2 Player Games
It's head-to-head battle time! All these recommendations are crowd favorites.
Four-in-a-row with four different win conditions. (height, color, shape, or solidness) Your opponent chooses the piece you have to play.
FLAMECRAFT DUALS
Place or stack colorful dragons and fire up their abilities to rearrange the dragons in play or place additional ones. An abstract pattern building game that's absolutely adorable.
A two player classic. Trading and selling goods and gems, but timing is important. Can you become the most powerful trader in Jaipur?
Love the artwork and the quick back and forth play. Play as opposing clans to defend your territory by playing the best poker-like card formations.
Each player will secretly choose a card and simultaneously reveal them to duel. The winner gains a signet ring (first to five wins) but the loser activates their ability which may just be to their advantage.
The simplest of rules. Play a card, take a card. But there's so much game here. It's a hallmark of designer Reiner Knizia's games. I'll play Lost Cities anytime. Love it. Did you say you wanted to play?
This game checks all the boxes for me! Simple yet complex, keeps my full attention, endless replayability. My son and nephew played 6-8 round back-to-back trying out the different maps and strategies. Eight different boards included, eight characters with individual abilities, and two different win conditions. This one will always live in my collection!
Pure abstract strategy with chunky rings and discs. Part of the GIPF series by Rio Grande Games. Simple rules but challenging gameplay. My favorite combination.
KING ME
Checkers like play. Area control. Multiple added objectives. It is currently out of print so if you can find a copy it's worth adding it to your collection. One of my son's and my favorite games.
STAR WARS the deckbuilding game
The name says it all. If you love Star Wars and deckbuilders you'll like this one. Star Wars and the Clone Wars variations are available. Plus a Mandalorian expansion that you can incorporate into the game and allows for a 3 player variant.
A great game to play with my Magic the Gathering loving son. Draft 3 of the 12 protocols each with their own playstyle. First to "compile" all 3 protocols wins. I can't wait to explore all the different variations of play this has to offer. Bonus: the cards are gorgeous and great quality. (Applause for the artist!)
Lord of the Rings theme plus strategic depth, YES please! The three different win conditions keep gameplay unpredictable and balanced. Theme is well integrated throughout.
How well can you mulitask under pressure? Myself - not great. But it's always fun to try. Fast paced push your luck for kids and adults alike. If you're still playing when the HIDDEN timer goes off, you instantly lose. It's harder than it looks!
Building your own personal combinations while using any opportunity to thwart your opponent's plan. It's great! And so pretty to look at. I want to play so much more of this.
An abstract strategy game with variable player powers and simple rules. In fabulous 3D. After my first round, I was smitten and couldn't wait to play again. So many characters and combinations to explore.
A relaxing area control game. I love how you get to assign point values to each of your own colors as you go. Quickly becoming a favorite.
Who wouldn't want to play as their favorite ninja turtle to defeat Shredder or Krang? Which will it be: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo?
So many characters available in the different expansions. Of course, it's Marvel and X-Men all the way for this family.
This is the TGC I can wrap my head around and play with my Magic loving son. And yes, he still whips me every time. (I think I just need more practice!)
Use your characters' special abilities to protect your village from werewolves. It's the traditional card game Golf with a werewolf twist and special character powers.