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!
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Recommended for couples and married partners! A roundup of board games for two (11–20)
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!
Recommended for couples and married partners! A roundup of board games for two (21–30)
Othello
When it comes to classic board games that people of all ages—from adults to kids—can enjoy together, Othello, where you flip black and white discs, is a top pick! Choose your color, black or white, then take turns placing one disc at a time on the board to sandwich your opponent’s discs between your own, flipping the ones in between to your color.
In the end, the player with more discs showing their color wins! Since it’s a one-on-one game, a tournament format is great when playing with the whole family.
With simple rules and no complexity, it’s perfect for getting everyone excited!
