Two player board games
Most of our board-gaming is done at home, just the two of us. Sadly, some of the best board games in our collection either don't work at all for two players, or don't work well. It's not all doom, though. Some games, such as as Caylus, are different in their 2-player version - different challenges, different tactics - but just as good. Others can be adapted. We play Puerto Rico effectively as a 4-player game, with each of us controlling two "players" who work together for their joint good. We also have several games that are for 2 players, and 2 alone. However, most of these are based on battles and conflict. Pellinor spent much of his childhood playing war games, while I have a tendency to play too cautiously, so Pellinor usually beats me comprehensively. No problem with this, of course, but it can get a bit depressing when it happens again and again and again.
It seems that both Pellinor and I had the same thought this Christmas, and both searched Board Game Geek for well-reviewed games that work well with two. As a result, we ended up with three new board games this Christmas.
One is Troyes, which is one of those very rare things: a board game that claims to take 90 minutes, and actually takes 90 minutes!. Like Caylus, it's all about gathering resources, assigning workers, and building a medieval town, but rather more chance is involved than in Caylus; 18 different dice are involved! We've only played it once, though, so I don't feel that I can say much more about it yet. Promising, though, especially as sometimes a short 90 minute game is just what you need.
Another is the Firefly game, which is very enjoyable, and has prompted us to rewatch the series again. You whizz around space, hiring crew, taking on jobs (criminal jobs tend to pay more, but are much harder to pull off), and running into a variety of random problems en route (breakdowns, unplanned salvage ops, Alliance patrols etc.) Variety comes from the fact that you start the game from selecting from a range of scenario cards, which determine your goals and set the victory conditions. Nicely produced - shiny, even - and fun, and probably the simplest of the three games to explain to newbies and to play.
My favourite, though, is probably Mage Knight. Mage Knight is really a fantasy roleplaying game in board game form. As your character moves around, you reveal randomised terrain tiles, meaning that the board is different each time. Various monsters lurk on the map, some openly and some hidden inside dungeons and the like, and you can choose go and fight them. Success gives you "fame" (experience points, really) and various rewards, including spells, artefacts and special skills. You can also visit villages, monasteries and the like, where you can hire henchmen - only one initially, but more as you level up.
Everything you do requires the appropriate card to be in your hand at the right time. All cards contain two alternative effects: a basic, free one, and a better one, that requires you to have - and to be prepared to spend - the right colour of mana. You might have 8 awesome spells, but if they're sitting there in your draw deck, and your hand is currently full of move cards, there's nothing whatsoever you can do to kill yon puny orc. Minions, skills, spells… almost everything is a one-shot deal… at least, until everyone's got through all their cards, and you declare End of Round (or maybe Turn *), turn day into night or night into day (night rules and day rules are different), reshuffle your deck, and start again.
The game can be played solo, co-operatively or competitively, and there are several different scenarios for each. We've only played co-op, playing a scenario in which the goal is to discover and conquer 3 cities before the end of six rounds (or maybe turns.) Your team then gets scored on a whole variety of things - possessions, skills, fame, whether the goal was achieved, number of rounds (or maybe turns) it took to achieve it, and so on. You don't win or lose, as such; you just get a score which you can then try to beat next time.
We play a lot of two player co-operative games on the computer, so it's great to have a co-op board game to play, as well. If you want a co-operative fantasy-based board game that takes the best part of a day to play, Mage Knight is highly recommended.
* For years, I have had a blind spot on the difference between a round and a turn. Just to add to the confusion, Mage Knight uses the terms the opposite way from D&D. Pellinor had to write me a explanatory poster in ginormous writing, spelling out which one is the short time period and which is the long time period. I have to consult it at least 169 times during each game.
It seems that both Pellinor and I had the same thought this Christmas, and both searched Board Game Geek for well-reviewed games that work well with two. As a result, we ended up with three new board games this Christmas.
One is Troyes, which is one of those very rare things: a board game that claims to take 90 minutes, and actually takes 90 minutes!. Like Caylus, it's all about gathering resources, assigning workers, and building a medieval town, but rather more chance is involved than in Caylus; 18 different dice are involved! We've only played it once, though, so I don't feel that I can say much more about it yet. Promising, though, especially as sometimes a short 90 minute game is just what you need.
Another is the Firefly game, which is very enjoyable, and has prompted us to rewatch the series again. You whizz around space, hiring crew, taking on jobs (criminal jobs tend to pay more, but are much harder to pull off), and running into a variety of random problems en route (breakdowns, unplanned salvage ops, Alliance patrols etc.) Variety comes from the fact that you start the game from selecting from a range of scenario cards, which determine your goals and set the victory conditions. Nicely produced - shiny, even - and fun, and probably the simplest of the three games to explain to newbies and to play.
My favourite, though, is probably Mage Knight. Mage Knight is really a fantasy roleplaying game in board game form. As your character moves around, you reveal randomised terrain tiles, meaning that the board is different each time. Various monsters lurk on the map, some openly and some hidden inside dungeons and the like, and you can choose go and fight them. Success gives you "fame" (experience points, really) and various rewards, including spells, artefacts and special skills. You can also visit villages, monasteries and the like, where you can hire henchmen - only one initially, but more as you level up.
Everything you do requires the appropriate card to be in your hand at the right time. All cards contain two alternative effects: a basic, free one, and a better one, that requires you to have - and to be prepared to spend - the right colour of mana. You might have 8 awesome spells, but if they're sitting there in your draw deck, and your hand is currently full of move cards, there's nothing whatsoever you can do to kill yon puny orc. Minions, skills, spells… almost everything is a one-shot deal… at least, until everyone's got through all their cards, and you declare End of Round (or maybe Turn *), turn day into night or night into day (night rules and day rules are different), reshuffle your deck, and start again.
The game can be played solo, co-operatively or competitively, and there are several different scenarios for each. We've only played co-op, playing a scenario in which the goal is to discover and conquer 3 cities before the end of six rounds (or maybe turns.) Your team then gets scored on a whole variety of things - possessions, skills, fame, whether the goal was achieved, number of rounds (or maybe turns) it took to achieve it, and so on. You don't win or lose, as such; you just get a score which you can then try to beat next time.
We play a lot of two player co-operative games on the computer, so it's great to have a co-op board game to play, as well. If you want a co-operative fantasy-based board game that takes the best part of a day to play, Mage Knight is highly recommended.
* For years, I have had a blind spot on the difference between a round and a turn. Just to add to the confusion, Mage Knight uses the terms the opposite way from D&D. Pellinor had to write me a explanatory poster in ginormous writing, spelling out which one is the short time period and which is the long time period. I have to consult it at least 169 times during each game.