@theorolls
games I can teach in under five minutes, no exceptions
7 items
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06800
two-player games that don't feel like a consolation prize
not party games scaled down to 2 - stuff actually designed for exactly two people across the table
01
7 Wonders Duel
the gateway drug for this whole category. military and science tracks give you real tension even in a 25 min game
02
Jaipur
fits in a jacket pocket and plays in 20 min but the camel-hoarding mind games run deep. best $25 in my collection
03
Patchwork
tetris quilt building, sounds twee, isn't. the 3-tile market is such a simple mechanism to create constant friction
04
Lost Ruins of Arnak (2p)
this one's technically 1-4 but honestly plays tightest at 2, under an hour and the deckbuilding actually matters
05
Targi
min 4 players my ass, this is the one people sleep on. worker placement where you literally share a board edge with your opponent
06
Splendor Duel
07
Hive
no board, no dice, no luck. just bugs trying to surround your queen. travels better than chess
08
Star Realms
09
Air, Land & Sea
17 cards, 18 minutes, more bluffing than games 10x its size
10
The Fox in the Forest
crunchy > light but this is the exception, a trick-taking game my non-gamer partner will actually play twice in a row