Board Games that are BEST at 2 Players
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2024
- For this Top 10 List we go over our the best board games at 2 players! Now these are not 2 player games, but games that can be played at higher player counts but are best and the most fun, at 2 players! Let us know what ones we missed in the comments below!
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Игры
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What's another game that is BEST at 2 players?
Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition for sure makes my list. I tend to prefer the real Terraforming Mars with more players, but Ares sings with 2 when you use a set of cards for the AI to also trigger a phase each round because it kicks up the pace of the game.
Marvel champions is best at 2!
Cloudspire
Gloom/Frosthaven and pretty much any "escape room" games (Unlock, Exit, etc).
Seasons
Love that “original” image for GRAND AUSTRIA HOTEL!
Yeah, that caught me off guard. I was like whhaaaattt!?
Great pace and content guys, thank you...some interesting choices with great info!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Interesting to see GWT make it on here. For us, Underwater Cities at 2p has been an absolute banger. Castles of Burgundy for medium weight, Lost Cities for lightweight probably.
Ah yeah underwater cities is a great choice too!
Lost Cities wouldn't make the list because it's 2p only, but I see you on the other two.
Great selection. Those 3 games are in my top 10 for 2 players as well. Lets add Patchwork, Azul, Ginkgopolis, Fantasy Realms, Splendor, Res Arcana and Robinson Crusoe and you have the 10 very best 2 player games of all time (2024).
@@Force-of-Will yeah Gink has easily crept into our rotation. Such a brilliant game.
I like Dice Miner most at 3. The way a single tool offsets any number of Hazard Dice almost eliminates that tension when you get that many dice at 2. I find the cheers passing a beer much more interesting when you have a choice of opponents to roll the dice to.
Good to see a fellow two-player five tribes enthusiast. I was taught the game at 4 and thought "I really don't like this game." I got it years later to give it another shot after loving Yamataï and played it at two and it's wonderful. I think, like you said, the fact that you really can't plan your turns much with higher players really hurt it. That and I'm much more invested in the state of the board and the other player's turn at two. Some djin cards feel more OP with two though, especially the ones that let you claim areas on the board with no workers or with workers. Still though, amazing at 2.
Y’all are definitely right about dice miner! Such an amazing game at 2! Love rolling all those dice!!!
So. Many. Dice.
Great picks guys! Thanks 🙏🏼
Cheers!
The Brothers Murph are best at 2. Very much want to play Dice Miner (for lots of fun), El Dorado (for more lots of fun) and build up to Grand Austria Hotel with my wife. Great suggestions, great video.
Interesting list! We only ever play at 2 player (except for games that are available on BGA), and I agree with the games I've played, although I thought maybe The Quest for El Dorado would be better at higher player counts (though your points do make sense). As hard as it is to get more people to want to play, it is great some games work best at 2. I'm lucky to have someone to play with at all, I suppose!
Dice Miner was my first thought. We usually play 3 or 4 but I want to play it as a 2 player because I want to roll a massive amount of dice!
Was just thinking the same thing about El Dorado the other night when we played with more players for the first time! For my wife and I, we really enjoy Fantasy Realms at 2 players even though it’s a variant. And based on the cover, I haven’t played that version of Grand Austria Hotel, haha.
Very few have haha ;P
Great idea for a list and you two are very well placed to be experts on this 😄
Hahaha we aren’t experts on much but dang we have played a lot of games 2 player
Two games that I really enjoy at 2 are Merv and Iwari. They both add a strategic third player type mechanism that the players can manipulate on their turns. So as opposed to being slimmed down at two they feel more robust, but not more complex or lengthier.
Good call on Merv!
Interesting! I prefer to play Iwari with 3, but you've given me something to think about - enjoy!
This was a pleasantly surprising list! It'd be great to see a top 10 games with a 3 player count list as well!
We should definitely do that sometime
@@TheBrothersMurph The best game at 3 players is Churchill, the struggle for Peace. Stalin, FDR and Churchill cooperate to beat the Axis powers but also compete to win the most points but not to many points or number two wins.
I feel like most games are best at 3 so then it kinda just becomes a top 10 list
Roads and Boats, Antiquity, Race for the Galaxy, Dice Throne, Agricola, most campaign/adventure games (TMB, Gloomhaven, Arkham Horror LCG, Tainted Grail, etc.) and multiplayer solitaire games as well.
