Good two-player card (or board) games?
Moderators: The Preacher, $iljanus, Zaxxon
- Daveman
- Posts: 1758
- Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 10:06 pm
- Location: New Jersey
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Speaking of Agricola... there's a version of it called "All Creatures Great and Small" which is really good IMO. Much like Carcassone: The Castle, it does a great job of taking the same basic idea of the original but for 2-player only.
- Freezer-TPF-
- Posts: 12698
- Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:41 pm
- Location: VA
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Sorting through a bit this more morning....
It looks like LotR LCG requires a bit of setup/deckbuilding? I'm not sure she'd be into the deckbuilding aspect. We probably need something we can set up and get into a little more quickly.
LotR Confrontation looks to be out of print (only available for $$$$$$).
Race for the Galaxy looks neat but I'm concerned about the learning curve.
With Dominion, do you have to build a deck before you play or do you build your deck AS you play?
Forbidden Island looks like a good possibility.
Still processing...
It looks like LotR LCG requires a bit of setup/deckbuilding? I'm not sure she'd be into the deckbuilding aspect. We probably need something we can set up and get into a little more quickly.
LotR Confrontation looks to be out of print (only available for $$$$$$).
Race for the Galaxy looks neat but I'm concerned about the learning curve.
With Dominion, do you have to build a deck before you play or do you build your deck AS you play?
Forbidden Island looks like a good possibility.
Still processing...
When the sun goes out, we'll have eight minutes to live.
- Isgrimnur
- Posts: 82319
- Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:29 am
- Location: Chookity pok
- Contact:
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
With Dominion, you build the deck as you play.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
-
- Posts: 1133
- Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 1:41 am
- Contact:
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Mr. Jack is really worth it,
purchased it because of this thread and played it twice last night.
Great game filled with tension and suspicion .
Loved it!
purchased it because of this thread and played it twice last night.
Great game filled with tension and suspicion .
Loved it!
For whoever likes chillout downtempo music (or HipHop) ->
- YellowKing
- Posts: 30201
- Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:02 pm
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
I'll second Forbidden Island. It's a good "gateway drug" into more advanced co-op games. I find it a little too easy for my tastes these days, but there's no denying it's a great starter game. Plus the quality of the box and components is phenomenal for the price. You can get it online for < $15 which is insane for how nice the components are. If you end up enjoying it, you can move into Pandemic which is basically the same formula but tougher and more strategic.
I think I'm going to pick up Mr. Jack for a friend of mine for Christmas. He's a big Jack the Ripper "fan" and loves board games so this would be right up his alley.
I think I'm going to pick up Mr. Jack for a friend of mine for Christmas. He's a big Jack the Ripper "fan" and loves board games so this would be right up his alley.
- Anonymous Bosch
- Posts: 10514
- Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 6:09 pm
- Location: Northern California [originally from the UK]
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
FWIW, Amazon is currently offering Race for the Galaxy for only $18.99 (with free shipping if you add something worth at least $6.01 to your order). Also, if you happen to have an Amazon Visa card, you can use the code TOY20OFF to get an additional 20% discount, making it only $15.19. As you can see in the camel listing, it usually goes for around $23+ on Amazon, and is rarely much cheaper.
I wouldn't worry about the learning curve, especially if you watch Wei-Hwa's Race for the Galaxy tutorial videos, which explain the iconography in a very clear and coherent format, and also demonstrates a sample game that can really help make everything 'click'.
I wouldn't worry about the learning curve, especially if you watch Wei-Hwa's Race for the Galaxy tutorial videos, which explain the iconography in a very clear and coherent format, and also demonstrates a sample game that can really help make everything 'click'.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." — P. J. O'Rourke
-
- Posts: 969
- Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 11:01 am
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
One of my favorite games, and now my boys' favorites, is Yggdrasil ( http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/71671/yggdrasil" target="_blank )
Great theme, especially if you enjoy Norse Mythology. It is a co-operative game, but so much fun, in my opinion.
