Traditionally, board games were social activities enjoyed in a group. But what if you have a gaming partner, but not a gaming group? In fact, some would argue that the ultimate board gaming experience is achieved when playing with two players. I agree with that. If you too, then perhaps you need a shortlist of the best 2 player board games out there?

The beauty with two-player board games is that they mitigate most of the concerns associated with playing board games with a group. There are no issues around plotting or balancing, as most of the time, both players start their game on the same foot. It probably represents the purest form of board gaming, where similar to chess – there is you, your opponent, and the board.

Just like solo games, board games for two players have recently picked up in popularity. They have become more accessible and streamlined appealing to wider audiences. Alternatively, if you are a skilled player, there are also amazingly deep and more complex board games available.

In our review, we assess board game complexity, style, themes, and much more in our quest for finding the best two-player board games of 2018 in each category.

With dozens of new board games coming out every month, you will find that the vast majority of them support a two-player mode. But you don’t want the board games that would only work with two players, do you? You want to know the best 2 player board games that have either been specifically designed or adapted for two players.

Best 2 Player Board Games – Top 10 Comparison

The below table summarizes the main differences between board games we have reviewed. It provides a quick snapshot of the essential things to consider choosing the best two player board game for you and your gaming partner or a spouse.

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Player Count / Duration / Age / Difficulty

Top 10 Board Games

Best Star Wars Experience for Two – Star Wars: Rebellion

Full scale 2 player space battles as you get to control all forces of the Galactic Empire or the Rebel Alliance. The game is dripping with theme.

Best Card Drafting – 7 Wonders Duel

Refined and balanced two-player experience that could be enjoyed on the go. Easy, fast-paced but tense and competitive.

Best Strategy – Twilight Struggle

Extremely thematic, surprisingly educational and deeply immersive. The best cold war game out there hands down.

Best Card Game for Two – Arkham Horror The Card Game

Relatively easy to set up and play, yet delivers an amazing thematic experience. Character development and storyline twists, just to name a few.

Best Abstract – Azul

Game of the year in 2018. Smart, simple, abstract and extremely beautiful tile placement game that is both tense and fun.

Best Light Two Player Board Game – Patchwork

A close to perfect balance between simplicity and depth. Easy to play, but challenging to master.

Mysteries, murders, and investigations in old London never get too old. Tight player collaboration and teamwork.

Best Two Player Deduction Game – Codenames Duet

A simple card game that is incredibly portable. Develops creative thinking, teamwork, and deductive reasoning.

Best Asymmetric Card Game – Android: Netrunner

Are you cybersecurity or a hacker? A great casual game that gets tense and delivers a poker-like experience.

Best Quick War Game for Two – Memoir ’44

A simple and accessible board game that is based on true historical events. The most sold second world war board game ever made.

1. Best Two Player Board Game For Adults – Star Wars: Rebellion

Unlike many other war games where you control a brave hero, Star Wars: Rebellion puts you in charge of the whole war. You need to pick the side as your arsenal, strategy, and win conditions are asymmetrical.

If you decide to side with the Galactic Empire, you get to control Stormtroopers, Star Destroyers, TIE fighters, and even the Death Star itself!

Since the rebels are drastically outnumbered and outpowered by the Empire, the strategy is to avoid confrontation. Instead, you need to rally planets and build alliances with others. Moreover, you need to try and sabotage the Empire every time there is a chance.

Rebellion is genuinely grandiose, in all regards. You get to feel it first by holding a massive and heavy box in your hands. It comes with 150 miniatures, two game boards, decks of cards, and two rulebooks (download here and here).

The core rules are not complex, but the number of fine-print rules forces you to refer to the rulebooks frequently. It was only the third time around when we felt comfortable enough to play the game without checking the rules for special conditions. It is not a filler game either, as some games took us up to 4 hours to finish.

Bottom Line

The game is a must-buy for any Star Wars fan who is ready to commit to longer playing sessions and does not mind the above-average complexity that comes with the game. If that is you, the Star Wars: Rebellion will reward you with an immersive, intense, thematic, and profound experience that would leave you thinking and talking about it for days after.

