Great Games for Two

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and rather than going out, why not spend the evening bonding over a game? Every year my husband and I spend Valentine’s Day playing board games together. It is a nice and quiet evening, and we get to spend quality time doing something we love. Here are some games we love at two players.

Viticulture

If you are looking for the perfect pairing with a glass of wine, you can’t go wrong with Viticulture. Viticulture is a worker placement game focused around running your own vineyard. While it plays up to six players, it does scale down to two very well without players feeling like they are missing player interaction. It is a medium weight euro, and can be taught easily enough to people who have not played worker placement games before.

Splendor

Rather than purchasing beautiful gems for your loved one, why not compete to see who can gather them and the prestige associated with them most quickly? Splendor is an engine building and set collection game that plays up to four players. It plays well at any player count, but really shines at two or three players. It is lightweight, and can be taught in around 2-3 minutes, while the playtime is around 30 minutes. That makes this the perfect game for playing before an evening out.

Dragoon

Maybe you and your significant other are not much for romantic dinners or dates, then why not conquer a human civilization instead? Dragoon is an area control game where players play as dragons looking to destroy or conquer human civilizations. The dragon who ends with the most gold at the end of the game wins. It is a relatively lightweight game, that plays well at two players, but can be played up to four players.

Hanamikoji

How about spending some time enjoying other cultures together? Hanamikoji is a beautifully illustrated area control game that focuses on players winning the favor of powerful and beautiful Geishas. It is a two player only game, which plays in about 15 minutes. It is extremely easy to teach, but can be very thinky while actively playing. Hanamikoji is a good option for those with very little time to play, but want a depth of strategy that extends past most filler games.

A Game of Thrones LCG

If you prefer something familiar and enjoy A Game of Thrones, the living card game may appeal to you. A Game of Thrones LCG (Second Edition) is a card drafting and simultaneous action selection game that will especially appeal to those who are familiar with either other living card games or trading card games. If you are not familiar with either, it may be a little more difficult to pick up the rules, but for a seasoned gamer it should still be easy enough. This game has the highest entry cost of the games listed, but also will provide the most replayability as players can easily change their decks to fit their playing style. Players who really enjoy Game of Thrones will be happy to hear they can finally swear fealty to their house of choosing and create a deck focuses on that play style.

The Castles of Burgundy

How about touring a country side and a castle? Even better yet, why not take control of that kingdom? In The Castles of Burgundy, players are competing to see whose kingdom is the most powerful. The game includes mechanics like dice rolling, tile placement and set collection. While this game may not have the most aesthetic appeal, it is a classic game that plays beautifully. Plus, it is even getting a deluxe edition now, which will hopefully help beautify it some. The game plays 2-4 players, but is best at two. It generally takes around a hour to play.