You can have fun with your friends by playing games. Of course, the bigger the rooms, the better, but it’s nothing compared to the good old world for two players. If you’re looking for a competitive edge or perhaps some good puzzle solving, then two-player games are what you’re looking for. The more you sit across from each other in close, face-to-face interaction, there is often even less setup required and generally an easier sell.

We’ve rounded up the 10 best (or even just the best) two-player games to play with a friend. From board games to video games, you name it, we’ve got it. So what are you waiting for? Go and check it out!

10 Best 2 Player Games to Play with Friends

1. Chess

Chess is the perfect strategy game for two players. Thanks to Lucretius’s deep tactics and near-infinite difficulty, this cornerstone of the gaming world has been played for hundreds of years and is still considered by many to be the noblest of games.

Why is this fun?

Cause and effect: Intentionality is the joy of chess; everything you do in one turn has consequences for every part of the rest of the game. When you do it right, you feel really, really good. It’s very easy to ruin a good game of chess, and beginners sometimes feel intimidated. But once it clicks, it becomes addictive. Chess is pure mental combat.

Best for?

For astute intellectuals who value strategic depth and prefer thought over mindless video game stimulation. To pass the time or compete professionally, chess is a good pastime.

2. Overcooked 2

Overcooked 2 is a frantic and absurd co-op cooking game where you and a friend take on the role of a chef trying to prepare, prepare and serve dishes that become increasingly difficult as the kitchen becomes increasingly chaotic.

Why is this fun?

This is complete madness, in the best sense of the word. You’ll be shouting cooking orders to your friend, desperately trying to keep up with them from the living room as he dodges obstacles in the kitchen. Again, things get more complicated: platforms move, portals warp your spaghetti.

Best for?

Fast co-op games that will make you laugh. Get ready to scream at this!

3. Codenames: Duet

In the cooperative word game Codenames: Duo, you and your partner are secret agents tasked with identifying anonymous field operatives, each identified only by a one-word tag.

Why is this fun?

Creating and interpreting such cleverly ambiguous clues is a real challenge. You only have one element to describe multiple agents, so you’ll have to get creative. This is a great test of how well you get along with your friend.

Best for?

People who love word games and puzzles. Codenames: Duet is perfect for friends who love a challenge.

4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart is a racing game that pits Mario characters against each other, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the latest installment. There are plenty of battle tracks and race car and bike shapes to choose from, not to mention items you can pick up to boost your speed or stop your opponents from racing.

Why is this fun?

And there is perhaps no greater triumph than getting to the finish line on someone’s tail only to fire a red bullet that knocks them out of the race. Mario Kart has the perfect balance between skill and luck: it’s a challenging game, but random script changes mean it rarely becomes unfair. Everyone is good at this game from time to time.

Best for?

Friends who love arcade racing with a good dose of carnage. It’s a lot of fun to play for five minutes, but that’s when the game really starts.

5. Travel ticket

In the strategy board game Ticket to Ride, players compete to lay out train routes connecting cities on a map of the United States.

Why is this fun?

For example, the gameplay balance between strategy and luck in Ticket to Ride is perfect; you need to use your cards carefully, plan your routes, and sometimes hope that you can lay down paths at the right moment to prevent the enemy from completing their routes. Moreover, this game is easy to learn, but not easy to master at an expert level.

Best for?

This group of people enjoy fun, simplistic strategy games with a competitive edge. It’s kind of zen. There you have it: my first five “people who should play X,” expressed in one sentence and designed to ensure maximum boredom.

6. Portal 2

In the puzzle platform video game Portal 2, the player controls a character and solves puzzles using a “portal gun” that shoots portals at flat surfaces that are then connected together.

Why is this fun?

Another game where co-op play is important is Portal 2. You and your friend will have to really work together to solve Portal’s puzzles. You’ll need both brains and full-body coordination—it’s a great workout for both your mind and your team’s dynamics. Portal 2 has a fun interactive story to complement the game.

Best for?

Buds who love puzzles. It’s fun to play together.

7. Solve two

In Unravel Two, a highly acclaimed platform puzzle game, players must work in tandem to control two yarn creatures (known as Yarnis) to achieve goals and complete the game’s levels.

Why is this fun?

The physics based puzzles are fun and restoring the level to working condition feels amazing at your fingertips. There’s light co-op gameplay, and it’s one of the best implementations of that mechanic I’ve ever seen. The art style is beautiful and the music is so cool. It’s that “less about the destination, more about the journey” gameplay that I appreciate.

Best for?

Friends who enjoy cooperative puzzle games with a strong storyline and beautiful graphics.

8. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a crossover fighting game that pits fighters from numerous Nintendo franchises (and a few others) in frantic and destructive matches.

Why is this fun?

All the available characters, different stages and move sets mean that matches never play out the same way. This is a game that is destined to become popular among serious players and those who just want to have a laugh. It’s truly chaotic and joyful at the same time. Eight-year-old Nate may not have understood such terms, but Super Smash Bros. remains as accessible as ever for newcomers and full of depth for veterans.

Best for?

Friends are ready for chatter, good-natured and nasty sibling rivalry, and hectic party games. Smash Bros. rewards those who value speed and action.

9. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion

From the developer of the cooperative tactical board game Gloomhaven (2017) comes Jaws of the Lion, a simplified version of the board game for four players that pits a group of adventurers on a campaign to find monsters and loot.

Why is this fun?

This is a game with detailed tactical combat and characters of different styles that become stronger as the campaign progresses. Since the game is co-op, you will have to work together with your friends to defeat enemies and complete missions. The narrative is compelling, and the game remains big enough to be fun, with enough progression to be beatable. It’s perfect for friends who enjoy strategy and role-playing games.

Best for?

Friends who enjoy cooperative strategy games with rich storylines and character development.

10. It takes two

In the co-op adventure game It Takes Two, the player controls two sibling dolls—a male penguin and his princess wife who is currently on the verge of divorce—who must cooperate to navigate their way through an absurd world of puzzles. completed the levels to save your marriage.

Why is this fun?

One level introduces a new mechanic, then another and another, and you’ll never get bored of learning how different elements interact with each other. Puzzles in the game require the cooperation of two players. The story is heartwarming and sweet. This game is more about traveling than puzzle solving and jumping.

Best for?

Friends who enjoy co-op games with a strong narrative focus and creative level design.

Conclusion

If you’re in the mood for competitive chaos with Super Smash Bros. or prefer the brilliant two-player co-op experience of Portal 2, there’s never been a better time to pick something fun to do with a friend. The above list offers something for every taste – from action to strategy, you’re sure to find something you’ll like.

Now it’s your turn, so find a companion, see if you can hunt down something for two players, and get to it. You can fight against each other or on the same team. Either way, multiplayer is a deeply social, deeply relaxing way to get lost for a while and have a good time with a companion.