Well, I guess nevermine what I posted...it looks like it is out of stock about everywhere, and extremely expensive (85 bucks on amazon!!??) everywhere else.
BUT...if you can get it, I think it is a very good game.
Great theme, especially if you enjoy Norse Mythology. It is a co-operative game, but so much fun, in my opinion.
Well, I guess nevermine what I posted...it looks like it is out of stock about everywhere, and extremely expensive (85 bucks on amazon!!??) everywhere else.
BUT...if you can get it, I think it is a very good game.
- Unagi
- Posts: 26561
- Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2006 5:14 pm
- Location: Chicago
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
I don't think it's been listed yet, but it's a lot of fun: Smallworld
- Unagi
- Posts: 26561
- Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2006 5:14 pm
- Location: Chicago
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Interesting - - it looks like there is an Ipod version of this.... hmm.MythicalMino wrote:One of my favorite games, and now my boys' favorites, is Yggdrasil ( http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/71671/yggdrasil" target="_blank )
Great theme, especially if you enjoy Norse Mythology. It is a co-operative game, but so much fun, in my opinion.
Well, I guess nevermine what I posted...it looks like it is out of stock about everywhere, and extremely expensive (85 bucks on amazon!!??) everywhere else.
BUT...if you can get it, I think it is a very good game.
- Zarathud
- Posts: 16525
- Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:29 pm
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
I highly recommend the iOS implementation of Ygdrassil. A bunch of fiddly bits with counting tokens is completely automated. It's VERY nice to have the cards and tokens shown.
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
- Freezer-TPF-
- Posts: 12698
- Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:41 pm
- Location: VA
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Epilogue: Ended up getting Forbidden Island and an old classic, Mille Bornes. She used to have MB as a kid, and is intrigued by FI. Success!
When the sun goes out, we'll have eight minutes to live.
-
- Posts: 124
- Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2005 1:59 pm
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
The girlfriend and I really enjoy Lost Cities, which you already have, and Dominion, which has been suggested by several people above. We started buying expansions before we got bored with the base set of Dominion so I'm not even sure what the base set is any more. Lots of variety.
We received Stone Age for Christmas and the first couple of games have been good. I've got a lot of hope for it. Stone Age has a lot in common with Agricola, which I love and she hates, but is faster to learn and faster to play.
We also like Mystery Rummy: Jack the Ripper, which is essentially rummy as you'd expect.
She tolerates Jambo. I tolerate Ascension.
We've tried and don't like: Mr. Jack, Agricola: All Creatures Great and Small, San Juan (I like it, she doesn't), Archaeology (too simple), Arkham Horror (too long), Red November. (Edit to add that we didn't get traction with Pandemic either. Guess we're just not cooperative game people.)
I want to get: Love Letter - a very simple card game (you have a hand of one card).
We received Stone Age for Christmas and the first couple of games have been good. I've got a lot of hope for it. Stone Age has a lot in common with Agricola, which I love and she hates, but is faster to learn and faster to play.
We also like Mystery Rummy: Jack the Ripper, which is essentially rummy as you'd expect.
She tolerates Jambo. I tolerate Ascension.
We've tried and don't like: Mr. Jack, Agricola: All Creatures Great and Small, San Juan (I like it, she doesn't), Archaeology (too simple), Arkham Horror (too long), Red November. (Edit to add that we didn't get traction with Pandemic either. Guess we're just not cooperative game people.)
I want to get: Love Letter - a very simple card game (you have a hand of one card).
Last edited by kganey on Thu Dec 27, 2012 2:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- coopasonic
- Posts: 20993
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 11:43 pm
- Location: Dallas-ish
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
I don't know if you've tried it, but I demoed Love Letter and decided it wouldn't be much fun for two. Thematically I think it would be perfect for my wife (and they don't get any lighter), but it's just not really well suited for two in my opinion.kganey wrote:I want to get: Love Letter - a very simple card game (you have a hand of one card).