Awesome content! Obsession is definitely best at 2.
I'll play it at any count because I love it. Even the solo mode is good.
Castles of Burgundy, Grand Austria Hotel and Ark Nova come to mind for me. I agree with Empires of the North as well.
Wingspan and Parks are two games that my wife and I love playing with up to five but discovered they are even better and faster with just the two of us.
Good call!
Haven't played Parks, but regarding Wingspan I feel like 2 player significantly impacts certain types of birds such as the "once per turn" ones and it makes it a little less dynamic overall...for me, Wingspan's for 4 or 5, though the Asia expansion makes it a little improved at 2.
We are adding some automa actions for two player Wingspan games to help stuff like bird/food rotation and pink powers work better. Haven't even tested the actual 2p version of Wingspan yet.
I've been playing the solo mode of Earth over the past week. I finally played a 4-player game, and it was way too chaotic. Definitely will be playing it only at 2-player moving forward.
Good to know!
For games that I would always prefer to play them at 2 for me it usually means that the higher player count just adds more downtime without adding anything particularly interesting to the game experience. Res Arcana and Azul come to mind for me. Also, just because it technically says it can be played at 3 or 4, I’ll include war of the ring on my list
Great list!
Glad you think so!
I like Roccoco best at 2 and probably Raccoon Tycoon too. Same reason you guys cited of getting to do more stuff! Agree 100% with Dice Miner.
The guy in the lower right corner by Grande Austria Hotel is hilarious. I think it's unintentional but funny never the less 🤣🤣
Oh it’s 100% intentional nick drew that haha
I guess Lewis & Clark is one of those games too. Didn't play it with more than two players though but I imagine the down time gets bigger and bigger with more players.
I was thinking the same thing about Lewis & Clark.
Games that should really be "2 player only" but are advertised as more than 2...
Dice Throne
Ashes
Star Wars Rebellion
Games that are best at 2 that you did not already say (but are actually good games at 3+)
Azul
Earth
Res Arcana
Race for the Galaxy
Gloomhaven
Arkham Horror The Card Game
Spirit Island
Paladins of the West Kingdom
And that is just off the top of my head! :)
Great picks
the way I approach Five Tribes is I think about what I wanted (markets, viziers, genies) and then look for that specifically. It also helps that I can usually recognize board states almost immediately for this game, so I can quickly see what's "possible"
That’s how i play it too! Its the best way to play. I’ve played 3 player games that take an hour and 20 minutes this way.
@@shortydancer one trick I use every now and then for board state is to think about parity. If you think of the board like a chess board, and the square you start on as a black square, if the number of Meeples is odd, you will land on a white square, and if the number of meeples is even, you will land on a black square.
@@gingerscholar152 lol I think I’m the same way. But I first count how many spaces away I want to go. Then if that number is odd or even, then the meeple count must also be odd or even. Help a lot when you have a bunch of meeples on one tile and you want to do a big move where you go in a circle.
owaa amazing and helpful video with good sound and video quality with proper instruction.its working on my device.
Glad you’re enjoying!
Hah, my pavlovian response upon hearing 'Grand Austria Hotel" to look at the box art did NOT disappoint. 🤣🤣🤣
Hehehe we were hoping someone would notice!
I really like running escape the dark castle at two players!! Another fun one is calico!
The Quest for El Dorado is a good game at all player counts, but I agree it's best at 2 players. As you mentioned, it's more strategic at 2 while also being more forgiving since it's possible to draw a hand that does nothing for one meeple, but is perfect for the other. I often try to leave each meeple with a different path forward so I can minimize turns with wasted cards. But the #1 reason I prefer it at 2 players is that you have more time to build your deck. You only have to keep pace with 1 person and they have to get 2 meeples to the end. So it's less risky to choose to go slow and buy up cards to enable you to race ahead later in the game. You can also let 1 meeple hang out by card destruction spots to thin your deck while advancing your other meeple with the cards you want to keep.
- I was hoping Dice Miner would be on here, so many dice!
- same with Ark Nova, just time wise 2 is best.
- Wow, surprised to learn that my grp may be in the minority, as we love Unmatched 2v2 or 3p FFA.
- Five Tribes still on my list gotta try it.
- I would add Wingspan, SCOUT, & Res Arcana.
