In my Honorable Mentions I discuss Chai Tea for 2--I have a review copy/Pre-Kickstarter copy of the game and really enjoy it. I've just learned that the Kickstarter hasn't fulfilled yet and people don't yet have their hands on their games and it seems that some backers disapprove of the way this campaign has been handled. In the future I will be more careful about recommending games that people actually have access to. Thank you for understanding and granting me a little grace!
As a backer, who has written it off as a nice surprise if it ships one day, it's the behavior of the creators that is truly troubling more than the delays (which are understandable). It's really a mess unfortunately, and the more "vocal" backers are not entirely blameless in it all either. Entirely understandable for anyone who isn't wondering where their game is to have missed it all, it's stayed surprisingly low profile compared to some of the other KS issues going on right now.
Watergate is a classic, can't believe it was only an honourable mention! Jaipur is weirdly fantastic considering how simple it is, always love playing it. Glad to see Undaunted was in.
My favorite 2 player only board games that you didn't mentioned: 1- Hanamakoji ( very quick game. the best game if you know how someone like to play because there is a lot of guessing) 2- 7 wonders duel 3- Holmes: Sherlock & Mycroft (i think this is similar to lost cities) 4- Lawyer up (Rodney's video sold me this game) 5- Fields of Arl 6- Patchwork
ooh yeah, I just played Hanamakoji for the first time like 2 days after filming this video and I liked it a lot! 7 Wonders Duel and Lawyer Up are also great and Patchwork is really fun too! I've been curious about Holmes: Sherlock & Mycroft, so your recommendation means I just may have to actually check it out
@@AlexxPo i didn't play it but most of unmatched games are for 2+ players not just for 2 only. even if you only have set for 2 players it can be mixed with others as set for more players
@@Komirowsky So what. Mythic Mischief is also for 2+ players. And like unmatched it really shines for 2. 2+ is just a selling point. In this games 2 plays jp 2 people is much better than 1 play on 4.
Great list! My wife and I usually play games in waves, so we have a chance to figure out the strategy, and get in each other's heads. A some additional games that we've played a fair number of times are: • Aqualin • District Noir • Sobek 2 Player • Balloon Cup • The Game: Face to Face • Mottaini (I know it's not strictly 2-player, but we've played it a ton)
Great video! I have a fantastic 2-player co-op game for you: The Fox in the Forest: Duet. The original Fox in the Forest an excellent 2-player competitive trick-taking game, but Fox in the Forest: Duet flips the concept into a cooperative experience. Instead of trying to take a certain number of tricks to score more points than your opponent, you have to carefully trade control of the hand back and forth with your partner. It feels a lot like working with your teammate in Bridge, and it's one of my favorite 2-player games. Other 2-player favorites: War of the Ring, Star Wars: Rebellion, and Innovation (yes, it technically plays 3 or 4, but this game is so much more satisfying with 2!).
Thanks for this! Two is my most available & frequent player count. I'm a big fan of all the games on your list which I have already played -- which really encourages me to try out the ones I haven't played (especially your type two). As a suggestion: the recently released Twilight Struggle: Red Sea - Conflict in the Horn of Africa condenses the well-known much-loved Twilight Struggle system down into a much shorter (and perhaps therefore more approachable) game. It's a blast. Also: Caesar! Seize Rome in 20 Minutes! is clever. tense and fun.
Great list! I really like Caper: Europe, That Time You Killed Me, and Mythic Mischief. Those are the only ones I own and have played on your list, Mythic Mischief being the one I played the most, because it also has a great solo mode. That one is also my favorite out of these. Anyway, have a great week! I just subscribed!
When I started with boardgames as a teen. I was very much opposed to 2-player games, mostly because me and three or four friends usually met to play. So no real reason to have any. However, now as a grown up, getting even one person to play with is tricky and takes planing. But I usually get one friend over and I've been exploring a wide range of 2-player games and it has been a blast! I found that Codenames Duet is a really fun brainburner and it is a co-op. I can also recommend 7 Wonder Duel if you haven't already tried it. I also really feel I need to check out Chai Tea for 2 and some more of these titles!
Fun list - I’ve got to try Caper Europe One of my favourites is Paris la Citie de la Lumiere. A little tile placement game that is surprisingly devious and competitive.
Great list + honorable mentions 👍My favorite from you list is Targi - so good! My favorite of all though is Unforgiven. It is very similar to 7 Wonders Duel but the theme really comes through. Im also anxious to try Splendor Duel soon!
Caper Europe came out of nothing for me too, but Zee’s enthusiasm sold me on it. I’m glad to own a copy, it’s probably our favourite 2 player game ever..
I love Kompromat. The pulp-y cold war aesthetic is my jam to begin with. The push your luck. The fact that I can't seem to win a game for some unknown reason. It's great.
9:46 Pretty much every single time. (Lost Cities). I feel for you Paula. 😉 I'm pleased that Space Hulk got in on the list. I played it the first time in about '93-'94 in high school and I loved it. It's so cool and so simple. Three games that my wife and I play very often is: - Yardmaster Express (one game can last under 5 minutes, so we play 3 games) - Bossa Classic (from Japan) - Sunset Over Water or Herbacous (Pencil First Games together with Steve Finn)
I've almost finished painting 2 warbands for Warhammer Underworlds Nightvault and I'm SO excited to finally play it! My top 3 games for 2 players: 1) War of the Ring 2) Mr. Jack in New York 3) Battles of Westeros or 7 Wonders Duel or Akrotiri or...
Great list! I'm going to have to seek out Mythic Mischief now. Some other great 2 player only games that you might like: Mandala Botanik I won't even bother to mention fabulous game Patchwork because I'm sure that you've already played it.
