I wrote this blog post for a close friend of mine, Milana, and their husband, Cecil, so they can make some educated board game purchases. But hopefully this can be a resource to anybody or any couple looking to buy board games. The rest of this post I'll be speaking as if I'm talking to them directly.
Hey! Okay, so I'm not going to talk about every single game I've ever played as we discussed I might do. I decided that might be a bit much 😅 But instead I went through the top 1000 on boardgamegeek.com and looked for all the games that fit two main things. 1. They work well with 2 players. 2. I like it enough to actually recommend it in some form. Which, obviously, turned out to be a lot still, haha.
Note: Like, almost all these games are strategy board games. Those just tend to be the type of games I play.
There's four things I put for every game:
1. Complexity (1-5 scale)
1 = Uno levels of complexity -- you could teach/play this game with practically everyone
2 = Catan level -- Still quite straightforward, but definitely more complex than games like Uno
3 = Uh, losing good games to compare things to that you both would know.
4 = Pretty dang heavy
5 = The most complex games I've played
Don't worry about 1-3. I would hesitate before showing 4 or 5's to friends that don't have a lot of board gaming experience. Granted, I honestly don't know how much board gaming experience you have Cecil. But you're both more than competent anyway, so y'all will be fine.
2. Core Game Mechanics
Okay, so I've actually decided to break down many of the core game mechanics so you can have an easy reference to what they mean. So feel free to skip this section until a game peaks your interest and you want to hear more about what the game play actually looks like.
Action Selection: Each turn you choose 1 of several different choices. Rinse and repeat. For example: Each turn you may do two of the following: 1. Move 2. Remove a disease cube 3. Build a research center 4. Find a cure. Action Selection is pretty broad though and can vary quite a bit from the very basic example I gave.
Engine Building: I think this will appeal to Cecil since I know he likes rouge-likes. Throughout the game you get stuff that makes you stronger and stronger allowing you to get more stuff that makes you stronger and stronger. Beginning of the game you are weak. End of game you feel like you can do everything.
1v1 Combat: Game style like Risk where you are constantly punching each other in some direct way. I know this can be a push away for some people, which is why I'm labeling it.
Big Deck of Cards: There's this huge deck of cards that you're drawing from which makes each game different because you're drawing different cards each game.
Deck-Building (also Bag Building): You start the game with a bad deck. You add cards to your deck throughout the game making it stronger and building up combos etc.
Spatial Reasoning (which often goes hand in hand with Tile Placement): You have a grid of some form and are placing special shaped tiles onto it. Typically the goal is to fit everything as neat as possible or to fit certain things next to each other. Think Tetris, I guess.
Co-op: The game is cooperative, all the players are working together to win.
Word Association: Typically some variety of "I saw this word, which makes you think of this other word". Codenames is a prime example of a word association game.
Drafting: Limited number of resources/cards/something. We take turns picking from the same resources/cards/something. So each time you have to pick what you think is best for you (or perhaps pick what you think is best for your opponent to block them from getting that thing because once you take it, it is no longer available for them to take).
Resources/Resource Management: Currency in some form is a big part of the game. You have to be careful how you spend your money/wood/steel/wool etc. And then at some point you typically produce some more that you can then spend.
Asymmetrical Powers: Everybody has something super cool about them that makes them powerful in some way that others don't have.
Push Your Luck: You have choices that could benefit you but that come with a risk of losing some of your progress.
3. Game Length
This section is, uh, self-explanatory.
4. A paragraph on additional thoughts/notes about the game
Same with this one.
Highest Recommendations (in no particular order):
Scattergories
Complexity: 2
Core Game Mechanics: Word Association
Game Length: 30 minutes maybe?
Scattergories is goated. But Milana already knew that. Hopefully Cecil already knew that too, but if you didn't I hope you learn it soon because it's true. I suppose Scattergories definitely works better with more than 2, though, now that I think about it.
Wingspan
Complexity: 3
Core Game Mechanics: Engine Building, Big Deck of Cards, Action Selection
Game Length: 60-90 minutes
This game has become a mass hit over the past 5 years. The bird theme is a big draw, super fun to see all the different birds. I enjoy the game because of it's straight forward clean engine building and because of the theme. Play birds, get stuff, do cool combinations, play more birds, feel more powerful. Feels good. And is super aesthetically pleasing.
Dominion
Complexity: 2
Core Game Mechanics: Deck-Building, Engine Building
Game Length: 30-45 minutes
My favorite game of all time probably. Big draws to it for me are its quick and snappy gameplay and its replayability. I've played this game probably more than any other board game and each game is still fresh and fun. Really enjoy all the combinations and things you can pull off. It's so clean and simple and fun. The base game is free on Steam, so check it out there first if you want.
Patchwork
Complexity: 2
Core Game Mechanics: Spatial Reasoning/Tile Placement
Game Length: 30-45 minutes
This game is honestly so good. Built for two-players. The two core mechanics explain it all, really. It's all about fitting together these pieces, figuring out the best way to fit everything into your board. Trying to spend as few buttons (the currency in the game) as possible but still getting the pieces that fit the best. Great great great game, would recommend more than Wingspan and Dominion, honestly.
Just One
Complexity: 1
Core Game Mechanics: Co-op, Word Association
Game Length: However long you want
Okay, yes, yes, this game does not work with 2 players. But just go glance at this blog post and you'll understand why I put it on the list anyway.
Pandemic
Complexity: 2
Core Game Mechanics: Co-op, Action Selection
Game Length: 45 minutes
Big draw here is good, clean, simple co-op. You're working together going around trying to stop a global pandemic. The gameplay itself is just some basic action selection, so the choices individually aren't crazy complex, which makes it not intimidating. But there's definitely can be a lot of depth to those decisions making for some tight interesting decision making.