Great list! I immediately thought of Five Tribes - I'll play it any count, but with two, I think you can better combo back to back turns (I enjoy manipulating the bidding for turn order!). Lots of Brookles Catookles games could be on this list - Kingdomino 2 player is especially great, going 7x7 - love it!). Quest for El Dorado is also an excellent choice. Your humble patron ~ Durk Master Funk
But you totally lose the bidding mechanic with two players!
@@shortydancer What makes you say that? Bidding for turn order is still part of the game. Happy dancing, Shorty!
@@dandurkin9735 it just seems with two players you don’t need to bid anymore.
@@shortydancerGo do a tango with the rule book and discover that this is not correct. Enjoy!
@@dandurkin9735 I’ve played five tribes many times and know how to play, thank you. The bidding mechanic is there with all player counts. But it’s essentially null with two players.
I see where you're coming from about GWT, though having played it only recently for the first and second time (2 player and 3 player, respectively), I actually really enjoyed it at 3. Certain upgrades, like the movement points, became more useful. Everyone was collecting income from everyone, route decisions became an actual choice to make, removing hazards was more viable. It is a longer game, but I thoroughly loved the decision making at 3 players.
It’s a great game at all player counts honestly. And now I just wanna play it haha
That round 3 starting dice roll in Dice Miner at 2 players is bonkers.
It’s so awesome
Azul isa good game all round - but it’s at 2 players where the meanness of the drafting mechanism really shines.
I absolutely agree with the idea, that if you can’t play a game as a two-players, you hardly ever get to play it! Of course, there are the lucky ones, who have a group of like minded individuals, - but so many have only one steady gaming partner (a child or a spouse, mostly).
I would really like to play Terracotta Army!
My own list is very light and basic: Patchwork (and P Doodle), Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers, and Little Prince. That latter one by Antoine Bauza is my favorite wind up after a hard day / hygge game.
PS The way Nick gets excited about points is just super charming!..
Hehehe nick loves points!
Thank you!
Cheers!
I just got Jaipur and Hanamikoji ! We love it!
Very nice! We love both of those
I'm surprised to see The Quest for El Dorado on here. I have not played it yet, but because it's somewhat of a racing game I had assumed it would be best at 3 or 4 players. I'll have to try it in order to find out! Definitely not going to let these Murph brothers dictate the player counts I play at! No siree!
Hahaha definitely don’t let us dictate anything this is a smart way to live!
Thanks for this video, I love playing 2 players! No timestamps though?
Ah we forgot them. We’ll get them added in here
My favorite games for two: GWT, Austria hotel and BOONLAKE!!! Ye)))))
Watching you two guys convinced me there is only one of you and it's filmed with a costume change and split screen camera work... :D
The plot thickens!
That explains the frequent mind meld moments. There is no Nick. There is no Mike. There is only Mick!
lol - that's a funny alternate cover for grand Austria hotel...
Thanks!
Hey now big thanks to you!
You can play more, but Dice Throne would be my recommendation. Even though it's likely predominantly played at 2 players anyway.
Very good call I put that firmly into the category of unmatched where “it’s more than 2 players” but we know what’s actually up
Great list guys! I actually like Ark Nova best at 1!!! 😮
Oooh nice!
Spirit Island - Less things you have to 5head about and way shorter game. It is just so much easier to cooperate and strategize in a 2 player game.
Good call
Of all the games mentioned, do any of them play well digitally on PC?
BoonLake
Grand Austria Hotel
Arc Nova
Quest for El Dorado
Empires of The North
Dice Miner
Five Tribes
Terracotta Army
Great Western Trail - Argentina
Unmatched
Its my time again (maybe my 5th) to ask if you played Dale of Merchants? As always I promise you will like it and say "Why didnt I listen to FSU Gnome and try it sooner!" It works well with 2 players 3 and 4. Fast deckbuilding that gives you something to do with what you buy from the row of cards. Cute art. Clever mechanics. Many different factions to tailor how you enjoy playing. TRY IT OUT. Im not paid or affiliated with them.
We still have failed you, but definitely it is on our list of interest! We really do need to track that one down here at some point
Disney Villainous for sure. Too much downtime between turns with more players. It's also hard to track more than one opponent's progress to know when to use a fate action on them!
Agreed!
Watching 🎉
Terracotta Army - so true. I played it a 4 players after probably 5+ plays at 2 player (haven't tried it at 3 yet), and the 4 player game felt like a totally different (and less fun) version of the game. Definitely prefer it at 2 players.