Love this list -- half I own and/or have played, and half were new. I am always on the lookout for two-player games, and so I get to track down some new ones, and feel validated about the ones I already have. :)
hi there, Thanks for this nice little list of yours! Here some of our favorites here from belgium (in no specific order) (with heavier, lighter, with bigger and smaller boxes) -Astro Knights // Aeon's End -The Game -Jaipur -Spirit Island -Power Plants -MindBug -Splendor Duel -Alice's Garden // Cascadia -Crypt of Sedlec // Circle the Wagoon (microgames) -Star wars the deckbuilding game // Shards of infinity
Fuck yeah girl, Underworlds! That's our favorite game, me and my girlfriend play this almost every week, for more than a year now. It never gets old, we have several warbands, boxsets and new decks for it, it's amazing and it's worth every penny, there is no game like it, where your objectives change each round, positioning matter, it's very competitive, very assymetric, and very tactical. It's by far the best Warhammer game there is, the most fun and streamlined.
"Only one friend or loved one willing to put up with them at a time" hahahahaha! Love the video!! Great game suggestions. Lost Cities is one of our favs! Shards of Infinity would be my favorite though if deck-builders is anyone's cup of tea. ❤
Can recommend taking a look at Air, Land & Sea. Small card game for two players. But so very clever in the amount of game and decisions that they pack into it. It’s cheap as well which is nice.
I’m super excited that you include miniatures games on this list!! There’s lots of awesome miniature adjacent games that are actually approachable and decently priced! And you know I love those minis. 😂
Our favorite two-player games (that haven't been mentioned in comments yet): Beyond Baker Street (a co-op with imperfect info!) Bonnie & Clyde: Love & Death Codenames: Duet Fantasy Defense w/ Stone King expansion Fluttering Souls Ham's Sandwich Shop Kodama Duo Matcha Morels Okiya P'achakuna Paperback Adventures Seasons of Rice Shadows in Kyoto Spire's End: Hildegard Tussie Mussie
I though that it would be euro-heavy stuff, but Space Hulk and Underworlds surpriced me. Warhammer Underworlds is one of my favorite 2-player games too. KeyForge must be the favorite, followed by Summoner Wars and Star Realms.
Solid list! Two player "only" co-ops that come to mind are Ares Expedition and most, if not all of the Oniverse games. Neither my wife nor I enjoy the normal, competitive version of Ares Expedition at two players(we'd much rather play the original Terraforming Mars at two), but the co-op mode is very fun and quite challenging, at least in our experience. As for the Oniverse games, I've only played co-op for Onirim and Nautilion(the latter being my preference), but I'm guessing the others in the series have similar things. While these aren't particularly challenging, the co-op mode adds a nice twist to the normal solo games and is a nice way to share the otherwise solitary experience. Any plans to make a Top 10 of multiplayer games that are great, or possibly even best, at two?
Really enjoyed this list - most of which I've played and agree are great, but some new ideas for me to try too, thank you! A few others you might want to try if you get the chance: Siam (abstract); Twilight Struggle/Campaign Manager 2008/Sola Fide (latter two might be tough to get hold of); Hive (abstract); Odin's Ravens; 7 Wonders Duel; Tides of Time/Tides of Madness; Battle Line / Schotten Totten; Hanamikoji; Fox in the Forest Duet (co-op).
You're a Memoir 44 player?! I just fell in love with you. I have everything they've made for this game. Love it! I also have the space themed game Red Alert by the same designer Richard Borg.
Been meaning to get into Targi. Also, not an exclusively 2 player game but SHH is a fun co-op word game. My top 10s would be a lot of abstract strategy games like Kulami, Tak, and a few titles from The GIPF Project
I need to check some of these out. That Time You Killed Me looks especially up my alley. - Exceed and its predecessor Battlecon are both 2 player games that capture the feeling of a fighting game. I personally prefer Exceed because its less of a brain burner. - Boop is looks like a really cute game about cats jumping on a bed, but is actually a pretty challenging abstract. - Decorum is a cooperative, hidden information game with communication limits about passive aggressive roommates trying to decorate their home. This one also plays 4 players but the puzzles for the 2 player and 4 player modes are completely separate so I think its still worth mentioning, especially since its co-op.
I love Tash-Kalar as a heavy confrontational abstract and The Duke: Lord's Legacy as a more modern equivalent of chess. And as for pure abstracts, YINSCH is a lovely, much more compelling variation on Reversi.
For me super fantasy brawl, Radlands, jaipur, lost cities, and Air Land and sea critters at war . That time you killed me sounds very interesting I'll need to look into that one
Air Land and Sea sounds like it would be right up your alley! Super solid and challanging decisions in a tiny package and a quick teach. Head to Head abstract in nearly the same way as Lost Cities, but think WWII Supreme Commander level control. Targi, Lost Cities, and The Time You Killed Me are great! I would go Spirit Island for a 2 player co-op; but obviously not strictly 2 player game. I feel it is almost the best at that count.
Paula, a new 2-player co-op game you might want to try is Sky Team. I loved your video. I'd be interested in hearing about your favorite multi-player games that play best (or play really well) at 2 players. One of mine is Masters of Renaissance-Il Magnifico the Card Game.
Beer and Bread is my new favorite 2 player. Card drafting with engine building. Plays quick and you only score for the thing you have the least points of, beer or bread.
Check out Tides of Madness. Has a similar turn angst to Lost Cities, but every decision is painful due to the small number of cards. So good. Also, Jekyll & Hyde is good for trick-taking. Have to wrap your brain around Jekyll since he doesn't want to win tricks. He wants to maintain balance, but it's a great tug of war.
Two of my favorite 2-player-only co-op games are The Ravens of Thri Sahashri (also rethemed as "Embers of Memory: A Throne of Glass Game" if you don't like the manga style) and The Fox in the Forest Duet.
