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Multi-Player Games that are Better with Two.
David Turner
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For a variety or reason (e.g. player interaction, balance, negotiation) some games are best with 3 or more players, but I have found that other games are tighter brain burners when played with two.

Here is the list! Feel free to add your own.

Note: These are only my opinions and preferences.
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1. Board Game: Metro [Average Rating:6.40 Overall Rank:925]
David Turner
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Dallas
Texas
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Metro

With two-players this game is a fantastic head-to-head thought provoking game. With more, it seems like you are too much at the mercy of the other player’s whims. I avoid it as a multi-player game.
 
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2. Board Game: Tigris & Euphrates [Average Rating:7.89 Overall Rank:15]
David Turner
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Dallas
Texas
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Tigris Euphrates

This is one of my favorite two-player brain burners.

My wife and I can take an entire evening playing just one game. Every moment is crucial and enjoyed. When playing most games I am always conscious of playing quickly and not taking too long. This is a game that needs to be savored, with more players I feel rushed.
 
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Tom Rosen
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Arlington
Virginia
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I completely agree about E&T. While it works with 3 or 4 players, it really shines with just 2.
 
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  • Posted Sat Apr 8, 2006 5:52 pm
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Merchants & Marauders Aaaaarrrh!!!!!
United Kingdom
Reading
Berkshire
pieces of eight aaaaaarrrrhhh!!!!!
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I wave E&T Card Game at my wife, and she always cracks ... and lets me play any new game I have bought!!!
Never Fails!!!
 
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  • Posted Sat Apr 8, 2006 6:01 pm
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David Turner
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E&T Card Game is my wife's new favorite.

I have not played it with more than 2, so I do not have a judgment on whether it is best with 2. I have a feeling it is.

If someone does think it is best with 2, add it to the list.


 
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  • Posted Sat Apr 8, 2006 6:04 pm
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Chris Talbot
Canada
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Ontario
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I find the conflicts are fewer and far between when there's only two players. Still, I find T&E enjoyable as a two-player game. I just believe that it really shines with a full four.

Chris
 
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  • Posted Mon Apr 10, 2006 1:22 pm
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3. Board Game: Ticket to Ride [Average Rating:7.48 Overall Rank:74]
David Turner
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Dallas
Texas
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Ticket to Ride

Don’t get me wrong, this is a fantastic 3-5 player game.

Playing with two-players (and using two colors each) this game is transformed. Much more challenging.

I prefer TTE with max. players.
 
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Chris
United States
Huntington Station
New York
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Great with 2 players and 2 sets each - new life breathed into this much-played game. A number of good variants for 2. We like the ones that complicate this simple game as little as possible, play somewhat like a 4 player game, and win by the lowest scoring of a player's 2 routes.
 
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  • Posted Sat Apr 8, 2006 8:05 pm
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Surya Van Lierde is pure Eurosnoot and proud of it!
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I think with 3 it's more challenging than with 2. You still don't get to use the double routes twice, and the board gets more crowded.
 
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  • Posted Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:50 am
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Todd Sweet
United States
Geneva
Illinois
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Why 2 sets?
Really enjoy just playing 2 players! Actually play a lot of 2 player games on the Days of Wonder website.
 
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  • Posted Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:19 pm
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Chris
United States
Huntington Station
New York
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Quote:
Why 2 sets?


Um, after playing hundreds of times plain vanilla a little variety is in order ?

How: 2 colors for each player, distinct destination tickets for each color (announce which color to draw for before drawing new destinations), 8 card hand, play for either single color on your turn (from the 8 card hand), win with your lower score (the 'contender'). Nothing else changes. But you could allow for a final move for each color on the 'final turn', in any order (this works). Using card stands for destination tickets also helps here (say, Memoir '44 stands) - keep these tickets near the pile of trains for each color.

A bit more brain burn than plain vanilla, which doesn't have much (which is why it was easy to play so often, and so fast after long workdays).
 
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  • Posted Thu Dec 7, 2006 6:51 pm
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4. Board Game: Alhambra [Average Rating:7.05 Overall Rank:241]
David Turner
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Dallas
Texas
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Alhambra

IMHO, this game is very good with three, poor with four, and best with two.

With more players I feel that you have less control, less planning, and less command of your progress.
 
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Dan Poole
United States
Goldsboro
North Carolina
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I agree, this game is really cool with just 2. The 3rd dummy player works just fine, creating just the right tension needed in competing for the tiles
 
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  • Posted Sat Apr 8, 2006 11:41 pm
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Nyarlathotep
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Yep, was going to add this to the list...fantastic as a two player game.
 
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  • Posted Mon Apr 10, 2006 2:19 pm
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5. Board Game: Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers [Average Rating:7.18 Overall Rank:201]
David Turner
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Dallas
Texas
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Carcassone Hunters and Gathers
This is another game that I prefer as a head-to-head competition, but very good with more.

I do prefer the original with more players.
 
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Tom Rosen
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I was with you until you said you preferred the original with more players. I primarily just play the original, but pretty much refuse to play it with more than 2 players, unless I'm just playing in order to introduce it to new people. If I'm playing against someone who has played a lot, and using a few of the expansions, then this really only works, in my opinion, as a head-to-head match up, otherwise you can't control and predict what's going to happen with too many tiles being placed between each of your turns.
 
