These Two Player Games are Great
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- Опубліковано 26 чер 2024
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Apologies, but absentmindedly I forgot to mention that the following games are review copies provided to us in the past when we were still accepting them:
Spirit Island
Sleeping Gods
Worldbreakers
Our new board game podcast is called Talk Cardboard which you can find on your podcast devices or our website nopunincluded.com
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Apologies, but absentmindedly I forgot to mention that the following games are review copies provided to us in the past when we were still accepting them:
Spirit Island
Sleeping Gods
Worldbreakers
Interesting, is there a reason why you don’t accept them now?
Yes, explained at the start of this episode of Talk Cardboard www.nopunincluded.com/podcastarchives/25082023
Love your videos, thanks for all the hard work! Where did you get Lacuna?
@@andymilan2 I bought it and shipped it over. It wasn't cheap. I imagine EU distribution is coming soon.
@@NoPunIncluded let's hope so!
Thanks Efka for the awesome review! One more thing about Worldbreakers, the game also comes with a 2p draft mode and a solo campaign. I really tried to pack as much as possible into that box :)
was just getting ready to see if this game has a solo mode! on to look up more vids! Great vid Efka
The gold standard for 2-player card games for me is still Jaipur. Gorgeous, dead simple to explain, and consistently thinky but not too thinky. I actually give it as a wedding gift all the time.
Really enjoy Jaipur, only drawback for me are the 3 card bonuses which are low value and random. Too much luck involved.
@@aorchiesiddiqui1947 get them 4 and 5 card tokens, my friend ;)
In this house, Targi is also called "divorce in a box".
Ah, yes. We call these “tandem kayaks” in my house.
🤣🤣🤣
Cannot add a big enough thumbs up for 2 player spirit island. 100s of games in. And the expansions add insane amounts of variability.
Spirit island is fantastic.
We love to play two player spirit island as well
how long does a game typically take?
@@ryanskuce2003anywhere from 1-2 hours depending on how analytical you are. Your first game will take longer and set up with expansions is a bit much. But all very much worth it. I think this is the best coop game ever made.
thank you@@tallness2001
For me, Radlands has been amazing so far. Has seen the table quite often. Unmatched is crazy good too. I have a lot of boxes so the variability is insane. Sky Team, my most recent purchase, is an incredible experience too. Highly recommend.
I love your qualifier for “great” games. I’m definitely going to consider using that lens when scoping out games going forward. Thanks!
You actually have a strength in telling how the game plays really quickly, seriously really impressive. Thanks for keeping it snappy!
Great video thank you! For tile laying I love Botanik. The combination of the puzzle in the middle where you are setting yourself up but can also mess with your opponent and then your personal puzzle in laying the tiles makes it a great mix.
I think Res Arcana is my favorite 2 player game. It's absolutely fantastic!
One of my great two player games is Raptor. I love how much of the game is in the game of chicken that the card play brings out. Plus, the abstract and asymmetrical actions you can take are just great. Easy to learn, very exciting and interactive.
It’s interesting, because I play with a friend who does really like one on one combat, he loves Targi, and doesn’t consider it mean. If you think of it as a puzzle, a bit like Naughts and Crosses, then it’s about resource collection, goals, and perhaps area influence. We love it for its simplicity with hidden depth and its seemingly casual competitiveness.
Thank you for including Targi and Air Land & Sea -- two fantastic, favorite two-player games! :)
Undaunted, Summoner Wars, Ashes Reborn, Netrunner, and For What Remains are probably at the top of fighty two player list. They may all be combat focused, but none of them are as mean as Targi. 😂
I also prefer most dungeon crawlers at only two players, because it always ends up being the right balance of variety and low downtime.
Based on your list, Id recommend checking out Ivion, Exceed, Santorini, Sakurra arms, Cthulu wars duel, Skulk hollow/maul peak, War chest and Tash-Kalar (super underrated.)
Since the holiday season is coming we NEED more videos like this! 👍🏽
Good inspirations and the comments here also seems very helpful!
So glad I came across this channel! Going to grab some of these games!
I've been really enjoying worldbreakers and am so excited for the expansion!
As somehow who's bever played games like this, it was really accessible and has been fun to learn and develop strategy.
My spouse and I also enjoy that its so easy to grab the box and head out to play at a coffee shop or brewery.
Mandala is the most played game in our collection hands down. Tonnes more depth than meets the eye. Great pub game
@MrHalstedt check out A fistful of meeples
Great list! I recently tried out Targi and love it, and Spirit Island looks like a great co-op experience.
