While some board games can only be played with two players, such as 7 Wonders: Duel, others can be played with four or more players, but are often better with just two. In turn-based tabletop games with few player interactions, players have to wait between turns with nothing to do but plan or watch, and the more players you add, the longer these waits become.
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In competitive games where players are trying to achieve the highest score on their own board, the competition can also feel better in a one vs one scenario where players can fully focus on beating a single opponent. There are also other reasons why some board games are better with just two players, as will be highlighted with Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective.
Spirit Island
Work Together As Spirits To Defend An Island From Invaders
- Playing Time: 90-120 mins
- Players: 1-4
- Age: 13+
Spirit Island is one of the most respected board games, with players controlling vastly different spirits in order to defend an island from colonial invaders. The spirits all play in unique ways, and combining their innate powers and randomly selected power cards with other spirits can make for epic moments in this co-op experience.
While Spirit Island can be great with three or four players, their addition will make the already long game arguably too long. As players make their moves at the same time or in an order of their choosing, trying to come up with the best strategy also becomes increasingly more complex as more players are added. Each player already has a ton of their own actions to consider. For these reasons, Spirit Island is often more enjoyable and easier with just two players, especially while learning the game and different spirits.
Wingpsan
Collect Different Birds To Create The Highest Scoring Aviary
- Playing Time: 40-70 mins
- Players: 1-5
- Age: 10+
While technically a competitive game where players aim for the highest score, Wingspan is a cozy game in which players rarely have any opportunities to screw over their opponents. In fact, some cards even help opponents. There also isn’t much to do in between turns, other than watch, so the game can be much more enjoyable with just two players.