Thanks, Paula, for the excellent and entertaining video! Here's my favorite games at 2 players: Marvel Champions Battle Line: Medieval Duelosaur Island Finca Firenze Dice Throne Hats
Twilight Struggle is a great game for 2. I would also put Star Wars Rebellion. Though it can play 4, it is primarily a 2 player game. Blitzkrieg and Caesar are both amazing. 7 Wonders Duel is absolutely terrific. I love Hive/Hive Pocket, Tak, Onitama and Santorini as abstract strategy games. For dexterity, Klask is just so much fun. Fugitive is a fun hidden movement game for 2. Codenames Duet is great as well. Radlands is a really fun time, and so is Schotten Totten/Battle Line. I forgot about Patchwork, which, even after all these years, is an absolute blast to play.
Botanik and Jekyll vs Hyde are two of my favorite 2 player only games. The makers of Jekyll vs Hyde are coming out with a new standalone cooperative version soon. Suuuper looking forward to that!
So glad this list exists. I don't like "two-player games" lists that are actually "Games best played with two players." Some of my faves not mentioned are Rift Force and Haven. There's also a fun, light Home Alone game my wife and I play every Christmas :)
So many of these lists are just have that play well at 2, it's nice to see a list which is at least mostly 2 player only. Solo only games are hard to find lists on for the same reason
PAULA SAID THE WORDS "SPACE HULK!" SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! (That and Lost Cities have been two fav 2 player games seemingly forever now, depending on who I'm playing them with)
@@arthurdent9281 Six Siege is one, the other is...I don't recall. It's all over the reviewers vids, they told pledgers you lose all your money unless we get another 50%. Plunk.
@@kitcarpo4745 Six Siege is by Mythic Games. Mythic Mischief is a game by IV Studio. Two completely different companies. Mythic Games is the one that is failing.
Great 2-player (since you like Undaunted), is Undaunted: Battle of Britain. Might be my favorite of the series. I also like Battleline. Older game. But hey, I'm older!
If you like GW mini games like Space Hulk, have you tried Blitz Bowl? It's similar to Blood Bowl, except plays in like 30 min and doesn't have the overhead of a league and a ton of play skills to need to track. It's still the fantasy football premise, but most of your points are from doing objectives (move 3 players, pass the ball, block 2, etc) as opposed to requiring touchdowns to win, so the game doesn't stall out.
great list! i also find most of my games being 2 player due to difficulty of finding more than 1 to play with. I see targi is consistently on other creator's top 2 player lists. that time you killed me also I really want to try someday. some of my favorite 2 player games are twilight struggle, watergate, yinsh, santorini, azul, star wars rebellion, 7 wonders duel, air land and sea, and summoner wars 2nd edition. would love to see you release a top 10 3 player video!
some of my favs are: Imhotep Duel, Sakkara, Babel, Troia, 300 Earth and Water, Caesar & Cleopatra, Caesar! Seize Rome in 20 minutes (can also be played solo). Easy and fun to play. Such a pity that the older ones fell into oblivion....🤷
In my 2 player game collection are the following: 7 Wonders Duel Patchwork Caverna: Cave vs. Cave Onitama Let me know if any of those are games you'd like to hear about from me, Paula!
That reminds me I still need to try out That time you killed me. Great video! Top 3 (in no order) for me is probably: Duelosaur Island, Wingspan Asia and Fast Shot
I am honestly surprised that neither Fox in the Forest nor 7 Wonders Duel made it even into the honorable mentions. Based on what I know about Paula's taste so far, I would think they are her cup of tea (no pun intended).
i had it and played it, while a clever little puzzle of a game, my gaming friend and I never really had the desire to play it again. We both agreed that yeah it was ok. It was an interesting puzzle for 30 minutes, but we never needed to play it again.
I don't have many 2 player only boardgames. The only one I have is Jambo. I think it is a better game than Jaipur. Both have similar theme of being merchants buying and selling stuff and both play mainly using cards. Jambo is superior in my mind because it has a bit of a take that mechanic and using artifact cards to cycle through the common deck allows the game to go much quicker.
Hey! loved the video! I am close to launching a Kickstarter for a 2-player game, I'd love to send an early prototype to you to review if you are interested. I love your energy and videos!
Great video glad to see you haven't mysteriously disappeared yet 😉 your #1 looks interesting Ill have to take a look. The just for two player game I like is Raptor.