My personal favorite 2P game is Blue Moon. This non-collectible card game is easy to learn and play but has deceptively deep strategies that open up once you get to know the cards (kind of similar to Air, Land & Sea). The oversized tarot card format of the original 2004 release is a wonder to behold.
Great off the cuff video! Not sure how much work it was compared to your usual reviews, but this is light and a lot fun, and would def recommend more videos like this occasionally. Thanks as always
Great list and video as always!
Great selection! My go-to 2 player game is Tak - it is fun, fast, clever and portable. I usually take it to the pub when I am catching up with someone, and we will play dozens of games over a couple of pints as we shoot the breeze.
I think this video is great and it hardly noticeable is not scripted, it felt fresher (not sure if this is a word, im not a native english speaker, nor i have the time or patience to look it up) to the point i would encourage you to do more of these if they save you time and improves your quality of life. Great work as always !
A great video, with some very interesting suggestions, and presented in an attractive way - thanks!
14:20 is a 10 out of 10 BRoll shot!
Obligatory mention for the excellent 7 Wonders Duel, but also really love this format - perhaps future videos for other player counts…?
Ankh is so good at two, especially if you play the scenario where the top third of the map is off limits
Is the retail version any good, though? I'm very wary of buying CMON games from retail considering you only get a fraction of what the Kickstarter backers got.
Yeah it's good.
@@xenondoro8573 Yes, the gameplay is entirely intact. There are a few production issues like paper boards that really should have been cardboard, though. Especially given its $80-100 pricetag
Any expansions needed or base game is best?
@@tomlikeabomb6706 I've never played with any of them and still enjoy the game a lot.
@noPunincluded the algorithm brought me here what a entertaining video. I will follow and look deeper in your channel. My taste is totally different I really love the small, short tense 2 Player like Jaipur, Lost Cities, Hanamikoji, Hive Pocket, district noir and Mindbug. Which you probably will love too. It's a clever streamlined magic version. The Idea is so cool that even Richard (Magic) Garfield joined the project as co designer. Also great with two are cooperative games like exit, pandemic legacy, codenames duet. Spirit Island looks awesome for me personally it's to long and to difficult to fit in my family life.
Great job Efka, lovely vid
My preferences are:
Quick game - Quarto, Quorridor, Onitama
Crunchier - Cave vs Cave, Agricola ACBAS, Inland Port, Fields of Arle
Mid range - Beer and Bread, Kingdomino Duel
Friendly Coop - Deckscape/Unlock/Escape Room
Classic - Jaipur, Patchwork, Phase 10, Targi
Great video. Loved it! Can’t wait for Lacuna to hit retail in the UK.
Nice video, awesome content as usual. With my girlfriend we do love playing (and I feel they are great games especially @2P count) : Grand Austria Hotel, Castles of Burgundy, Lorenzo Il Magnifico. We are also in love with Jekyll vs Hyde, a very nice and always tense trick taking game. And Hanamikoji is up there, also.
Appreciated as always.
Great list Efka! I would also add Skulk Hollow/Maul Peak as super fun 2p games that are as close to a boardgame version of Shadow Of The Colossus as I’ve ever seen.
Thank you so much for this! I’ve added several games to my shopping list.
One game that I love at 2 players is Tsuro (the original, simple edition). I’m not a fan of it at higher player counts, but at 2 players, it can be much more strategic. Early in the game, you can cordon off regions. After many plays, you can “count tiles” to know what’s left in the pile and whether it’s a good idea to move into a tight space.
No, it’s not going to be chess-level deep, but it has high replayability.
I’ll also highly endorse Fox in the Forest, Onitama, and 7 Wonders:Duel.
I bought Ankh for my wife and I based on Eric Lang's pedigree and your original review of it. I'm so glad I did because we love it.
Air Land & Sea, Ankh are great games and my Gf loved them as well. I haven't tried Targi and Lacuna yet, but I've heard a lot about them, and I can't wait to try them out. 😅🤩
Love Lacuna and the 535 take!!!
Agricola: All Creatures Big & Small is a really underrated 2p game that’s also a great introduction to worker placement/Uwe games.
Air Land & Sea and Spirit Island are great imo! I prefer SI solo personally but it works really at 2 due to combos and spirit interactions, provided the players are around the same experience/skill level (if not then extra care needs to be taken to have a good experience).
