Top 5 Two Player Games (For Grown Ups)
Over the last two years it is safe to say many of us have reignited a love of games, there’s only so many shows on Netflix after all. In my endless search to find games that my partner and I can play together I have noticed it can be difficult to find ones that are age appropriate for us, with the right content and game play style that we enjoy. Some of the games I have included are not solely for two players, some can be played with more than two and some can even be played alone!
Without further ado here are my Top 5 Two Player Games for Grown Ups.
5. Mancala
I first encountered Mancala when photographing it for the website. After working out how the game worked I excitedly invited my colleagues to play and from then I was hooked! What seems like a really simple game of moving marbles is actually deeply strategic and I found the more I played the more I learnt.
A basic explanation of the game is as such: You and your competitor each have your own ‘bank’ at the either end of the game board. The aim is to move the marbles one by one to your bank, but with tactical moves your opponent could disrupt play and ‘steal’ marbles from your side of the board!
4. Sort it Out Mini Game
My partner is very competitive, let’s get that clear now, he loves to win. My game play tends to be more ‘guessing’ so games like this are perfect for both of us. It combines my ‘blind luck’ method with his methodical deduction and reasoning.
So how do you play? You have to sort five different ‘things’ (be it people, places, objects and so on) into some order as dictated by the card. Using coloured tiles you sort the five items into an order – such as earliest to latest – and then once you’re both ready you see how many each of you got right – the first to 20 wins!
3. Air Hockey
A classic game that I have loved in many formats throughout my life. In fact if we are ever away on holiday and we see an Air Hockey Table I will ask (aka demand) to play. When I realised I could play anywhere I knew this was the game for me.
This kit comes with a hovering puck rather than having a special base to play on, so you can literally play air hockey on any flat surface! Talk about a dream come true!!
2. Smart Ass
Whilst I know this blog is all about two player games, Smart Ass is one of the few on the list I have played with more than two players, although it is still great to play as a two. When I brought this home we invited my partner’s parents over to play with us, and we all loved it!
This game throws all the ‘wait your turn’ civilities we were taught as children out the window. Shout out the answer as soon as you know, but be careful, you only get one shot per question… With different types of questions, including the dreaded Hard Ass cards this game tests the depths of your knowledge, and your reaction speed as you race to the finish line. Although after I won three times in a row, I’m not sure my partner is as much of a fan as me… Did I mention he is incredibly competitive?
1. Underwood Cellars Murder Mystery Case File
As an avid amateur detective who consumes lots of crime related content I was so excited to have a go at this. The University Games Case Files can be played alone or with a team of people, so it felt only right to ask my partner to help. Together we pored over every scrap of evidence we were provided and spent a long time debating our opinions. Given the price point I was sceptical about how much information would be included and how well thought out the plot would be. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the information provided and the way the plot worked to lead you to different options and to consider different suspects.
Without giving anything away, Cary Underwood goes missing and the case is left open for years. With no idea where Cary is, it is a shock to everyone when his body shows up following an earthquake. No longer is anyone wondering where Cary is, now it is all about who killed him. Using the evidence collected for his missing persons file, added with the evidence collected in the murder file you can piece together a story of how Cary died, and why. You can also check your answer and even find extra bits of evidence online!
I’m looking forward to bringing more of the case file games home and putting my detective hat back on.