2 Player Games
A brief list of 2-player game recommendations. Some are personal recommendations, others are based on feedback from customers over the years. Most are at the cheaper end of the scale (under £30).
With the exception of Coffee Roaster, which I've sneaked on at the end just because I wanted to include it, these are all strictly 2-player games. There are a few multi-player games that play very well with two and co-operative games will work with any number, but I'll write about those on a separate page.
Revised: 6th April 2020
ALL CREATURES BIG AND SMALL - THE BIG BOX
You are farmers raising sheep, pigs, cows, and horses. Three workers help you keep the animals on your farm. Each round, you take turns placing your workers on action spaces to enclose pastures, build stalls and stables, and upgrade your farm. The winner is the player with who raised the most animals and built the most valuable buildings.
CRG Note: This is absolutely my 1st choice if asked to recommend "a two player game".
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EMBERS OF MEMORY
Working together, you must delve into the memories of the young queen and help her face her inner demons before she is overwhelmed.
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GIPF
GIPF is the name-giver and pioneer of GIPF Project. This modern classic elevates abstract games to a new level. Two players alternate moving their pieces on the intersecting lines of the gameboard. The player who uses the best tactics and cleverly outmaneuvers his opponent wins.
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JAIPUR
In Jaipur, you are hoping to become the Maharaja’s personal trader by amassing more riches than your opponent at the end of each week. To do so, collect and exchange goods at the market, then sell them for rupees. If you manage to arrange a larger sale, you’ll receive a reward. The camels have no sale value, but they’re very useful for trading, especially when you want a lot of goods from the market.
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KEYFORGE
Play cards to attack your opponent, defend yourself, and to generate Æmber. Six Æmber allows you to Forge a Key. Three Keys win you the game!
If you prefer playing cards to deck building or collecting, KeyForge is very much worth investigating. Unlike trading card games, there is no deck construction here - you simply open a deck and play it as it is. Some decks are inherently stronger than others, but balance is achieved through use of Chains (which cause you to draw fewer cards). The better a deck performs, the more Chains it acquires and the fewer cards it has access to throughout the game.
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MTG Global Series: Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling
Each of the included decks was designed for players in China and features new cards and characters created by Chinese writers, artsis, and folklorists. The Global Series shares diverse expressions of Magic with players around the world.
If you want something specifically as a 2-player game, this is a nice option from the much larger world that is Magic: the Gathering.
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ONITAMA
Onitama is an elegant and simple two player abstract strategy game where you take on the role of a Master, guiding your monk followers, in an attempt to defeat your opponent. Armed only with a handful of moves, your cunning, and your wits, have you the skill to be victorious?
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SHOBU
- Move one of your stones up to two spaces in any direction, including diagonally.
- Match that move with another of your stones on the opposite color board – and push an opponent’s stone off the board's edge.
- Remove all four of your opponent's stones from any ONE board to win.
Amazingly simple with a depth and spatial challenge similar to 3-D chess.
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TWILIGHT STRUGGLE
Twilight Struggle is a two-player game simulating the forty-five year dance of intrigue, prestige, and occasional flares of warfare between the Soviet Union and the United States.
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COFFEE ROASTER
Create the perfect cup of coffee. To this end, you need to have the right touch and a good nose for harnessing the full potential of the coffee beans.
Techinically a solo game, but can be played co-operatively by two players (or competitively if you take turns).
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