The best board games for two people

UPDATE August 2020

Let's continue the article presented last April, on the occasion of the lockdown, on the best board games for two people. In this update, we add a title to our list: Jaipur.

These days many of us are looking for new stimuli that can make us spend some time relaxing. The board game is certainly an interesting, fun and challenging alternative, but often the products are designed for groups of people and not for a smaller scope. In this article we present a list of the best board games for two people, trying to range in terms of genre and commitment, in order to provide proposals suitable for everyone.

Board games for two people

We have selected the games based on various considerations: first of all we have excluded collectible card games (KeyForge, Magic, etc…); not so much because we don't think of them as good games, but because they complement their experience and enjoyment in a wider context (collecting, hangouts, tournaments, etc…) that don't fit the purpose of this list. In continuity we have excluded particularly expensive games, typically aimed at expert players or fans.

Finally we have excluded all those games that are out of production in our country (therefore not available in Italian). This last choice was very painful, especially because in this way we excluded major titles (such as Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small or Twilight struggle). Finally, we decided that not only games specifically designed for two players should be on the list, but we also included some titles that are well balanced or even give their best when the number of players is reduced to two.

Selected products

7 Wonders Duel Dragon Castle The city of lost Letters from Whitechapel Patchwork Santorini Jaipur

7 Wonders Duel

game Type: draft, resource management, competitive

average Duration of game: 30 minutes



it is the version for two players of the famous 7 Wonders (the 2011 winner of numerous awards including the Kennerspiel des Jahres, the Deutscher Spiele Preis, the International Games Award and the Award of A’ la Carte). Inherits from the elder brother, the setting (the wonders ) and the principle ( the draft ), but has mechanical completely rethought and optimized for a game head to head.

The purpose is to make the most important one of the cities of the ancient world, through the management of resources and the construction of buildings and wonders; these buildings allow, at the end of the game, determine the winner, i.e. the one who has obtained the supremacy of the military, civil, or technological.

The content is really large (more than 80 papers and more than 40 markers), but not for this low quality, on the contrary: the aesthetic is excellent , a true wonder for the eyes.

One point in favor of this title is the fact that also has an expansion already available, to increase the variety and longevity.

"Click here to buy 7 Wonders Duel

" Click here to purchase the expansion-Pantheon

Dragon Castle

game Type: abstract, placement

average Duration of game: 30 minutes



the Game the Italian the Italian that Horrible Guild, and distributed by Ghenos, borrows the Mahjong tiles to build the gaming experience completely different. The goal is to build on your game board in the best castle, traditional japanese , using as basic elements of the Mahjong tiles. These are harvested according to specific rules by a central structure arranged at the beginning of the game and are then placed in their own area. When the areas are sufficiently developed they can be “consolidated” and transformed into a floor of the building.

Dragon Castle is a game based on concepts and very simple rules, which then make the game suitable for all, large and small. It is easy to learn and, after the set-up is a little laborious, fast and flowing.

it is suitable for a group of 2-4 players but it makes the maximum in a configuration head-to-head .

" Click here to buy Dragon Castle

The lost cities

game Type: placement

average Duration of game: 20 minutes



The lost cities is a great classic of Reiner Knizia, one of the most prolific and popular authors of the last few years; the title does not seem to succumb to the perils of the time: winner in 2000 of the International Gamers award for best two-player game, is still published and produced (in an edition revived from Games United states after the closing of Tilsit in Italy) at a distance of twenty years.

players must explore a series of city of a civilization now lost , delving into ancient ruins to discover as much information as possible.

The mechanics is the management of cards, which must be placed on the game board to score points, but under the specific rules of placement. The game has a set-up is instantaneous (you just have to mix and distribute the cards and rules so simple that it can be grasped immediately; despite this, the games are not trivial, and the strategy is an important aspect. The material is also extremely low (a small board, along with the cards, form the content of the box), making the game especially easy to carry.

" Click here to buy The lost cities (currently not available)

Letters from Whitechapel

game Type: detective

average Duration of match: 90 minutes



Letters from Whitechapel is a game table Italian type of investigation based on the story of Jack The Ripper (the Whitechapel district of London, where occurred the crimes). The title is semicooperativo: it is, in fact, played in mode one against all (one player plays Jack, the other police officers) and is great response when played in mode one against one.

The product is great quality , both in terms of materials, both in terms of care for the historical accuracy and, finally, to the mechanics that draw inspiration from other similar games, but simplify them and improve our. The game also features some interesting additional rules, which allow you to make the game more complex and raising the level of the challenge.

The direct challenge of one against one, the bluff, and deductions are the main features of this product great success; certainly, it is not recommended for the novice players, especially in a context of two players, where both have to be sufficiently experienced to fully understand the rules and compete on a level sufficiently equal. For the experts .

" Click here to buy Letters from Whitechapel

Patchwork

game Type: abstract, placement

average Duration of game: 30 minutes



Title famous and extremely successful, specifically designed for the challenges of head-to-head, Patchwork is an abstract play of 2014 by Uwe Rosenberg, a prolific author and very much appreciated (its Agricola, Bohnanza, Le Havre, Caverna, to mention only the most famous).

the aim of The game is to create the most beautiful blanket, combining remnants of the form and different cost. The score is determined by the currency used to purchase the fabric, i.e. the buttons ; who at the end of the game it has more, wins.

The rules are very simple, but not for this, the matches are trivial, on the contrary: often there is a compete fiercely waiting anxiously to make his move before the opponent, the ec makes it impossible.

Thanks to the regulation simple , Patchwork is adequate for a wide audience of players, from experts to non-experts.

" Click here to buy Patchwork

Santorini

game Type: placement

average Duration of game: 20 minutes



Santorini is a board game in 2017 for 2-4 players that gives you the best self mode one against one. Players will need to build the characteristic white-washed buildings with blue domes of the homonymous Greek island: the mechanics are essentially the placement, but the addition of a series of cards that represent divine powers, make the game much more interesting, varied and fun. The game is highly competitive and they are indispensable moves and choices to block the opponent, or put it in difficulties.

The rules are simple, make Santorini a game for everyone; the life contained of matches (20 minutes) make it versatile for any occasion, constituting a commitment is extremely low .

" Click here to buy Santorini

Jaipur

game Type: resource management

average Duration of game: 30 minutes



Japur is a game played by two people quite dated (2009) but has been able to collect great success . The fact that at a distance of eleven years since the release is still available on the shelves of the shops, is an important indicator of the quality and the success that this title has gotten, especially when you consider the speed with which the products come out from the catalogs from a few years to this part.

The players are two merchants in the capital city of Rajasthan, and will have to compete to become the best trader of exotic materials in the city. The game is based on two essential activities: procure goods (represented by cards) and sell them to get the most money possible. The basic mechanism of the game is extremely simple , but there are a couple of tricks (in particular, bonuses for sales important, the fact that the goods lose their value in the course of the game and the possibility to exchange any goods for the camels) that make the tactical aspect is not trivial. The result is a fast-paced , simple, fun, but at the same time not be boring, and in fact induces several consecutive games. The cost of content makes this title a viable option for anyone looking for simple games for two players.

" Click here to buy Jaipur