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  • Posted Sat Apr 8, 2006 5:54 pm
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6. Board Game: Volcano [Average Rating:6.89 Overall Rank:1245]
David Turner
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Volcano

With more than 2 I feel like I loose the ability to plan.
 
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7. Board Game: Louis XIV [Average Rating:7.22 Overall Rank:198]
David Turner
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Texas
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Louis XIV

This game is very good with 2-4 players, but I enjoy it slightly more with just my wife.
This is probably only nostalgia and not a game mechanic thing.
 
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8. Board Game: Through the Desert [Average Rating:7.16 Overall Rank:191]
Tom Rosen
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Through the Desert

This works with 2 to 5 players, but in my opinion plays best with only 2 players. I think the board is really just too crowded with more players, and the game is too chaotic and you can't plan as far ahead because too many things are happening between each of your turns. With only 2 players, it's an outstanding head-to-head duel that plays fast and has no luck.
 
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Chris Talbot
Canada
Ajax
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Interesting. I don't enjoy this game with only two players. It seems that there's too much open space to work with.

Chris
 
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  • Posted Mon Apr 10, 2006 1:19 pm
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Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
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Don't really like it with 2. The chain scoring strategy is basically lost because if you don't lead a chain, your sole opponent automatically will. Also there's no element of deterring attacks as in a multi-player game.

Best with 4 or 3, I think.
 
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  • Posted Mon Apr 10, 2006 7:25 pm
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9. Board Game: Dos Rios [Average Rating:6.54 Overall Rank:1004]
George Kinney
United States
Bellefontaine
Ohio
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The game situation can change a lot during anyone's turn, the chaos only multiplying as you add more players. With two its a fun, but brutal, give and take.
 
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Mark Aldridge
United States
Moore
Oklahoma
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I've played this game one time with four players and I can't see how it couldn't be better with just two. With four, there are three people who will be busy wackin' your guys back to the town and keeping you from scoring. On top of that, there are two additional chances that someone will flip a desperado tile and cause even more havoc. I'm sure with two, there is at least some modicum of strategy. With four, there was zero. All tactics.
 
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  • Posted Mon Apr 10, 2006 12:46 pm
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10. Board Game: Blokus [Average Rating:7.15 Overall Rank:200]
J C Lawrence
United States
Campbell
California
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Amazing gaming goodness with two.
 
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♪ Isaäc Bickërstaff ♫
United States
Greer
South Carolina
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Entropy Seminar:
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The results of a five yeer studee ntu the sekund lw uf thurmodynamiks aand itz inevibl fxt hon shewb rt nslpn raq liot.
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This is definitely better with 2, but I feel like it gets a bit clunky, playing two different colors. I much prefer Travel Blokus, because it's just two colors, and it's a much tighter, less forgiving game.
 
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  • Posted Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:55 pm
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11. Board Game: Attika [Average Rating:7.08 Overall Rank:252]
Jonathan Takagi
United States
San Marcos
California
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The general consensus on BGG seems to be that Attika is best with two. I ended up not really liking it with two players, and have only played that way, but I can't even imagine playing it with 4 or 5. I've observed a couple of those games and it just looks tiresome.
 
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12. Board Game: Caylus [Average Rating:7.97 Overall Rank:11]
Dan Poole
United States
Goldsboro
North Carolina
Ph'nglui Mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!!
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We're charging our battery. And now we're full of energy. We are the robots. We're functioning automatik. And we are dancing mechanik. We are the robots
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Perhaps this plays better with more players, though when Jill and I play it as a 2 player game, it very enjoyable
 
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Bill Hollebeke
Belgium
Gent
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I enjoy Caylus with 2 players although it is a lot easier to play than with 5 players. If you want some cut-throaght action you'ld better play with at least 4.
 
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  • Posted Thu Apr 13, 2006 9:32 am
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13. Board Game: Tantrix [Average Rating:6.46 Overall Rank:1191]
 
Paul Smith
United Kingdom
Bath
Avon
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Intense strategy and tile counting with 2 - funky luckfest good for some light play with 3 or 4. Which is better depends on your mood I like the strategy, so it's best with 2 for me.
 
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Tom Rosen
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I feel this way with a lot of games, I think it has to do with the chaos that enters a strategy game when more players are added. I wrote a little bit about this a few months ago ( http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/84095).
 
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  • Posted Sat Apr 8, 2006 5:56 pm
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David Turner
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Quote:
I feel this way with a lot of games, I think it has to do with the chaos that enters a strategy game when more players are added. I wrote a little bit about this a few months ago ( http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/84095).


Chaos is a great word to describe it.
 
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  • Posted Sat Apr 8, 2006 6:43 pm
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Jonathan Takagi
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There have been some similar GeekLists in the past that provide other opinions about this topic:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist.php3?action=view&listi...
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist.php3?action=view&listi...
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist.php3?action=view&listi...
 
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  • Posted Sat Apr 8, 2006 10:26 pm
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Svein Main
Norway
Joerpeland
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I miss St.Petersburg, and Trans-Europa/America in your selection.

I also miss a selection about great 2-4 and 3-5 player games that suits better with 6 or more players. Can anyone give me that list.

Happy easter to everyone
 
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  • Posted Mon Apr 10, 2006 8:26 pm
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