Jaelan Mincey

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5 More Two Player Board Games

It's no secret that my husband and I are board game geeks. We have enjoyed a plethora of game types and themes. When we were looking to buy a house, one requirement was that it had a place where we could play and store board games, separate from the regular living area. It's been a while since I laid out my top 10 game picks for couples, so I thought it was fitting that I put out a new and improved two player board game list!Contrary to popular belief, there are board games for couples and board games that work as two player games. Especially now that we're 800 miles away from friends and family, finding board games for 2 people is vital. We've done all the hard work for you by spending countless nights toiling over dozens of game boards. But it was all worth it. Board games for couples can be hard to come by because board games for 2 players aren't always easy to find. Here are 5 great board games for 2 people!

More Great Board Games for Two Players

Istanbul 

Istanbul is a worker placement game that is perfect for two players because there is a 2-player variation written into the rules. The rules are pretty easy to understand too, which is a huge bonus because not all are easy. Basically, you're a merchant working to obtain rubies. In the two person game, the first player to 6 rubies wins! You travel about the board completing tasks and sending your rugrat family member off to run errands for you... let's just hope your opponent doesn't find him and send him back to jail for the reward! Have more than 2 people? This game is great for groups, too. Istanbul is a great board game for two players because it has a 2 player variation built into the rules.

Fuse

Fuse was a game I originally wasn't super excited about, but after one play I changed my mind. It's a timed dice-rolling game, so no matter what a game only lasts 10 minutes. Remind you of anything? Fuse is a co-op game which means everyone works together to solve a problem and win the game - the perfect board game for overly competitive couples or friends.In Fuse, you work together to defuse a stack of bombs. It's also played to a soundtrack! You can play to a track in which a woman pleads for you to defuse the bombs in order to save her, or a basic "clock" soundtrack where you listen to ticking and beeps until time runs out. Fuse is a super fast-paced game. When we play there's lots of yelling, dice are flying, and we almost always fall into a fit of giggles. It's a game that plays just as well with 2 people as it does 4. Also great for cardio... because your heart WILL be pumping. 

Scoville

Any green chile loving New Mexican should play this game... kidding, kind of. Luckily you don't have to be a scoville scale connoisseur to love this board game! Plant different types of peppers, harvest them, and learn different recipes to create the hottest hot sauce around. I love the theme of this game because it's just silly, but it's also a fantastic game to play with only 2 people. Game play is simple, and there are a lot of different strategies to win. The hottest game around - Scoville. This board game is fun for 2 players but also great for several players.

Five Tribes

Five Tribes is a fantastic 2-player game. It starts with meeples already in place, so instead of being a "worker placement" game, where you have pieces and you add them to specific parts of the board game, it's a worker movement game. In this game you move generic multi-colored meeples from one spot to the next in order to obtain property. There are "5 Tribes" in the land and when you move them, you're displacing them in order to take control of the land. Each tribe has a special ability that you're able to use when you keep a tribe together. My husband and I play Five Tribes because the rules are simple, but there's plenty of strategy that can be implemented making game play super fun and diverse. We played with a group of "non-boardgaming" friends and they caught on early and loved the game. Five tribes is the ultimate analysis paralysis board game for 2 players! We love playing this board game for couples.

Last Will

Your wealthy uncle dies and leaves all of his riches to the surviving family member who can spend a set amount of money the quickest! This game is as ironic as it is fun because the person who is the worst with money management is the winner. Spending money is harder than you think!Last Will is perfect for 2 players, but can be played with as many as 5. Playing this game always leads to conversations like, "but what would we really spend this money on?" Money Smart? This may not be the board game for you! Whoever spends money the quickest is the winner in this board game - perfect for 2 players.


Board games that can be played with 2 players will always be intriguing to me. I think 2-player board games are the perfect answer to date night. They're the date night investment that just keeps on giving. That's actually how we got into board games in the first place. As poor college kids, we opted to play board games and cook at home instead of spending the night (and money) out on the town. I think that decision has paid off time and time again.  These board games are perfect for date night! 2 player board games for a night in. Have you tried any of these two player board games? What are your favorite games to play? Do you generally play in a group or one on one?