Games for 2 Players: Ideas for Any Situation (No Setup Needed)

Two people, a bit of time and nothing planned: here is how to find a good game. Instead of one long list, this page sorts games by what you have with you. Pick the heading that matches your situation and jump to a game that works.

Quick pick

You have...	Try
Nothing at all	20 Questions, I Spy, Rock Paper Scissors
Pen and paper	Tic tac toe, hangman, dots and boxes, Battleship
A deck of cards	Go Fish, War, rummy, cribbage
A board game shelf	Checkers, chess, backgammon, dominoes
One computer or phone	Browser games for two on one screen
Different locations	Turn-based and word games over a call

Games with no equipment

• 20 Questions. One person thinks of an object. The other asks up to 20 yes-or-no questions to guess it.
• I Spy. "I spy with my little eye something beginning with B." Good for travel and young children.
• Rock Paper Scissors. Best of three, five or seven. Short and no setup.
• Word chain. One person says a word. The next says a word that begins with the last letter. No repeats.
• Would you rather. Ask each other tricky choices and defend your answer. Our best friend quiz has questions to use.
• Number guessing. Pick a number from 1 to 100. The other player guesses and you answer "higher" or "lower".

Pen-and-paper games

These need only one sheet of paper.

• Tic tac toe. The simplest game for two. See how to win at tic tac toe.
• Hangman. Guess the hidden word. See how to play hangman.
• Dots and boxes. Draw lines and claim squares. See how to play dots and boxes.
• Battleship. Hide a fleet on a grid. See how to play Battleship.
• Categories. Pick a letter and race to write one word per category (animal, city, food) that starts with it.

Card games for two

All you need is a standard deck.

• War is pure luck and ideal for children. See how to play War.
• Go Fish adds memory. See how to play Go Fish.
• Rummy brings real decisions. See how to play rummy with 2 players.
• Crazy Eights, Speed, cribbage and gin rummy are covered in our 2 player card games guide.
• Uno has its own page: how to play Uno with 2 players.

Board games for two

Classic games that work best for two:

• Checkers, chess, reversi, backgammon and dominoes.
• Luck-driven family games such as Ludo and snakes and ladders, which work with two players but are better with more.
• A longer list with modern titles is in our best board games for 2 players.

Games on one computer

Many browser games are made for two people on the same keyboard or screen, with no account needed. If you do not have a board or cards, these are the easiest way to start.

• Start with the 2 Player category and the Board and Card category.
• Our guide to 2 player games for one keyboard covers how to share a keyboard comfortably.
• Open the page of a game to read its description before you play, because controls and modes vary by game.

Playing with someone far away

If you are in different places, use a video call with one of these:

• Word and guessing games. 20 Questions, hangman and word chain work with no equipment.
• Pen and paper over video. Each person draws their own grid for Battleship and calls shots.
• The quiz. Read the best friend quiz questions out loud.

How to choose

• Short on time? Pick tic tac toe, Rock Paper Scissors or War.
• Want to think hard? Chess, checkers or rummy.
• Playing with a child? Go Fish, snakes and ladders or tic tac toe.
• Want an even game? Pick something with a handicap, or play two rounds and swap sides.
• Want to laugh? Charades-style or quiz games.

For a quick-start list, our strategy games guide explains types of strategy game if you want something deeper.