So many games seem to appear consistently on everyone's "best-of" 2-player. For example, these ********** are Doomtown Reloaded Wir Sind Das Volk Klask (Dexterity Game - my favorite!) Star Wars Rebellion Sekigahara Neuroshima Hex 3rd ed Tash-Kalar 1960 Making Of The President 7 Wonders Duel ********** Raptor ********** Tides of Time Onitama Santorini ********** Azul ********** Tatsu The Fox in the Forest Kingdomino Raptor ********** Codenames Duet ********** Holmes: Sherlock & Mycroft 7 Wonders Duel ********** Paperback Adventure Land Onitama Santorini ********** The Duke Nations: The Dice Game Raptor ********** Tiny Epic Quest Pyramid Poker Onitama Dragon Castle Hanamikoji Sola Fide Raptor ********** InBetween Tao Long: The Way of the Dragon Shadows in Kyoto Risk: Star Wars Edition Santorini ********** That Time You Killed Me Targi *************** Memoir 44 Jaipur Warhammer Underworlds Lost Cities ********** Space Hulk Mythic Mischief Undaunted Normandy ********** Caper Europe ********** Spirit Island ********** 535 Ankh Sleeping Gods World Breakers / Magic The Gathering Lacuna Targi Air Land & Sea Dice Thrown / Battle Yahtzee ********** Everdell ********** Wingspan ********** Plunder A Pirate's Life Miller Zoo CDSK 7 Wonders Duel ********** Res Arcana ********** Twilight Struggle Lord of the Rings Agricola Innovation Unmatched Undaunted Normandy ********** Shores of Tripoli Radlands Stardew Valley (Digital) The Initiative ********** Unmatched ********** Dice Thrown ********** Fort Radlands Ashes Reborn Innovation (maybe works good as 3 player) Castles of Burgurndy (digital good too) ********** Lord Of the Rings Critters at War / Air Land And Sea Undaunted Normandy Android Netrunner ********** Neuroshima Hex 3 Silver Bullet Fort Seasons Roll Player Fox In the Forest Santorini ********** Hive Azul ********** Chai Tea for 2 BoonLake Grand Austria Hotel Arc Nova Quest for El Dorado Empires of The North Dice Miner Five Tribes Terracotta Army Great Western Trail - Argentina ********** Unmatched Lost Cities ********** Onitama Patchwork ********** Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective ********** Watergate ********** Arboretum *********** Caesar - Schotten Totten - Fungi - Sobek: 2 Players - Horrified Brass Birmingham ********** Spirit Island ********** 7 Wonders - Duel ********** Twilight Struggle ********** Beer and Bread Castles of Burgundy ********** Santorini ********** Azul ********** Res Arcana ********** Patchwork ********** Boop Sobek Qawale
No Battlecon? I _lurve_ Battlecon. Also, Mage Wars. I have Mage Wars Academy, but I love the map in Arena (even though it makes the game like 4 times longer) I have Space Hulk , but haven't played it yet. Like, I've literally owned it for at least 7 or 8 years, but it's never made it to the table. I think I need to try it now. Edit: Oh, and Android Netrunner (the Fantasy Flight LCG version) and Warhammer: Invasion are both great two-player games, too (and are both OOP as far as I know) Thanks for making this list. Makes me really want to pull out some of my 2-player games and play them again. Especially Mage Wars and Battlecon (neither of which I've played in a while)
Have to disagree with most of this list. First of all, Caper Europe is not very good. I found it awkward and not very enjoyable...perhaps a few more plays might sway me but am leaning towards selling. As Paula mentions, as an avid gamer I am often in situations where it is two player only and therefore seek out as many games as possible that are great for or specifically designed for two player. I recently acquired Targi and am looking forward to playing. Games I feel missed are: Patchwork, Splendor Duel, Raptor and Battle Line; with Beer and Bread as honourable mention. My other top two player games that aren't specifically designed for that: Love Letter, Archaeology, Biblios, Cascadia and Cat Lady.
In my Honorable Mentions I discuss Chai Tea for 2--I have a review copy/Pre-Kickstarter copy of the game and really enjoy it. I've just learned that the Kickstarter hasn't fulfilled yet and people don't yet have their hands on their games and it seems that some backers disapprove of the way this campaign has been handled. In the future I will be more careful about recommending games that people actually have access to. Thank you for understanding and granting me a little grace!
no worries. we have the Chai base game plus the expansion- plays very fun with two. patiently waiting for the Chai for 2.
As a backer, who has written it off as a nice surprise if it ships one day, it's the behavior of the creators that is truly troubling more than the delays (which are understandable). It's really a mess unfortunately, and the more "vocal" backers are not entirely blameless in it all either. Entirely understandable for anyone who isn't wondering where their game is to have missed it all, it's stayed surprisingly low profile compared to some of the other KS issues going on right now.
It’s not going to be fulfilled. We got cheated.
It's cool. Games get delayed often, it is nice to hear positive reviews for it, to get us pumped for when it arrives!
@@pilotvc nope. They took the money and dissolved the company. Not nice people.
Watergate is a classic, can't believe it was only an honourable mention! Jaipur is weirdly fantastic considering how simple it is, always love playing it. Glad to see Undaunted was in.
My favorite 2 player only board games that you didn't mentioned:
1- Hanamakoji ( very quick game. the best game if you know how someone like to play because there is a lot of guessing)
2- 7 wonders duel
3- Holmes: Sherlock & Mycroft (i think this is similar to lost cities)
4- Lawyer up (Rodney's video sold me this game)
5- Fields of Arl
6- Patchwork
ooh yeah, I just played Hanamakoji for the first time like 2 days after filming this video and I liked it a lot! 7 Wonders Duel and Lawyer Up are also great and Patchwork is really fun too! I've been curious about Holmes: Sherlock & Mycroft, so your recommendation means I just may have to actually check it out
Hanamakoji is great! I also like Targi quite a bit :)
Hey, what about Unmatched?
@@AlexxPo i didn't play it but most of unmatched games are for 2+ players not just for 2 only. even if you only have set for 2 players it can be mixed with others as set for more players
@@Komirowsky So what. Mythic Mischief is also for 2+ players. And like unmatched it really shines for 2. 2+ is just a selling point. In this games 2 plays jp 2 people is much better than 1 play on 4.
Great list! My wife and I usually play games in waves, so we have a chance to figure out the strategy, and get in each other's heads. A some additional games that we've played a fair number of times are:
• Aqualin
• District Noir
• Sobek 2 Player
• Balloon Cup
• The Game: Face to Face
• Mottaini (I know it's not strictly 2-player, but we've played it a ton)
The Fox in the Forest Duet is a great cooperative trick-taker, like The Crew, but it’s made specifically for two. Can’t recommend it enough.
Great video!
I have a fantastic 2-player co-op game for you: The Fox in the Forest: Duet. The original Fox in the Forest an excellent 2-player competitive trick-taking game, but Fox in the Forest: Duet flips the concept into a cooperative experience. Instead of trying to take a certain number of tricks to score more points than your opponent, you have to carefully trade control of the hand back and forth with your partner. It feels a lot like working with your teammate in Bridge, and it's one of my favorite 2-player games.
Other 2-player favorites: War of the Ring, Star Wars: Rebellion, and Innovation (yes, it technically plays 3 or 4, but this game is so much more satisfying with 2!).
Morels is a fun mushroom collecting game for two!