I played Targi a lot and appreciated the design but couldn’t get into it…I think the games I played were just too long and tense?
Carcassonne is still one of my favorite 2p games and the my go-to for simple yet strategic and cutthroat. Ditto with Blitzkrieg! and Caesar!
Worldbreakers sounds really great. I enjoy most every format of magic, but my favorite way to play has always been buying card kingdom battle decks from card kingdom and just playing casually.
I want to play sleeping gods but it just seems a bit to BIG. Really appealing though.
I'm totally biased (since I made the game 😅) but I think that Worldbreakers is pretty great! I did my best to squeeze as much replayability into that box. There's the precons, constructed, 2p draft, and a solo campaign. Plus the game is much more accessible than your typical card battler, you should be able to learn the rules in 10 minutes.
I didn't know there was solo! Where's the best place to purchase it so you get the most kickback?@@Worldbreakers
As usual, a great video. My wife and I love Targi. Out of all the others I have only played Ankh but not at two players. I bought Summoner Wars based in part on your review, so I was surprised that it wasn’t on this list.
Worldbreakers edged it out.
Two more games I've truly loved as 2-player games are Parks and Brew. Parks can be cutthroat as a 2 player thing, but it _feels_ so chill and lovely, and the tactility of it reminds me of what Efka was saying about Lacuna. Brew is also a joy in terms of 'take-that' games that are just plain rude, but don't feel aggravating. The theme is so silly and the area control happens quick enough that it never feel like one player is crushing the other. Besides, the art is so derpy that one can't help to laugh about everything that happens.
I've well over 100 games of 2P Ankh under my belt with the missus. We love it. To this day, it's still presenting us with novel situations - the replayability is off the chart (particularly with the expansions). I'm really excited and hopeful for Mordred too, despite Eric Lang's absence.
Sky Team, for the win! Or Fog of Love!! But I definitely see your case for many of these though. I do really enjoy air, land, and sea - it is in my collective as well specifically for that reason.
But of course, I spoke too soon. I have Lacuna and love it as well... Ffff ... firetruck ... I love too many games 😅
Fun fact: Three Five Three is being rereleased at Essen as Oh Meow Bow. 🤘🐱
Glasgow is another mean, cutthroat two player worker placement and tile placement game. Never hear it mentioned but its awesome!
Amabel Holland’s Field of the Cloth of Gold is a great 2P only game that inspires a lot of banter with my partner. Super easy to explain too…
7 wonders Duel WITH it's 2 expansions added in, Agora and Pantheon, 👌 design perfection for a 2 player game :D
Hanamikoji, 7 Samurai, and Rebellion are all fantastic 2-player games that have you struggling to figure out what both of you are going to do the entire game.
Great review. Tragi and lacuna!
Your Sleeping Gods review is one of your best reviews still. I also really liked your review of Now Boarding and your most recent one on Ragnarock because a lot of what you said about KSes in there is completely true. I've almost completely sworn off crowdfunding - with the exception of if Ryan Laukat and Red Raven did a Sleeping Gods 3 - that I would back in a heartbeat.
For 2 player games I really recommend Jaipur and Splendor Duel personally and am looking forward to trying Sleeping Gods: Primeval Peril (Sleeping Gods 0?)
Critters at War (the reskinned Air, Land & Sea) and Hanamikoji are the go-to two-player games for my partner and I.
Depends on how much energy we have left: Lost cities > 7 wonders duell > Targi > Spirit Island
Unforgiven The Lincoln Assassination Trial is currently mine and my dad's #1. It takes our favorite elements of 7 wonders duel with a dash of those from Watergate and absolutely knocks it out of the park
I have never heard of this game but googled it. It looks intriguing! 7 wonders duel is my favourite 2P and I adore Watergate!
These all look great! However, as you were describing Sleeping Gods I couldn't help but think you missed one game amongst all of these, and that is Sherlokc Holmes: Consulting Detective. You want to get 2 people to talk and avoid the akwardness, get them to solve a mystery together!
But.... where is Hive?!... [listens to intro] looks at Hive bag "It is ok little fellow... you are great, he didn't really mean that" 🤣
Great video! Have not played most games on it, but Spirit Island and Targi are great
To add my favorites...Hanamikoji and Mandala. Lacuna looks interesting. I like the smaller, shorter games at 2p. Oh, also, Codenames Duet.
Targi is such an amazing 2 player game, & the expansion really does only improve upon it.
