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Best Board Games for Two People

Abhijit Naik
A compilation of some of the best board games for two people, which guarantee fun while stimulating your mind. Beware though, you can get addicted to these.
Board games have been entertaining us since ages, and they are just getting better with time. Even though there do exist board games which can be played either by one player or a group, games for two still remain the favorites. These games are by far the best source of entertainment for those who get bored sitting idle.

Best Two-player Board Games
For some people, the best game is the one that requires strategic planning. For others, it is the one from which you derive maximum fun with little efforts.

Chess

Chess is played on a 64 alternating black and white squared board, known as the chessboard. Though it just takes a minute to set up a game of chess, but average playing time is an hour, with some international matches even going on for more than five hours.
One of the oldest board games, chess requires strategic planning and execution of moves. If you don't have the patience to sit at one place for hours together, thinking and thwarting your opponent's moves, you can either opt for a game of chess with stipulated time limit, or play rapid chess which lasts for only a few minutes.

Mastermind

Mastermind is yet another code-breaking board game, wherein one player is expected to make the code and the other player is expected to break it. The objective of the codebreaker is to guess the correct pattern within the stipulated number of chances.
Normally, it takes less than 5 minutes to set up this game, while the playing time ranges between 15 to 20 minutes. It is also considered one of the best board games for couples. Since the launch of its original version in 1972, many new versions―some of which facilitate multi-player gaming―have been introduced.

Go

Go is a popular two-player game played on a 19×19 grid, using black and white pellets. The objective of the players is to capture a larger area of the board.
The playing time for a casual game of Go can range between half an hour to two hours, while the same for a professional game ranges between 1 to 6 hours. In fact, some professional games are even played over a span of two days or more than 10 hours. The game requires great tactics and strategic planning along with good observational skills.

Stratego

Stratego is a board game which is played between two players on a 10×10 grid board, with each player having 40 pieces. In order to win, the player has to either capture the opponent's flag, or capture as many pieces belonging to the opponent as possible.
Along with strategies and tactics, a Stratego player also requires excellent memory. Some of the newer versions of Stratego are available with pieces belonging to various pop culture themes, such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Marvel Comics.

Othello

Othello, also known as Reversi, is a strategic board game played between two players on an 8×8-squared board using two different colored set of pieces. The objective of the player is to save as many of his pieces as he can and upturn the opponent's pieces.
The playing time for this game may range between 10 minutes to an hour. It being a strategic game, requires good observational skills. Othello is considered one of the best games of all time. World Othello Championship, one of the most prestigious tournament, is held in various parts of the world since 1977.
Besides these, popular multi-player board games, like scrabble and monopoly, can also be played between two people. At the end of the day, what matters is the fun you derive by playing these games, and as far as fun-quotient is concerned―rest assured―these are 'the' best games you are likely to lay your hands on.