Heck yeah!
Some games I prefer at 2:
Ora et Labora, Mandala Stones, any of the Azul games
Love Star Wars Rebellion and Street fighter the Miniatures game for 2-player options
Noice!
One of the reasons that games are best with two players is asymmetry. And I don't mean with different starting player. Factions like root or Scythe. Basically, I think if you are diagonally opposite the board, reading a row of cards with small text upside down, you are at a tremendous disadvantage. Setting up such a game and off the top of my head. Coinbra is one. The two players can be sitting right in front of the board and they can be reading everything and there is no disadvantage and no getting up to try and read what the cards say.
Ark Nova and GAH are amazing games.
Santorini is great at 2. In my head it’s a 2 player game. Good points on your list!
Totally agree!
KINDA disagree with Ark Nova here...too many breaks can churn the decks too much, and there are ways of progressing the game a little more quickly and triggering a break more quickly in some circumstances. I like the pace of the game just fine at 4 and 3.
A couple of 2-player favorites are Wild Serengeti and Ares Expedition vs a higher player count.
I can dig it. Glad you like it at 3-4 that’s dope. Really excited for the expansion btw!
That dopamine drip 🤣 Gimme POINTS!
yummy yummy!
I was waiting and waiting for the best game for two to apear, but... It wasn't. Where is Radlands? 😅 If you don't know that One, you really should. You Will love it!!
We’re just not big fans of that one unfortunately :-/
We really enjoy dice miner at 3 and el dorado at 4.
Awesome!
I've tried Everdell at all player counts and I vastly prefer it at two players. Bunny Kingdom, also best at two, and the small game, Tussie Mussie is basically a two player game.
Good picks!
Hmm the reason why you dislike Five Tribes at 4 is the exact reason why I love it. You have to be quick on your toes and change your strategy according to how the board changes.
SW Rebellion...says on the box 2-4, but really is only 2 players
Paris: La Cité de la Lumière should be on 2p list. Great replay value, excellent theme and very thinky yet minimal. It didn't get as much attention as patchwork or azul but just so much better than other games.
Great game. Not on this list as we’re not doing 2 player ONLY games but we’re doing that list soon so it may just make it on there :)
Gute Liste!
Ich spiele am liebsten Carpe Diem und Flügelschlag zu zweit (beides mit meiner Frau).
Great choices!
I agree with Ark Nova, even though I've only played it at 2. I can't imagine 3 or 4 being very fun. It'd just be a slog.
No. Its great for 4. Ive played 5 times and it was great. No downtime(thanks to my friends)
An unusual one I think is Ankh, gods of Egypt.
A heavy game that plays best at 2 or 4 in my opinion
Nice!
Our game that we would only play with 2 players is Villainous, it plays great as back to back game, but with more players it becomes too chaotic
Plus it can get soooo slow at higher player counts and there’s nothing to do when it’s not your turn
Villainous was on our short list for sure. Completely agree
Villainous is a 1 player game. The box contains several individual mini games connected by theme. Comparing scores at the end is meaningless.
If I am racing my friend in my house but his finish line is the door and mine is the fireplace, did we actually race each other or just participate in the same activity in the same place?
@@grog3514 I'm not sure I understand what you mean, did you mean multi-player solo? This is an asymmetric game when each character has its own goal, but there is some interaction because of the Fates cards being played. There is not too much depth to it, still a fun puzzle when you play it at 2. Luck of the cards draw can be certainly upsetting for some players, usually you have some cards in your deck that would allow you to search for what you need or you can frequently use a discard action.
@@play-it-or-not the fate cards are a lazy attempt at player interaction. It isn't asymmetrical because there is no shared board and no one is playing the same game. Only mini games that are contained under the same name.
Surprised you don't have Seasons in the to 10. By far my favorite at 2.
We chatted about that one for sure. A worth choice!
Just done reading the rules of A feast for odin , want to try it with my girlfriend this week end .
Do you think it’s good enough at 2 or should we wait for a third/fourth player???
Perfect at 2 and even solo!
Def great at 2 player don’t delay!
@@TheBrothersMurph played it today and reaallly loved it !!!
We definitely need to get good lol 27-24 after all the penalty 😅
Terraforming mars with drafting for sure
Worrrrrrrrd
Antiquity is great at two players too.
