Board games are picking up steam in libraries and “the golden age of board gaming” is going strong. Two years of having a circulating board game collection at the Bucks County Library System has affirmed this and a few things for me — you don’t need a large group to play board games, the games don’t need take up much space, can be easy to learn, and can easily demo at a circulation desk. One of the most frequent gamer’s advisory questions I get is “What would be a good game to play with my partner?” To answer this I’m going to examine some of my favorite board games for two and only two people. There are a few basic criteria I’ll follow when selecting games. First, only games that play with two people exclusively will be examined. While games with a higher player count like Pandemic and Stone Age won’t make the list, they are certainly wonderful games for two people. Games also have to have a simple set-up and can be played quickly excluding larger, bulky war-games and strategy games are out. These are games that play while dinner is cooking (<ahem> being delivered) or after the small human has been put to nocturnal rest. There isn’t time for games with elaborate set-up and reams of rules to learn or lots of investment to play. So many of the popular “living” or collectible cards games are also excluded. The games below you can learn and play in 30-45 minutes and will provide just enough decision space to encourage repeat play. Continue reading “Board games for two humans”
