Mm, Axis & Allies. It’s a fun game, I admit, but to those who say it’s the most complex game on the face of the earth, I invite you into Avalon Hill’s world, and from there into the wide world of tabletop wargaming. In retrospect, A&A is one of the simplest games there is.
But anyway. Assuming you only have two people, and that you’re not a fan of tabletop wargames, I’d probably suggest … well, or I’ll realize that I don’t know any games that fit both of those criteria.
These two sites allow you to enter the world of the NEW board game, that is, board games (usually based on strategy and tactics of some sort (as opposed to sheer luck)) being developed and marketed right now. I found out about these games after playing a couple delightful German games they import; apparently in Germany the board game is still quite the thing. I’ve played three of this year’s Spiel des Jahres nominees, and had a good time with each of them. Adel Verpflichtet is a great game I have played with both adults and teens, with the teens as interested in the game as the adults (no small feat there!).
If I was asked for my favorite multi-player games, I’d have to say Risk and Diplomacy (Diplomacy may be the best game ever made), but each of them requires at least four players to have real fun at it (and Diplomacy is best with its full compliment of seven). Having played any number of board games over the years (Kingmaker, Mighty Fortress, uncounted WWII simulations, Acquire (a GREAT game, but better with three than with two), the list is endless, I can attest to the tremendous fun of finding three or four other board game lovers and starting up a game night with them (similar to bridge nights my parents used to have).
But for two people, I’d say the best games are games like chess or Scrabble where you can increase your ability drastically with continued playing. If you find your chess games dragging, invest in a simple chess clock and play ten or fifteen minute chess, where each player has ten or fifteen minutes to complete the game. U. S. Chess Catalogue where you can find cheap clocks.
Well, first you could look over at the newsgroup rec.games.board, where such questions are hashed out three times daily and twice on Sundays…
My daughter V-ter and I tend to play the following games:
Battle Cry- American Civil War
Chrononauts- Time travel
Othello
Mystery Rummy 1, Jack the Ripper
When I can entice Daughter 2 into the game, we play:
Acquire
Settlers of Catan
Chrononauts (again)
Tikal
Mrs. R will play Settlers or Acquire quite happily, although she’s not really a games person. One rainy vacation, she and I played a lot of Lost Cities,a nice two-player card game with beautiful card art.
I’ve been doing most of my purchasing from Funagain Games, on the Web. Quick shipping, fair prices, good website, never foul up an order.
A game I used to play with the family was Bargain Hunter, which is more then likely not still on the shelves. A more current game that I like is Balderdash, but you need atleast 4 players for that. More classics are Sorry! and Trouble.
Some great responses so far but I haven’t seen 3 of my favorite games mentioned. Namely: Abalone, Trump, and Zobmondo.
Abalone is a great 2 player strategy game with a surprising amount of depth to it. The game is played on a hexagonal board with holes set in it to accomodate the marbles of each player (one player plays black, the other white). The object of the game is to “push” 6 of your opponents marbles off the playing area. It sounds pretty straightforward but you’d be surprised at the level of complexity you can play at. I believe you can play online for free at www.abalonegames.com
Trump is a finance based game somewhat like monopoly. In it’s favor (and IMHO what makes it a better game) is that it plays faster (games are usually over in an hour or so) and the rules heavily favor a wheelin-dealin smart investor type of game play which is sometimes lacking in a monopoly game. You can’t hardly play the game without trying to screw your friend occasionally!
Last but not least is Zobmondo. It’s the crazy “would you rather” game. The game requires the players to answer questions on “Cards of unenjoyment” like…
Would you rather drink a shot glass of foot sweat or a gallon of dirty hotdog water?
And…
Would you rather carry a cpr dummy around all day long or wear big clown shoes for the day?
etc. The players then have to discuss the question and come to a consensus. Other parts of the game require players to come up with their own Zobmondo (their own would-you-rather question). This game, due to it’s nature, requires at least 3 people to play (preferably 4 or more).
Hey Bob, how’s it goin! I haven’t seen you since we traded quotes and such on the Illuminati BBS - an entire decade ago! Nice to see you around.
Anyway, I earnestly second that recommendation. Knightmare Chess breathes a whole new life into chess. If you like strategy/tactical games, it’s a blast.
But if you’re just two normal folk, and not rabid gaming geeks like some of us, then I recommend the oldies but goodies: backgammon, dominoes, and go. If they weren’t addicting, they wouldn’t have stuck around for centuries.
