We absolutely love playing games and are constantly searching for new ones! We quickly realized after getting married that it’s difficult to find fun two player games. After some research and trial & error, we have found a handful of games we enjoy playing when it’s just the two of us.
Let’s be real, even when a game says you can play it with 2 people, most the time it’s not all that great with the 2 player minimum. These are all games we actually play together just the two of us.
7 Wonders Duel
2 player game
This is a strategy development game made specifically for two people to play (there is a 7 Wonders game for a larger group of people). The object of the game is to construct your civilization made up of buildings and wonders. You do so by developing your military might, scientific strategies, and collecting money. You will compete head to head.
One of the reasons we like this game is that you can play an entire round in 30 minutes or less. Another reason is that there are multiple ways to win, and the same strategy rarely works twice in a row due to the unique dynamics of the game. Click here for the expansion pack.
Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle
2-4 players, 5 with expansion pack
The forces of evil are threatening to overrun Hogwarts castle in Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle, a cooperative deck-building game, and it’s up to four students to ensure the safety of the school by defeating villains and consolidating their defenses. In the game, players take on the role of a Hogwarts student: Harry, Ron, Hermione or Neville, each with their own personal deck of cards that’s used to acquire resources.
With 7 different levels, the game is different every single time. Expansion packs are available as well. This game can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on which level you play. Be warned, you will not beat this game every time you play.
This has been the most played game within our home over the past year. It’s a 2-5 player game giving us the opportunity to play as a couple or with a few friends. We can also each play two characters for a change of pace when it’s just the two of us. Because we are competitive, sometimes a cooperative game allows us to put that energy together to compete against the game rather than against each other.
5 Minute Marvel
2-5 players
With 10 different characters, 6 bosses, and just 5 minutes, you can have an intense battle against Thanos. Cooperating together in this 2-5 player game, you will use abilities, recoveries, and a whole lot of speed to take on a variety of bad guys. Can you beat them all before your time runs out?
This is a great warm up game to get you in the zone for your game night. Each round only takes 5 minutes and you can play as many rounds as you want. Up the difficulty level by adding more crisis cards and villains.
Carcassonne
2-5 players
This is a tile-laying game where you will create castles, build roads, and gain farmland by strategically placing your tiles and meeples in a medieval landscape. Players will build off each others pieces to try and steal castles, roads, and farmland with the goal of gaining the most points.
There are multiple ways to get points and ultimately win the game. Sometimes you have to switch plans half-way through the game depending on what other players are doing in the game. This game takes approximately 35 minutes.
Splendor
2-4 players
This is a game of chip collecting and card development. Collect coins and buy cards to gain more prestige. The first one to 15 points wins the game.
We do not actually own the Splendor board game. We have the app on our phones and can compete back and forth with each other online. We have even been known to both take a break at work at the same time to play a round of Splendor. We have also played while laying in bed at night before going to sleep. The game takes approximately 30 minutes.
Villainous
2-6 players, each expansion adds 3 more
Playing as favorite evil-doers like Maleficent, Ursula, and Captain Hook, players will take on the role of the Disney Villain and plan their schemes methodically in the way of their Disney Villain to reach their objective before everyone else. Set traps, wield curses, leverage your allies, and most importantly, be cunning!
Note: all expansion packs can also be played as a stand alone game!
Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle Defence Against the Dark Arts
2 player game
Witches and wizards can test their head-to-head abilities in Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle Defence Against the Dark Arts, a competitive deck-building game for two players that is inspired by Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle. In this fast-paced game, players must learn offensive and defensive magic skills to protect themselves and stun their opponent. Players take turns playing cards, taking actions and acquiring new cards to build a more powerful deck as their defensive skills improve. Stun your opponent three times to win!
Stratego
2 player game
Two armies clash…who will be victorious? Stratego is the classic game of battlefield strategy that has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. For over 50 years, Stratego has thrilled strategy game fans by inspiring them to challenge an opponent and attempt to lead their army to victory. Two players command Napoleonic armies and devise plans to deploy troops, using strategic attacks and clever deception to break through the opponent’s line and capture the flag!
Santorini
2-4 players, expansion does not add more players
Santorini is a strategy-based board game that’s exhilarating and intellectually challenging! Play together and make family game night even more fun! Play against an opponent or team up and play two against two. Race to build your way to the top of a stack of blocks!
Click Here for the expansion pack
Ticket to Ride Nordic Countries
2-3 players, other Ticket To Ride games are made for larger groups. This is a smaller map made for a smaller group.
Ticket to Ride Nordic Countries takes you on a Nordic adventure through Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden as you travel to the great northern cities of Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki and Stockholm. Visit Norway’s beautiful fjords and the magnificent mountain scenery on the trauma railway. Breathe in the salt air of the busy Swedish ports on the Baltic Sea. Ride through the Danish countryside where Vikings once walked. Hop-on the Finnish railway and travel across the Arctic Circle to the land of the midnight sun. Players collect cards of various types of train cars that enable them to claim railway routes and pass through tunnels and onto ferries, as they connect cities throughout the Nordic countries. as with previous versions, the game remains elegant, can be learned in 5 minutes and provides hours of fun for families and experienced gamers alike. Ticket to ride Nordic countries is a complete board game designed specifically for 2 or 3 players.
Pandemic
2-4 players
Click here for original game
Four diseases have broken out in the world and it is up to a team of specialists in various fields to find cures for these diseases before mankind is wiped out. Players must work together playing to their characters’ strengths and planning their strategy of eradication before the diseases overwhelm the world with ever-increasing outbreaks. For example the Operation Specialist can build research stations which are needed to find cures for the diseases. The Scientist needs only 4 cards of a particular disease to cure it instead of the normal 5. But the diseases are out breaking fast and time is running out: the team must try to stem the tide of infection in diseased areas while also towards cures. A truly cooperative game where you all win or you all lose.
Lost Cities
2 players
Click Here for original Lost Cities game
Two explorers embark on research journeys to remote corners of the world: the Himalayan mountains, the Central American rainforest, the Egyptian desert, a mysterious volcano, and the bottom of the sea. As the cards are played, the expedition routes take shape and the explorers earn points. The most daring adventurers make bets on the success of their expeditions. The explorer with the highest score after three rounds of expeditions wins. The rules of the game are simple, but beware: The lost cities hold many unseen mysteries!
2-4 players
Click Here for “Lost Cities: Rivals” a stand alone game with elements of the original lost cities with a new auction mechanic.
Use your cards to venture down expedition routes that take you to far-flung, mysterious corners of the Earth. Your goal is to plan the routes in such a way that they bring you the greatest possible fame. If you are especially daring, you will also wager on the success of your expeditions. But watch out: You are not the only one traveling! Which routes will you pursue and how much gold is it worth to you? Only the player who has collected the most fame at the end of the game will be the winner.
Tags
2-4 players or play as teams
In tags, players collect marbles from the board by ending words that correspond to a given letter and topic. With only 15 seconds on the sand timer, players will say as many words as they can before their turn is over, picking up the associated marble to add to their collection. Players gain points for ending these words, collecting their marbles, and clearing out columns. At the end of the game, the player with the most points wins.
Dice City
1-4 players, the “All That Glitters” expansion is 2-4 players
Click here for the original game
Grow your Village! Provide for the economic, cultural and spiritual needs of your citizens and create a vibrant and growing village. Will you build a large military and defeat bandits? Create trade goods and sell them to neighbors, or construct amazing works of culture? Why not all three? The strategies are deep yet the game play is easy enough young and old players alike.
