles. Players are only allowed to choose a tile from the line that the golden ankh designates, and which tile they can take will depend on which way the ankh is pointing. Nevertheless, players must accept a certain degree of corruption for each tile that lies between the ankh and the selected tile; this corruption is converted into minus points at the conclusion of the game.
This implies that if you truly want a tile, you might have to sacrifice taking corruption, but the points you’ll gain might make it worthwhile. In order to intentionally set up the ankh for a future turn—either to their advantage or to punish their opponent—players can also choose to take tiles. More options for cunning exist because it is also possible to shift or alter the orientation of the ankh without taking a tile. A great illustration of how an earlier, less well-known game may be elevated to a truly unique two-player experience is Sobek: 2 Players.
Purchase Sobek: 2 Players on Zatu UK and Amazon US.
7. Jekyll vs. Hyde
A picture of Hyde and Jekyll.
If a player chooses to take on the role of Jekyll or Hyde, their goals will alter. | Picture courtesy of Mandoo Games
Based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s beloved novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Jekyll vs. Hyde pits two players against each other, with each taking on the role of a cunning criminal or a foolish psychiatrist. This struggle of wills has been turned into a three-round card game. A shared board with tokens representing the amount of control Dr. Jekyll has given up to his evil doppelganger shows each player’s progress toward their individual goals. The opponent of the Mr. Hyde player wants to finish the third round before the token is moved, while the Mr. Hyde player wants to move it as rapidly as possible to the far left of the identification track.
The result of each round determines whether or not the token moves. Each round consists of a succession of card swaps or “tricks” between the two players. Unless they run out of matching cards, the player who lays down the first card must place a card in the same suit. That trick is won by the player with the highest-numbered card. Players can try to force a specific result for a trick—a win or a loss for them—by using special cards.
The cover art for the YouTube video “The Best Two-Player Board Games for 2023”
More two-player must-play board games
The goal of Jekyll vs. Hyde isn’t to outsmart every trick; rather, the Hyde player wants to make sure that by the end of each round, there is as much of a disparity between the players’ points as possible, while the Jekyll player wants more balance. This is due to the fact that the shared board’s token will move in response to variations in each player’s score. The token will travel four spaces to the left, for instance, if the scores are three and seven.
Because to this gameplay feature, players will want to adjust the game’s tempo and flow to fit their goals rather than just winning every trick. This makes Jekyll vs. Hyde an intense and thrilling card game where no two rounds are the same.
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8. 7 Wonders Duel
Cards for the board game 7 Wonders Duel
The benefits that each sort of card offers to players who obtain it vary. | Photo courtesy of Repos Production
Many people believe that the original Seven Wonders is still the greatest board game ever created. Seven Wonders struck the ideal mix between the intricate strategy of advancing your technology, culture, science, and more, and the simplicity of just selecting one card and following its instructions each turn. The game takes on the grand theme of leading a civilization through the ages, but it plays out in well under an hour.
7 Wonders Duel is a two-player board game that takes 7 Wonders and simplifies it even more. Although there are rules for two players in Seven Wonders, they aren’t the ideal method to play if there are just the two of you.)
In 7 Wonders Duel, the two players choose from the middle of the table, needing to select from cards that have been revealed in previous plays, as opposed to passing cards around the table. The players can even construct wonders—yes, just like those Wonders—that aid in the advancement of their civilization as they amass valuable resources.
The basic idea of the two-player board game is still the same: players compete to grow their civilization more quickly than their rival, hoping to win via superior military prowess, scientific discoveries, or general progress. 7 Wonders Duel is the ideal two-player game to start playing with a friend or partner because it plays just as quickly, if not faster, than its larger sibling.
As one of the greatest board games for two players, 7 Wonders Duel more than lives up to the greatness of its predecessor, 7 Wonders. Playing this short, compact card game is a delightful way to take a fast tour through history that you’ll like playing time and time again. Among the wonders of the world of board games? Perhaps…
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9. Lost Cities
Layout illustration of Lost Cities
Making the decision to embark on an adventure is a serious one. | Photo courtesy of Kosmos
Lost Cities is regarded as a masterpiece and among the best works by renowned designer Reiner Knizia. The stakes in Lost Cities are significantly raised when both players plan and go on excursions at the same time as competing archaeologists. With the aim of achieving effective exploration, an archaeologist’s reputation and possibly even career are at stake. Players must arrange the columns of numbered cards that represent these voyages in the correct numerical order. The only requirement for participants is to put higher-numbered cards on top of lower-numbered cards; they are not required to play cards consecutively. However, as more cards mean more points for players at the end of the game, the more cards that are played onto an expedition, the better.
Making the decision to start an expedition is important since, no matter how many cards you place in a column, you will receive points for each one. Since it is extremely expensive to tour the world as a team, the score for each trip you embark on starts at minus-20 points. This means that in order to avoid receiving minus points, players must place cards with a total value of at least 20. Furthermore, adding unique handshake cards to an expedition double the expedition’s score total; this also holds true for negative totals. In order to prevent losing points during an expedition, you must be certain that you will be able to lay down enough cards.
This is what adds to the intensity and excitement of Lost Cities. Since both players use the same deck of cards, they must draw from the same pile. For the most of the game, you’ll be hoping to draw the cards necessary to pass the minus-20 total; if not, you’ll rapidly regret your previous choices as you watch your expeditions eat up all of your points. Get a copy of Lost Cities for a high-risk, high-reward game.
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10. General Orders: World War II
Engage in a tug-of-war during a crucial Second World War combat.
A General Orders: World War II layout illustration.
Players can test out two distinct maps in General Orders. | Photo courtesy of Osprey Games
General Orders: World War II, co-designed by the same team that brought us the excellent Undaunted series, is much like Warhammer 40K, only with a historical military theme rather than a dark sci-fi one. Players take on the roles of commanders of rival armies engaged in combat spanning the Italian highlands, and their goal is to be the first to break their opponent’s far side of the game board. In order to achieve this, players must tactically advance over the board, demolishing the defenses of their opponents, severing their supply lines, and holding their ground.
Placing a number of their units—simple blue or yellow tokens—onto slots on their side of the board is how players start the World War II board game. Next, each player takes a turn to deal cards or carry out specific tasks like adding more soldiers, moving units, and starting combat. A conflict is started when a player moves or places a token in the same area as one or more of the units of the opposition. The number of dice rolled determines how many troops each player possesses. Rolling hits will eliminate a unit or units of the opposition, clearing the way for the winner.
Depending on the cards that are accessible to them, players may also have access to other strategic choices like aerial bombers and barrages. Players must outwit their opponent to advance toward their objective by using these in addition to their usual troop pool. To turn the tide of battle in their favor, the opposing player will need to counterattack and react to their opponent’s advances.
In addition to the map of the Italian highlands, players who feel more comfortable with the game can also play the more intricate map of the Pacific islands, which is located on the opposite side of the game board.
General Orders: World War II is a great substitute for gamers who want a competitive wargaming experience without the expense and weight of something like Warhammer 40K.
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