I wish we could grasp how to play Spirit Island - even as well experienced board game players, we just can't wrap our brains around it.
Another of our favorites is War Chest. I only have the base game, but it still has so much legs for us. It's well designed, well crafted & really deeply satisfying strategy-wise.
War Chest is great! You could probably learn Spirit Island if you got the app - that has the tutorial and won't let you make rules mistakes.
It also helps to understand the best openings for each spirits. BGG has some great articles on this topic. Currently more frequently playing on steam/PC
If Air, Land, and Sea looks interesting but your usual opponent doesn't like the WW2 theme, try Critters at War. Exactly the same game - same designer, same publisher - but fuzzy animals instead of lived history.
Interesting about Ankh at 2 players 🤔 guna have to try it
When u started talking aboht worldbrakers i was "does it is only this box? I hope so" and yeah lol
If you enjoy Air, Land & Sea..then you'll also enjoy the Blue Moon original card game. Very similar in many ways.
Excellent list! Do you still enjoy Caesar! Seize rome in 20 min?
Yes, we do!
A couple other 2 player games I think are great are Lost Cities The Card Game and San Juan. Yes, San Juan can be played with more than 2, but it's great for 2 players as well.
Great video! I love 2 prayers games as I have no friends but I only have one victim in my house that is forced to play with me sometimes. Hopefully my newborn son will share my passion...😅
Kind of bummed no mention of summoner wars but great list nonetheless! Great video guys
He mentions in another comment that Worldbreakers edged it out.
Thank you for the video, it's nice to see a sincere opinion from a big youtubere. Good to know someones preferences but people should try before buy. For example my wife was so much looking for Sleeping gods to experience and after a month she refused to play with me any further for how frustrating it was. And we both like Cthulu: DMD, so it is not about enough training in tough games. We played Spirit Island together a several times as well. You got me on Ankh tho, I had never played it in just 2 people. Ehm, ordered from shop.
Our favorites go in 2-player as no-one asked are:
1. MindBug
2. Alchemists
3. The Wolves (we played it in every player count, stil best in 2 people, if you know, what are you doing😇)
.
.
10. Schotten totten
That Jekyll and Hyde trick taking game where Jekyll is trying for both of you to have the same number of won tricks, and Hyde just wants chaos. It works so well on all levels, and it's short!
Once again, a great vid! Thanks for that!
What about Aeon's End? I think it is also a "great" 2p game, not just a good one.
Thanks for opening my eyes to Lucana, never head of it, sounds fantastic! Spirit Island is our favorite game, its amazing! Targi sounds a bit like Tic-Tac-Toe 2 though 😅
Don't dismiss Targi so easy, it's clever and devious
Hi there,
We liked Targui but found out it really requires a faq in the rulebook, there are so many situation where you just don't know what and how to do and how a card is actually working in a specific situation.
Other great 2 players for us are :
-Jekyll vs hyde
-Astro knights
-Jaipur
-Blitzkrieg
Cheers
War Chest is my favorite for 2p... and Fox and the Forest Duet for co-op
Air Land Sea + Worldbreakers = Radlands
Great choice. Ankh is a really awesome game, also for 2 Players!!!
The "Basilisk" joke made me spit out my tea laughing!
Air, Land & Sea is great, I just got a bit bored but how much the second player is advantaged... the expansion is great tho! 18 more cards, a lot of new interactions
A great new 2p game my wife and I have been obsessed with is Beer & Bread - if you haven't tried it, you should!
Agreed! Great decisions in such a small box. Reminds me of 7wonders duel
We found it just OK, it gets a little muddled in the power ups. Much prefer Targi.
Do you keep expansion boxes or do you consolidate in the core box and throw them away?
This question is literally the story of my life.😢
The games that my wife and I get to the table most:
Wingspan (probably more specifically, Wingspan: Asia)
Railroad Ink
Viticulture
Castles of Burgundy
Targi
Azul
Agricola: All Creature Big & Small Big Box
Patchwork
Some of my other favorite games at two players:
7 Wonders Duel
Obsession
Watergate
Letters from Whitechapel
Grand Austria Hotel
Summoner Wars is my personal favorite head to head 2p game. I really want to play Ankh…but after not liking the other games in that trilogy it is hard to justify buying it to see if it is good as everyone says it is.
