Having gaming sessions on the weekend is so much easier if you’re just playing games with two people. There’s no waiting for extra people to show up or trying to sync calendars; you can just decide to play a game in the moment. Siobhan often gets surprise gaming sessions with me, and I swear she loves it.
This week, our Board Game of the Week is A Little Wordy from Exploding Kittens, a two-player word game where you have to guess your opponent’s secret word based on their clues while they race to figure out yours. I decided it was the perfect time to take a look at some other great two-player games, what makes a good game for two, and why you should start your own two-player game collection.
So, if you’re looking for an excuse to start your own two-player game collection, here are a few I think are worth adding to it.
When You Want to Work Together: Sky Team ✈️
If your idea of a good two-player game involves working together rather than trying to destroy each other, Sky Team is such a good one.
Designed specifically for two players, you take on the roles of pilot and co-pilot and work together to land your plane safely. The catch is that once the round begins, communication becomes limited, so you need to trust that the person sitting opposite you knows what they're doing.
Different airports and scenarios keep increasing the challenge, too, so successfully landing once definitely doesn't mean you've mastered it.
Perfect for: Two players who want to work together... and are prepared to test their communication skills.
When You Want Something Quick: Sea Salt & Paper ⛵
Sea Salt & Paper is one of those wonderfully little games that's very easy to get to the table.
You're collecting sets and pairs of beautifully illustrated cards to score points, while deciding when to end the round and whether you're confident enough to give your opponent one final turn.
It's quick, portable and simple enough to learn without feeling like there aren't any decisions to make. It's also the kind of game where one round very easily becomes several.
Perfect for: A quick game after dinner, taking away for the weekend, or anyone who appreciates a very pretty card game.
When You Want Something Cosy: Pergola 🌺
Plants + board games is already a fairly convincing combination for me.
In Pergola, you create your own beautiful garden filled with plants, insects and decorative elements. There's plenty to think about as you decide what to add and how to build your garden, but the whole experience still feels wonderfully relaxing.
It's also one of those games where I don't really mind if we score it at the end, or just enjoy the cosy vibes and the time spent together.
Perfect for: Cosy gamers, plant lovers and anyone who likes their strategy games on the prettier side.
When You Want to Get Strategic: The White Castle
Sometimes I want cosy. Sometimes I want to stare at a board for several minutes while trying to work out how to squeeze an unreasonable number of things out of a single turn.
Enter The White Castle.
This is a much more strategic option than some of the other games on this list, with dice placement, resource management and lots of decisions packed into a relatively compact game. It's a great example of a game that isn't exclusively for two players, but has become a favourite at that player count.
It's a great choice when there are only two of you but you still want something that feels like a proper strategy-game night.
Perfect for: Two players looking for something a little heavier and more strategic.
When You Want Your Own Little Kingdom: Bunny Kingdom Town 🐰
Bunny Kingdom Town brings the world of Bunny Kingdom into a smaller experience that works beautifully when there are only two of you at the table.
You're building up your town, collecting resources and working towards the best-scoring combinations, with plenty of opportunities to keep an eye on what the other player is doing.
It's a lovely option when you want something strategic without jumping straight into one of the heavier games on the shelf.
Perfect for: Players who like building, collecting and just a little bit of competition.
When You Want Something Adorable AND Competitive: BOOoop 🎃
Do not let the tiny cats fool you.
BOOoop is an adorable two-player strategy game where you're placing kittens onto a bed and trying to line them up, while every new kitten added to the board can boop the surrounding kittens one space away.
It sounds extremely cute because it is extremely cute. It's also much more strategic than the collection of tiny cats sitting on a little fabric bed would have you believe.
This game is a great example of my favourite things about two-player games: the rules can be incredibly simple, but when there's only one other player to outsmart, every move suddenly matters.
Perfect for: Cat people, abstract strategy fans and anyone who chooses games based on cuteness but still wants to win.
When You Want a Familiar Favourite Made for Two: Flamecraft Duals 🐉
If you already love the cosy world of Flamecraft, Flamecraft Duals gives you an experience designed specifically for two.
You still get the adorable artisan dragons and magical shops that made the original so charming, but everything has been reworked around a head-to-head game. The game uses abstract tile placement mechanics rather than the worker placement style of the original and is more of a quick puzzle game than the longer resource heavier Flamecraft.
In saying that, I also really enjoy playing the original Flamecraft with two players as well but this version is a lot more table friendly if you only have a small space to play in and plays in about half the time as the bigger game.
It’s quick, fun and perfect for two players.
Perfect for: Flamecraft fans, dragon lovers and two-player households looking for something designed just for them.
So, What Makes a Great Two-Player Game? 🤔
I think what I like most about two-player games is just how many different options there are for the type of gameplay you’re after.
You can work together to land a plane in Sky Team, create a beautiful garden in Pergola, get very strategic with The White Castle, battle with adorable cats in BOOoop, or pull out Sea Salt & Paper when you've only got twenty minutes.
I think one of the habits we quickly fall into with board games is thinking we need a bigger group to play, but there are now so many great games designed for just two people. And sometimes, they’re a miss! We’ve played a couple of games at two that are way more fun with more people (or sometimes even solo), and that’s okay. We just add them to the pile of games waiting to be played with a bigger group and move on to the next two-player game (or adopt a couple more personalities so we can make up the numbers).
But then you find those games where two really is exactly the right number and suddenly playing two-player games becomes the habit.
What two-player game are you most excited to play?
