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Do you ever have those evenings where the day has just been…a lot? And you’re keen to connect over a game rather than face the overstimulating glare and noise of the TV screen but are faced with the infinite question: what to play? If you’re searching for some two player picks that might pique your interest, look no further - here’s three suggestions for awesome games that are perfect for the occasions you and a partner or friend have over an hour, a little less, or just fifteen minutes to crack open the games cupboard!
Fifteen Minutes: Codenames Duet
Codenames Duet is the shorter version of the original Codenames game, and this mini game brings heaps of the Codenames fun! Codenames Duet is a co-operative two-player set up, challenging you to work together and find creative ways to link random words for the other player will guess.
Over nine turns, players must guess nine correct codewords each and identify the friendly ‘spies’ without guessing the three ‘assassin’ codewords. All 18 codewords must be guessed correctly in 9 rounds so finding links to 3 or more words is the challenge. If your team mate guesses a word from a blank space on your grid, the turn ends. Guess an ‘assassin’ word, the game is over. Players have to think, not only about how they are describing the items on the cards, but also how the other player is likely to interpret their description – a lot of the cards have thematic cross-over, including the ‘assassin’ words!
Set up for Codenames: Duet is under two minutes – it’s quick, easy and simple! Rounds last around 15 minutes and each round has no bearing on the next (meaning you can stop at any time or reset) it’s perfect if you’re short on time, looking to fill a gap in the day, or simply want to play a game less commitment (and concentration!) heavy! It’s also a great little game to connect with the person you’re playing with - you’ll find your understanding of how your partner thinks grows quickly and your play style may adjust to ensure you’re working effectively as a team. It has some similarity to the game Articulate, but is perfect for two players.
An Hour and a Half Plus: Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion
If you and your co-player are a fan of longer board games and are looking for the next one to really sink your teeth in to, this is a great choice. It’s another cooperative game with a card-based turn mechanism that plays as a campaign; each scenario takes around an hour and a half to complete and the game is bursting full of them meaning that, although the initial cost is higher, you get a lot of bang for your buck.
Each player chooses a starter character, which have unique card decks and stats, and you work as a team to complete the scenario objective. This could be killing all the monsters, escaping rooms, breaking all the sacred pillars in a dungeon or, my personal favourite, loot-then-leg-it style quests! Each scenario follows an ongoing storyline to identify a mysterious villain terrorising the town of Gloomhaven which leaves you wanting more, and levelling up means more interesting and powerful cards (as well as items, adversaries and much more!) It takes a few scenarios to really get to grips with the rules, but it’s a gentle lead-in and, unlike the bigger and more complex original Gloomhaven game, has a more linear play through and even difficulty level.
This game is really well suited to players that are committed to playing together longer-term. You don’t necessarily need to play often (although if you are just starting out, playing a few scenarios relatively close together would help with the learning curve) but you’ll get the most value out of the game if you have a co-player that can commit to playing the campaign through with you. This game can be played with up to four players, but works just fine with two and the satisfaction of working as a team to beat the game really is something else!
Around 45 minutes: Warhammer Underworlds
Ok so bear with me here; Warhammer has a reputation as a bit of a niche hobby but the board games are a lot of fun as standalone choices. Warhammer Underworlds is a two player game that takes around 45 minutes to play through and uses a combination of cards and dice play mechanism. This one isn’t cooperative and the aim of the game is to achieve more Glory than your opponent.
Each player chooses a Warhammer Warband (pictured is Magore’s Fiends and Ironskulls Boyz) and picks up the associated card deck, miniatures and stat cards. The miniatures are then set up on the board, making a playing area. Throughout the game, players play cards from their deck that strengthen their team of miniatures on the board, or weaken their opponent’s miniatures, and complete ‘combat’ moves. Glory is earned by achieving criteria on the playing deck and can also be spent during player turns to achieve more Glory goals – strategy is key! The winner is crowned at the end of the third round to the player that has the most Glory.
If you’re looking for a two player game that’s a bit different to your usual suspects, this is a great one to try. It, of course, does also have some pretty special miniatures included in the box too, so if you have been thinking about getting into painting minis (or picking up an old hobby!) or have a friend that’s into Warhammer that you want to introduce to board games, this game is an ideal choice. It’s also not too heavy on time-commitment, which is a plus if you’re just starting out on Warhammer board games as others can be quite long and in-depth. Picking up the starter set or the current seasonal set will give players everything they need to play and includes push-fit miniatures suitable for beginner painters, or to just pick up and play.