Best Cooperative Board Games for 2 Players – List of 25 Games

Today I’ll be listing 25 of the best cooperative board games for 2 players. First I want to take you through my personal top five games that I have played, loved and can confidently recommend. Then I’ll list 20 more, some of which I have played and enjoyed, of varying complexity.

I’ve tried to include games that are well rated in the board game community, typically referencing the game rating from Board Game Geek. And I’ve also tried to include games will all different types of themes, mechanics, complexity, and play time.

My hope is that anyone interested in purchasing a new 2 player coop game can find at least one in this list that they will love.

My Personal Top 5 (in no particular order)

It’s honestly impossible to do a “best of” list because everyone likes different things. Just because I loved a game and thought it was the most fun I’ve had in years doesn’t mean you’ll feel the same way. So yes this is meant to be a list of the best coop board games for 2 players, but it’s also just meant to give you a wide spread of games that fit the category and are well reviewed.

So let me start off with five 2-player coop games that I’ve really enjoyed playing.

Pandemic or Pandemic Legacy

Pandemic is actually the first cooperative board game I ever played. My sister-in-law got the game for Christmas and we played with four players the first time. It really got me excited about the cooperative mechanic in board games. I love strategy in board games, so discussing strategy with everyone at the table was just a fun experience for me.

Pandemic is a game for 2-4 players and I’ve played it with 2, 3 and 4. I can tell you it’s just as fun with 2 players as it is with 3 and 4.

The basic premise of the game is that four different deadly diseases break out across the globe and you have to work together to find a cure for each disease and eradicate them all in time. You can choose from a handful of characters that have different abilities, and you can collect helpful items, both of which make the game very replayable.

I’ve enjoyed the game so much that my sister-in-law bought me Pandemic: Legacy Season 2. I actually haven’t had a chance to play yet, mostly because the legacy game is a long series of individual sessions. But I’ve heard great things about Pandemic: Legacy and I’m really excited to start my campaign.

If you’re looking for a really fun game to help introduce you to many of the common mechanics in cooperative games, then I highly recommend Pandemic.

Project: ELITE

Project: ELITE calls itself a “real time” cooperative board game. Until a few months ago, when I got to play this game for the first time, I didn’t even know such a thing existed. Now I don’t play board games religiously, but I do have a group that meets about once every 6-8 weeks, so I’ve played my fair share of board games. And Project: ELITE felt like a breath of fresh air to me.

One thing I see happen in a lot of coop board games is that your group can’t agree on what to do next so you might spend, 5-10 minutes just making one decision. This doesn’t happen in Project: ELITE because each round you just start the timer and then everyone has (I think 2-3 minutes) to just roll their dice as much as possible and kill of as many alien invaders as they can.

So you feel the pressure of the enemies closing in on you while the timer ticks away.

I had a blast playing and I can’t say I’ve played another board game quite like it. If you want a coop board game that breaks away from the traditional mechanics of a cooperative game, then I can confidently suggest Project: ELITE.

Codenames: Duet

Lots of board games have quite a bit of world building behind them, like for example you may be playing as a detective in 14th century England and a secret organization is out to get you. Well Codenames: Duet doesn’t have a big story behind it, it’s more like a party game. The game is just carried by its mechanics, not any sort of story.

Sometimes its nice to just play without having to get in character, so to speak. And Codenames is one of the most enjoyable word games I’ve ever played. In the Duet version of the game you get the same 25 words set out, but instead of playing in teams both you and your partner will take turns giving clues while the other guesses.

One thing my wife and I love about this game is that it’s quiet. We spend time thinking and the game doesn’t really have a lot of action. We can play after our kids have gone to bed and we never have to worry about waking them up.

It’s hard for me to explain what it is exactly that makes this game so enjoyable, but if you like word games, then in my opinion Codenames: Duet is one of the best.

Gloomhaven

Gloomhaven has been sitting at the very top of the board game ranking on Board Game Geek for a few years now. I had to see what it was that make this game the “best.”

After playing I have to agree with my board game playing peers, Gloomhaven is one of the most well made games I’ve ever played. Some games will do some things really well and will have glaring holes in other parts of the game. Gloomhaven just has so much symmetry and balance. It just doesn’t really have any weak points.

The game is set in the city of Gloomhaven and you play as a character with a distinct story and abilities. As you play through different scenarios your character will get more powerful and the game will get more complex as your character (and the monsters you encounter) gain access to new abilities.

While I did have a great time playing, unfortunately Gloomhaven doesn’t really fit my life right now. What I didn’t realize when I bought the game is that it’s a lot like a legacy game. You don’t just sit down and play a game of Gloomhaven, once your session is over, there are still tons of scenarios you’ve left unplayed. So you would pick up again later for another session, and I’ve heard that you can put over 100 hours into this game as you continue to play through all the scenarios. And this game has so many pieces and such a long set up and tear down.