-Coop
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter
-
- Posts: 124
- Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2005 1:59 pm
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Nope, I hadn't tried it yet. It's out of stock on-line and not carried locally.coopasonic wrote:I don't know if you've tried it, but I demoed Love Letter and decided it wouldn't be much fun for two. Thematically I think it would be perfect for my wife (and they don't get any lighter), but it's just not really well suited for two in my opinion.kganey wrote:I want to get: Love Letter - a very simple card game (you have a hand of one card).
It's disappointing to hear that it doesn't work very well. I'd been planning on playing with my 6 and 8 year old girls - duration, theme, and simplicity all seem like a good fit - so I still might give it a shot. Expectations appropriately lowered.
- coopasonic
- Posts: 20993
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 11:43 pm
- Location: Dallas-ish
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Just to be clear, I was saying I don't think it would play well with 2. There are a couple of cards where having more players is better (where you have to choose a target player for an action), which is weaker with only 2. I think it would be better with 3.kganey wrote:Nope, I hadn't tried it yet. It's out of stock on-line and not carried locally.coopasonic wrote:I don't know if you've tried it, but I demoed Love Letter and decided it wouldn't be much fun for two. Thematically I think it would be perfect for my wife (and they don't get any lighter), but it's just not really well suited for two in my opinion.kganey wrote:I want to get: Love Letter - a very simple card game (you have a hand of one card).
It's disappointing to hear that it doesn't work very well. I'd been planning on playing with my 6 and 8 year old girls - duration, theme, and simplicity all seem like a good fit - so I still might give it a shot. Expectations appropriately lowered.
-Coop
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter
-
- Posts: 124
- Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2005 1:59 pm
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Thanks for clarifying, I'd forgotten that the game was listed as a 2-4.coopasonic wrote:Just to be clear, I was saying I don't think [Love Letter] would play well with 2. There are a couple of cards where having more players is better (where you have to choose a target player for an action), which is weaker with only 2. I think it would be better with 3.
- Octavious
- Posts: 20040
- Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:50 pm
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
The wife and I really like Mr. Jack a lot. Only took 1 game to totally get the hang of it. Last Night on Earth was a big hit as well. She liked playing the zombies while I controlled all the hero's. YMMV with that one. Only other game we have is Castle Raveloft, but we have only tried it once and found the setup time to be a bit annoying. I'm a newb to games like this so that's probably more of a personal issue with me.
Capitalism tries for a delicate balance: It attempts to work things out so that everyone gets just enough stuff to keep them from getting violent and trying to take other people’s stuff.
Shameless plug for my website: www.nettphoto.com
Shameless plug for my website: www.nettphoto.com
- Octavious
- Posts: 20040
- Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:50 pm
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Is Descent Second Edition any fun for two players? It looks really cool, but I almost never have anybody over to play so it usually would just be the wife and I.
Capitalism tries for a delicate balance: It attempts to work things out so that everyone gets just enough stuff to keep them from getting violent and trying to take other people’s stuff.
Shameless plug for my website: www.nettphoto.com
Shameless plug for my website: www.nettphoto.com
- Anonymous Bosch
- Posts: 10514
- Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 6:09 pm
- Location: Northern California [originally from the UK]
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
For a fast-paced and fun two-player dungeon crawl, you can't go wrong with Asmodee's Claustrophobia, which is specifically designed for two players. The game is fairly simple to learn and sets up very quickly, with top-notch components (and even includes pre-painted miniatures).Octavious wrote:Is Descent Second Edition any fun for two players? It looks really cool, but I almost never have anybody over to play so it usually would just be the wife and I.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." — P. J. O'Rourke
- hepcat
- Posts: 51512
- Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:02 pm
- Location: Chicago, IL Home of the triple homicide!
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Descent with two players would work if you allowed the player to play with more heroes, but it's more fun with 4 to 5 players, in my opinion. I'd check out AB's suggestion above for two players.
He won. Period.
- Octavious
- Posts: 20040
- Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:50 pm
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Hmm that might be the better option. We liked Last Night on Earth when I played all the heros and she was the zombies. Same idea, but in a dungeon.
