Kiddo, you’re 9 years old, and so it’s time you learned all about the benefits of DEATH.
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Damn straight, time to kill of grandpa and grandma for points
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Yes but no. The original 2p mode involved extra components, but the revised 2p rules (included in the Britannia expansion; compatible with all maps) needs nothing other than a third set of cubes.
I won’t claim it’s the best 2p experience on offer, but personally I think it’s a shame that they omitted those rules from the big box manual, as I’ve played it a ton with 2 (standard map; 2-3p side) and enjoyed it every time.
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While I can see how some might feel this, we always really enjoy base Flamme Rouge with two. Flamme Rouge is so good it’s superb fun with any number of players, with or without expansions!
I’d highly recommend it for two player with a nine year old.
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Survive! Escape from Atlantis - okay, it’s hardly a modern euro, and might have too much interaction, and you need an expansion to play five, and I don’t even know if it’s still available… but it’s a riot, and for the right nine year old it would be a blast.
Jamaica is similarly not really a modern euro, but could be nine year old friendly.
The right answer, as for almost any board game question, is Carcassonne.
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We have Survive (The spinner and plastic 80s version), I really don’t like it 2 player.
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I don’t like it, but Keyflower might be worth a look. Another one that Kate really doesn’t like is Through the Desert
A friend of mine who loves Carcassonne thinks that Gunkonimo is good
Ra plays at 2, as does Ankh
I assume you must have Ticket to Ride?
Fast Sloths is banging, but hard to get, as is Orleans
Neom is a nice little thing
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How mandatory is the 5 player bit?
I was pondering suggesting the Colonists. It’s older now but it does euro with some unusual twists really well and with a choice of how many eras to play and possibilities of saving it you could easily break it down in to hour chunks. The different guilds also add some variety to each play by their combos.
And if you wanted to lose a day in the summer holidays you could do that too by playing all 4 eras in one go.
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Often when gaming we are in groups that split neatly into at least one five.
It’s probably the least important one, but I more likely to buy a game that plays up to five
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Skimming through my collection and cross-referencing with BGG player count and game time suggestions, you might consider any of:
- Dorfromantik
- K2
- Ra
- Through the Desert
Possibly Alubari, but I’ve yet to play it, and BGG says “45-120 mins” and I can’t tell whether that’s dependent on player-count or if even a 2p game might be a long one. But if, like most kids today, your 9-year-old is obsessed by 19th century railways and tea gardens, then it could be a winner.
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Based on this description, I went all-in and developed a Vassal module, and rewrote a rewrite of the rules. So I now feel like I have a very comprehensive understanding of the game, but still haven’t ever played it.
It does seem very interesting, and I am keen to play it (probably via Vassal) at some point. Sadly unsure it’s worth actually buying for a fat stack of money, given how hard such games are to table locally.
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I like Nusfjord. My partner really likes it and she always beats me. I lack the discipline and she is better at holding a strategy together.
It’s super fast - it’s almost the same kind of game as Agricola - All Creatures Big and small.
It’s a ball ache to set up though. I think the big box is worth getting just for the extra decks.
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I saw! Might give it a go on there 
Never tried Vassal but looks cool
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I know some of you have played Courtisans, and it’s available very widely (even in my local Waterstones!) Is it good? SUSD Tom liked it, but I saw another reviewer found it boring.
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I like it quite a bit.
It’'s not entirely unlike Forks: each turn you give one card to yourself, one to an opponent, one to the centre (above or below the line). Your final score in each family is the number of cards you hold, times +1 or -1 depending on the balance of cards at the table. Then there are special cards.
Not complicated to teach, though fiddly to work out how to play it well. And obviously there’s a certain amount of luck involved; but unlike some games of A War of Whispers it doesn’t devolve into everyone agreeing on which families are going to be worth points.
Are you going to be at any conventions I’m at in the near future? (ACNW, Airecon West, maybe Handycon in October.) I’d be happy to show it.
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It’s great game for 3-6 players that lasts 10-15 minutes.
I’m happy to play it but don’t think I’ll ever feel the need to own it.
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I’m not at any conventions soon, and for £20 I’m happy enough to just buy it if the local pub boardgames group might enjoy it as a simple starting-the-evening game.
Oo, I could get to Handycon now I look at it, will see if I’m free nearer the time.
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We’ll be at August Handycon, and probably the October one 
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So I just showed him Nusfjord, got a nope and Village, also nope. Through the Desert also nope…
EDIT Nusfjord is a winner after he described his favourite game as ‘going to places to get resources, to build better stuff, to get better actions’
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You can do all of that stuff in Nusfjord! If you’re mostly 2 player I can say it works well at that count.
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