The 11 Best Board Games for Two People

I got married straight out of college. And I mean straight out. As in, I walked down the aisle the same month I graduated from college. We waste no time here. 

Since we were young and married and didn’t have much in the way of discretionary income, game night was our go-to date night. A one-time investment bought us many nights of entertainment, and as two competitive people who love quality time, this was a perfect arrangement.

If you are in the market for games for two people - whether you’re looking for an inexpensive date night activity, want a gift idea for newlyweds, or just want to have the option of 2-person-friendly games - here are my 11 favorite games for two players.

11. Rivals for Catan - I find that people either love or hate Catan. We love it. LOVE IT. Tragically, you can’t play the full version with two people. Rivals for Catan helps us get our Catan fix when it’s just the two of us. If you love Catan, but don’t always have enough people for it, definitely get this! Like the full version, this is fairly complicated and takes a while to play.

10. Ticket to Ride - Good if you want a leisurely, not-too-complicated board game. This game is old-timey and makes me wish we had better train systems in the US. It’s a classic board game that doesn’t take too long to learn. Play time is also pretty quick! 

9. Carcassonne - A build-your-own-board kind of game. This is very strategic, and is played at a pretty laid-back pace.

8. Yahtzee! - This is a classic! There are few things as satisfying as yelling “YAHTZEE!” I always forget how fun this game is until I’m playing it. This is a pretty simple game, that is fun for kids, too!

7. Codenames Duet - I took a social psychology class in college and learned about how couples develop their own sort of language based on collective experiences. I think it’s sort of the same thing with siblings and close friends, and this game really shows that. Super fun to play with people you know well! You can learn this game in about 2 minutes.

6. Dutch Blitz - A super fun speed game! I love this game, but people (including Husband) refuse to play it with me because at some point I became so quick that it is no longer competitive. Can be played with 2-4 players. Fun with two people, gets more fun the more people you have!

5. Five Crowns - This is a card game. It’s really simple to learn. A lot of strategy is involved, which I don't have figured out at all yet. You know it’s fun because I am terrible at it (terrible!), almost always lose, but still always want to play it.

4. Banana Grams - Another speed game! People compare this to Scrabble, but I find it to be way more fun. You make your own board using the letter tiles you draw. A lot of concentration is involved, so this doesn’t really facilitate conversation. Easy to travel with because it comes in a super cute banana pouch. Good if you want a quick game, and it’s always fun to see what words people come up with!

3. Pass the Pigs - Hilarious, addictive, really simple. When I was first introduced to this game, I was getting out of bed early just to play it. (For anyone who doesn't know how much I love my sleep, this is a very serious endorsement!)

2. Sequence - This is a combo card/board game. It’s very strategic, but in an uncomplicated way that’s easy to learn and is played at a pace that makes it easy to have conversation.

1. Monopoly Deal - Our favorite game for just the two of us! We actually bought this on our honeymoon, and have taken the same deck pretty much everywhere we’ve gone since. Neither of us is that into Monopoly the board game, but the card game is really fun! It also only takes 15 minutes to play, unlike the board game. Can be played with more than two people, but we think it’s most fun with just two.

We are always on the look-out for new fun games! If there are any you love that aren’t on this list, let me know in the comments below! 

PS - One of the best parts of game night is the snacks! We like these spruced up boxed brownies, this creamy brown sugar apple dip, my favorite chocolate chip cookies, this super easy homemade Boursin, or a full cheese board if we're really feeling fancy!