Kingdomino
Complexity: 2
Core Game Mechanics: Drafting, Spatial Reasoning/Tile Placement
Game Length: 15-25 minutes
Played this one with Milana before, so not going to talk much about it. Good, simple, tile drafting. Fitting it into your 5x5 grid to get you the most amount of points.
Also Recommend:
7 Wonders Duel
Complexity: 3
Core Game Mechanics: Drafting, Resources
Game Length: 30-45 minutes
7 Wonders is a wonderful drafting game, but it requires 4-7 players to shine. 7 Wonders: Duel has taken a lot of the core awesomeness and made it into a 2-player game.
Splendor Duel
Complexity: 2
Core Game Mechanics: Drafting, Resources
Game Length: 30-45 minutes
2-Player version of Splendor, which honestly should also be on this list.
The Castles of Burgundy
Complexity: 2
Core Game Mechanics: Action Selection, Tile Placement
Game Length: 45-75 minutes
I think this hits a nice spot for a lot of people. Honestly just feels like a cozy game to me. Pick some tiles, build your place, get tons of points. It's great. It's satisfying.
Quacks of Quedlinburg
Complexity: 3
Core Game Mechanics: Push Your Luck, Bag Building
Game Length: 60-90 minutes
Purchase cool ingredients to add to your bag of ingredients. Pull out ingredients and add them into your pot to make the best potion. Each ingredient has fun diverse powers. Can be a tad luck based for me even though it is definitely not all luck and the better player generally wins.
The Search for Planet X
Complexity: 2
Core Game Mechanics: Puzzle Solving/Critical Thinking, Action Selection
Game Length: 60 minutes
Played this with Milana before. It's soooo good and clever and awesome. It's everything Clue has ever wanted to be.
Azul: Summer Pavilion
Complexity: 2
Core Game Mechanics: Tile Placement
Game Length: 30-45 minutes
Put colors and symbols of the same type next to each other on your garden and get points! This is my favorite version of Azul because it's a bit deeper than the other versions, but feel free to look into normal Azul as well.
Wavelength
Complexity: 2
Core Game Mechanics: Word Association
Game Length: 45 minutes
Doesn't really work well with 2 players, but it's my favorite double date board game of all time. There's a free app for it. Download it and give it a whirl and see what you think (the two player for the app is great (and obviously you could do the same two player version for the actual board game, but I just don't think it's as good with only two)).
These are also great:
Sagrada
Complexity: 2
Core Game Mechanics: Drafting, Spatial Reasoning/Tile Placement
Game Length: 30-45 minutes
Great, simple, pretty game. Rolling dice and putting them into your stained glass window. Picking which dice you think will net you the most points. Probably honestly works better with 3 or 4, which is why it's not in a higher recommendation category. I think I may have played this one with Milana at some point? Not too sure.
Qwixx
Complexity: 1
Core Game Mechanics: Dice Rolling
Game Length: 15-25 minutes
Very simple dice rolling mostly luck game. I believe I have played this with Milana.
Terraforming Mars
Complexity: 4
Core Game Mechanics: Resource Management, Engine Building, Big Deck of Cards
Game Length: 90-120 minutes
I just love this game so much that I had to put it here even though I'm not so sure Milana would like it. But maybe you would! Just great great engine building resource management fun. Tight gameplay. So so good.
The Isle of Cats
Complexity: 3
Core Game Mechanics: Drafting, Spatial Reasoning
Game Length: 60-90 minutes
My parents have played this game a TON, which is why it's on this list. I also really enjoy it. There's the full version which I enjoy the most and a family version, which is exclusively what my parents play.
Small World
Complexity: 3
Core Game Mechanics: Area Control, Asymmetrical Powers, 1v1 combat
Game Length: 60 minutes
My cousin Joseph played this game a TON with an old girlfriend of his, which is why it's on this list. I also really enjoy it. Imagine Risk's area control, but fantasy themed with cool powers, more strategic combat, and quicker gameplay. It's great.
Summoner Wars (2nd Edition)
Complexity: 3
Core Game Mechanics: Grid-based tactical strategy, Asymmetrical, 1v1 combat
Game Length: 30 minutes
Love this game. Gameplay is tight and engaging. Each deck feels fresh and unique.
Five Tribes: The Djinns of Naqala
Complexity: 3
Core Game Mechanics: Action Selection??, Drag and Drop Pieces??
Game Length: 60-90 minutes
You know Mancala?? Now imagine that, but, like, waaay different. And you get this awesome game! Seriously super cool game that has a constant barrage of interesting decisions to make. Sorting through them all to find the best one can be tough (in a good way. But also in a bad way if it takes 90 years like it does sometimes).
I honestly don't really know why I put these on the list:
Ark Nova
Complexity: 4
Core Game Mechanics: Action Selection, Resource Management, Tile Placement, Big Deck of Cards
Game Length: 2-3 Hours
Ehhhh, just buy Terraforming Mars instead, imo. This game is good though.
Spirit Island
Complexity: 5
Core Game Mechanics: Co-op, Asymmetrical Powers, Area Control
Game Length: 2-3 Hours
This is probably the most complicated board game I own, which is why it's probably not a move. But it's also top 3 favorites, which is why I'm putting it on this list anyway.
Chess
Complexity: ???
Core Game Mechanics: Abstract Strategy, 1v1 combat
Game Length: ???
Yeah, you already know what chess is, so I don't know why it's on this list. But Chess is great!