Suggest a 2 Player Game

Kilarney

What game should I purchase next from my wishlist?

These are all 2 player games that I can play with the wife. Anything over an hour playing time is pushing it. Anything over 1.5 hours is absolutely too much.

- Memoir '44 (not sure if the wife will be too jazzed about a war theme)
- La Citta (wishful thinking - it's out of print)
- Tikal (this one really interests me)
- Balloon Cup (already own Lost Cities and Battle Line - would this be redundant?)
- Commands & Colors Ancients (again - may not be the best wife game)
- Aqua Romana (this really appeals to me, especially since we don't own Metro)
- St. Petersburg (Is this anything like San Juan, which we already own)
- Reef Encounter (May be a little too heavy for a quick game in the evening after the kids are put to bed)
- Citadels (Already own Castle, so would this be redundant?)
- Goa
- Thurn & Taxis (already own Ticket To Ride, so I think I've pretty much ruled this one out.)
- Candamir, The First Settlers (Believe it or not, I don't own any Settlers games. For some reason, they haven't really appealed to me. Perhaps because the themeing is weak?)
- Metro (Would this be better than Aqua Romana?)
- Section X (Not yet released, but this one looks very interesting)
- Cartagena (Fits the quick game catergory, but I'm starting to think that this is Candyland for adults)
- Mykerinos (Don't know much about this one)

By the way, does Scott pronounce "Tigris" incorrectly on purpose?

Rym

Board gamers pronounce it either way, and I've seen no clear consensus. I've heard the actual word pronounced either way often as well, varying largely by the nationality of the speaker. I consider either to be acceptable.

Anyway...

St. Petersburg very fun, but fundamentally broken. Once you play it a few times, it becomes apparent, and there's really no reason to play it again.

Tikal is fun, but experienced players are severely hampered by the randomness of the tiles. There is a bidding mechanic to mitigate this that I've never tried, but it does add complexity to the game. I would recommend this one, but it loses a lot in two-player.

I haven't played the rest of those, sadly. In general, however, there are few good two-player games. Attika works pretty well. Hellas is terrible. Advance Wars for the DS is a wonderful two-player game, and it plays out like a complex board game.

Kilarney

We actually own Attika, but sadly we have yet to crack open.
I really want to play it, so I'm sure it won't sit there for long.
I've actually read that it plays better as a two player game, since there is no argument about who should be forced to try to block someone.

I didn't realize that there was an alternate pronunciation for "Tigris." Dictionary.com does not list one. Perhaps it's a gamer thing? Perhaps dictionary.com sucks.

Farragar

Chess? ;-)

Apreche

Honestly as far as two player games go, collectible card games tend to be the best. However, I cannot condone the collecting of cards. Miniatures games also fit the bill, but again most of those are collectible. What I suggest you do is buy two identical sets of pieces for a game like Pirates of the Spanish Main. If you both have identical pieces you can play a fair and good game without falling into the collector's trap. You can also keep the game interesting by playing on different maps. Just don't blame me if you break your bank collecting little cardboard boats.

Kilarney

I've yet to break open a pack of CCGs, and honestly... the thought is absolutely frightening to me. Same goes for miniatures.

I'm just looking for something to pass the time when we aren't with our regular game group.

eknauer

While not a board game, Crokinole is an excellent 2- player dexterity game. You'll spend about $200 for a good board but it's a worthy investment IMO.

-Eric