PROS

  • Intense, immersive and highly thematic two player experience
  • Over 150 miniatures!
  • Great component quality
  • Over 10 board gaming awards and nominations

CONS

  • Can take up to 4 hours to play
  • Relatively complex
  • Not for casual gamers

2. Best Card Drafting – 7 Wonders Duel

Amongst the crazy hype and accolades, the original game has also received a fair share of criticism for not being two-player friendly. Five years down the track –  voila, 7 Wonders Duel came out.

In the game, the players lead a civilization by constructing buildings and wonders.

  • Scientific – as soon as the player manages to collect six different scientific symbols
  • Military – as soon as the conflict pawn on the board enters the opponent’s capital
  • Civilian – by accumulating the most victory points when the game ends

Bottom Line

7 Wonders Duel is a balanced, fast-paced and relatively tense game that lives up to the stellar reputation of the original game. Additional ways to win the game using military or scientific advancement add variety, tension, and make the game less predictable. The gameplay feels exceptionally dynamic, fun, and competitive, making it one of the best board games for two people, especially if that second person is your spouse!

PROS

  • Instant win conditions build tension
  • Easy and quick to play
  • Extremely fun and competitive
  • Neat rulebook

CONS

  • Frequent players may require expansions
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3. Best Strategy – Twilight Struggle

This achievement on its own says everything as no other board game has ever held the crown for so long.

The game was designed exclusively as a two-player Cold War competition based on historical facts and events that represent an ideological deathmatch between the USA and the Soviet Union.

Each player takes on the role of the respective superpower leader fighting for the political influence and domination of the world.

In essence, the board represents a map of the world with countries and their ‘stability’ ratings. The number stands for the difficulty of influencing the country’s allegiance to the USA or the USSR. All of which makes Twilight Struggle an area control game at heart.

To win the game, you must have more political influence over the world than the opposing player before the war ends.

To spread the influence, superpower leaders must play event cards. Each card represents a real historical event that has happened between the years of 1945 and 1989. The trick is that some events benefit one side and are detrimental to the other. Picking the right events and understanding when to activate them is the essence of the game.

Players start the game with the hand of event cards which they will get more of as the game progresses. The catch is that the cards in players hands might favor the other side, so picking when to play the cards is crucial to winning the game. To give you an idea of the events, you have Moon Landing, the Marshall Plan, Cuba Missile Crisis, and much more. 

Bottom Line

Twilight Struggle is an absolute masterpiece, there is no other way to put it. It has held the top board game in the world crown for over five years, and there is a good reason for it. The game captures the feeling of the cold war in a spectacular and thematically deep manner. If approached with enthusiasm and historical interest, the game will immerse you and trick you into thinking of being a superpower leader, which genuinely feels epic!

PROS

  • Ex No.1 game of all times
  • Extremely educational
  • Deep and immersive gameplay
  • Very strategic

CONS

  • Some may find it too long
  • Components look plain
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4. Best Card Game For Two Players – Arkham Horror: The Card Game

Unlike most games in our reviewArkham Horror: The Card Game is a cooperative adventure where both players are playing together as a team to beat the game itself.

To start the game, the player needs to choose their investigators and the scenario they would like to play.

The investigators have different abilities and stats, so it is essential to keep the balance between investigators that both players choose.

Since Arkham Horror: The Card Game is a Living Card Game, you can customize your card deck to only have the cards you want.

The game makes an emphasis on the theme and storytelling by linking the scenarios together and forming campaigns. The choices you make playing one scenario determine the branching narrative and twists in the storyline. Throughout the game, the players earn experience points, which can be used in subsequent scenarios to buy new or upgraded cards.

There are two decks of cards that drive the game –  the act deck and the agenda deck. The objective of the game is to get through the act deck as quickly as possible while containing the agenda deck advances as they trigger or sorts of adverse effects. This makes timing and critical decision making necessary.

The game has the light RPG feel as it does a brilliant job at creating an atmosphere of going out on quests, fighting monsters and completing missions. What makes it even better is the innovative narrative mechanic that is exceptionally thematic and carries across from one game to another. The ability for characters to gain skills, level up and suffer from the ongoing madness of the cosmic horror adds the unique twist not seen in the Living Card Game (i.e., LCG) before.

