I love 2 player games. Most gaming I do is 2 players and I’ve really enjoyed 7 Wonders Duel a lot myself. So I’ve made a list of many many more.
These games take popular titles like 7 Wonders, Splendor, Everdell, Codenames, and more, then rebuild them from the ground up for tight, head-to-head play. Below you’ll find an overview of some of the best “Duel,” “Duo,” and “Duet” boxes plus a few other 2-player spin-offs, including:
- What type of game it is
- Recommended ages
- Playtime
- How it compares to the original
Top 2 Player Board Games with “Duel” in the Name That Play Like Their Predecessor
Here’s some of the top 2 player Duel board games based on previously successful board games.
1. 7 Wonders Duel – Amazing Drafting Game
If you want a “serious” two-player strategy game, this is usually the first recommendation.
- Type: Tableau-building, card drafting, civilization game
- Players: 2
- Ages: 10+
- Playtime: ~30 minutes
- Based on: 7 Wonders
What it changes from 7 Wonders
Instead of free-for-all drafting around a table, cards are laid out in a shared pyramid of face-up and face-down cards. You and your opponent pull from that structure, constantly opening up options for the other player while chasing three possible win conditions: military, science, or straight-up victory points. It’s sharper, more interactive, and feels purpose-built for two.
2. The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth – Area Control Game Based on the Lore of the Lord of the Rings
This is the “duel line” version of a Lord of the Rings strategy game: Sauron vs. the Free Peoples in a short, tense showdown.
Stats at a glance
- Type: Tactical area control / card-driven conflict
- Players: 2
- Ages: 10+
- Playtime: ~30 minutes
- Based on: Larger Lord of the Rings strategy games
Each side plays asymmetrically, using cards and powers themed around either the Shadow or the Free Peoples. It gives you the LotR struggle in a fast, contained package that works great for date night fans of the books or films.
(Additional Read: Popular Strategy Games of this Century)
3. King of Tokyo: Duel – Ameritrash 2 Player Battler Board Game Like the Original King of Tokyo
Giant monsters, dice chucking, and direct confrontation, but tuned precisely for two players.
Stats at a glance
- Type: Dice-rolling, press-your-luck, monster battle
- Players: 2
- Ages: 8+
- Playtime: ~20 minutes
- Based on: King of Tokyo
This version focuses the chaos of King of Tokyo into a back-and-forth brawl. You still roll Yahtzee-style dice, attack your opponent, and manage health and energy, but the pacing is cleaner with just one opponent to worry about.
4. Azul Duel – Cozy Tile Placement Abstract Board Game Like Azul
Azul’s tile-drafting and pattern-building, reimagined as a pure head-to-head contest.
Stats at a glance
- Type: Abstract tile-placement / pattern building
- Players: 2
- Ages: 8+
- Playtime: ~30–45 minutes
- Based on: Azul
Azul Duel keeps the gorgeous tiles and puzzle-y scoring, but pushes interaction harder: a new stacking twist and pattern plates you choose each game make your board more variable and your decisions more “take-that” focused than the original.
5. Splendor Duel – 2 Player Board Game Based Off of One of My Favorite Strategy Games for Non Gamers
Splendor but meaner, tighter, and built for exactly two opponents.
Stats at a glance
- Type: Engine-building, set collection, card game
- Players: 2
- Ages: 10+
- Playtime: ~30 minutes
- Based on: Splendor
Instead of a shared line of gem cards, you’re drafting from an ever-changing gem grid, racing for multiple victory conditions (crowns, prestige, and more). It retains Splendor’s elegance but adds tactical nastiness and extra paths to victory.
6. Imhotep: The Duel – 2 Player Board Game for Puzzlers
A two-player version of the Spiel des Jahres-nominated Imhotep that keeps the chunky, puzzle-y feel in a smaller footprint.
Stats at a glance
- Type: Tactical tile / token drafting, spatial puzzle
- Players: 2
- Ages: 10+
- Playtime: ~30 minutes
- Based on: Imhotep
You each place workers on a shared harbor grid to claim cargo as boats fill and depart. Timing when and where to trigger ships is the whole game, and every move feels like a mini mind-game with your opponent.
7. The Isle of Cats: Duel – Love Cat Themed Board Games? Try this 2 Player Version
Polyomino cats and tight boat-packing puzzles, now on a dedicated two-player board.
Stats at a glance
- Type: Polyomino tile-laying, set collection
- Players: 2
- Ages: 8+
- Playtime: ~30 minutes
- Based on: The Isle of Cats
You and your opponent race to rescue cats and fit them efficiently on your boats. The duel version keeps the family-friendly theme but sharpens the competition and shortens the playtime, making it a perfect “weeknight puzzle duel.”
(Additional Read: See Our Interview with the Creator of the Company!)
