Best 2-Player Game of 2023 – CNET
Best 2-Player Game of 2023 - CNET
While it’s always fun to play games with a big group or to settle in for family game night, sometimes you just don’t have the people available. Fear not: There are plenty of amazing games designed for two people to go head to head without any issue. We’ve been testing board games for years now — which means playing as many as possible for as long as possible — and we’ve narrowed down the best two-player games you can buy.
“Board game” is a fairly generic term, so don’t be surprised if there are a lot of card games thrown in for good measure. Two-player games tend to lend themselves to shorter, simpler games, so a giant board isn’t always needed.
What’s the best 2-player game overall?
When it comes to quick and easy 2-player games, you really can’t beat The Fox in the Forest. It feels like a simple game, but there’s more complexity than you might think, and it’s easy for a couple of people to pick up and play for 30 minutes without issue. It’s a great way to start an evening.
The best 2-player games
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” overridecredit=”Renegade Games” techobjectinfo=”{"uuid":"fd1f4297-6cf2-442c-89f9-9cb8ccd7dc74","slug":"renegade-game-studios-the-fox-in-the-forest-card-game-0574rgs-a-trick-taking-game-for-2-players-age-10-and-up-30-min-playing","name":"Renegade Game Studios – The Fox in the Forest Card Game (0574RGS), A Trick-Taking Game for 2 Players, Age 10 and Up, 30 min Playing Time, Compact Size is Perfect for Travel, Teen & Adult Game Night","productType":"PRODUCT","updateType":"EZMONEY","mod":1693585921474,"displayDate":"Fri Sep 01 2023 12:32:01 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)"}” usepricing=”false” like=”~Easy to pick up and play ~Fun scoring system ~Beautiful artwork” dislike=”~Cards are a little flimsy” data-key=”cnetlisticle__709d8c64-6812-4d83-a882-62faf7d2a232″ position=”1″ contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”Best List – Precap” showdetails=”true” class=”c-shortcodeListicle g-border-thin-light-top g-inner-spacing-bottom-medium g-inner-spacing-left-large g-inner-spacing-right-large g-inner-spacing-bottom-xlarge g-outer-spacing-bottom-large g-border-thin-light-bottom g-border-thin-light-right g-border-thin-light-left”>
Like
- Easy to pick up and play
- Fun scoring system
- Beautiful artwork
Don’t like
- Cards are a little flimsy
The Fox in the Forest is a simple trick-taking game with a few special cards mixed into the traditional format — but unlike almost any other trick-taking game, it’s built for two players.
What makes The Fox in the Forest a great game is the unique card powers and the scoring system. Rather than trying to take all the tricks to win the game, you’re trying to take certain numbers of tricks for certain point values — and if you narrowly miss those ranges, you often miss out on a big bonus.
In many ways, The Fox in the Forest is a fairly traditional, simple game. But it’s well-balanced and the perfect length to pick up and play for 20 or 30 minutes.
- Number of players: 2
- Average game length (minutes): 30
- Game style: Card
- Price: $
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” overridecredit=”James Bricknell / CNET” usepricing=”true” like=”~Infinitely re-playable ~Beautiful artwork ~Community games available ” dislike=”~Can suck all of your money if you let it” data-key=”cnetlisticle__42fa9e76-7398-45db-a97b-877e433a3e35″ position=”2″ contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”Best List – Precap” showdetails=”true” class=”c-shortcodeListicle g-border-thin-light-top g-inner-spacing-bottom-medium g-inner-spacing-left-large g-inner-spacing-right-large g-inner-spacing-bottom-xlarge g-outer-spacing-bottom-large g-border-thin-light-bottom g-border-thin-light-right g-border-thin-light-left”>
Like
- Infinitely re-playable
- Beautiful artwork
- Community games available
Don’t like
- Can suck all of your money if you let it
No 2-player game list is complete without Magic: The Gathering. Made by the same company that makes D&D, Magic is a dueling game where you buy booster packs to build a deck of 60 cards. You then battle your opponent using spells, monsters and artifacts. There is a massive variety of cards to choose from and new packs are released every few months.
Magic: The Gathering is not just a card game, it’s a way of life, and while the starter kit is around 20 bucks, the game can run into the hundreds of dollars if you let it.