If you have played The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, then you will find a lot of shared concepts and game mechanics here. At the same time, the game takes the experience to the next level, as it has inherited the best from its older brother and made the gameplay more streamlined and a lot more storytelling.

Bottom Line

Arkham Horror: The Card Game is a remarkable two-player card game in a sense of theme, cooperative, and overall gaming experience. It introduces innovative concepts that take storytelling to a whole new level. Making decisions have a long-term effect on the storyline and the following scenarios you will play. The character development throughout the game adds another twist and the game broadens and deepens as you play, creating an addictive, rich and immersive gameplay.

PROS

  • Character progression and level up throughout scenarios
  • Beautiful design
  • Amazing storytelling for a card game

CONS

  • Eventually would need expansions
  • Only 3 scenarios in the base game
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5. Best Abstract Board Game For Two Players – Azul

The story goes back to the 15th century where King Manual I has fallen in love with ceramic tiles and has ordered to have his Royal Palace of Evora interior embellished with them.

Although the setting is historical, it does not carry the theme through the game as it feels quite abstract yet at the same time gorgeously beautiful.

Throughout the game, players take turns drafting colored, beautiful and chunky tiles and placing them on their player boards according to the rules. Once everyone had their turn, the players are ready to score their points for the round by moving the tiles from the left to the right section of the board.

You get to score points for completing rows in the same color or placing the tiles adjacent to other tiles already in place. Bonus points are scored for completing sets or distinctive patterns. Any tiles the player took but was not able to play result in a negative point penalty.

The game ends when the first player completes at least one row in the right side of their board. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

It is a game that keeps your brain active all the time. It is not a brain burner, but you definitely won’t find it to be a walk in the park. You can play the game both casually or strategically, and the experience would hugely vary. Just make sure that your partner shares the same approach as you since the gap in scores could be quite significant otherwise.

Overall, the game is quite innovative and unique as there is nothing like it on the market. It has an excellent interaction between the players as you always need to pay attention to the tiles picked up by your opponent and potentially alter your strategy on the go.

The experience it offers reminds me of chess, the rules are simple and elegant, but the gameplay can be deep and strategic. The game seems to have all the elements to become the ‘next classic’ and I would not be surprised.

Bottom Line

Azul is a perfect gateway board game as it is fun, easy to teach, quick to play, and simply stunning to look at. The game surprises with its simplicity and depth at the same time. It can be amazingly fun to play or it could be extremely tense in all the right ways. If you do not yet have an abstract game in your collection, this is the one to get.

PROS

  • Elegant, beautiful, well-made game
  • Endless replay value
  • Best abstract game experience for two players

CONS

  • Takes a game or two to get used to
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6. Best Light Couple Board Game – Patchwork

The objective of the game is to build the most aesthetically appealing quilt, which is an amazing challenge.

Each player starts with a 9×9 blank canvas and five buttons which represent money and victory points.

There are thirty-three patches to choose from, and each one has a different price, color, and shape.

To fix small holes in the layout, the game comes with five single-tile patches. They can be collected from the time track by whoever passes 1×1 patches first.

If your time token is behind the token of the other player, you get to have an extra turn, which is an excellent way to keep the competitive spirit alive and timeboxing the game.

Bottom Line

Patchwork has managed to strike a perfect balance between simplicity and depth. The game is smart, quick to play, easy to learn but hard to master. There was a lot of hype when this game came and it truly deserves all the attention it has had. In fact, this is probably one of the best two-player board games around, a holy grail of partner gaming.

PROS

  • Great game to introduce non-gamers to
  • Addictive and intuitive in nature
  • Short, simple but surprisingly deep
  • One of the top games for couples

CONS

  • Requires both players to play at a similar pace
  • Some may find the theme uninspiring
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7. Best Detective Board Game For Two Players – Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: Jack The Ripper & West End Adventures

You and your partner become a team known as “Baker Street Irregulars” that works for and learns from Sherlock Holmes himself! The game starts with Mr. Holmes handing you and your partner a case to solve.

