Staff Picks: Great Two-Player Games

Thu, 08/11/2022 - 1:50pm by emjane

During the deepest, darkest days of the pandemic, my partner and I found ourselves desperately missing our Game Nights from the before-times and started a quest to find the best two-player games we could find. Though our gaming options have since broadened again, we still often find ourselves turning to one of these games for a quick after-dinner match!

Patchwork | Request Now

The concept of Patchwork is simple: each player is given a quilt square and needs to fill it by piecing together patches. Players take turns selecting patches (imagine cardboard Tetris pieces), collecting bonuses, and attempting to finish their quilt. Quick to learn and light to carry, Patchwork also seems like a great game to bring on a picnic! Just make sure you have plenty of room on your blanket; the box is small, but a fair amount of space is needed to spread out the patches.

 

 

 

 

The Fox in the Forest | Request Now

This trick-taking game appealed to the Michigander in me and is much more engaging of any of the two-player Euchre variations my high school friends and I tried to develop. Many of the beautifully designed cards have additional rules, changing the cards in your hand or limiting your opponent’s play choices, giving the game a more complex feel and increased variation from its more straightforward trick-taking cousins. Like Patchwork, this game travels well and plays quickly.

 

 

 

 

Azul | Request Now

If you choose your board games based on lovely visual patterns and tactilely satisfying pieces, Azul is for you! Luckily, if you choose your games based on the fun of gameplay and ease to learn, Azul is ALSO for you! Basically, this tile collecting game is one I can recommend to anyone. The rules are simple enough, but the opportunities to strategize (and then have those strategies thwarted by your opponent) are bountiful. Azul is a bit more fun when you play with the full four players, but the game is plenty enjoyable with two, and it’s easier to get a handle on the strategies when playing as a duo.

 

 

 

Dominion | Request Now

This deck-building game can be played with up to four players, but is equally satisfying when played by two. Like many deck builders, Dominion gives players the opportunity to play and purchase cards each turn. Though other players actions may influence your decisions, it often doesn’t directly impact your next turn, allowing for planning and strategizing when you aren’t the active player. Because Dominion includes more varieties of cards than are used in a single game, there are numerous potential combinations giving this game a lot of replay-ability.