Here Are The Best Board Games And Card Games For 2 People
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You’ve scrolled through Twitter. You’ve gone through all your friends’ stories on Instagram. And you’ve avoided going on Facebook to see what your aunt is ranting about this time.
Since social distancing has become the norm, your iPhone screen time is probably on the rise ― as is your time spent on Netflix, Hulu and Prime Video.
But, by now, you might be looking to give your eyes a much-needed break from your screens (and all those weekly Zoom happy hours) and settling into a quiet night (or nights) in with a time-consuming puzzle. The only problem? Puzzle sales have recently soared, so much so that they’re almost sold out everywhere — even at places that traditionally have them in spades, like Amazon and Target.
Luckily, there are still lots of board and card games in stock at places like Uncommon Goods and Urban Outfitters. Lots of games are meant for just one player or for a group of three or more. So we went searching for games that can be played with at least two players, if you’re looking to pass the time with a partner or a roommate. (Of course, if you’re looking for fun two-person games that require nothing but a deck of cards, you can try rummy, gin rummy, double solitaire, crazy eights and war.)
There’s a pretty pink tarot card deck to give readings to your roommate and a mini Zoltar kit if you’ve always wished to ~foretell~ your fortune. You can even try your hand at a “Play the Patriarchy” game from feminist site Reductress.
We didn’t want to highlight the games you probably already have. Instead, we found board and card games that have a twist on a classic — like a super mini-version of “Uno” — or just look like a lot of fun— like this movie lovers’ trivia game. Bye, bye boredom.
Check out these games that can be played with two players:
Beeropoly
Players: It can be just between the two of you. But you can also play with up to six players (or add actual bottle caps for more players).
Includes: Beeropoly includes the game board, dice and six colored bottle cap pieces.
How To Play: Well, get ready to crack a couple of cold ones (at least). In this drinking game, players take turns rolling the dice and moving along the board with their chosen bottle cap piece. You have to complete the challenges set in the game or be eliminated. The last player standing gets to drink from a "community cup."
$$: Find it for $35 at Uncommon Goods.
RuPaul’s Drag Race Mad Libs By Karl Marks & Nico Medina
Players: You can go solo, but it's better with two.
Includes: The book includes 48 pages and 21 stories.
How To Play: Just try to come up with the funniest answers to those fill-ins. Whoever gets the most laughs wins.
$: Find it for $5 at Urban Outfitters.
Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle Game
Players: You can play with two to four people.
Includes: This game comes with 140 cards, four Hogwarts House dice, the game board, chip pieces and sorting cards to help keep everything organized.
How To Play: It's definitely for the hardcore "Harry Potter" fans. In this game, you can play as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger or Neville Longbottom. You take turns, trying to get cards that'll let you cast spells and help you beat the villains in the game.
$$$: Find it for $50 at Bed Bath & Beyond.
World’s Smallest Uno Card Game
Players: This card game can be played with two to 10 players.
Includes: You guessed it — you get a (tiny) deck of cards.
How To Play: It's a take on a classic card game. For those who might not know, the object of the game is to get rid of all the cards in their hands in each round. The first player to get to 500 points wins. Players take turns drawing and discarding cards.
$: Find it for $6 at Urban Outfitters.
Star Wars - Escape From Death Star Board Game
Players: You can play with up to four players.
Includes: This game includes the board game, eight cardboard movers with plastic bases, four Death Star blueprint cards, four Tractor Bean cards, a spinner, deck of 52 Force cards and an exclusive Grand Moff Tarkin figure. There's an owners manual, too.
How To Play: In this board game, which is based on one made in the '70s, players races around the Death Star with two cardboard movers. You take turns with the spinner, trying to get the plans for the Death Star and then trying to enter hyperspace in the Millennium Falcon.
$: Find it for $16 at Best Buy.
Baseball Game
Players: You can play with two players or with two teams of up to four players each.
Includes: Baseball Game comes with a set of dice, dry-erase marker, five chrome pegs, four brass pegs and directions.
How To Play: You might be missing America's favorite pastime — but you can batter up in your living room. In this game, players move the first batter to home plate and roll the dice. The combination you get corresponds to a particular play on the game's billboards. You move according to whatever the designated play is. There's a dry-erase scoreboard to know who's winning.
$$$: Find it for $56 at Uncommon Goods.
