I used to think 2 player games were hard to come by. Maybe it’s because the only two player specific games I knew were Battleship and Guess Who… or maybe it’s because a game would say it could be played with two players but ended up being kind of awful with only two players…
But over the years, Collin and I have put a lot of time and effort into building our two player specific games collection. We’ve played a lot of them over the years and have fallen in love with a handful. It’s time to share our top 10 favorites with you.
2 Player Specific Games
The first four listed games are games made specifically and only for two people. They are played frequently and often in our house and we give our stamp of approval that they are fun and entertaining 2 player games!
Go head to head in this deck building game as you attack your opponent using spells, allies, and items. Choose which house you'd like to represent and have fun as you immerse yourself into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom in Harry Potter.
Harry Potter Duel is one of the most played 2 player games in our house. It can be played in 45 minutes or less and is for 11 years and older. If you're a Harry Potter fan, this is a must have in your house.
Become the best merchant by selling and trading goods and building your herd of camels. This is a fast-paced card game that requires some skill and a little luck.
Jaipur is easy to learn and fun for adults and kids 10 years and older. It can be played in 30 minutes. We gave this game to our friends for Christmas and they say it's their absolute favorite two player game now!
Using a variety of strategies, claim victory with your civilization using Prestigious Buildings, Military Supremacy or Scientific Supremacy.
7 Wonders Duel is an intense 2 player game, where you will go head to head through 3 rounds, usually lasting about 30 minutes total. This game is for 10 years of older. If you are familiar with the 7 Wonders game, you will quickly learn and understand this duel version. There are also two expansions to this game but we have never played them. For reference they are: "Agora" and "Pantheon".
Immerse yourself into the wild west as you come to a pistol stand off with you opponent. Using two characters each, choose which to have as your front man at any given time. One of you will represent the law and the other will be the outlaw.
One of Collin's all time favorite games is Bang! So when we found there was a two player specific game for it, we knew we had to get it. In Duel, you get to play two different characters at once. The games shifts and moves quickly. Don't count yourself out too early as comebacks are common. There is an expansion for this game as well but we haven't ever played it. For reference the expansion is: Bang! The Duel Renegades.
Fun Games for 2 Players
These six games are games not necessarily made for two players but can be played as 2 player games. We know that just because a game says it can be played with 2 players doesn't necessarily mean it is fun with two players. The games here are games we actually play, just the two of us, and we give our stamp of approval as worth it to play as 2 player games.
This is a cooperative, deck building game. Players will represent "heroes" (Harry, Ron, Hermione & Neville, more characters added in expansions). Work together to defeat Lord Voldemort and his death eaters before they defeat you. Cast spells, make allies and collect items to help you in your tasks.
This game has been played in our house more than any other game. It has also been bought by every single couple we have ever taught it to. The original game has 7 levels to it (one for each book). It is clever and entertaining all at the same time. We also own both expansions (Monster Box of Monsters and Charms & Potions) and will forever and always play this game and recommend it to all of our friends. We love playing it with another couple (it can be played with 2-4 players ages 11+), but it is just as fun with only two people. We recommend beating all 7 levels in the original game before considering purchasing the expansion. Depending on the level you are playing depends on how long the game takes. 30 minutes minimum but we've been known to have rounds go for an hour and a half to two hours. To learn more about this game click here for our blog post all about Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle.
Defeat your opponents by constructing your city and rising to the top before they can. In this strategic game you must block your opponent while building your pathway to victory atop your civilization.
Santorini is played with 2-4 people ages 8+ and can be played in 15-30 minutes. It has one expansion (Golden Fleece) that we have not yet played.
I this game you will compete for the best flooring display. Gather tiles in pretty colors and designs to fill your grid in order to accumulate the most points. Get more points based on patterns and order of placement.
Azul is played in 30-60 minutes for ages 8+ and can be played with 2-4 players. The great thing about Azul is you never know who is winning until it’s all over.
Compete to build Renaissance Europe’s most lucrative and prestigious jewelry business. This is a fun and friendly strategic competition for 2-4 players. It can be played in 30 minutes and is for people ages 10+.
We actually do not own Splendor. We play it through the app and it has become a fun favorite. We are known to play it in a restaurant while waiting for food or sitting in bed before we call it a night. If you don't want to buy the actual game, we highly recommend buying the app. Make sure your settings are on for "app sharing" so you only have to pay for it once but it will download on both your phones. Splendor does have an expansion: "Cities of Splendor" but we have never played the expansion.
In this fast paced game (literally only 5 minutes) you work together as Marvel heroes to defeat the mighty Thanos. This is for ages 8+ and can be played with 2-5 players.
Because 5 Minute Marvel is either won or lost in only 5 minutes, it can be played anytime. We will play some rounds while dinner is in the oven. This is also a great game to play with kids before bed if they've "earned a bedtime game".
In this tile laying game, develop a city of roads, fields, and castles claiming more points than your opponent. Strategically place people throughout the city to claim more land one piece at a time.
Carcassonne is played with 2-4 players ages 7+ and takes around 30 minutes to play. Carcassonne has 11 expansions and the base game with all the expansions can be purchased in the Carcassonne Big Box. The expansions are: "Inns & Cathedrals", "Traders & Builders", "Abbey & Mayor", "The River", "The Flying Machines", "The Ferries", "The Messengers", "The Gold Mines", "Hills & Sheep", "King & Robber", and "Under the Big Top". You can also purchase "My First Carcassonne" for ages 4+.
So what did we miss? Let us know if there are any others that deserve to make this list. Did you find something you are interested in? Make sure to click the link to make your purchase. As always, if you choose to purchase a game off of our recommendation, we would appreciate you using our link as it is a simple way for us to make a little bit of money with no extra cost to you.
Interested in more two player games? Head to our 2 player games page.