Players can consult newspapers, the map and directory at any time to find additional clues. Once you have studied the information available, it is time to make the first trip to other parts of London to investigate a witness, visit an ally, or something else.

If you know the answers, you can check the answers and score the points, if you don’t – feel free to visit any other places in London to find the missing bits. This time, however, you may get penalized for excessive location visits.

Once you have answered the questions and have scored points, you can compare the way you have solved the mystery with the way Sherlock Holmes would have solved it. So who is the better investigator now?

Bottom Line

Jack the Ripper & West End Adventures is a fantastic investigation and mystery-solving experience for two. The game is quick to set up and simple to learn, making it an excellent option for both experienced players and newcomers. It generates tension and teamwork at the same time leaving you so many things to discuss after finishing the scenario. If you are looking for the best two-player board game to solve mysteries and investigate murders – this game is our top pick.

PROS

  • Clever, well thought out mysteries
  • Easy to set up, learn and play
  • Great component quality
  • Interactive and thematic storytelling

CONS

  • Some may find too much reading to do
  • Requires more time if you want to solve the entire case
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8. Best Cooperative Board Game For 2 Players – Codenames Duet

Unlike the original Codenames that we have named as one of the top party board games on the market, Codenames Duet has become cooperative, which means that both players win or lose the game together.

The objective is to find all 15 friendly agents in nine turns in total. The game gives one-word and one number clues to help you identify your agents amongst others.

The key card represents the 25 agents on the board. It also marks some agents with green color (your agents) or black color (assassins), others are bystanders.

To win the game, you must collectively find your 15 agents (green color) amongst the 25 on the board by giving each other clues. 

Clues are given by saying a word and a number. The other player must figure out which words on the board relate to your clue and point to them. If correctly identified, the friendly agent card goes on top, and another guess is made. If the bystander is identified, the turn ends. However, if you have revealed an assassin, the game ends, and you both lose.

The rules are straightforward and do work for 10-year-old kids and older. The game comes with 400-word cards and 100 key cards, which offers enormous replay value, yet if you ever feel that you need more, there are multiple expansion available.

Bottom Line

Codenames Duet is a straightforward game that is full of tension and mental gymnastics. It manages to foster creativity and deductive reasoning in a very fun way. With the enormous amount of replay value, hilarious fun, and challenging scenarios, it is a perfect game for all ages, preferences, and experience levels. Overall we’ve got one of the best filler two-player board games to date that should belong in any board gamer’s collection.

PROS

  • Ridiculously fun, yet challenging
  • Easy to learn and play
  • Great value
  • Amazing player interaction

CONS

  • Plain campaign mode
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9. Best Two Player Board Game in Cyberspace – Android: Netrunner

Although it was released in 2012, it is still one of the most captivating two-player card games to date.

The game has been exclusively designed for two-player asymmetrical gameplay. One player takes on the role of the mega-corporation whereas the other player takes on the role of a Netrunner or simply a hacker.

Throughout the game, the corporation player installs agenda and other cards on the corporate servers. Those agenda cards are protected with ICE (defense firewall) cards which make it harder for the Netrunner to penetrate the defenses and hack the server. For the corporation to win, the player is required to advance seven points worth of agendas, which the Netrunner is continuously trying to steal.

At the same time, the Netrunner player installs computer hardware and programs that help him get into the corporate servers, break the firewalls and steal agenda cards by making hacking attempts. The Netrunner wins if the player manages to steal seven points worth of agenda cards the corporation has installed on their servers.

Although the game is very strategic, it is also a game of phycology which at times reminds me of poker. The players can decide to be either blunt or deceptive or even both. Tricking other players adds that extra bit of suspense and tension to the game that is already full of paranoia.

For example, as a corporation player, you need to install agenda cards on the main and remote servers. The biggest dilemma is to decide which servers to protect and to what extent. With a limited number of ICE (defense) cards, there are two choices to consider. The first option is to protect agenda cards and install defenses on those servers. Alternatively, you can try to trick the Runner by upgrading the servers that have no agenda cards behind them. This mechanism alone is sufficient to recommend this game even to non-cyberpunk theme lovers.