Katamino Game for Two
Players: Just the two of you can play, or you can have two teams.
Includes: This game comes with cards with different puzzles and activities, the polygon pieces and the board itself.
How To Play: Like the app you might have tried out once, in this game you're trying to connect all those pieces together. You're assigned different pieces based on your side of the board. Oh, and you're trying to be the fastest one to finish.
$$: Find it for $35 at Uncommon Goods. Keep in mind that it's on backorder until April 30.
Ridley's Games Bar Quiz
Players: You can play with two to five players.
Includes: This set comes with 200 question cards, 10 game chips, five pencils, a score pad, a trophy and instructions.
How To Play: If you're missing trivia bar nights, this game has lots of questions that need answers. There are 10 challenging topics ranging from pop culture to general knowledge.
$: Find it on sale for $14 at Shopbop.
Trivial Pursuit Netflix's Stranger Things Back to the 80s Edition Board Game
Players: You can play with two to four people.
Includes: This game has 250 trivia cards with 1,500 questions, a die, four wedge holders, 24 wedges, a middle board piece, cardholder and instructions.
How To Play: In this version of the iconic trivia game, you answer questions about '80s pop culture and "Stranger Things" across six different categories like movies, TV and trends. If you land on a portal space, you have to flip the board over and land in the Upside Down, where wrong answers have consequences.
$: Find it for $20 at Best Buy.
Movie Geek Trivia Game
Players: This game can be played with two players.
Includes: A deck of cards and a score pad.
How To Play: Cinephiles, you can put your movie knowledge to the test. In this game, you get an illustration of a movie character and have to guess both the movie and actor. You get bonus points, too, for other trivia about the film.
$$: You can find it for $28 at Anthropologie, Verishop or West Elm.
Things They Don't Teach You in School Game
Players: You can play with two players or more.
Includes: 110 cards.
How To Play: It's easy: You try to guess trivia that's so random, you probably didn't learn it in school.
$: Find it for $20 at Uncommon Goods.
Dominoes Coffee Table Game
Players: In this game, you can play with at least one another player.
Includes: This game comes with the set of dominoes and a box that can go on your coffee table.
How To Play: There are different versions of the game but as someone who loves dominoes, I play the traditional way: trying to get rid of the dominoes I have at hand by matching them up (depending on the dots) to the dominoes already on the table, like this explainer video shows.
$: Find it on sale for $20 at West Elm.
CANDYLAND: Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
Players: This game can be played with two to four players.
Includes: The game comes with the trappings you would expect from "Candyland" with a Willy Wonka twist, including a colorful board and Oompa Loompa pieces.
How To Play: There isn't any actual chocolate in this game, but you can live out your Willy Wonka fantasies by trying to be first player to reach the Wonkavator.
$$: Find it $25 at Bed Bath & Beyond.
Ridley's Games Poker Set
Players: For this set, play with at least one other player.
Includes: This set has 200 chips, two packs of playing cards, a dealer button and full instructions, too.
How To Play: Well, that depends. Since there's two packs of playing cards, you can play just about any card game. Or when you want your own alone time, get a deck and play some solitaire.
$$: Find it for $28 at Shopbop.
Outdoor Yard Giant Wooden Blocks Tower Stacking Game
Players: This game can be played with two players.
Includes: The stacking game comes with wooden blocks and a nylon carrying case, in case you want to play outside.
How To Play: You have to try to get those blocks one-by-one without making the entire tower fall.
$$: Find it for $42 at Overstock.
Pick Up Sticks Coffee Table Game
Players: You can play by yourself or with another person.
Includes: This table game comes with colorful sticks and a box to store them.
How To Play: It's as classic and simple as it gets: throw those sticks and see which one of you can grab them without touching another stick.
$: Find it on sale for $8 at West Elm.
Trivial Pursuit: The Golden Girls Edition
Players: In this edition, you can play with two or more players.
Includes: This game includes a wedge holder, 100 question cards, a die and rules card.
How To Play: Let "Thank You For Being A Friend" play in the background. In this game, you answer questions about the beloved show in categories like "Men of The Night."
$: Find it for $20 at Bed Bath & Beyond.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
