Best Board Games for Two Players

Are you planning a playful evening with your sweetheart but you don’t know what to play? Here is a list of the best board games for two

There is nothing like an evening spent playing together to strengthen a relationship. Of course, you need a little imagination to avoid opting for the usual Chess, for Monopoly or for Risiko, which in the long run certainly tire the less loyal. Fortunately for you, however, we are here, with a nice roundup of the best board games for two; a list of titles that we believe are perfect for sharing hours and hours of pure entertainment with your partner. To choose them, we got the help of the guys from the Goblin Café, who know about board games and advice. We have divided them by category, so that you can find the right game for every situation. Are you ready? Let’s start!

Best Cooperative Board Games for Two

Arkham Horror

Unimaginable horrors, challenges that will challenge your sanity. Will you be able to survive the terrible threat of the Ancient One together? Arkham Horror is one of the most engaging and well-known cooperative board games in the world. You will play as a group (or a couple) of brave investigators who train in the gloomy streets of Arkham and collaborate to prevent the return of the Ancient One. The perfect game, therefore, to play with the better half to share the fight in health and in sickness (mental, above all). We recommend it for long Sunday evenings, with a little rain to act as an atmosphere and to mark your moves.

Category: Adventure
Publisher: Asmodee Italia
Age: 14+
Duration: 120+
Players: 1-6

Zombicide

Did you say zombie apocalypse? Well yes, what better way to share time than fighting to survive together? In Zombicide each of you will in fact control a person trapped in a city infested by zombies, and you will have to join forces to complete your missions and escape unscathed from danger.. From the Middle Ages to Space, choose your version and the expansion that’s right for you and immerse yourself in an adventure to the last breath.

Category: Survival
Publisher: Asmodee Italia
Age: 13+
Duration: 60 min
Players: 1-6

Best Competitive Board Games for Two

7 Wonders Duel

Planning and strategy: these are the keywords of German-style games. And there is no better German, for two players, than 7 Wonders Duel, a duel version also set in the Greek world of 7 Wonders. Build your wonder, develop your science and your army, and erect prestigious buildings to lead your civilization to victory. But remember: your better half will do the same, and only one of you can win.

Category: Strategic
Publisher: Asterion Press
Age: 10+
Duration: 20 minutes
Players: 2

Colors of Paris

Paris, early twentieth century. A group of painters gathered in an art workshop to create an informal competition, the bateau lavoir. The winner, however, will be the painter who will paint the pictures capable of leaving a mark on history. In Couleurs de Paris each of you will play the role of a great master of the time, and during your turn you can use your collaborators to buy primary colors, mix them and paint your masterpieces. The actions each turn will be limited, however, and you will have to compete for them to get to the conclusion of your table first. The painter who accumulates the most points by showing the city his undeniable talent wins.

Category: Strategy (Placement)
Publisher: Gate on Games
Age: 10+
Duration: 60 minutes
Players: 2-4

Terraforming Mars

Compete with Mars and its resources, in a challenge to Terraform the Red Planet. Build settlements, forests and oceans. Work together to raise the temperature and create a liveable atmosphere, but in the meantime, accumulate resources and play project cards to distinguish yourself; in fact it will be only one Corporation that will lead humanity towards the new era.

Category: Strategic
Publisher: Ghenos Games
Age: 14+
Duration: 115 minutes
Players: 1-5

Best Abstract Board Games for two

Santorini

Simple and suitable for everyone, Santorini is probably the best abstract board game for two to play. The aim, in this case, is to place your builders on the building levels. The one of you who manages to place a builder on the third level of a building wins. Each turn you can choose to move a builder one space or build a building and you can decide to dome one of your buildings to steal the victory from your opponent. The Power of the Gods cards will help you in this task and hinder your opponent, to ensure you finish first.

Category: Abstract
Publisher: Cranio Creations
Age: 8+
Duration: 10-20 minutes
Players: 2-4

Best board (card) games for two

Volfyrion

Volfyrion is a competitive deck-building card game. You will lead two houses in war and you will have to spend time and resources to build your defenses and destroy the opposing city. But the challenge will not be that easy, because a fearsome creature has created its lair in the ruins near your settlements and is a threat to the forces of both of you.. Will you be strong enough to break the will of the Volfyirion Dragon and unleash his wrath on the opposing battlefield?

Category: Deck-building
Publisher: Tabula Games
Age: 14+
Duration: 30 minutes
Players: 2

Arkham Horror LCG

And we come to the last, but not least, and perhaps best known tip: Arkham Horror LCG. A collaborative card game set, of course, in the Lovecraftian world. Here, however, each investigator will attempt to solve a supernatural mystery by exploiting the resources he possesses in his deck of cards; it will be the choice of the investigator, therefore, to influence the possibilities of your team the most. Each game you play is a chapter in a larger campaign, and you can always integrate new decks and new resources as they come out.