Howdy Gamers! As you probably know from my many mentions of it, I tend to play games mostly 2-player, just me and my husband. Because of that, I love when I can find a good 2-player only game because not everything that has a range starting at 2 is really great for that few players. So in case, like me, you find that you need more great games for 2, you might want to check these out!

I have again limited them to ones I own, as those are the ones I know the best and like the most. Additionally, I am aware that some of these can technically be played with more than 2, but they were designed with 2 and mind, and definitely play best at only 2 (at least in my opinion). So, without further ado, let’s gooooo!


10. Mastermind

Theme No real theme here as it’s an abstract game, but if I must say something I will say “proving you’re the most brilliant mastermind around!”

Mechanics – Guessing/deduction; abstract strategy

Why I Like It – It’s a classic! I used to play mini/easy versions of this in my old PC games (like Guess Who, 1999) and always really enjoyed guessing what the pattern was. While I don’t play it a ton, I have fun every time it hits the table!

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9. 13 Chefs

Theme – Chefs trying to hide from a ticked off manager who is sick of negative reviews!

Mechanics – Hidden Role; Deduction

Why I Like It – It’s light and quick and tons of fun! You don’t see a ton of 2-player hidden role games that work well (at least, I don’t) so I immediately thought this was a great addition to the collection. It’s also super cute and easy to teach which are both pluses.

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8. Foodfighters

Theme – It’s right in the name – food fighting! No, not like your typical school cafeteria food fights (though, do those really happen? Or is it just in movies/TV shows?) This is literally pieces of food fighting one another. Awesome.

Mechanics – Dice Rolling; Set Collection; Variable Player Powers

Why I Like It – It’s such a cute game between both the art and the theme, so I find it to be a good and silly time. I think the re-stickable stickers are super fun so you can combine any sets you want and have a really unique game! It’s also fun for both kids and adults alike so everyone can join the food fight!

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7. Tides of Time

Theme – Ancient Civilizations? I guess I’ve never really paid attention if there’s even really a theme here…

Mechanics – Drafting; Set Collection

Why I Like It – It plays really quickly, which is generally what I look for in a pure drafting game. I also really like that in such a simple game with only a few cards, there are so may ways to secure points, depending on what you draft, as well as what you choose to keep and discard round to round.  It feels like a big game in a little package and I love it!

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6. Crossfire + Fastrack

WUT?! A two-for-one entry?? Heck yes! These games are very similar, and I couldn’t choose between them, so I decided to combine them into one entry because, for one, I recommend them equally, and for another, I do what I want!

Theme – No theme slapped onto either of these, but they don’t really need/warrant one either

Mechanics – Real-Time/”Race”; Action/Dexterity

Why I Like Them – Whether I’m shooting the little silver balls in Crossfire or flinging the wooden discs in Fastrack, these games are just the right level of aggressive and exciting combined, which makes them a ton of fun. They also keep you on your toes are you play insanely quickly (you are racing after all) so it’s fun to play a few times in a row and see if you can get the best of your opponent!

Learn More – Crossfire
Learn More – Fastrack


5. Star Realms

You might remember Star Realms from This List! But if not…

Theme – Space; Sci-Fi; Ship Destruction

Mechanics – Deck Building; Take That/PvP

Why I Like It – Mostly that there’s a ton of variety and replayability (especially if you have as many expansions/promos as we do, but true even if you don’t). It plays really smoothly and a really good game (which is most plays) feels really tight, like a tug of war, with the damage being dealt on both sides.

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4. Wallamoppi

Theme – Again, no real theme here, but there’s some kind of bird on the box/discs so we’ll just say “birds” for the heck of it!

Mechanics – Stacking/Action/Dexterity; Race/Real-Time

Why I Like It – The game kind of has 2 phases which makes for a lot of fun. You start off with a sort of strategic game (with how you choose to stack the discs you pull) followed by an intense dexterity game (as you carefully pull and restack discs before the marble makes it to the end of the timer path). It’s such a rush and so much fun!

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3. Master of Wills

Hmm… this one looks familiar too!

Theme – Future; Struggle of Power

Mechanics – Deck Construction; Area Control; Variable Player Powers (Cards); Variable Phase Order

Why I Like It – I think this game has a really nice flow, for one thing, and a lot of variability since you can construct a slightly different deck every game. Also, despite different decks/cards/powers for each player, it’s really well balanced, which makes it even more fun. I also really like the table presence it has.

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2. Dice Masters

Way back when, I mentioned Dice Masters was my game of the year, and it’s still near and dear to me!

ThemeGenerally, combat, but you can get packs in Marvel, DC, Yu-Gi-Oh, D&D, TMNT, and Warhammer 40000!

Mechanics – Team Building/Bag Building; Dice Rolling; Variable Player Powers; PvP

Why I Like It – I love that there’s so much of this game and you really have endless combinations of teams. I also think, for how much that exists, it’s very streamlined, even with consistent introduction of new terms/keywords. It’s really fun to see what great combos you can pull off with certain teams, and how many characters you can get out into your active zone at once.
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1. Santorini

 Theme – Greek Mythology/Gods; Building

Mechanics – Abstract Strategy; Grid Movement/Placing; Variable Player Powers

Why I Like It – Well, I was immediately attracted to it because of how darn cute it is! This is one of the easier abstract strategy games that I’ve played and enjoyed, and it plays so smoothly. I like that the God powers are well-balanced, and some are purposely banned from being played against one another because their abilities would clash, because it avoids a frustrating game. There’s a lot of deep thought involved, but it simultaneously has a light-hearted feel to it; an all around great experience.

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Happy 2-Player Gaming, Everyone~