Jaipur is my favorite 2 player game. Thanks for a great video! That Time You Killed Me looks good.
I did the same thing with Lost Cities! Once I finally played it, I felt so silly for having overlooked it. Great video. Thanks!
Thanks for this! Two is my most available & frequent player count. I'm a big fan of all the games on your list which I have already played -- which really encourages me to try out the ones I haven't played (especially your type two). As a suggestion: the recently released Twilight Struggle: Red Sea - Conflict in the Horn of Africa condenses the well-known much-loved Twilight Struggle system down into a much shorter (and perhaps therefore more approachable) game. It's a blast. Also: Caesar! Seize Rome in 20 Minutes! is clever. tense and fun.
Great list! I really like Caper: Europe, That Time You Killed Me, and Mythic Mischief. Those are the only ones I own and have played on your list, Mythic Mischief being the one I played the most, because it also has a great solo mode. That one is also my favorite out of these. Anyway, have a great week! I just subscribed!
Thanks for the sub! I haven't tried the solo mode of Mythic Mischief yet--I should really do that!
When I started with boardgames as a teen. I was very much opposed to 2-player games, mostly because me and three or four friends usually met to play. So no real reason to have any. However, now as a grown up, getting even one person to play with is tricky and takes planing.
But I usually get one friend over and I've been exploring a wide range of 2-player games and it has been a blast!
I found that Codenames Duet is a really fun brainburner and it is a co-op. I can also recommend 7 Wonder Duel if you haven't already tried it. I also really feel I need to check out Chai Tea for 2 and some more of these titles!
Great list Paula! I like That Time You Killed Me but am horrible at it… also like your head band, ya look great w it! ☺️
Fun list - I’ve got to try Caper Europe
One of my favourites is Paris la Citie de la Lumiere. A little tile placement game that is surprisingly devious and competitive.
ooh yeah I need to try that one!
Great list + honorable mentions 👍My favorite from you list is Targi - so good! My favorite of all though is Unforgiven. It is very similar to 7 Wonders Duel but the theme really comes through. Im also anxious to try Splendor Duel soon!
Thanks for the video!
Another one game I'd add to this list would be Patchwork. Head-to-head quilt-making with polyominos is always a fun time. :)
Caper Europe came out of nothing for me too, but Zee’s enthusiasm sold me on it. I’m glad to own a copy, it’s probably our favourite 2 player game ever..
Paula ure so good at what you do 🙂
I love Kompromat. The pulp-y cold war aesthetic is my jam to begin with. The push your luck. The fact that I can't seem to win a game for some unknown reason. It's great.
9:46 Pretty much every single time. (Lost Cities). I feel for you Paula. 😉
I'm pleased that Space Hulk got in on the list. I played it the first time in about '93-'94 in high school and I loved it. It's so cool and so simple.
Three games that my wife and I play very often is:
- Yardmaster Express (one game can last under 5 minutes, so we play 3 games)
- Bossa Classic (from Japan)
- Sunset Over Water or Herbacous (Pencil First Games together with Steve Finn)
Jaipur and Targi are two of my favorites as well, wonderful video (as always), thanks!
I've almost finished painting 2 warbands for Warhammer Underworlds Nightvault and I'm SO excited to finally play it! My top 3 games for 2 players:
1) War of the Ring
2) Mr. Jack in New York
3) Battles of Westeros or 7 Wonders Duel or Akrotiri or...
Great list! I'm going to have to seek out Mythic Mischief now.
Some other great 2 player only games that you might like:
Mandala
Botanik
I won't even bother to mention fabulous game Patchwork because I'm sure that you've already played it.
I really like Lofoten. I took a punt on it earlier this year and am really glad that I did!
Paula is not alone in this. 61% of my friends are not friends and I like to play with my imaginary friend on the roof.
Love this list -- half I own and/or have played, and half were new. I am always on the lookout for two-player games, and so I get to track down some new ones, and feel validated about the ones I already have. :)
hi there, Thanks for this nice little list of yours!
Here some of our favorites here from belgium (in no specific order) (with heavier, lighter, with bigger and smaller boxes)
-Astro Knights // Aeon's End
-The Game
-Jaipur
-Spirit Island
-Power Plants
-MindBug
-Splendor Duel
-Alice's Garden // Cascadia
-Crypt of Sedlec // Circle the Wagoon (microgames)
-Star wars the deckbuilding game // Shards of infinity
Fuck yeah girl, Underworlds! That's our favorite game, me and my girlfriend play this almost every week, for more than a year now. It never gets old, we have several warbands, boxsets and new decks for it, it's amazing and it's worth every penny, there is no game like it, where your objectives change each round, positioning matter, it's very competitive, very assymetric, and very tactical. It's by far the best Warhammer game there is, the most fun and streamlined.
"Only one friend or loved one willing to put up with them at a time" hahahahaha! Love the video!! Great game suggestions. Lost Cities is one of our favs! Shards of Infinity would be my favorite though if deck-builders is anyone's cup of tea. ❤
Might i suggest a video on your painted minis and/or the painting process.
Much like your evolution of a gamer video?
Could be hilarious
Can recommend taking a look at Air, Land & Sea. Small card game for two players. But so very clever in the amount of game and decisions that they pack into it. It’s cheap as well which is nice.
I’m super excited that you include miniatures games on this list!! There’s lots of awesome miniature adjacent games that are actually approachable and decently priced! And you know I love those minis. 😂
Fabulous list. A couple there I would like to try. Thank you 😊
That Time You Killed Me is so much fun! The sense of humor in the writing is enjoyable. Time travel is really interesting!
Our favorite two-player games (that haven't been mentioned in comments yet):
Beyond Baker Street (a co-op with imperfect info!)
