Ballooon Cup is great.
Pick & Pack is ok…I need to play it a few more times to get an informed opinion.
Twilight Struggle is FANTASTIC if she has the patience to learn it.
The End of the Triumvirate is intended for 3, but the 2 player set up is well balanced and as far as I’m concerned has the best ‘simple rules yet dynamic’ pay off of any game released this year.
And if none of those grab you there are endless lists on BoardGameGeek.com
I second the suggestion to look at boardgamegeek although I’m not a fan of the games
N9IWP suggests for two player. Just please, don’t get anything that they sell at Toys R Us. Why they have to continue to sell such lame games I’ll never know. There are hundreds of wonderful games available these days.
Two player games I’ve been enjoying lately.
Race for the Galaxy (card game)
Lost Cities
Carcassonne: The Castle (or any other in the series)
Jambo
If you want to get more complex there are thousands of wargames that are two player.
In any case, http://www.boardgamegeek.com/ is the one and only resource you need.
There’s no love for Backgammon?
I love this game, and have turned many folks onto it. Just for the fun.
I actually have a nice leather set.
SHUSH, ya pervs!
I came in to menton backgammon. It’s a great lazy afternoon kind of thing.
I see a lot of good head-to-head games being recommended. For a nice change-up, Pandemic is a fun cooperative game that scales well from 2-4 (5 if you get the expansion).
bump…could use some ideas for the holiday gifts