My brother-in-law and I also play a lot of cribbage. It’s a great two-player game. And you can play for money (say, a dime a point).
But the game I’ve been playing the most lately is the old warhorse of Steve Jackson Games: Car Wars.
Hmm… now that I think back, I recall playing some interesting logic games like Whiff-n-Proof (?) but I’ve only got the vaguest recollection of them. Time for a web search…
Mille Bornes rocks! We used to play that in French class…
I’m a big fan of Trivial Pursuit, because I know all sorts of useless things, and Scrabble, because I know all sorts of useful words. And Clue, now that my siblings are far beyond the age where screwing around with the little weapons was the highlight of the game.
Oh, and I have this weird-ass board game called Terrace, which I remember being kinda fun, but I don’t remember how to play. It’s good if you’ve only got two people, though.
My family played Mille Bornes when I was younger, and in the last couple of years a new card set has come out. They’re about $6 new. We all have a set now so we can play no matter whose house we’re at. And my sister-in-law is finally getting competitive. BUT it’s best played with 4 people. Seriously.
Another one we like is The Game of Life. I think it’s better with more people though, but that could be my childhood speaking. A house full of kids getting into a fight about a game…what could be better?
I suggest Acey Ducey. Acey Ducey is a game played by Mediterranean sailors on a backgammon board.
So break out your backgammon board but with the following differences in play:
Leave the stones off the board. You must bear the stones onto the board.
If you roll an Ace, Duce (one die a 1, and one die a 2) and you can play the Ace, Duce then you get Doubles of your choice and you get to roll again. You must choose a doubles that you can play and you must play them and you must roll again. (There is no limit to the numbers of Ace, Duce you can roll.)
The rules of backgammon apply concerning blots, stones on the bar, double dice count double, and the doubling cube.
The following stratagies should be helpful.
Do not bear all your stones on immediately. Save one as long as possible to hit blots in your opponent’s home court.
Make the two far points (12 and 13) soon if possible. This will make it hard for your opponent to “round the corner” without leaving a blot.
If you’re doing good in the beginning make the 1,2 points in your home court. If your opponent has a stone on the bar and rolls an Ace, Duce they cannont use it because they cannot bear their stone on the bar (Since one must be able to move the Ace, Duce in order to take the doubles and roll again.) A real dice thrown overboard killer!
There are two basic stratagies, one is to make a moving mass of six points, the other is to make points in strategic points as far into the home court as possible.
Hope you try it. I still enjoy a fancy dancy backgammon board I bought in Cannes and paid for by shipmates at a dollar a game and a penny a stone with double for gammon and triple for backgammon.
I remember that game vividly: it was called the Voice of the Mummy. I was never allowed to touch that game because my siblings claimed I’d lose the pieces. This is BS; I was the kid who stored my Legos in neat columns, assorted according to color and size, in the original box. Anyway, when I finally got my hands on the Mummy game, I was dismayed to find that the mummy’s battery had leaked acid, rendering the game useless. This is unfortunate, because if you have this game in good condition, it’s worth money now.
Life was one of my all-time favorite games. When I bought it for my kids, I was surprised to find that they changed it! Granted, it’s a bit easier to understand now, especially at the end where you face destitution or millionaire-hood, but still.
In my opinion, Monopoly is fine for two people. Try the variation where you shuffle up the property cards and distribute them between the two of you when you start, if you’re not into marathon Monopoly. As an aside, I used to play Monopoly by myself for hours on end. I was both players. I inevitably wound up favoring one of me, and would be disappointed if that me lost. (I was a lonely child.)
I used to know an absolutely fabulous game that we played in my sister-in-law’s coffee shop that involved glass stones and something to do with rows of five. We actually made our own board so we could play at home; it was sort of like Othello, but much more fun and challenging (and addicting). I’ll try to think of it.
Hey, thanks! I was looking all over for this, and it turns out the manufacturer is about 15 miles from where I live! Now that I know the spelling, it’s easy to find them:
If this is the card game where you have to either find three exactly the same or three entirely different, I recommend it highly.
IIRC (and it’s been a while), the cards have figures on them that differ by number, pattern and color. all the cards are set on the table face up. Players try to find sets of three in which each variable (number, pattern, color) is either the same on all three or all different – for all three. It’s much harder than it sounds.
I second the recommendation. I’ve had a lot of fun playing SET, and it’s a great way to pass time. If you like it, pick up a second deck and play with both of them.