Bonnie & Clyde: Love & Death
Codenames: Duet
Fantasy Defense w/ Stone King expansion
Fluttering Souls
Ham's Sandwich Shop
Kodama Duo
Matcha
Morels
Okiya
P'achakuna
Paperback Adventures
Seasons of Rice
Shadows in Kyoto
Spire's End: Hildegard
Tussie Mussie
Our picks: Riftforce, Paris the cities of light, Sobek, Fungi. We also are fan of Lost Cities here!
I though that it would be euro-heavy stuff, but Space Hulk and Underworlds surpriced me.
Warhammer Underworlds is one of my favorite 2-player games too.
KeyForge must be the favorite, followed by Summoner Wars and Star Realms.
I started out really as a Thematic or Ameri-trash gamer and got into Euros later. I really do enjoy a bit of every style of game, honestly!
Love Space Hulk, great to see it on the list. Only have the second edition but keep hoping at some point they'll finally announce a new/fifth edition.
Canopy is a gorgeous 2-player game about building a rainforest, with an intriguing push your luck draft mechanism & fun set collection
Solid list! Two player "only" co-ops that come to mind are Ares Expedition and most, if not all of the Oniverse games. Neither my wife nor I enjoy the normal, competitive version of Ares Expedition at two players(we'd much rather play the original Terraforming Mars at two), but the co-op mode is very fun and quite challenging, at least in our experience. As for the Oniverse games, I've only played co-op for Onirim and Nautilion(the latter being my preference), but I'm guessing the others in the series have similar things. While these aren't particularly challenging, the co-op mode adds a nice twist to the normal solo games and is a nice way to share the otherwise solitary experience.
Any plans to make a Top 10 of multiplayer games that are great, or possibly even best, at two?
yeah, I was actually just talking with Matthew about how a list of multiplayer games that are great at 2 would be a good follow up to this list!
Awesome! Looking forward to it
The coop expansion, crisis I think, for TM:AE is really good too! And, at least for my pea brain, made it beatable--just barely
I do enjoy having my mind all cozy while CRUSHING my opponents!
Really enjoyed this list - most of which I've played and agree are great, but some new ideas for me to try too, thank you! A few others you might want to try if you get the chance: Siam (abstract); Twilight Struggle/Campaign Manager 2008/Sola Fide (latter two might be tough to get hold of); Hive (abstract); Odin's Ravens; 7 Wonders Duel; Tides of Time/Tides of Madness; Battle Line / Schotten Totten; Hanamikoji; Fox in the Forest Duet (co-op).
Oh yes, and Paolo Mori's Blitzkrieg! or Caesar!
You're a Memoir 44 player?! I just fell in love with you. I have everything they've made for this game. Love it! I also have the space themed game Red Alert by the same designer Richard Borg.
Been meaning to get into Targi. Also, not an exclusively 2 player game but SHH is a fun co-op word game. My top 10s would be a lot of abstract strategy games like Kulami, Tak, and a few titles from The GIPF Project
I need to check some of these out. That Time You Killed Me looks especially up my alley.
- Exceed and its predecessor Battlecon are both 2 player games that capture the feeling of a fighting game. I personally prefer Exceed because its less of a brain burner.
- Boop is looks like a really cute game about cats jumping on a bed, but is actually a pretty challenging abstract.
- Decorum is a cooperative, hidden information game with communication limits about passive aggressive roommates trying to decorate their home. This one also plays 4 players but the puzzles for the 2 player and 4 player modes are completely separate so I think its still worth mentioning, especially since its co-op.
oh yeah Boop and Decorum are great. I left them off this list mostly because I mention them in my Top Games of 2022 list!
I love Tash-Kalar as a heavy confrontational abstract and The Duke: Lord's Legacy as a more modern equivalent of chess. And as for pure abstracts, YINSCH is a lovely, much more compelling variation on Reversi.
For me super fantasy brawl, Radlands, jaipur, lost cities, and Air Land and sea critters at war . That time you killed me sounds very interesting I'll need to look into that one
Air Land and Sea sounds like it would be right up your alley! Super solid and challanging decisions in a tiny package and a quick teach. Head to Head abstract in nearly the same way as Lost Cities, but think WWII Supreme Commander level control.
Targi, Lost Cities, and The Time You Killed Me are great!
I would go Spirit Island for a 2 player co-op; but obviously not strictly 2 player game. I feel it is almost the best at that count.
Thanks. Some new ideas for me. Yes on Lost Cities and Jaipur! Also, LOTR Confrontation and my two all-time iverall favs Dominion and Innovation.
Great video as always, thanks for all the suggestions :D
My List
1. Netrunner
2. Twilight Struggle
3. God Tear
4. Space empires 4X
5. Arkham horror, the card game
Oh boy if you loved Undaunted Normandy and Memoir, just wait till you play Stalingrad!!! :)
Great list, Paula! Thanks for sharing :)
Paula, a new 2-player co-op game you might want to try is Sky Team. I loved your video. I'd be interested in hearing about your favorite multi-player games that play best (or play really well) at 2 players. One of mine is Masters of Renaissance-Il Magnifico the Card Game.
oh yeah, I do enjoy Sky Team--I've gotten to try it twice
Great job, Paula. I love the theme and your list. 🙂
Beer and Bread is my new favorite 2 player. Card drafting with engine building. Plays quick and you only score for the thing you have the least points of, beer or bread.
Check out Tides of Madness. Has a similar turn angst to Lost Cities, but every decision is painful due to the small number of cards. So good.
Also, Jekyll & Hyde is good for trick-taking. Have to wrap your brain around Jekyll since he doesn't want to win tricks. He wants to maintain balance, but it's a great tug of war.
Two of my favorite 2-player-only co-op games are The Ravens of Thri Sahashri (also rethemed as "Embers of Memory: A Throne of Glass Game" if you don't like the manga style) and The Fox in the Forest Duet.
Thanks, Paula, for the excellent and entertaining video!
