Top 10 2-Player Board Games RIGHT NOW!
Man vs Meeple
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David and Ryan count down their Top 10 2-Player Games! What better way to go through such a top 10, than head-to-head. Who’s list is best? Are either of them missing any big games from their list? You decide!
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With: David and Ryan
01.01.2022
Carcassonne is not a "friendly" game. You're stealing and ruining enemy structures. I can't stand games where everyone is just playing their own game isolated from each other. It's like what's the point of playing together if it hardly matters what your opponents do?
Crokinole looks so boring. The board state is always extremely simple with not many options. Usually only one. In comparison, Carrom has variable board states and situations constantly. I'm shocked that Crokinole has such a high reputation among board gamers. Maybe it's more fun when the players suck, which would be a huge negative on the game. Pool and Billiards probably beat both of these though.
Request: please leave the game name (and box cover thumbnail? ) on screen while you're talking about it.
I almost play exclusively 2-player with my Dad and this is a great list! So many favorites (and a couple of new-to-me ones to check out)!
No Onitama and Disney Villainous? Hmm…
Also MtG isn't really a board game is it?
Glad you included Dice Throne, Unmatched, Santorini, and Rebellion. I'd also include Hanamikoji, Imhotep the Duel, Onitama, and War Chest.
Abalone should fits you too…
Fantastic list, tons of great games
A cracking pair of lists, gentlemen, and I am so pleased to see that Quarto got in there, and at number 1, too – this is also my all-time favourite, so thank you! Great call to include Santorini and MTG though… Like Ryan, I am 100% impressed with MTG Arena, and it's an amazingly helpful introduction to the core MTG game… And thanx again… I always knew Quarto deserved a widet audience! , 👍👌
Magic the Gathering isn't a board game…..
I want to hear from Emily and Jeremy, just to be fair.
What?
No War of the Ring or Netrunner? 😛
"Blow up the X-Wing?" Ryan, are you a sith?
I just got into Magic last year. A nice surprise to see it on your list but I support! The 2021 sets were just so full of flavor. Great video, thanks!
Great list! My choice for THE best 2p game in 2021 will be Mantis Falls from Distant Rabbit Games! 🙂
Thank you for this video Gentlemen! A bunch of very good games. I hadn’t expected, anyone mentioned Crokinole and Quarto. These two have been my classics for ages! 👍🏻.
All in all great and interesting choices.
Regards.
Great list, but I think you accidentally put Dice Throne at position 6 instead of 1. Oh well, everybody makes mistakes. 😛
Also, speaking of Crokinole, another great dexterity game for 2 players is Klask. It is brilliant and hilarious and gets better and better the more you play it.
Netrunner>Magic
Ryan recommended Fantasy Realms years ago, and ever since then I've tried to exclusively follow him. His recommendations are solid and spot-on. Fantasy realms was such a hidden gem, it's shocking. Please post more of your top lists Ryan!
I want to add sovereign skies. Yes, it plays 2-4, but its' the first game i've played in a while where i feel the tension is just as good at 2 as it is at 3 or 4.
Star Realms – I am eagerly anticipating the Deluxe Nova Collection from their KS campaign.
If you can find a copy of the old Victory Point Games title "For the Crown", I suspect you may have a new addition to your top 10 lists. It's an amazing combination of deck building and chess. It really deserves a component upgrade and reprint.
Great choices here.
Here’s a few more I really enjoy:
—-Memoir ‘44
—War of the Ring, second edition
—Hands in the Sea
I’m giving Land vs Sea as a Christmas present. Star Wars Rebellion is on my Top Ten to purchase. Jaipur – I’ve heard the name. Lanterns uses the a similar mechanic for gaining the decreasing points. I’m looking forward to the delivery of “Quin” next year. Any “War Of The Ring” fans here for that two player game?
MTG is not a board game
Fields of Arles and Grand Austria Hotel
Have you all played Morels? It is a tight, fast, tense 2 player only game.
I haven’t happened to watch a mvm video for a while but this was a great list. Great video. Really relaxed and interesting reflections and authentic. Thanks! I love 2p games and had lots of joy hearing you reflect on your faves!
Actually got to try Crokinole for the first time on PAXU … would have gotten a boyardo but they were sold out 😞
Great, great list, with every game getting a very well-worded motivation . Tx alot!
Lack of War of the Ring completely invalidates your list!!
Shame, shame, shame …ding ding
"a lot of it is rewriting Star Wars History"
"just like the new movies."
Well played sir, well played.
Nice list, but people should generally stay away from Dice Throne which is garbage (no interesting decision, boring, plays by itself), and go for Shards of Infinity over Star Realm.
Great 2p games not mentioned are Tash Kalar, War Chest, Undaunted, Crystal Clans, Summoner Wars, Ashes (Reborn), Mystic Vale, Odin’s Ravens.
Good list. 7 wonders Duel is our favorite. We also like Unmatched.
A good alternative for crokinole is Klask, especially if you have some problems with your hands :p
I like the tactics that come with crokinole but my hand just doesn't really wanna do what I need it to do, after an illness it always remained a bit wonky.
but Klask while not as strategic and tactical is also more than just … try to get it in a whole and a great dexterity game if flicking just isn't working out for you 😀
Where is 13 Days? That’s my favorite 2 player game. Also, how about Dual Powers, Lost Cities, and Mr Jack? There are so many good games out there…
onitama?
Great job, excellent list!…♥️
Awesome list guys! We are a two player household so very useful and some unique picks too… Thank you.
For 7 Wonders Duels… we sold our Pantheon expansion, felt too much for us. And the base game is simply amazing!
Great vid, guys. I'm shocked though! Where is Twilight Struggle??????? That game is perhaps the best 2-player board game ever created!!
You guys have tried DVONN, TZAAR and Tintas? I recommend to try these three. Excellent 2-player abstracts.
You like The Rose King? Entertaining.
Best 2-player dice game to me is Claim It! (2006). Area control with push your luck.
My favourite 2-player is still Carcassonne. Carcassonne The Castle is also in my top 10, but without the bonuses as a house rule.
@40:40 😂😂😂😂 yo that was absolutely savage!!! But completely true too, the new movies are trash.
I was introduced to Star Realms initially, and for the price, it had lots of potential. A game that's twice the price, Shard of Infinity, is pretty good too.
Im always looking for the opposite…
Great 2 player games that also play with more.
Since I play mostly with my wife, I’m always looking for some crunchy euros that play amazing @2.
Thanx for the vid 🙌🏽
Watergate is really great, the theme is very good, I hate the childish themes. Most of the other games are too childish to me on these lists and it's pretty weird to me that older people like those… Cheers!
Great episode. Love Santorini, 7WDuel, not played my copy of Land vs Sea yet, but I will love it as I am an absolute Carcassonne (with all expansions) fan. Star Wars I am not the greatest fan of the theme (even though I love good Sci-Fi) but Star Wars Armada is in my top 10 games of all time. Crokinole – I need to get a board on my own, but I am afraid that a good board is financially out of my reach! Quarto – you convinced me to finally get a copy. Seen it in the shop so many times.
How about Onitama or Pentago.
But my absolute favorite game of all time is Go by far.
I love Top 2 Player Game Lists, since Rob and I usually play games with just the two of us. We were super excited to see Star Realms in your list, and there are some in this list we haven't tried yet, so appreciate the recommendations.
Targi is in my top 10 overall