Are the children in bed and relatives on the way home? Do you escape the hustle and bustle of Christmas and celebrate with your best friend in a lonely ski hut? Then it's time for a board game. Here are ten recommended games for two people:
Games for two
"Naga Raja"
The discovery of twin temples by the forgotten gods Amanta and Garuda causes excitement in India. Two competing expedition leaders try to extract their treasures and secrets from the temples. Those who manage to get most of the relics in their own temple can win. But those who are careless easily fall victim to a curse.
Both players have their own game board, which represents the respective temple. To explore it, players argue about the right floor slabs, without which a path to the treasures is not possible. The relics are hidden around the temples. Whoever has 25 or more victory points wins. But if you uncover three curse-laden treasures, you immediately lose.
Conclusion : Naga Raja is not only a particularly beautifully designed game, it is also multi-layered. The playing cards have two different functions. If you need them in one phase of the game to increase the chances of buying the floor tiles, you have to consider whether you need the same cards much more to turn the floor tiles or swap amulets. The luck factor is big enough due to the dice of the fate stones and the hidden relics, so that the game is not only strategic.
"Naja Raja" ad from Hurrican; 30 minutes; 2 players; from 9 years; 34.99 euros; Authors: Bruno Cathala, Theo Riviere
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"Shy Monster"
You build a chic little dungeon with a lot of effort and then something like that: The specially hired monsters are very picky about the right place in the dungeon, because they are afraid of their own kind. And the hero? Yes, he just has to find the right way out of the dungeon. While one player places his sensitive monsters face down in his dungeon according to strict rules, the hero has to find his way out of this without being eaten. The game runs over three phases, in which the dungeon owner always builds a floor and then the hero tries to escape unscathed. If he succeeds, he wins, but if he is caught by the monsters, the dungeon master wins.
Conclusion : A small, asymmetrical game experience. Each player is dealing with their own problems. As a dungeon owner, you have to constantly reassure yourself whether you have now placed the monster in the right place, otherwise it will not feel comfortable and will not attack the hero at all. And the hero has to be able to divide up his strength and estimate where the dungeon master has hidden his traps.
"Shy Monster" by Paille Editions; 10 to 20 minutes; from 10 years on; approx. 12 euros; Author: Sandro Dall'Aglio
"Onitama"
At Onitama, two teachers, each with eight students, fight for supremacy on the field. The goal is to either beat the opposing master or to occupy the opposing temple field. The moves of the figures change with each game: The player always has the choice between one of the two movement cards in front of him. According to the given move option, one of your own pieces must be moved. The card used is then passed on to the opponent, who can use it in his next move. So you can keep an eye on the various own and opposing movement options on the field.
Conclusion : Onitama looks a bit like chess. However, you do not have to remember figures with their different movement patterns. There are only five different patterns in each game, but they have a lot to offer. The game is different every time thanks to the 16 cards that are always put together again. A calm, tactical game where you have to concentrate to win.
"Onitama" advertisement from Pegasus; 15 to 20 minutes; from 10 years on; approx. 23 euros; Author: Shimpei Sato
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"Hanamikoji"
In Hanamikoji, both players try to win the favor of seven geishas. The cards of the seven geishas are in the middle of the table. Each player receives six gift cards and action markers at the start of the game. With the help of the action tokens, the gift cards are dealt face down to the geishas. When both players have used up their actions, the cards are turned over and their influence is evaluated. Whoever succeeds in convincing most geishas wins the game.
Conclusion : A calm and easy to learn card game. After you have played the first two rounds, you can also relax in the evening. A little bit of luck in drawing cards and some tactics make the game a nice little card game.
Ad "Hanamikoji" by Kosmos; 15 minutes, from 10 years; approx. 13 euros; Author: Kota Nakayama
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"Barragoon"
The game board is eight times nine fields. There are seven light and seven dark pieces. In the middle of the field are so-called Barragoon, black cubes with symbols that block the way. The goal is to hit the opponent's stones and immobilize them. That sounds easier than it is. Your game pieces can move two, three or four spaces, depending on the symbol printed on them. The symbols on the black barragoon indicate whether and how the dark stones can be overcome. Each time you hit an opponent's token, it is removed from the field. In addition, the player may bring two new Barragoon into play.