Here's my favorite games at 2 players:
Marvel Champions
Battle Line: Medieval
Duelosaur Island
Finca
Firenze
Dice Throne
Hats
Paula’s “pew, pew, pew,” just became my new rings tone:) Great games all!!
Twilight Struggle is a great game for 2. I would also put Star Wars Rebellion. Though it can play 4, it is primarily a 2 player game. Blitzkrieg and Caesar are both amazing. 7 Wonders Duel is absolutely terrific. I love Hive/Hive Pocket, Tak, Onitama and Santorini as abstract strategy games. For dexterity, Klask is just so much fun. Fugitive is a fun hidden movement game for 2. Codenames Duet is great as well. Radlands is a really fun time, and so is Schotten Totten/Battle Line.
I forgot about Patchwork, which, even after all these years, is an absolute blast to play.
Botanik and Jekyll vs Hyde are two of my favorite 2 player only games. The makers of Jekyll vs Hyde are coming out with a new standalone cooperative version soon. Suuuper looking forward to that!
So glad this list exists. I don't like "two-player games" lists that are actually "Games best played with two players." Some of my faves not mentioned are Rift Force and Haven. There's also a fun, light Home Alone game my wife and I play every Christmas :)
Great list!!! Can you next video be "Paula's Top 2 Games for 10 Players!"
Other 2 player games we enjoy are Onitama, 7 wonders duel, Splendor Duel and Star Wars deck building game.
So many of these lists are just have that play well at 2, it's nice to see a list which is at least mostly 2 player only. Solo only games are hard to find lists on for the same reason
I think I'll make a list of Solo Games at some point as well!
PAULA SAID THE WORDS "SPACE HULK!" SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
(That and Lost Cities have been two fav 2 player games seemingly forever now, depending on who I'm playing them with)
Glad to see Jaipur made your list. Biggest omission IMHO is Star Wars Rebellion. So good.
ah, I've never had a chance to play Star Wars Rebellion. And yeah, Jaipur is great!
I've been wanting to try Mythic Mischief! Can't wait for their next campaign in a half year :)
I think they won't be around after cheating the people who made pledges on at least two projects. EDIT: I made this in a bad error...sorry!
@@kitcarpo4745 Which projects are those?
@@arthurdent9281 Six Siege is one, the other is...I don't recall. It's all over the reviewers vids, they told pledgers you lose all your money unless we get another 50%. Plunk.
@@kitcarpo4745 Six Siege is by Mythic Games. Mythic Mischief is a game by IV Studio. Two completely different companies. Mythic Games is the one that is failing.
@@arthurdent9281 oh what the hell.....thanks for clearing that up. Excuse me I have to go find my crow, it's time for lunch.
Great 2-player (since you like Undaunted), is Undaunted: Battle of Britain. Might be my favorite of the series. I also like Battleline. Older game. But hey, I'm older!
Brilliant list Paula, the only two player cooperative game I can think of is Fox in the Forest duet.
oh good call, I forgot about Fox in the Forest Duet!
If you like GW mini games like Space Hulk, have you tried Blitz Bowl? It's similar to Blood Bowl, except plays in like 30 min and doesn't have the overhead of a league and a ton of play skills to need to track. It's still the fantasy football premise, but most of your points are from doing objectives (move 3 players, pass the ball, block 2, etc) as opposed to requiring touchdowns to win, so the game doesn't stall out.
great list! i also find most of my games being 2 player due to difficulty of finding more than 1 to play with. I see targi is consistently on other creator's top 2 player lists. that time you killed me also I really want to try someday. some of my favorite 2 player games are twilight struggle, watergate, yinsh, santorini, azul, star wars rebellion, 7 wonders duel, air land and sea, and summoner wars 2nd edition. would love to see you release a top 10 3 player video!
some of my favs are: Imhotep Duel, Sakkara, Babel, Troia, 300 Earth and Water, Caesar & Cleopatra, Caesar! Seize Rome in 20 minutes (can also be played solo). Easy and fun to play. Such a pity that the older ones fell into oblivion....🤷
Have you played Mandala? It’s our go to two player game that plays in 15 min. So good.
I haven't, I'll have to check it out!
@@PaulaDeming give me a shout out when it becomes your number 1
excellent game!
In my 2 player game collection are the following:
7 Wonders Duel
Patchwork
Caverna: Cave vs. Cave
Onitama
Let me know if any of those are games you'd like to hear about from me, Paula!
My 8 yr old daughter's favourite game is Lost Cities. My 10 yr old son loves Star Realms. I love Radlands. We play all these and more :)
Been looking for more games my wife and I can play, definitely will be looking closer at some of these!
That reminds me I still need to try out That time you killed me. Great video!
Top 3 (in no order) for me is probably: Duelosaur Island, Wingspan Asia and Fast Shot
Cool list! I’m surprised 7 wonder’s DUEL and UnMatched didn’t make your list
So glad Targi made the list. Its my favorite 2 player game. Tense all the way through. Great stuff.
SO GOOD
Hehe ... "Movement, again, is hex-based - so, it's really simple".
I'll quote Paula for that every time I try to push a hex-n-counter wargame :)
Other great 2-player only games
1. It's a Wonderful Kingdom
2. Conspiracy: Abyss Universe
3. Blood Bowl
4. Mandala
5. Heave Ho!
6. Raptor
7. Claim
oh Conspiracy is a GREAT game!
Targi would fit the criteria for 2 player only and so does Yinsh, Quarto, Shobu, Barragoon and our current favorite: Hive. :)
I am honestly surprised that neither Fox in the Forest nor 7 Wonders Duel made it even into the honorable mentions. Based on what I know about Paula's taste so far, I would think they are her cup of tea (no pun intended).
I thought FINTF was ok. I really like 7WD
7 Wonders Duel is good, but we much prefer 7 Wonders. For Duel one big plus for us is it takes less table space. It's like a baby brother!