Very curious about Worldbreakers
I've only played Ankh and Blood Rage, but they feel nothing alike. I adored Ankh and thought BR was...fine? Only downside is Ankh is a Lot longer than it's nippy actions would imply, my one play with 3 clocked in at almost 3 hours and it did not feel like we were being super slow
My partner and I love ankh, once you both get a few plays it starts to feel chess-like, both of you reacting to the other and the play time really comes down when it’s just the two of you
Great video! Any thoughts on Radlands? I've been enjoying that one recently.
Also really enjoy Radlands, though it's definitely a bit challenging to get into for someone who isn't already super into competitive card games. There's a lot of iconography to learn so the initial explanation is also a bit long too. Don't know that I'd recommend it to card game newbies, but for experienced folks or those willing to learn, the game really is fantastic.
We take Radlands when we travel or even just to breweries and such. The deluxe cards are nigh indestructible, as are the tokens, and it doesn't take a ton of space to play. Very cutthroat game, but a lot of fun!
This was funny... Just the other day I ventilated my thoughts on two-player games versus multi-player games that work well for two players, and realized I actually tend to like the latter more than the former for two players... They are often a lot crunchier, and frankly it could be that me and my husband just revels in the feeling of marvel over how well this "non two-player game" adapted to two players! ;-) I do like Onitama, Santorini and Seven wonders duel, but I love playing The Arrival, Trickerion, Cyclades, Euphoria, In the year of the dragon and lots of other heavy euros (I start to realize) with just two players! 🙂
Would air land and sea be quite similar to marvel snap then?
Great video.
Maybe there'll be Earthborne Rangers to add to the list for a 2p coop campaign game. Me and my wife are some days into the story and the stakes might be rising. We plan and talk a lot on how to proceed during gameplay. Looking forward to play that one more soon.
Great list, love Spirit Island and have to play Targi again. Will have to check out Ankh!
Ankh is one of those marmite games. Either loved or loathed.
Some of my wife and I's two favorite games: Arboretum, man, talk about a knife fight over pretty trees. Sea salt & paper. So good, so tiny, so beautiful.
Worldbreakers is great (and I love that it avoids the wasteful/predatory booster pack model). Have you tried 7th Seas / Doomtown? They are also great 2 player dueling games that avoid being MtG clones, I think they're a bit stronger but definitely more complex
Worldbreakers designer here, thank you for your kind words!
Have you played Terrors of London? This game reminds me of it. I am not sure, since I do have Terrors in my collection but never played itm
Radlands is so good, design, art and theme. It’s relatively short, always an exciting that has a lot of to and fro in the game. Gets even better as you learn the cards.
The Omen Saga, starting with Omen: Reign of War is fantastic as an expandable set of 4 low cost base games, plus modular add-ons, all of which you can pre-build the mutual game deck for variety and to your taste - wonderful tactical game.
@@WorldbreakersI plan to buy Worldbreakers, what does UK availability look like?
I love ankh at 2 players, although I think the sweet spot is 4.
18:03 Haggis is hands-down the GOAT 2-player climbing/shedding game for this guy. Excellent depth, replayability, cardplay and decision space. You can play it 2-player with a standard deck of cards and wonder why other much more mediocre games need so many more components to accomplish so much less.
Rebellion, Targi, and Twilight Struggle are up there for me. :)
Twilight Struggle is indeed great. My o nly complain is that you need an opponent at the same level as yourself (knowledgeofcardswise😛). It is so cutthroat...
@@paleroctyagreed. It's a great game to explore together with a buddy.
would love to hear your thoughts on Token Terrrors Battlegrounds =)
This is an awesome list and i dont want to presume to add every game I've enjoyed at 2 players. My only addition would be Arboretum. I would also like to say that i appreciate when you point out that a game is "mean." Targi is mean. Its great but it is possible to bounce off if you don't like mean.
Radlands, Keyforge,and Omen: Reign of War, for me, along with Ankh, Targi, and of course 7 Wonders Duel with expansions.
You were going to review
Apiary.
:)
I'd love a vid about "Magic Alternatives" i like the concept, but worldbreakers specifically doesnt sound like it would scratch the itch
Just one small point, when reviewing Targi you said that the only valid place is "there". That's not true. You can always place on a card opposite your own worker, however, this does mean that you would lose out on one card from the centre as you're not creating a new cross section.
Shout out to Kelp
I also like Omen and Netrunner but those are older games.
good topic
I actually really like Raxxon for two players. This game flew under the radar. i don't think i've ever seen a review for it but I really like it.
ALS: Critters at War, for the art!
We just picked this one up because it's easier to distinguish between the colors in low light. The art is great too!