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Pro A wonderful exercise in teamwork as you have to rely entirely on clues from other players
Why did the other player give that specific clue? Should you play, discard, or give a clue in return? If you give them a clue, how will they interpret it? It is these meaningful and occasionally tense decisions that make Hanabi an absolutely excellent game for couples who like to work together to...
Pro Hanabi's small size makes it easy to transport and/or play anywhere
Consisting of just 60 cards, 8 clue tokens, and 4 fuse tokens, the entire game can fit in a box about the size of a deck of cards, making it easy to throw in a pocket or purse and have on hand anytime.
In Hanabi 2-4 players take on the role of workers preparing a beautiful fireworks display by playing cards of a variety of colors onto the table in the correct order. However there is a catch: players hold their hand of cards facing away from them and rely on clues from the other players to figure out what is in their hand and when they should play it.
Pro Can play in 30 to 40 minutes
You can play a good game in half an hour to 40 minutes. (The first game will take you twice as long as you learn it, of course).
Pro Detailed with polish
The board game pieces are highly detailed with the starting piece being a separate color so it is easy to find. There is definitely some forethought put into the polish of this game that makes much of it intuitive and a pleasure to look at.
Pro Easy to learn for beginners
The rules are pretty basic for Carcassonne, with first time players being able to grasp its concepts quite quickly.
Pro Easy to learn
The core mechanics of the game are pretty simple to learn in under 15 minutes. Meaning more time can be spent playing the game rather than reading instructions. It also means it is great for newcomers to the game or those unfamiliar with boardgames in general.
Pro No direct conflict
There is no direct conflict between players, which makes it a good game for beginners but also players who do not like the cut throat tactics of games like Monopoly. It also makes for a good game for couples to play as there will be no arguments or moves that may slight another player.
Pro Plenty of expansions
Ticket to Ride offers numerous expansions such extra maps to play on like Asia or Africa which can extend the gameplay as well as change it up to keep things fresh.
Pro Highly interactive gameplay keeps both players engaged
Often, when one player takes a card from the central layout it reveals multiple cards beneath it that open up new options for their opponent. This encourages players to pay attention on their opponents turn. Furthermore, players need to be aware of their opponents position on the military track si...
Con Base gameplay can get repetitive over many plays
The base game doesn't offer a huge amount of variability between plays so it could potentially get repetitive. Fortunately there is an expansion available that adds much more depth and replayability.
Pro Great for couples
7 Wonders Duel is specifically designed for 2 players so it is perfect for a couple looking for a fun game to play with each other.
7 Wonders Duel is the new 2 player version of the classic game 7 Wonders. In Duel, two players face off and try to build the best civilization over the course of 3 ages. In each age players take turns selecting cards from a layout in the middle of the table. At the end of the 3rd era players total their score and a victor is declared.
Pro Co-op game
Because everyone is on the same team, it's easy to play with just 2 players.
Con Steep learning curve
With the specialty cards and rules for when disease spread, it's best to read the instructions carefully and maybe watch a game on Youtube first.
Pro Best for small groups
Scrabble can be played with two to four players making for a good choice of game when only few people are around.
Pro Offers different editions
There are many different editions of Scrabble including collectors editions with the whole board made out of wood to sets that have a rotating plastic board.
Con Depending on the edition quality can be quite cheap
Many of the cheaper editions of the game have poor quality including uncentered boards as well as cheap wood letter pieces.
Pro Solo variant allows players to practice and play the game on their own
Whether you are trying to learn the rules to the game or honing your strategies while waiting for a friend at the bar, Mint Works has the ability to be played solo, including 4 different 'AI' players that focus on different tactics and strategies to give each play a different feel from the...
Pro Short, yet rewarding gameplay
Each game of Mint Works typically plays out in 10-20 minutes, but that time is filled with decisions about where to best place your mints in order to gain the most points and maximize your productivity for that round, leading to very rewarding games.
Pro Small size of the game makes it very portable
As the name suggests, Mint Works was designed to fit inside a standard mint tin, making it easy to slip into your pocket or purse for gaming on the go.