Conclusion : If you like pure strategy, this is the place for you. A game can last an hour or two. It plays a little bit like chess, but is always different due to the freely usable stones. The perfect strategy game for long evenings.
Ad "Barragoon" by WiWaSpiele; 20 to 60 minutes; from 8 years; 40 euros; Authors: Robert Witter and Frank Warneke
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"Revolution of 1828"
A presidential campaign will be held in the United States that will go down in history. For the first time, the campaign is carried out in public with the help of the press and ends in a dirt campaign. The two players take on the roles of candidates John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. The election campaign is held in four rounds, each round has three phases. In each round it is important to win the electors randomly laid out on the game board. The skilful use of campaign campaigns, such as campaign events and news, plays an equally important role as the dirty campaigns. Whoever won the most delegate votes at the end of the game wins the game.
Conclusion : A balanced strategy game for in between. The topic is implemented correctly. Especially nice: The dirt campaigns used can always bring the players minus points until the end of the game. So it remains exciting.
"Revolution of 1828" advertisement by Pegasus; 30 to 60 minutes; from 12 years; approx. 25 euros; Author: Stefan Feld
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"Quixx - The Duel"
The small game board is already familiar from the original roll-and-write game Quixx. With "Quixx - The Duel" you do not have to make crosses on a game block, but place pieces on the cubes. If you manage to roll the value of the last opposing stone in a row, you can conquer the square and scare away the opponent. Whoever has collected the most stones on the field and the least number of misses wins.
Conclusion : Unfortunately, a successful alternative to an original game is not as successful. This case is an encouraging exception. You don't have to buy new game blocks here and it works really well for two. The nice trick that you can annoy your opponent is a lot of fun.
Ad "Quixx - The Duel" by NSV; 15 minutes; from 8 years; about 14 euros; Author: Steffen Benndorf
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"Tipsy"
In this game, the first player to turn all six of their own pieces on the patterned side or to get the black piece off the board wins. There are barriers and four exits on the seven by seven square game board. When it is your turn, roll a die with numbers from one to three. The throw indicates how many times the player has to flip the board. Every time the board is tilted, all stones slide in the corresponding direction. If a player succeeds in tipping a stone off the board, he may turn it to the patterned side and put it back on the field. Whoever succeeds with all of their own pieces or even the black piece has won.
Conclusion : A fast logic game that looks good on every table. The beautiful wooden pyramid and the interesting mechanism tempt you to play another round.
"Tipsy" advertisement from Spin Master; 5 to 10 minutes; from 8 years; approx. 35 euros
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"In between"
Dark forces are at work in the small town of Upsideville. A player takes on the role of creature and tries to pull the city's inhabitants to his side. The second player tries to prevent this and drive the monster out of the city. The focus of the game is on the character cards, which show the normal citizens of Upsideville on one side and the people influenced by the dark power on the back. There is a balance at the start of the game. Ten randomly drawn character cards are laid out in a circle on the table, alternately one character from the human world and one from the world of the creature. To influence the opposing pieces, each player has their own deck of cards. Whoever manages to protect three of his characters permanently or to reach the highest level of perception wins.
Conclusion : Thematically, the game is reminiscent of the series "Stranger Things": The creature is slowly trying to gain power over a tranquil small town. The game is complex enough to keep players busy for a while. Because you have significantly more character cards than you need per game round, the game has a high replay value.
"Inbetween" ad by Board and Dice; 20 to 40 minutes; from 12 years; approx. 28 euros; Author: Adam Kwapinski
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"The fox in the forest"
There's a lot going on in such a fairytale forest. There fox, swan and witch bustle, and a treasure is not missing either. There are a total of 33 cards in three colors, each with a number from one to eleven. At the beginning, each player receives 13 cards, the remaining seven cards are placed face down on a draw pile. The top card of the draw pile shows the trump suit. All cards with odd numbers have special abilities. The card with the treasure scores an extra point if the opponent does not also play a treasure. If you choose the swan and lose the trick, you can start the next trick. The rounds are played until one of the players has 21 victory points.
Conclusion : trick games usually don't work very well in pairs. This, on the other hand, is varied due to the numerous special abilities of the cards and the changing trump colors. Sometimes it is reminiscent of a very complex bells and whistles.
"The Fox in the Forest" by Schwerkaft; 30 minutes; from 10 years on; approx. 18 euros; Author: Joshua Buergel
