As much fun as it is to go out to restaurants, the movies or concerts, it’s also nice to recharge by spending time at home. Quiet nights in are great for binge-watching TV and playing video games. But when you need a break from all the screens, what do you turn to?
Luckily, the Post Shopping team is here to help. For chill nights in, there’s no better avenue to turn to than board games. While many games require a crowd to get them off the ground, we found a number of games that only need two players to have fun.
Each game in this roundup, regardless of difficulty level, is playable with just two people. So forget playing outdoors, get cozy with a friend or loved one, and pick out a brand-new board game.
Below, you’ll find the 22 best two-player board games on the market. These are loved by thousands of players and lauded for their playability, complexity, and cleverness. You can shop by categories — whether you need a kid-friendly game that’s accessible to all ages or a more challenging game for grownups — and pick the perfect game to add to your collection.
Click the links below to navigate to your preferred section or scroll on to take in every item on our list. Let’s get gaming!
Best Two-Player Board Games for Kids & Beginners
Patchwork
Patchwork is a two-player board game that combines elements of strategy, puzzle-solving and creativity. Players take on the role of quilt makers, competing to create the most aesthetically pleasing and high-scoring quilts. The game features a unique tile-laying mechanism where players strategically place Tetris-like pieces on their boards, balancing between covering space efficiently and collecting buttons for points.
Codenames: Duet
Codenames: Duet is a cooperative word game that challenges players to find matching words while avoiding the assassin. Played with a partner, players provide one-word clues to guide their teammate in guessing the correct words from a grid. A new cooperative mode lets just two people play together for an engaging and interactive experience for players who enjoy linguistic challenges.
Boop
Think this game looks a little too easy? We’ll ask you this: have you ever tried herding cats? In Boop, every kitten placed onto the bed “boops” the others one space away, making it all the more difficult for your opponent to line up three kittens in a row to graduate to cats — let alone get three cats in a row to win the game.
Wordle: The Party Game
Wordle: The Party Game is a social word game that brings the popular online puzzle to the tabletop. Players compete to guess a hidden five-letter word within six attempts. With colorful components and a vibrant atmosphere, this party game encourages lively discussion and strategic guessing, making it a great choice for gatherings and word game enthusiasts.
Bohnanza
Bohnanza is a card game centered around bean farming and trading. Players plant, harvest, and sell different types of beans, aiming to earn the most coins. The game’s unique trading mechanic challenges players to negotiate and make deals, adding a social aspect to the strategic gameplay. Bohnanza’s simple rules and engaging interactions make it a favorite among both casual gamers and experienced strategists.
KLASK
KLASK is a fast-paced magnetic board game combining elements of air hockey and foosball. Players use a magnetic striker to control a small ball on the board, trying to score goals while avoiding obstacles and magnets that can affect the game. With its quick rounds and unpredictable gameplay, KLASK provides intense and exciting matches, making it a popular choice for competitive players and party environments.
Best Two-Player Board Games for Intermediate Gamers
The Fox in the Forest
The Fox in the Forest is a trick-taking card game designed for two players. Set in a fairy tale world, players use numbered cards with special abilities to win tricks and earn points. The game introduces a unique scoring system where players aim for a specific range of points rather than trying to collect the most.
Jaipur
Jaipur is a fast-paced card game set in the vibrant market of Jaipur, India. Players assume the roles of traders, collecting and selling goods such as spices, textiles and gems. The game features a dynamic card-drafting and set-collection mechanism, where players aim to create valuable combinations to gain points and win the Maharaja’s favor.
Schotten Totten
Schotten Totten is a two-player card game that combines elements of strategy and tactics. Players compete to build the strongest formations of cards, called “tottens,” in a battle along the border between two Scottish clans. By playing cards with various symbols and numbers, players aim to create winning combinations and claim stones. The game’s simplicity, depth and quick gameplay make it a favorite for players seeking intense head-to-head battles of wits.