Pro Short play time makes it easy to play this game when you feel like it
Most plays will take less than 30min so it is easy to squeeze in a quick game while dinner is in the oven, at the end of the night before bed, or maybe a quick game before breakfast.
Pro The building dials provide an interesting risk-reward decision to the game
When a player purchases a building tile they place it in the first space of the building dial where it has 0 uses. Each turn the dial moves one increment around, slowly increasing the number of uses each building provides from 0, to 2, 3, 4, and finally to 4 + 1gold. This encourages players to wait
Pro Has a quality app on both Android and iOS
The Inland Port app is available for around $5 on both Android and iOS and makes for an excellent opportunity to either try the game before buying the costlier physical version or to learn the game after you already own the physical copy.
In Le Havre: The Inland Port two players take turns over 12 rounds trying to earn the most money by acquiring resources and constructing buildings. Each round players may use their turns to construct new buildings or use existing ones to earn money or resources. At the end of the 12 rounds whoever has the most points wins.
Pro The storylines provided by the game are interesting and draw players into the game
Each scenario features an overarching storyline that encourages players to keep playing as they slowly uncover more and more details about the mystery that is unfolding. Each mission in a scenario is designed to reveal more and more information about the dangers players are facing while giving clu...
Pro Multiple expansions and add-ons will continue to help the game grow and evolve over time
Fantasy Flight has already announced and released several add-on packs that include new storylines, characters, monsters, and equipment, further broadening the depth and replayability of this game.
Pro High replayability due to multiple decision points and possible endings to both individual missions and the overall scenario
At different points along each mission players will be forced to make decisions that will affect not only that mission, but the storyline overall. This means that even playing the same scenario will have different results based on the decisions made by each player.
Arkham Horror: The Card game is a co-op card game set in Fantasy Flights' Lovecraft universe. In this living card game each player builds a hero deck based around one of the main characters in the game. They then use this character to play through different scenarios over the course of multiple games. During each mission in a scenario players can make choices that impact both the story and their characters.
Pro Easy to understand yet deep gameplay
The basic premise of Santorini is simple; players use their workers to move around the map, build towers, and attempt to be the first to ascend to the 3rd level of one of these towers. However, much like its more serious counterpart, Chess, Santorini has an astounding amount of depth as players mo...
Pro A ton of replayability
Even without using the God Power cards the base game of Santorini will almost always play out differently as players try different techniques and strategies for besting their opponent. However, adding in the 30 God Powers from the base set adds a whole new layer of variable conditions for each game
Pro Excellent component quality
From the raised, three-dimensional board to the high quality building blocks, all of the components in Santorini are top-notch. The tarot sized cards are beautifully illustrated and contain easy to recognize iconography, the main game board is made up of 3 parts that raise it up off the table and...
In this deceptively simple game players compete as Gods trying to build up the Greek city of Santorini. Each player controls 2 workers and on their turn moves one worker and then builds with it. Workers can move one space in any direction and up one level; if they ever move up from the 2nd level to the 3rd level of a tower, they win!
Pro Delightfully tricky
Not as easy as it looks due to restriction set out on where on can place tiles. This makes for some strategy in the game trying to figure out what will be the best moved of the allowed pieces.
Pro Simple rules
Deceptively simple! "Each new piece played must be placed so that it touches at least one piece of the same color, with only corner-to-corner contact allowed—edges cannot touch"
Con Too easy to team up against a single player
When playing with more than three people it can be too easy to fall into this familiar multiplayer trap where many players can team up against one with that one having no real means to stop this uneven play.
Pro It's theme is very accesible
The quilting theme of Patchwork is simple enough to convince almost anyone to sit down and play it.
Pro Short play time
Games of Patchwork usually take less than 30 minutes so the game doesn't drag on.
Con Takes up a decent amount of space
At the start of the game you form a ring with all of the pieces available in the game and that ring takes up a decent amount of space for a quick, 2-player game.
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