Capitalism tries for a delicate balance: It attempts to work things out so that everyone gets just enough stuff to keep them from getting violent and trying to take other people’s stuff.
Shameless plug for my website: www.nettphoto.com
Shameless plug for my website: www.nettphoto.com
- Octavious
- Posts: 20040
- Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:50 pm
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
We're 0-2 trying to play Ravenloft. The rules just seem to just be all negative which kills it for my wife. The monster modifiers make the monsters missing attacks rare. +9 on a 20 sided die? For serious? That means a 7 or better will hit. Oh and a lot of them hit for 1 damage on a miss? Add in the insane encounter cards and it gets silly quick. Maybe I'm just doing it wrong?
Capitalism tries for a delicate balance: It attempts to work things out so that everyone gets just enough stuff to keep them from getting violent and trying to take other people’s stuff.
Shameless plug for my website: www.nettphoto.com
Shameless plug for my website: www.nettphoto.com
- hentzau
- Posts: 15131
- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:06 am
- Location: Castle Zenda, Ruritania
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Well, Ravenloft shouldnt' be THAT hard. Especially the first couple of adventures. The difficulty ramps up as you go along through the adventures, but we never had much trouble with the first 3 or so adventures. Are you each only playing one character? If it's too rough, add in a couple of additional healing surges during your next adventure. And make sure you try and have your fighter do most of the the exploring. He's harder to hit and can take more damage.
“We can never allow Murania to become desecrated by the presence of surface people. Our lives are serene, our minds are superior, our accomplishments greater. Gene Autry must be captured!!!” - Queen Tika, The Phantom Empire
- Octavious
- Posts: 20040
- Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:50 pm
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
We didn't even finish the first two times as she got annoyed and quit. I think I'm going to play through the solo campaigns so that maybe I can explain the game better. She had no problems with LNOE and this isn't that much more complicated.
Capitalism tries for a delicate balance: It attempts to work things out so that everyone gets just enough stuff to keep them from getting violent and trying to take other people’s stuff.
Shameless plug for my website: www.nettphoto.com
Shameless plug for my website: www.nettphoto.com
- Octavious
- Posts: 20040
- Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:50 pm
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Just played the first solo campaign and won it quite easily. We were just approaching it all wrong I think. I'll play another solo run and then try to roll it out again.
Capitalism tries for a delicate balance: It attempts to work things out so that everyone gets just enough stuff to keep them from getting violent and trying to take other people’s stuff.
Shameless plug for my website: www.nettphoto.com
Shameless plug for my website: www.nettphoto.com
- Lorini
- Posts: 8282
- Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:52 am
- Location: Santa Clarita, California
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
I'll second Claustrophobia. Fun game for two.
Black Lives Matter
- LordMortis
- Posts: 70227
- Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Has this list changes substantially in the last year? I haven't bought a new game in a while and I'm likely to meet up with redrun tonight and was going to stop at the FLGS on the way.
- hentzau
- Posts: 15131
- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:06 am
- Location: Castle Zenda, Ruritania
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
I'd add The Duke onto this list. Fun little chess-like two player game. Each piece has it's instructions for moving printed on it, and after you finish moving your piece you flip it over to the other side and you are presented with a new set of moving instructions for the piece. You start with a duke and two footmen on the board, and on your turn you either move a piece, or reach into your bag and draw and deploy a random piece. I played this about 4 times at Octocon, and really enjoyed each game, even the ones I lost.
“We can never allow Murania to become desecrated by the presence of surface people. Our lives are serene, our minds are superior, our accomplishments greater. Gene Autry must be captured!!!” - Queen Tika, The Phantom Empire
- El Guapo
- Posts: 41340
- Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 4:01 pm
- Location: Boston
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Yeah, I liked it also. Though honestly I'm not sure why it's called Claustrophobia.Lorini wrote:I'll second Claustrophobia. Fun game for two.
Black Lives Matter.
