Gift Guide 2018: Two Player Games

The jolly season of 2018 is almost upon us, and it’s time for us to give that geek in our life a present. But what to give them? Together, the writing team of d20Radio has come up with some gift guides for you to enjoy. Hopefully, you’ll find some inspiration for your presents. 🙂

1: Allies: Spyke & Flower (Recommended by Linda Whitson)

Allies: Spyke & Flower is a first for Slugfest Games’ hilarious Red Dragon Inn game series–a 2 player game. Bonus–it is a Munchkin (yes, that Munchkin!) themed game, as the cover art reveals. This one can also be played 2 other ways. First, there’s Otto, an “automated third-player variant.” Or, for when it’s not “just the 2 of us,” Spyke & Flower can be used with any of the standalone sets. This is on my list, for when I can’t convince the whole clan it’s Family Nite at the Inn. Suggested retail price is US $25, but can be found for less.

2: Hive (Recommended by Ben Erickson)

Hive is a strategy game by John Yianni and Gen42 games that combines worker placement and strategic movement where your goal is to capture the opponent’s queen by surrounding it with your own pieces. The game is played without a board and the players take turns placing their hexagonal tiles on the play surface, ensuring that no two games look exactly the same. Each piece represents a certain type of insect that must follow certain movement rules around the play space. The pieces are all high-quality thick ceramic and store in a cloth bag. There are also several expansions that each introduce new insects into the mix.

3: Dungeon Saga: Dwarf King’s Quest (Recommended by Kim Frandsen)

In many ways this is an homage to the old Warhammer Quest or HeroQuest, allowing you to take control of 4 heroes, and fight it out against the evil necromancer Mortis. It’s created by Mantic Games (who create a lot of miniature games) and the quality of the miniatures is great, though a paint job is recommended for the best experience. The strength of the game is that it’s easy enough that 2 players can play it (with one controlling the heroes, the other controlling the monsters), but it allows up to 5 players to take part, with one taking the role of Mortis. It’s also possible to complete scenarios in a relatively short amount of time (though the later scenarios do tend to take longer) and you could play as little as 30 minutes if you have no more time than that. I would recommend setting aside about 60 minutes though, as you’ll want to set up the board and tokens properly first, and that may take time. – For those wanting to take it beyond the board game, you can also use most of the models in your Kings of War Games, and vice versa.

4: 7 Wonders Duel (Recommended by Wayne Basta)

Duel is a great alternative to 7 Wonders when you only have two players. It follows the same theme of three ages of growing your wonders but its far better balanced for two players than the original. Instead of getting a stack of cards and picking something to buy, all of the cards are laid out in a pattern that changes with each age. Some cards are flipped up so you know what’s coming, some are flipped over and are not revealed until all cards covering them are taken. This presents a tough strategy for the players, especially in the last age. Do you take a card you want, revealing a new card that could give your opponent the win, or take a lesser card to keep him from getting the reveal?