Good two-player games

Boardgames
61

I cannot believe Arboretum has not been mentioned. I know the game is 2-4 players, but at 2 it becomes another beast.

2 Likes
62

Yeah. Ashes is up there, but Iā€™m too casual nowadays. The basic sets for Netrunner are approachable enough.

1 Like
63

One of the things I like about Ashes is that the community is very welcoming to filthy casuals like me.

4 Likes
64

Iā€™m really struggling to get into ashes still. Play occasional games with friends but the maths are tooā€¦ Transparent? Like a lot of cards are on a 1/2/3 scale, which naturally just brings out the optimisation numbers puzzle with zero feel of theme? The numbers never fade out to feel the game like other card games do.

1 Like
65

Hmm. I bookmarked that post overnight to write a better reply when I was awake, but Iā€™m not sure Iā€™ve got there yet. Possibly because Iā€™m still mostly exploring the precons rather than delving into the actual construction part, Iā€™m not getting the same feeling - when I tried the last of the core precons I hadnā€™t played (at Airecon against @Lordof1), Saria Guideman, I got a very strong impression from looking through the cards that this was the style I was meant to play in with this deck.

2 Likes
66

My friends and I have been playing the basic constructed sets that are floating around the internet. Forget what theyā€™re called, but a fan has made several sets that provide the most decks out of a single playset of cards (that make for an interesting mini-meta within themselves). It does mean decks are cut down to a lower strength since the strongest cards can only make it into one or two decks, but it gives a good feel for something beyond precons whilst still being able to try a bunch of different heroes in a single afternoon.

EDIT: Itā€™s called Adventuring Party: https://jaysonsethlindley.medium.com/adventuring-party-six-constructed-ashes-decks-from-one-collection-1a2e6a2d3260
(Thereā€™s a whole bunch of different sets if you Google ā€˜ashes adventuring party [1/2/3etc]ā€™)

3 Likes
67

Yup, I think weā€™ll be trying those next time we get a chance.

4 Likes
68

A few more that hadnā€™t been mentioned already:

At Least a Bit Chesslike:

  • Cairn ā€“ rather like Onitama with some extra complexity, and a gameplay arc which gets progressively more chaotic.
  • Ponte del Diavolo ā€“ abstract. create islands and connect them with bridges, while blocking your opponent.

Not Really Chesslike:

  • Great Plains ā€“ fast-playing area control on a randomised map. expand from your caves to either claim territory (potential points) or to claim special abilities which can help you navigate the map, and fend off your opponent.
  • Lacuna ā€“ extremely quick-playing abstract area control with lovely components.
  • Land vs Sea ā€“ cut-throat competitive tile-laying, with beautifully-detailed old-world map tiles.
  • Mandala ā€“ abstract. play and collect colourful cards on a cloth playmat, while trying to manipulate which cards are worth collecting. potentially a maths fest, but reportedly playable on gut-feel.
  • Paris: La CitĆ© de la LumiĆØre ā€“ polyomino-tile layer in two phases, firstly claiming map regions, and later building upon them, trying to adjoin your buildings to as many street lights as possible. Rewards players who can plan ahead. Messing with your opponentā€™s plans can be a thing.
  • Sky Tango ā€“ quick and simple card game with pretty cards, where you attempt to make scoring sequences while interfering with your opponentā€™s attempts to do the same. the bgg rating is fair, but Iā€™m still quite fond of it.
4 Likes