- Number of players: 2
- Average game length (minutes): 90
- Game style: Card
- Price: $$ – $$$$
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” overridecredit=”GMT Games” usepricing=”false” like=”~Giant strategy game for two ~Complex and thoughtful” dislike=”~Takes time to master” data-key=”cnetlisticle__23a33fa5-6bf4-4fac-8b2e-12273bc53d53″ position=”3″ contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”Best List – Precap” showdetails=”true” class=”c-shortcodeListicle g-border-thin-light-top g-inner-spacing-bottom-medium g-inner-spacing-left-large g-inner-spacing-right-large g-inner-spacing-bottom-xlarge g-outer-spacing-bottom-large g-border-thin-light-bottom g-border-thin-light-right g-border-thin-light-left”>
Like
- Giant strategy game for two
- Complex and thoughtful
Don’t like
- Takes time to master
Twilight Struggle balances the strategic complexity of a “big” game with the simple mechanics of a traditional conquest game like Risk. One player takes the role of the United States, and the other person plays as the USSR as you struggle for presence, domination or complete control of various battleground regions around the world. Both sides race to put a man on the moon and degrade the DEFCON status through military operations, while carefully avoiding the devastation of nuclear war (an instant loss) and spreading their influence across the globe in a tug of war for global power.
Twilight Struggle won’t be for everyone — this strategy board game is a time investment and your brain may feel like mush after playing it the first time. But few games on this list feel as satisfying to play, win or lose.
- Number of players: 2
- Average game length (minutes): 180+
- Game style: Board
- Price: $$$
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Tile-placement games are a mainstay for many board game enthusiasts, in part because of the fun of building a unique board each time you play. Many people have played Carcassonne, one of the most popular entries of the genre, but it’s actually not the best example of the game — and certainly not the best for two players. For me, it’s a toss-up between one of the best board games around in all categories, The Castles of Burgundy, and a solid game with killer two-player tile-laying action, Kingdomino.
In both games, players take tiles from a central space and add the tiles to their personal princedom or kingdom board (depending on the game). Both games perfectly balance the competition for tiles with the personal satisfaction of building your personal province without direct interference.
The two games seem similar but feel dramatically different. For the shorter, simpler game, go with Kingdomino. For playing a deeper, more complex game, opt for The Castles of Burgundy. Either way, you won’t be sorry.
- Number of players: 2
- Average game length (minutes): 15
- Game style: Tile
- Price: $
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” overridecredit=”Lookout Games” techobjectinfo=”{"uuid":"bd3db645-a6ff-492b-9f4b-95da33f8daad","slug":"patchwork-board-game-strategy-game-puzzle-game-family-board-game-two-player-game-for-kids-and-adults-ages-8-and-up-2","name":"Patchwork Board Game | Strategy Game | Puzzle Game | Family Board Game | Two Player Game for Kids and Adults | Ages 8 and up | 2 Players | Average Playtime 30 Minutes | Made by Lookout Games , Brown","productType":"PRODUCT","updateType":"AUTOPID","mod":1667436644309,"displayDate":"Wed Nov 02 2022 20:50:44 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)"}” usepricing=”false” like=”~Quirky and fun ~Fast and fun” dislike=”~Maybe too simple for some” data-key=”cnetlisticle__d0379f81-63e5-40ab-ad3a-dad1385634ab” position=”5″ contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”Best List – Precap” showdetails=”true” class=”c-shortcodeListicle g-border-thin-light-top g-inner-spacing-bottom-medium g-inner-spacing-left-large g-inner-spacing-right-large g-inner-spacing-bottom-xlarge g-outer-spacing-bottom-large g-border-thin-light-bottom g-border-thin-light-right g-border-thin-light-left”>
Like
- Quirky and fun
- Fast and fun
Don’t like
- Maybe too simple for some
If you’re in need of a simple puzzle game that’s easy to learn and soothes your anxieties, look no further than Patchwork, a game in which you “sew” your own quilt and race your competitor to collect buttons. The game is fast-paced, the racing and patch-buying elements satisfy competitive spirits, and the Tetris-like quilt-sewing mechanism is as gratifying as finishing a puzzle.
- Number of players: 2
- Average game length (minutes): 30
- Game style: Board
- Price: $$