I guess what I’m saying is, if you are looking for a game you can really dig into and play dozens of times (maybe even set up a dedicated table for the game for months at a time) then you’d be hard pressed to find a game better than Gloomhaven. But if you want something you can just pick up and knock out a round in an hour or less and have no commitment to it, then you should probably look elsewhere.

Spirit Island

I said I loved how Codename: Duet doesn’t really have a story and sometimes that’s just what I need. But I actually love the story of Spirit Island. Usually we play board games as some sort of human or humanoid character. You will explore areas and fight of monsters and so on.

But in Spirit Island you actually play as the Island itself. You control the spirit of the island and while human-like characters settle down on your land you try to fend them off, scare them away and ultimately make them go back where they came from.

As the game progresses the invaders of the island will settle, explore and build on your island. One thing I love about this game is that you, as the spirit, actually feel more powerful than the invaders. Usually in cooperative games you feel like your characters are doing things against all odds, but as the spirit your powers are great and while the odds aren’t always in your favor it just feels good to play as a powerful character.

Probably the biggest hurdle with this game is just the sheer number of rules. We spent a lot of time in the rule book, and this made the game progress slowly our first play through.

If you don’t mind putting the time into learn a complex game, then Spirit Island is worth it. You’ll have a lot of fun making your way through the invasions and like all the best games it becomes more fun as your progress through the game. I wouldn’t recommend this game however for anyone that hates board games with big rule books.

20 More Coop Board Games for 2 Players ordered by complexity

Now that we’ve gone through my personal top five best cooperative board games for 2 players, let’s get on to the rest of the list. There are literally hundreds of 2 play coop board games out there, but this list hopefully provides a wide spread of what the board game world has to offer.

I have played some of these, but most of them I haven’t. I’m recommending them based on online reviews, “how to play” videos and information gathered from Board Game Geek. They should provide a good mix of complexity, theme, story, gameplay style and mechanics. So let’s continue.

Choose Your Own Adventure: House of Danger (Not Complex)

I actually have House of Danger and I have played it. In all honesty it’s not a game I enjoyed, but I think that’s mostly because I love games with strategy (this game is mostly just luck) and I’m not big on role playing.

You make your way through a haunted house and your party is regularly given opportunities to make decisions about what action to take. Your decisions may lead to new parts of the house or it could lead to your death. If you like role playing and getting into a character, then I think this game would be really fun (maybe something to play with your kids around Halloween). But it’s a very simple game with a very simple premise.

Escape: The Curse of the Temple (Not Complex)

I’ve not played Escape: The Curse of the Temple, but it seems to be a simplified version of lots of other cooperative games. Each player gets to control their own actions and you work together to achieve a common goal (escaping) without losing anyone. It’s a great introduction to what’s out there for coop games.

Also it only takes 10 minutes to play a round, so you don’t need to set aside an entire evening to play. And when I say 10 minutes I mean exactly 10 minutes. The game comes with a soundtrack that gives you a literal race against the clock.

The Fox in the Forest Duet (Mildly Complex)

If you’ve ever played Spades or Hearts, then The Fox in the Forest will feel familiar. Instead of trying to take as many tricks as possible, your tracker will move through the game board based on who wins each trick. You get three rounds for your tracker to travel through the forest and collect all the gems.

One Deck Dungeon (Mildly Complex)

Another card game, this time you build up unique characters with each play through. You fight monsters of increasing strength and with each one you defeat your character becomes stronger as well. If you can survive deep enough into the dungeon you’ll get the chance to defeat the final boss and win the game.

Forbidden Desert (Mildly Complex)

I have played Forbidden Desert and one of its counterparts Forbidden Island. It was a lot of fun to play. I think what I enjoyed most was just the constant need for teamwork. Some games you can survive by just doing your own thing, but because each character has very useful skills I found myself relying on/helping my teammate pretty much the entire game.

You and your team/partner wreck your aircraft in a desert and the parts of your ship are scattered around the board. As the sand storm continues to bury your ship parts you must travel across the desert clearing the sand and collecting every part. Then you must reassemble them to escape the desert.

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle (Mildly Complex)

Hogwarts battle is a deckbuilding game. You can play as Harry, Hermione, Ron or Neville, each of whom has their own starting deck. As you fend off dark witches and wizards your deck full of spells, items and potions will become more and more powerful.

The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth (Mildly Complex)

Journeys in Middle Earth is like Gloomhaven in that each playing session unravels more of a larger story. You start each play session with a new adventure which will set up your board and the monsters in a different way. The game has a deckbuilding mechanic along with characters that move on a physical board.

The game pairs with an app that helps guide you through the various aspects of the game. After choosing and setting up your characters the app will set the scene with some story context and instruct your on how to set up the map tiles and enemies.

Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Thames Murders & Other Cases (Mildly Complex)

Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective has lots of different versions. The Thames Murders & Other Cases is just the most popular and highest rated of them.

