So. You just heard board games are cool again and you’re ready to dip your toe in and try them out.
Well firstly they’ve always been cool, where have you been? Anyway, whether you visit a trendy board game café (ahem) or prefer the comfort of your own home, the amount of games out there is dizzying. As a beginner, where do you even start?
We believe a good way to start your journey is with a companion who has a similar itch… it can be your significant other on a date night, a friend you want to spend some quality time with, a parent or offspring that you’d like some bonding time with or even that sibling you love to feud with… whoever you choose, here are a few suggestions if you’re open to a fun game or two!
So, let’s go!
For those that like a puzzle… Patchwork
How relaxing, a game about making a patchwork quilt… sure… have you met competitive quilters?
Patchwork has been around since 2014 (there’s a 10th Anniversary edition due!) and has cemented itself not only as one of the best two-player games on the market for beginners but also a game that you’ll keep coming back to due to its amazing depth.
In Patchwork you’re using odd shaped patches (or polyominoes, what a nice word!) to make a quilt in a very pleasing Tetris like fashion. You’ll be purchasing these using a supply of buttons and spending time to stitch them onto your backing cloth. Do a better job than your opponent, and you win. Clearly, anything you can do to make it awkward for your opponent, can only help you!
A game of space, time and…. buttons? Many couples have started their board game journey with a bit of quilting. Sew, what are you waiting for?
Playing together… Pandemic
Games are competitive, right? Wrong. Cooperative board games are all the rage these days, working together against a game to overcome the odds and win together? It’s a thing. Welcome to the new world…
Since 2008 Pandemic has been the go to cooperative game of choice. Together you’ll act as the elite team whose job it is to keep the world away from the brink of a pandemic. Researching those elusive vaccines, curing the infected, flying around the world doing your best to deal with global outbreaks, tense stuff! This game doesn’t only play well at 2-players either, it is one that you can easily bring a third wheel to or even another pair or players. Double date night much?
Cooperative games are not for everyone but those who appreciate working together can find a new depth of understanding in overcoming a shared peril. These games can be addictive… almost infectiously so…
Not just a card game… Jaipur
Buy! Sell! Trade Camels! Welcome to the market place of Jaipur… the Maharaja is inviting one of you to their court… compete to earn seals of excellence… only one of you can be the best!
It’s amazing what you can do with just tokens and cards in a small box… This is a masterclass in quality 2-player design with great strategic choices and just a bit of luck… before long you’ll be making decisions on selling fast for a quick dollar or holding on for ‘just a little bit longer’ to try and maximise your profits by selling in bulk. It’s been around since 2009 and the refreshed Vincent Dutrait artwork from the 2019 edition is just gorgeous.
The fight for camels just got nasty but don’t you get the hump.
Strategic simplicity… Qawale
Sometimes one player has a head start as they are introducing the other to a game they know well. How about something relatively new? A calming and abstract pebble stacking game with a twist?
Abstract games can have simple rules but sometimes can be tricky to see the strategy… Qawale has only been around since 2022 but it is a tactile treat and the sound of the wooden tokens being placed on the board is very pleasing.
How do you even describe the game? It’s kind of a cross between four in a row mixed with a mancala mechanism which is an ancient style of game that has been shown potentially dates back to Ancient Egypt. Even a new game can have deep roots in history!
With rules you can learn in just a minute and set up that takes half that time, before long you’ll be considering your move and then it will be ‘just one more game?’, or, ‘best of 3/5/7?’
Most importantly though… How do you say the name Qawale? We like to think in a parallel universe this is the plural of Koala.
Adrenaline and skill… Klask
A game doesn’t have to be a sitting and staring match leaning over a board for hours at a time… Sometimes you just need a fast paced adrenaline packed game of skill and strategy, enter Klask.
Klask means ‘slap’ and was created in 2014 by a Danish carpenter. Think of it as a kind of air hockey that easily fits on your table at home. There are a few twists to the gameplay too, ‘biscuits’ that you don’t want to collect and most importantly it is based around magnets. Yeah, who doesn’t love playing with magnets?
This game will get you grinning with its breakneck speed and stunning volleys. I did get stuck for a pun on this one… but decided not to ‘force’ it.
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There are so many more games out there and everyone is different, these are tried and tested great games for two. We’re always happy to suggest more, come and join us in the cafe sometime and we will do our best to show you more great games!