Bottom Line

Android: Netrunner is a relatively short adventure that manages to pack an enormous amount of action, tension, and frustration. It creates an environment that is evocative, dynamic, and feels real. The element of psychology and deception adds a poker-like twist on the already engaging and full-on gaming experience.

PROS

  • Beautiful and thematic artwork
  • Asymmetric gaming experience
  • Immersive cyberpunk universe
  • Bluffing works great

CONS

  • Some may find the game language not easy to understand
  • Not exactly begginer-friendly
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10. Best Two Player War Game For Casual Gaming – Memoir ’44

The game comes with 16 thematic scenarios featuring some of the most notable World War 2 battles.

Scenarios represent historical events in great detail. The type of terrain, troop and tank placements, as well as scenario objectives, were considered to recreate true historical events on your tabletop.

Miniature lovers will be delighted as you get 180 of them in the box! You get troops, artillery, tanks, sandbags, hedgehogs (tank stoppers), and barbed wire. The miniatures are made of good quality plastic and are reasonably detailed.

The game starts by picking a scenario and reading a historical description that explains the basics of the battle, army placement, mission objectives for both sides, and special rules (if any). Once the board is set up, players take their Command cards, and the game begins.

Cards are picked randomly and may all represent options that are sub-optimal. This behavior is intentional as it simulates the limitations of control and command in a real-life combat scenario.

The turn rules are pretty simple. Players play one of their Command cards that either order, move, or engage units. Making the best use of cards on hands is key to winning battles and ultimately the game. Moreover, making terrain specificities and the opponent’s army placement work for you can give an important tactical advantage in battles.

Although there are other, more strategic war games out there, Memoir ’44 is the first game that made war board games accessible to almost anyone.

The game was published more than ten years ago and has sold more copies than any other war game in the history of board gaming. After all, the designers have done a fantastic job of making a war game accessible to broad audiences.

Bottom Line

Memoir ’44 is a great war game that will appeal to all types of gamers. It is simple enough for beginners, yet sufficiently deep for experienced players to enjoy. Each scenario delivers a unique and thematic experience as it represents a real historical event.

Overall, if you are looking for the best 2 player war game that is quick and easy to play, make sure that Memoir ’44 is at the top of your list.

PROS

  • Easy to learn, quick to play
  • 16 unique and historical scenarios
  • Appeals to a very wide audience

CONS

  • The first scenario is not the best
  • Sometimes options feel limited
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Conclusion

If you have come to our website wondering what is a fun 2 player board game? Or perhaps what is the best card game for two players? Or any other question related to two-player board games – we hope we have answered it. If not, please let us know in the comments, and we will get back to you.

Boardgame reviews are always slightly biased as we all have our preferences, so we have genuinely tried staying objective. Picking the top two-player board games is a tricky challenge, as most of the board games in the world support 2 player mode.

Knowing that choosing the right two-player board game for yourself was not easy; we have created a comparison table at the beginning of this article, so we hope you find it useful. It helps quickly decide by highlighting the board game theme, age, difficulty level, player count, and duration.

We hope you enjoyed it!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an LCG?

LCG stands for Living Card Game which is a term coined by Fantasy Flight Games. The idea is to offer an approach to card building that is available to everyone equally. Publishers release new card versions (as expansions) to the market on a regular basis.

What does the ‘Game of the Year’ mean?

The term typically relates to the Spiel des Jahres which is the biggest annual game award in the worlds based in Germany.

Symmetrical vs. Asymmetrical Board Games?

Symmetrical board games put players in identical circumstances. They have the same starting and winning conditions. Conversely, asymmetrical board games offer an experience where both players have different inventory, strategy, starting and winning conditions and more often than not have conflicting objectives between players. Both cooperative and competitive board games can be symmetrical or asymmetrical.

What is card or tile drafting?

Card drafting a board game mechanic where players need to pick up cards from a common deck of cards to gain some short term or long term advantage.  Tile drafting games are identical, with the exception that you draft tiles instead of cards.

Are 2-player games strictly for two players only?

No, some games like Codenames Duel allow groups to play versus groups, as long as the general two-player rules are followed.