Nice we gotta try it
Enjoy at 2:
Five tribes
Lost ruins of Arnak
Noice!
How would these games rank if grouped together with your two player only games?
Good question. Not sure off hand but probably the best at 2 player games would generally win out because they are games that are more in our “all time” list
@@TheBrothersMurph, that seems like a legit answer. Thank you!
Boonlake the 2 player is too wide open and it’s too easy to do everything. It needs a variant. Have you played it at 3 or 4?
Naw not yet. Honestly afraid of how long it will be. The game is def more open at 2 I do agree there
@@TheBrothersMurph it actually moves quicker than you think because there is more movement on the river.
Paladins of the West Kingdom. Like Boonlake.. just the time
If the current company that produces the game of "CLUE " would collaborate on creating a basic deck of cards with a "CLUE " game theme, i will supply people with rules that would make it possible to fairly play the game of "CLUE " between two people.
How about 7 wonders duel?
Mike enjoys that one quite a bit but we’d save it for a list of specifically 2 player only games :)
Ark Nova is better 3p. More time to think about your next turn. First 2p games were about 3 hours, now we have about 2 hours with 4 players and 1,5 with 2 and 3 players. But conservation projects are the main difference. You are not blocked and even with bad hand you have a chance to do somenhing.
I can dig it
What about a 6 players games and racing games
We can def give a think about those ones!
Baseball Highlights? Although that feels like a cheaty choice haha
That definitely falls into the category that we put unmatched in. It’s a 2 player game through and through haha
Idk does anyone else have it like me, re/ the point around 8:05, where i am the OPPOSITE. Like, if the game has counting points (which is not my favourite win condition at all), i will like it more if its like 7 to 5 to 4 to 3, than 76 to 54 to 89 to 102 points. I hate VPs, but if a game absolutely needs them (as a lot of them do sadly), at least... mąkę each one count.
I definitely think there will be others that fall into your camp :) for us, gimme them VP’s all day!
I can't even argue that Unmatched at 2 is not better, but man, we have a ton of fun playing it at 3 in our house. If unmatched looks like your kind of game, you shouldn't let the player count stop you.
That's truth
5 Tribes with all expansions is best at 2 players
I should also add that the beginning of round bidding is the most important in a 2-player game because you want to have back-to-back turns (or block your opponent from having a back to back turn).
Yeah that’s true it’s fun to get back to back turns sometimes but mostly we can’t be bothered with the bidding
Am I seeing Grand Austria Hotel correctly??? 😂😂😂
Hehehe maaayyyyyybe
3 more other great titles for 2p: Paladins, Spirit Island, Res Arcana.
We really need to play Res Arcana again
@@TheBrothersMurph You do - with BOTH expansions and drafting 🙏 No other game like it and under 45 minutes . EotN is near but too long 😔
Qué hermosa😍😎
1. Spirit Island
2. Castles of Burgundy
3. Grand Austria Hotel
4. Ark Nova
5. Oh My Goods
6. Coloretto
7. Res Arcana
8. Azul
9. Santorini
10. Innovation
Great list!
@@TheBrothersMurph Thank you!
Have your tried Ankh? Apparently it is amazing at 2p
Ooh we haven’t but that’s great to know!
Personally, I think GWT is best at 3 players. My player count preference would be 3,2, then 4. With 3, there are more of my opponents buildings out there, which means I have to plan out my turns a little more. And I like that. With 2, it's way more open. I can more easily avoid all their buildings and traps, so they feel useless. With 4, I think the road is too clogged and keeps me from getting to KC more often.
I can dig it!
Yes, 3 with folks who know the game!
Dice Throne is best at 2 players, in my opinion.
Truth!
Down Force
Ooooh controversial pick!
Mythic Mischief. 3-4 player is so bad and the rulebook is bad because of it too.
We haven’t played that one yet but does from the look feel like it should be a 2 player game
Pausing at 9:22 to ask how in the world you play Five Tribes without bidding for turn order. I feel like you're ignoring like 20% of the game doing that. Come on Murph Bros, you're better than that.
Nawwww at 2 just take turns is much better
Just got your UnMurphed set 🙂Can't wait to try it 🙂
Hope you like it!
@@TheBrothersMurph I'm sure I will 🙂Incredible look to the set 🙂