You get to test your powers of deduction and see if you can beat Sherlock Holmes to the solution. The games claims to not be a board game, but rather just a test of your wit. You can interview suspects, search the newspapers for clues and ultimately solve each case with you partner.

Mansions of Madness: 2nd Edition (Moderately Complex)

I’ve not played this game, but it seems to be very similar to another game I’ve played called Betrayal at House on the Hill. Mansions of Madness is another coop game with an app to help guide you through each round.

As you make your way through one of four scenarios you and your partner will collect weapons and tools while solving puzzles and fighting off monsters. Your characters must fight off insanity and death as they work to fend off supernatural evils.

Legends of Andor (Moderately Complex)

Your team/partner will defend the castle in Andor as forces march upon it. You will participate in one of five preset “legends” and a sixth final scenario that you create yourself. Each legend has a unique card deck which moves the story forward altering the state of the game and eventually giving you access to a new legend card.

Aeon’s End (Moderately Complex)

Aeon’s End is another deckbuilding game that has some unique mechanisms, such as a randomized turn order and a no-shuffling deck management system. You and your partner will attempt to defend your civilizations last stronghold, Gravehold, from the Nameless using powerful spells and the energy generated from your enemies.

The 7th Continent (Moderately Complex)

The 7th Continent is an exploration game that features an easy “save” mechanic that allows you to stop your game at almost any point in time and resume later on, much like a video game. You must explore the land, survive the creatures and the terrain and ultimately free yourself of a curse.

The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game (Moderately Complex)

The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is the base game of a Living Card Game for which new adventure packs are released monthly. Set between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the game presents various scenarios for your characters to engage in. Each player chooses a team of up to three heroes for each scenario and then you will construct a deck (or use a pre-constructed deck) to give yourself the best chance of victory.

Dragonfire (Moderately Complex)

Dragonfire is a cooperative deckbuilding game set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Each player chooses a character from a handful of races and assigns their character a role (rogue, fighter, wizard or cleric). Your group of adventurers travel through well known locations from Dungeons & Dragons as you level up your characters and test them against various challenges.

This War of Mine (Moderately Complex)

This War of Mine is a tabletop adaptation of the video game. By day you must care for your place of refuge, scrap and garden for food and scavenge for any supplies you can find. By night you must defend all that you have earned from raiders. As the game progresses you will explore more and more dangerous parts of the city in order to survive until the conflict finally resolves.

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon (Moderately Complex)

The world of Tainted Grail was once protected by Guardian Menhirs who are slowly disappearing. It is up to you and your team to go out and find out what’s happening to them. Over the course of 15 different chapters, you will slowly unravel the story and develop your character. The game features several different mechanics including deckbuilding, character movement, and dice rolling. The game doesn’t come cheap, but you’re paying for one of the biggest games around and one that has proven to be very well done.

Nemesis (Complex)

Nemesis is a semi-cooperative board game. You work together with your teammates to survive on a space ship that is infested with hostile alien creatures, but only one player can win. You win by completing one of the tasks given to you at the start of the game and making it back to Earth in one piece. So while you must work together to stay alive, you are competing with one another to complete your objectives.

Arkham Horror: The Card Game (Complex)

Arkham Horror is set in the town of Arkham. As you work to solve mysteries in a Lovecraftian world of monsters and madness, your character’s sanity will be tested. You get a custom deck of cards specific to your character that allows you to investigate mysteries according your strengths. As you progress through the story and interact with supernatural forces, your character will develop but also flirt with insanity.

Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island (Complex)

In Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island you find yourself shipwrecked on a (surprise) cursed island. You must gather food and supplies in order to build a base camp to survive. And as the game progresses you will need to explore new areas of the island which leads you to encounter new mysteries and foes.

Kingdom Death: Monster (Very Complex)

Kingdom Death: Monster simultaneously one of the biggest, most complex and involved board games in existence as well as one of the most expensive and difficult to find board games. The game is originally from Kickstarter and has had a few re-releases, but at the time of this writing I couldn’t find it available anywhere except for on Amazon for twice the price that the game was originally. If you’re lucky, you may also be able to find the game cheaper on the Kingdom Death website.

In Kingdom Death you control a settlement in a world that is difficult to survive in. You must construct buildings, research new technologies and train your warriors. Your warriors will hunt down monsters and if you can kill them, you can bring back their meat and their spoils to your settlement.

Recap

This list includes 25 of the best cooperative board games for 2 players. We’ve seen simple games like House of Danger and The Fox in the Forest Duet. And we’ve seen some very complex games like Kingdom Death: Monster. We’ve seen deckbuilding and mystery solvers and trick taking and movement based games. We’ve seen lots of games that move you through epic stories over the course of many playing sessions, adding up to dozens of total hours of play time. And we’ve seen games that are exactly 10 minutes long every time.

While there are still plenty of great cooperative games for 2 players not in this list, I hope that everyone can find at least one game they will love.