How To Find Excellent Two Player Board Games

THE TWO PLAYER CONUNDRUM

Let's face it, many games claim to be 2 player but when you try it out the fun just isn't there. Something is missing. The gameplay isn't as fun, the player interaction is lack luster, and the tense moments just aren't as tense. It makes sense, more people means more competition, more opportunities for interaction, and more of a social atmosphere. However 2 player games can be great! They're more intimate, have fewer distractions, don't require assembling a big group, often move faster, and can lead to some fierce rivalries and excellent gaming moments. So if you play games with only two players how do you know which ones will fly and which will flop?

WHAT TOO LOOK OUT FOR IN SO CALLED 2 PLAYER GAMES

Highly Social Gameplay: Some games get their fun from strategy and competition for points or resources. Others are largely fun because of the experiences they produce within the group. For example Exploding Kittens, Codenames, or Coup. All are great games that technically function at 2 players, but in actuality will fall flat due to their social nature

Higher Player Counts: Look out for games that have a high range of player counts. If something claims 2 to 4 players or 2 to 5 you're probably okay, but 2 to 6 and above it starts to get sketchy. Games designed for larger groups will almost inevitably feel like they are missing something with only 2 players even if they work on a functional level.

Competition Is A Big Part of The Strategy: This one's a bit tougher to nail down. But many games create tension by forcing players to compete for limited opportunities such as spaces on the board, valuable cards, etc. Or they grant opportunities to take advantage of another players strategy to boost your own. With only two players games like this may not offer the same level of competition and therefore lack the desired tension and payoff. There are simply fewer players competing for the most valuable items and often more viable paths to victory than there are players making it feel like your running two different races. There are games that have rules compensate for this to a degree by limiting options, reducing the number cards, or increasing player actions that can make these games viable, though often still not ideal, for two players.

Steer away from these few things and most modern games will work well at 2 players.

2 PLAYER GAME RECOMMENDATIONS

Terraforming Mars: If your love heavier games you might give Terraforming Mars a shot at two players. Terraforming Mars's gameplay doesn't heavily rely on player interaction and you still feel like your getting the full experience even at only two players. In fact there are some advantages to playing with two players. With fewer people the gameplay feels a bit snappier with less downtime. Also with only two players competing for points and spots on the map, you have a lot of opportunity to develop your strategy and rack up those victory points.

Cooperative Puzzle Games: Cooperative puzzle games like Forbidden Dessert and The Captain is Dead can be a lot of fun with only two people. With the right partner you can really work together and feel your minds meld as you solve problems. Some of these games can be very challenging with only two participants, but I've found it can be fun to add extra characters and each control multiple, since your really working together on most turns anyway.

Carcassonne Hunters And Gatherers: The classic tile laying game is a great 2 player option and I like the Hunters and Gatherers variant even more. This is one of the rare games that might be even better with 2 players. With 2 players there are many more tiles available to each of you and you get more chances to put together big plays and to perfect your approach with less interference from others.

Games Designed for 2 Players: More and more games are being designed specifically for two players. 7 Wonders Duel, Hive, and Splendor Duel are all examples of experiences tailored to pairs. These carefully crafted games are built for two players from the ground up and you may find them to be a lot of fun.