Paris: La Cite de la Lumiere
Travel back to Paris circa 1889 in Paris: La Cite de la Lumiere, a cooperative strategy game for two players. Both players adopt the role of a different high ranking Parisian, each set on bathing their city in light following the implementation of newfangled electric public lighting in this gorgeous, off-beat board game.
Hive
Hive is an abstract strategy game that captures the essence of a battlefield using hexagonal tiles with various insects. Players take turns placing and moving tiles, each with unique movement abilities, to surround the opponent’s queen bee while protecting their own. With no board to constrain the gameplay, Hive offers endless strategic possibilities and deep tactical challenges, making it a favorite among abstract game enthusiasts.
Cascadia
Cascadia is a tile-laying and pattern-building board game set in the Pacific Northwest. Players create diverse habitats by matching different species of animals to specific landscapes, aiming to score points based on their arrangements.
Best Two-Player Board Games for Advanced Gamers
Targi
Targi is a two-player board game that takes place in the desert, where players represent Tuareg tribes trading goods and seeking valuable resources. The game revolves around a grid of cards representing goods, tribespeople and desert tents. Players place their Targi (representing a tribal leader) along the edges of the grid to perform actions, trade goods and gain tribe cards.
Duel
Duel is a two-player version of the popular board game Seven Wonders. In Seven Wonders Duel, players draft cards representing various structures and wonders, aiming to build a civilization and score points. The game introduces a pyramid-like structure of cards and innovative mechanics, offering deep strategic choices within a compact format. With its quick gameplay and challenging decisions, Seven Wonders Duel provides an immersive civilization-building experience for two players.
Inhuman Conditions
Inhuman Conditions is a unique social deduction game set in a dystopian future where players take on the roles of investigators and robots. One player acts as an interviewer, while the other plays a suspect being questioned. The twist: the suspect might be a robot, and the interviewer must deduce the truth by asking clever questions and observing the suspect’s behavior.
Star Realms
Star Realms is a deck-building card game set in space, where players compete to build powerful starships and bases to defeat their opponents. Players start with a small deck of basic cards and expand it by acquiring new ships, bases and outposts from a central trade row. With its fast-paced gameplay and strategic depth, Star Realms offers dynamic battles, combos and a variety of play styles.
Summoner Wars
Summoner Wars is a tactical card game that combines elements of strategy, deck-building and miniatures warfare. Players control summoners, each leading a unique faction with different abilities and units. The game focuses on strategic positioning, unit movement and card abilities, offering intense battles and tactical challenges.
Watergate
Watergate is a two-player historical card-driven board game that recreates the Watergate scandal, a pivotal moment in American politics. One player takes on the role of a journalist, while the other plays as the Nixon administration. The game involves uncovering evidence, building cases and competing for public opinion.
Yinsh
Yinsh is an abstract strategy game that combines elements of chess and checkers, played on a hexagonal board. Players control rings and markers, aiming to create rows of markers while flipping them to reveal their color. The game features a unique mechanism where markers move in straight lines and rings serve as indicators for potential moves.
Sleeping Gods
Sleeping Gods is a cooperative adventure board game that takes players on a journey through a mystical world. Players become the crew of a steamship, exploring uncharted islands and facing various challenges. The game is story-driven and features a unique atlas system where players uncover the world’s secrets by flipping pages in a storybook. With its immersive storytelling and rich narrative, Sleeping Gods provides a captivating and memorable gaming experience.
Fog of Love
Fog of Love is a romantic comedy board game that simulates the ups and downs of a romantic relationship. Players create characters and make decisions that affect their personalities, careers and interactions with each other. The game offers a blend of strategy, role-playing and storytelling, as players navigate the complexities of love.
Radlands
Radlands is a card-driven dueling game set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Players build decks representing rival gangs and engage in tactical battles, utilizing cards with various abilities and effects. The game features a resource management system and dynamic combat, where players aim to outmaneuver and outgun their opponents. Radlands offers an immersive and competitive experience.
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