Recommended for couples and married partners! A roundup of board games for two
Board games are one of the genres that have been getting a lot of attention lately.
Back in the day, most people only knew games like The Game of Life or Othello, but in the past few years, the number of board games in the spotlight has increased significantly.
There’s a wide variety, from games where you craft strategies and enjoy bluffing against your opponent, to ones with stylish looks or quick, casual play.
In this article, we’ll introduce a bunch of recommended board games all at once!
Among them, we’ve selected board games perfect for couples or spouses to play together—just for two players—so pick the one that will be the perfect companion for your time at home!
- Fun two-player games recommended that you can play using conversation only
- [At-Home Time] Games Couples Can Enjoy Together
- [For Couples] Fun Punishments You’d Want Your Girlfriend to Do
- [Lovey-Dovey] Couple’s Challenge! Question Game Roundup
- Perfect for killing time! Games you can play with two people.
- A card game for two players
- For Couples: Fun and Exciting Punishment Game Ideas
- For two players: from games without equipment to tabletop games and apps
- Brain-teasing game roundup
- [Love Psychology] A psychological test couples should do together
- [Punishment Game] A collection of romance-themed prompts. Punishment games that get men and women excited
- [Part 2] Recommended Indoor Activities and Recreation Games for December
- [Also for punishments] A list of fun, conversation-sparking questions for couples
Recommended for couples and married partners! A roundup of board games for two (11–20)
corridor
The fun part of board games is being able to mess with your opponent, right? The French board game “Quoridor” is a game where the goal is to be the first to get your piece to the finish.
But the real charm of Quoridor isn’t just racing to the goal—it’s building walls to block your opponent’s path.
Since your opponent can throw up a wall along the route you planned, you have to keep recalculating the shortest path while also pushing them farther from their goal.
It takes a lot of thinking, but it’s a thrilling and enjoyable game!
Gobblet Gobblers
Gobblet Gobblers is a game known for its cute visuals that are popular with children, and to put it simply, it’s an evolved version of tic-tac-toe.
What makes it evolved is that the pieces come in three sizes, and larger pieces can cover smaller ones.
Because of this, even if your opponent takes a favorable square, you can use a bigger piece to take it over.
Another key rule is that a piece that has been placed over another can be moved to a different square, which makes the game more complex and requires real strategic thinking to win!
Patchwork
As its name suggests, Patchwork is a board game where you fill your own board with lots of patches, just like patchwork needlework.
On your turn, you have two options: buy a patch, or advance along the time track to gain points.
However, there are several detailed rules, and each move can leave you unsure of what to do.
Despite its cute design inspired by patchwork, it’s surprisingly a brainy game.
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a board game set in the famous fortified French city that’s well known as a World Heritage site.
Despite its simple rules, it offers surprising depth.
Players take turns drawing tiles.
Each tile shows features like cities or roads, which you connect to the existing layout; you then compete based on the points scored for completed features.
The way you place tiles affects how well structures are completed and can even hinder your opponents, making it a board game with many different ways to play!
Terraforming Mars
Terraforming Mars is a game about developing Mars to make it habitable for humanity.
Players take on the role of corporations that modify Mars while earning funds for terraforming.
To win, you must raise three elements called global parameters to their target values.
Achieving only one of them isn’t enough—you have to meet all of the targets.
As the game progresses, players place tiles such as oceans and greenery while completing various projects to increase the parameters.
You might even catch a glimpse of your partner’s prowess as a corporate leader through the strategies they deploy!
Pylos
Pylos is a board game devised by a British engineer, perfect for couples and married partners to play head-to-head.
Players take turns placing their spheres to build a pyramid, and the first to place their own sphere at the very top wins! Spheres already on the board can be returned to your reserve when certain conditions are met.
Rather than just stacking spheres to form the pyramid, the key to victory is to force your opponent to run out of spheres early so you can secure the top.
It looks simple at first glance, but solid strategy is essential to win!
Mandala
Mandala is a game where you complete a “mandala,” said to depict the realm of the Buddhas and the state of enlightenment in esoteric Buddhism.
It’s a one-on-one battle, making it perfect for couples or spouses! Players place cards onto a mat illustrated with a mandala, aiming to gather the six colors and complete it.
After completion, each player collects the cards they placed and puts them into their own River and Bowl.
This repeats until the draw deck runs out or one player’s River contains all six colors, at which point the game ends.
The player with the higher total score—calculated based on the color combinations in their River and Bowl—wins!
Catan
Catan, the smash-hit board game born in Germany, is loved by enthusiasts around the world as the king of board games.
The core gameplay involves gathering resources and steadily developing an uninhabited island.
To expand your settlements, you’ll need to craft strategies and negotiate with other players—making it a board game with surprising depth when you really dig in.
Catan is so popular it even has a world championship.
Play it once, and you’re sure to be hooked!
Backgammon
Amazingly, this is said to be “backgammon,” which has existed for roughly five thousand years.
It is believed to have been introduced to Japan during the Asuka period as “sugoroku.” You roll dice and move your pieces the number of spaces shown—rules that feel like the foundation of modern board games.
Each player has 15 pieces, and the first to bear off all their pieces wins.
As an ancestral board game, backgammon is a classic you should play at least once!
7 Wonders: Duel
This is 7 Wonders Duel, a board game that sold one million copies worldwide in just five years after its release.
It’s a two-player remake of the original board game 7 Wonders.
The setting remains the same as the original, making it easy to enjoy with the convenient player count of two.
It features world-famous wonders like the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, making it irresistible for fans of mysteries and slightly occult themes.
With a relatively long playtime of about 40 minutes per game, it’s perfect for a leisurely session on your day off!