- baelthazar
- Posts: 4395
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:12 am
- Location: Indiana
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Are we talking for wives or just any two player?LordMortis wrote:Has this list changes substantially in the last year? I haven't bought a new game in a while and I'm likely to meet up with redrun tonight and was going to stop at the FLGS on the way.
If wives: Krosmaster Arena is cutesy, easy to learn, and yet still fun and tactical. My wife seems to enjoy it. Lords of Waterdeep and the expansion is always a good pick. I think Eldritch Horror makes a great 2-player game (and can expand to more) but it may not be wife friendly. I hear that the Dwarf-Fortress-meets-Agricola Rosenberg game Caverna is coming out on December 19 (although it is a premium-priced game, due to all the wood the dwarfs have... er... you get it). Women love Rosenberg games.
Otherwise, Duel of Ages 2 is probably the best 2-player game to release this year.
My Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CythUulu/videos
- LordMortis
- Posts: 70227
- Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
No wives here.
-
- Posts: 969
- Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 11:01 am
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
the two games I am really into right now...Star Wars LCG and Eldritch Horror.
Both are great fun.
Both are great fun.
- baelthazar
- Posts: 4395
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:12 am
- Location: Indiana
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Then Duel of Ages 2 and Eldritch Horror are must-buys. Krosmaster is fun too, but pales in comparison to DoA2. That being said, my wife would never play DoA2.LordMortis wrote:No wives here.
My Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CythUulu/videos
- Buatha
- Posts: 2107
- Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2004 1:16 am
- Location: Missouri City, TX
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Just an FYI, the Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation has been reprinted, although it's more of an update as well.
This is technically the Deluxe Edition with the Special Variant and Draft options available to the Classic game.While the rules and gameplay remain unchanged, there are a few new elements in this printing. They are as follows:
- The rulebook contains additional clarifications to make the game even more accessible and easy to play.
- This compact new edition features bridge-sized cards, as well as scaled down character stands and tiles, with new character cards to serve as reminders of character abilities. The game board now has visual reminders, such as character limit indicators and darker mountain borders, to help clarify play.
- It features stunning new artwork for variant game Fellowship characters, as well as for several cards.
"Some people say never...I just say no"
- LordMortis
- Posts: 70227
- Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
I sucked out and didn't buy a 2 player game at all. We looked at several mentioned but then we bumped up to three players.
I'll be revisiting this when I break down and do another order from on online retailer.
I can't do Duel of Ages. It's not a game that sits well with me. I think my friends all dug on it at OctoCon, though, so I'm odd man out.
I'll be revisiting this when I break down and do another order from on online retailer.
I can't do Duel of Ages. It's not a game that sits well with me. I think my friends all dug on it at OctoCon, though, so I'm odd man out.
- hepcat
- Posts: 51512
- Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:02 pm
- Location: Chicago, IL Home of the triple homicide!
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
I think the problem with Duel of Ages II at Octocon was that you felt you were in a losing situation from the very beginning because I apparently didn't explain well enough the importance that character selection had on the initial stages of the game. Blame me for that.
He won. Period.
- Markstrink
- Posts: 1010
- Joined: Wed Apr 17, 2013 12:46 pm
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
I don't know if it was mentioned before but "cthulhu fluxx". We have played so many games since August that weneed a new deck.
- pushmepullyou
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 9:35 pm
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
This one is pretty fun if you are into abstracts, but not super grumpy about a little luck being involved. Blockus and Hive I think have similar levels of smart funness.hentzau wrote:I'd add The Duke onto this list. Fun little chess-like two player game. Each piece has it's instructions for moving printed on it, and after you finish moving your piece you flip it over to the other side and you are presented with a new set of moving instructions for the piece. You start with a duke and two footmen on the board, and on your turn you either move a piece, or reach into your bag and draw and deploy a random piece. I played this about 4 times at Octocon, and really enjoyed each game, even the ones I lost.
- Gryndyl
- Posts: 4746
- Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2005 1:12 pm
- Location: Washington
Re: Good two-player card (or board) games?
Small World plays great with 2 people. It actually comes with multiple game boards to use depending on the number of players you have.