Board games that play well at two
Which of these would you set up when it is just the two of you?
Some of these are two-player games. Some play two to four and still work when nobody else is coming. The notes say which is which, so you do not buy a party game for a pair.
“Plays well at two” is a preference. A game can be officially two-player and still be a bad fit for you. Rank the evening you want.
Rank two options at a time. Leave out anything you cannot judge. You can share the result or, on a public list, add your order to the visitor tally.
4–8 options keeps it quick. Leave at least two checked. You can adjust the order at the end.
What is on this list
The order here is a starting shortlist, not a ranking. Notes are context so a group can tell similar options apart.
- Patchwork
- Patchwork, designed by Uwe Rosenberg (2014). Exactly two players, often 15–30 minutes. You buy tetris-shaped patches and fill a quilt.
- 7 Wonders Duel
- 7 Wonders Duel, designed by Antoine Bauza and Bruno Cathala (2015). Exactly two players, about 30 minutes. A card game, not the original 7 Wonders.
- Jaipur
- Jaipur, designed by Sébastien Pauchon (2009). Exactly two players, about 30 minutes. A card market set in a trading city. Take cards or sell a set.
- Lost Cities
- Lost Cities, designed by Reiner Knizia (1999). Exactly two players, about 30 minutes. Play expedition cards in ascending order and decide when to gamble on a new row.
- Fox in the Forest
- Fox in the Forest, designed by Joshua Buergel (2017). Exactly two players. A trick-taking card game with a small deck and a changing trump.
- Codenames: Duet
- Codenames: Duet, designed by Vlaada Chvátil and Scot Eaton (2017). Cooperative for two. You are both giving clues and both trying to find the same agents.
- Azul
- Azul, designed by Michael Kiesling (2017), plays 2–4. At two it is a tighter draft. Often 30–45 minutes. Won the 2018 Spiel des Jahres.
- Splendor
- Splendor, designed by Marc André (2014), plays 2–4. At two, turns move quickly. About 30 minutes. Won the 2014 Spiel des Jahres.
Visitor rankings
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Questions about this list
Is 7 Wonders the same as 7 Wonders Duel?
No. 7 Wonders is the 2010 game for up to seven players. 7 Wonders Duel, by Antoine Bauza and Bruno Cathala (2015), is a different game built for exactly two players.
Why is Codenames: Duet separate from Codenames?
Codenames is a team party game. Codenames: Duet, by Vlaada Chvátil and Scot Eaton (2017), is a cooperative two-player game. Ranking them as if they were the same box gives you the wrong night.