Top 10 two player board games

It’s always funny if you succeed to get together a lot of friends for a nice board game party. But what if you don’t? What is only one friend has visited you today? There are not a lot of really interesting games for two players. However, I would like to consider the best games in my humble opinion.

10. Citadels

2-8 Players • Ages 10+ • 20-60 minutes to play

Let’s start with a card Euro-game where you build the cities. You play a role of eighteen medieval characters being changed each turn. Every character of Citadels has unique abilities. Their actions influence the further game. For example, a Merchant can earn money quicker than any other character but he may be likely become a target of the Thief. The best player becomes a new king each turn to gain special powers.

9. Balloon Cup

2 Players • Ages 8+ • 30 minutes to play

The Balloon Cup offers a balloon race consisting of a few short flights called hops. Plain and mountain landscapes underneath your balloon swap. Winds and weather conditions can play for you or your opponents. Win most the Balloon Cup because of the best score and become the best balloonist.

8. Memoir ’44

2 Players • Ages 8+ • 30-60 minutes to play

Memoir ’44 is a good historical war game where two players represent two sides in 15 famous battles of the Second World War including Omaha Beach and Ardennes. Each side in Memoir ’44 has advantages and disadvantages. Their battle plans which need to be both aggressive and flexible. They are fulfilled by moving the battle units across the battlefield.

7. Mr. Jack

2 Players • Ages 9+ • 30 minutes to play

Mr. Jack is maybe the most asymmetric 1V1 board game where one of the players will be insidious Jack the Ripper and another one will be an investigator. The investigator should identify the famous maniac among eight characters on the board in order to make his only accusation. Every action of Mr. Jack provides a new hint for the investigator. The game is available in a pocket edition.

6. Android: Netrunner

2 Players • Ages 14+ • 45 minutes to play

Android: Netrunner is also an asymmetric card game for a couple like the previous one. One player plays for the Netrunner, a black hat hacker stealing data from the corporation database and using them. Another one plays for the powerful megacorporation of the distant future trying to stop him. Turn by turn, each side gains resources. The corporation uses its virtual eyes, ears, and fists each turn while the hacker tries to bypass all the securities.

5. Twilight Struggle

2 Players • Ages 14+ • 180 minutes to play

Twilight Struggle is a historical board game for two people about the battle of minds and espionage. It spreads in the world ravished by war. John Kennedy called it the Twilight Struggle. It is common known as the Cold War. It is a board game only for 2 players. One of the players plays for the USA and another one plays for the Soviet Union. The more countries share your ideology, the more power you gain. In this war, there will be no dimensions and frontiers. A war or an overthrow in any country can spread to its neighborhood. And both players will lose if one of them will start the nuclear war by an evil chance.

4. Dominion

2-4 Players • Ages 13+ • 30 minutes to play

Dominion is a deckbuilding board game about the wars of medieval monarchs. Like your parents before you, you are ambitious and ready to take surrounding countries in the strong hand of your Dominion. And like his parents before him, your neighbor wants the same. Construct your deck to make the neighbor tremble due to your visible superiority.

3. Ticket to ride

2-5 Players • Ages 8+ • 30-60 minutes to play

Ticket to ride is a railroad building game where you and your competitor concurrently try to bind American cities with railroads. Every player of the Ticket to Ride gets three missions secretly from his opponent at the beginning of the game. In each turn, you can build railway segments, buy new carriages and take new missions. The player with the biggest score wins.

2. Agricola

1-5 Players • Ages 12+ • 30-150 minutes to play

Agricola is a board simulator of farmer’s life. In the beginning, each player has two tokens: a farmer and his spouse. Later, you can also rely on the help of your children. But before raising them, you need to think about having food for them and expanding your farmhouse. During 14 rounds of Agricola, you collect your resources and yields. A single action can only be taken by one player each round.

1. Carcassonne

2-5 Players • Ages 8+ • 30-45 minutes to play

Carcassonne is a classic in Euro games. It becomes the game of the year in different countries almost every year. Along with other players, you will make a landscape of medieval France, build cities, roads, fields, and monasteries. You have landscape squares and a limited count of tokens called meeples. Your meeple may be a knight, a farmer, a monk or a brigand. A farmer token lies on the field (according to a fun tradition) and wins score with each city next to his field. A monk wins score with his monastery fully enclosed. A brigand is scored with his road finished. A knight is scored with his city fully walled. A player with the best score wins. With only two persons, the game is very immersing. And it becomes more exciting with more players. We think that this is the best board game for 2 players

Here is my list of the best top ten board games for two players. What’s about you? Do you want to add any game? I would be glad to know your opinion.

Readers opinion

7 Wonders Duel

2 Players • Ages 10+ • 30 minutes to play

The time machine will take you in ancient times where you must build new structures, develop civilizations and rule your people in order to lead them to prosperity. It totally depends on your efforts as a ruler. 7 Wonders Duel is one of many good board games 2 players but, unlike other ones, it is a challenge which is not too easy to pass.

Hive

2 Players • Ages 9+ • 20 minutes to play

Are you afraid of insects? If it is, it’s not so cool because you have to deal with them in one of board games for husband and wife called Hive. As well as in wild there are all the insects following their instincts. You must care about the queen, the weakest insect in the game, to protect her from opponents’ attack and win it this way.

Patchwork

2 Players • Ages 8+ • 15-30 minutes to play

We are pleased to represent you one of our favorite games for couples called Patchwork. Spouses have to sew together pieces of some blanket. This game is immersive and clear and takes you about 20 minutes.

Jaipur

2 Players • Ages 12+ • 30 minutes to play

From the bunch of good board games for two adults we have choose the best one called Jaipur! Arabians have always been good merchants. In this colorful Arabian-themed game you take a role of an Arabian merchant who eager to become sheik’ servant. Сan you convince a picky ruler? Let is find out!

Pixel Tactics

2 Players • Ages 12+ • 30 minutes to play

Since when have you played 8-bit games? Pixel Tactics is one of tactical duel board games designed in 8-bit style. This game is the two-dimensional world where you will wage a tactical war with your opponents.