Cool Days Mean Hot Games
Take a break from streaming with board games for two
With fall and winter approaching, it’s hard to let go of summer. After all, things seemed to break loose this summer as people came out of two years of being cloistered. Here’s a great idea for filling those evenings when the sun sets too early: board games.
In most households, there is either one adult or two. Even a couple at home does not normally think of spending an evening with a board game. After all, don’t you need at least four people? No: here are 7 games for two adults!
All games work on two principles: luck or skill. In most games, the two items are combined. Children’s games are almost always luck: Candyland, for instance, or Chutes and Ladders are both games where you land on a space and something happens. That’s it. A game like Jenga is all skill. Poker, canasta and most card games are a combination.
For a couple that wants to stay home in an evening, Monopoly isn’t a great choice — it takes forever. Checkers and Chinese checkers get boring pretty quickly. The game of Life — not much like real life. If one of you is good with words and the other isn’t, Scrabble is one-sided. Many people don’t love the slow-moving game of Chess. My personal favorite, Cards Against Humanity, truly needs a group.
What’s different about this list is there are no war games — aren’t we all sick of war? Nor are there games that require buying multiple sets of cards to amp it up, like Magic. Many of you reading this list likely are tired of vampires, zombies, and sorcery themes. Don’t we have enough of that on streaming TV?
- Cathedral. We’re talking two players here and ONLY two, making this board game a rarity among the array. It’s also beautiful. If you put all the pieces on the board and just looked at it, it would be worth it as an interesting piece of decor in your home. Battle to build castles, racing your opponent. Block or outmaneuver your opponent. Claim turf. It’s ironic that all this ambitious greed is so hard and stressful in real life but oh-so-fun in a game.
2. Wingspan. Run a wildlife preserve without getting pecked, getting in bird doo-doo, and without leaving the comfort of your home. In this game, you’re a researcher or bird watcher or other type of bird professional. A large array of cards and other accoutrements will make you sing like a bird or screech like a hawk. A bit pricier than some board games, running about 50 bucks, but worth every egg.
3. Sagrada. For a quick play (a game can be done in 30 minutes), this can’t be topped. It’s an absolutely beautiful board game, and no wonder, you’re making a stained-glass window. However, this game goes well beyond puzzle-assembly ease. With dice and cards, it becomes a contest to see if you can create beauty — or get shattered.
4. Exploding Kittens. The makers of this caught my attention with their startling title! But what also grabbed me was their 81,000-plus positive ratings on Amazon. Who does that? Well, this game does. No better way to explain it other than it combines Russian roulette with exploding felines. It’s a pure chance game and might have the shortest learning curve of any game ever invented. And no actual kittens are harmed in the playing of this game lol.
5. I Should Have Known That. A cooler version of the Boomer-era favorite, Trivia Pursuit, this game is not as easy as you think, even if you think you’re an erudite. For instance: is a penguin a bird? How do you say Japan in Japanese? See, smarty. Even for two people, there are laughs plus easy learning here, making the time breeze by.
6. Ticket to Ride. This already-popular game is one you have to try if you haven’t. It’s easy to learn (but not babyish) and fast-moving. You build tracks across the U.S., adjoining cities and trying your best to outpace an opponent. With over 19,000 reviews on Amazon, it maintains an astonishing 5-star rating.
7. Star Wars Outer Rim. I hesitated to include such an obviously commercial title, but this is an enjoyable game even if you aren’t SW crazy. Heads up, though, this is not as short as the games mentioned earlier. It can take 3–4 hours. Also, even ONE person can play this! With bounty hunters, mercenaries and other scoundrels about, you fly around the galaxy to win and can even nab Star Wars characters as part of your crew. An engaging, strategic game that stays fresh.
#
Share this on your favorite platform!