I love the Wingspan 2 player expansion. The side board adds a lot to your strategy and gameplay!
Paris: La Cité de la Lumière is a good overlooked 2player game.
i had it and played it, while a clever little puzzle of a game, my gaming friend and I never really had the desire to play it again. We both agreed that yeah it was ok. It was an interesting puzzle for 30 minutes, but we never needed to play it again.
"Please enjoy my Top 2 List of Games for 2 Players!" Its a really good top 10 as this is my primary player count.
I don't have many 2 player only boardgames. The only one I have is Jambo. I think it is a better game than Jaipur. Both have similar theme of being merchants buying and selling stuff and both play mainly using cards. Jambo is superior in my mind because it has a bit of a take that mechanic and using artifact cards to cycle through the common deck allows the game to go much quicker.
Try 7 Wonders Duel, Codenames Duet, Star Wars Rebellion, Balloon Cup, Unmatched. They're all great!
Hey! loved the video! I am close to launching a Kickstarter for a 2-player game, I'd love to send an early prototype to you to review if you are interested. I love your energy and videos!
Great video glad to see you haven't mysteriously disappeared yet 😉 your #1 looks interesting Ill have to take a look. The just for two player game I like is Raptor.
Paula, play 1750: Briton vs. France!!! It's a beautiful, historical 2-player-game
Unmatched is pretty cool.
Kinda expensive if you start buying all the extras.
So many games seem to appear consistently on everyone's "best-of" 2-player. For example, these ********** are
Doomtown Reloaded
Wir Sind Das Volk
Klask (Dexterity Game - my favorite!)
Star Wars Rebellion
Sekigahara
Neuroshima Hex 3rd ed
Tash-Kalar
1960 Making Of The President
7 Wonders Duel **********
Raptor **********
Tides of Time
Onitama
Santorini **********
Azul **********
Tatsu
The Fox in the Forest
Kingdomino
Raptor **********
Codenames Duet **********
Holmes: Sherlock & Mycroft
7 Wonders Duel **********
Paperback
Adventure Land
Onitama
Santorini **********
The Duke
Nations: The Dice Game
Raptor **********
Tiny Epic Quest
Pyramid Poker
Onitama
Dragon Castle
Hanamikoji
Sola Fide
Raptor **********
InBetween
Tao Long: The Way of the Dragon
Shadows in Kyoto
Risk: Star Wars Edition
Santorini **********
That Time You Killed Me
Targi ***************
Memoir 44
Jaipur
Warhammer Underworlds
Lost Cities **********
Space Hulk
Mythic Mischief
Undaunted Normandy **********
Caper Europe **********
Spirit Island **********
535
Ankh
Sleeping Gods
World Breakers / Magic The Gathering
Lacuna
Targi
Air Land & Sea
Dice Thrown / Battle Yahtzee **********
Everdell **********
Wingspan **********
Plunder A Pirate's Life
Miller Zoo
CDSK
7 Wonders Duel **********
Res Arcana **********
Twilight Struggle
Lord of the Rings
Agricola
Innovation
Unmatched
Undaunted Normandy **********
Shores of Tripoli
Radlands
Stardew Valley (Digital)
The Initiative **********
Unmatched **********
Dice Thrown **********
Fort
Radlands
Ashes Reborn
Innovation (maybe works good as 3 player)
Castles of Burgurndy (digital good too) **********
Lord Of the Rings
Critters at War / Air Land And Sea
Undaunted Normandy
Android Netrunner **********
Neuroshima Hex 3
Silver Bullet
Fort
Seasons
Roll Player
Fox In the Forest
Santorini **********
Hive
Azul **********
Chai Tea for 2
BoonLake
Grand Austria Hotel
Arc Nova
Quest for El Dorado
Empires of The North
Dice Miner
Five Tribes
Terracotta Army
Great Western Trail - Argentina **********
Unmatched
Lost Cities **********
Onitama
Patchwork **********
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective **********
Watergate **********
Arboretum ***********
Caesar -
Schotten Totten -
Fungi -
Sobek: 2 Players -
Horrified
Brass Birmingham **********
Spirit Island **********
7 Wonders - Duel **********
Twilight Struggle **********
Beer and Bread
Castles of Burgundy **********
Santorini **********
Azul **********
Res Arcana **********
Patchwork **********
Boop
Sobek
Qawale
You need to play Mythic Battles. Fabulous hand management system. It’s simply the best game!
No Battlecon? I _lurve_ Battlecon.
Also, Mage Wars. I have Mage Wars Academy, but I love the map in Arena (even though it makes the game like 4 times longer)
I have Space Hulk , but haven't played it yet. Like, I've literally owned it for at least 7 or 8 years, but it's never made it to the table. I think I need to try it now.
Edit: Oh, and Android Netrunner (the Fantasy Flight LCG version) and Warhammer: Invasion are both great two-player games, too (and are both OOP as far as I know)
Thanks for making this list. Makes me really want to pull out some of my 2-player games and play them again. Especially Mage Wars and Battlecon (neither of which I've played in a while)
Canopy is the best two player game in recent years.
Have to disagree with most of this list. First of all, Caper Europe is not very good. I found it awkward and not very enjoyable...perhaps a few more plays might sway me but am leaning towards selling. As Paula mentions, as an avid gamer I am often in situations where it is two player only and therefore seek out as many games as possible that are great for or specifically designed for two player. I recently acquired Targi and am looking forward to playing. Games I feel missed are: Patchwork, Splendor Duel, Raptor and Battle Line; with Beer and Bread as honourable mention. My other top two player games that aren't specifically designed for that: Love Letter, Archaeology, Biblios, Cascadia and Cat Lady.
Love seeing Targi so high :) I hope you one friend was available 🤣
Do you do painring mini streams?