8. Bang! The Duel – Fast Drawing, Quick Shootin’ Fun All Made For You and Your Best Friend
All the Wild West bluffing and bullets from Bang!, but stripped down to a face-off.
Stats at a glance
- Type: Asymmetric card battle, hand management
- Players: 2
- Ages: 8+ (most groups treat it more like 10+ for reading and tactics)
- Playtime: ~30 minutes
- Based on: Bang!
One player controls the Law, the other Outlaws, each with a small team of characters and special powers. You’ll trade shots, play equipment, dodge dynamite, and try to outlast the other side. Great if you like theme and tension more than heavy rules.
9. Overboss Duel – Be the End Boss of a Video Game in this Board Game for Two Players
A two-player take on Overboss (itself a spin-off of Boss Monster), focused on a shared board and direct interference.
Stats at a glance
- Type: Tile-laying, drafting, set collection
- Players: 2 (some listings say 2–4, but Duel is designed as a head-to-head mode)
- Ages: usually listed around 10–13+
- Playtime: ~20–30 minutes
You draft terrain tiles and monster tokens and can even place them on your opponent’s side of the shared board. Each terrain scores differently, and some powers let you move tiles around, so it becomes a tug-of-war over a tiny pixel-art overworld.
10. Codenames: Duet – The Board Game that is Great for Couples that are Meant to Be Together
The 2-player (or 2-team) cooperative version of Codenames, built from the ground up to work well at low player counts. I played this with my friend and we thought of the same clue at one point. She later became my wife and this was one of many signs we were on the same level!
Stats at a glance
- Type: Cooperative word game, clue-giving
- Players: 2+ (but shines at 2)
- Ages: about 10–11+
- Playtime: ~15–30 minutes
- Based on: Codenames
Both players see different sides of the same key card, each with overlapping sets of agents and assassins. You take turns giving one-word clues trying to hit all 15 agents without hitting an assassin. It keeps the feel of Codenames while turning it into a great couple’s puzzle.
11. Kingdomino Duel – Simple 2 Player Board Game Like Kingdomino
A roll-and-write version of Kingdomino, tuned for two players.
Stats at a glance
- Type: Roll-and-write, dice drafting, spatial puzzle
- Players: 2
- Ages: 8+
- Playtime: ~20 minutes
- Based on: Kingdomino
Instead of drawing domino tiles, you draft dice, combine them into “dominoes” and draw them into your personal kingdom. You still juggle adjacency and crowns for scoring, but with extra spell effects and more direct jockeying over the best dice.
2 Player Board Games with “Duet” and “Duo” Designed Specifically for Two Gamers
These are some additional games based off the originals that were designed and balanced for two players.
1. The Fox in the Forest Duet – Super Fun Trick Taking Cooperative Game for 2 Besties
A cooperative spin-off of the competitive 2-player trick-taking game The Fox in the Forest.
Stats at a glance
- Type: Cooperative trick-taking card game
- Players: 2
- Ages: 10+
- Playtime: ~30 minutes
You and your partner play tricks to move a pawn along a path in the forest, picking up gems before time runs out. It’s a lovely choice if you like classic card games and want something thoughtful and co-operative instead of confrontational.
2. Everdell Duo – Lovely 2 Player Cooperative 3Board Game with Amazing Artwork
A full Everdell experience in a box tuned just for two, including competitive, co-op, and a campaign mode.
Stats at a glance
- Type: Worker placement, tableau-building
- Players: 2
- Ages: 10+
- Playtime: ~30 minutes
- Based on: Everdell
You still build a charming woodland city of critters and constructions, but turns are streamlined and the game comes with modes tailored to a pair: competitive duels, cooperative challenges, and a multi-game campaign. Great if you like “big” Euros but want something that finishes in half an hour.
3. Res Arcana Duo – Strategic 2 Player Board Game that also can be an Expansion for Res Arcana
A standalone two-player Res Arcana that also works as an expansion for the main game.
Stats at a glance
- Type: Engine-building, card game, fantasy magic
- Players: 2
- Ages: about 12+
- Playtime: ~20–60 minutes
- Based on: Res Arcana
Res Arcana Duo adds roughly a third more cards and a dedicated duel framework for wizards battling over Places of Power. It is thinky and compact: perfect for players who like high-skill, low-luck card duels but want more depth than something like Splendor.
Additional 2 Player Board Games Designed for Exactly 2 People Based on Existing Board Games
Here’s a few more that don’t exactly have “Duel”, “Duo” or “Duet” in the name but are still based off of previous board game hits!
1. Rivals for Catan (Rivals for CATAN Card Game) – 2 Player Version of One of My All Time Favorite Board Games
Not branded as a “duel,” but functionally the two-player evolution of Catan.
Stats at a glance
- Type: Tableau-building card game, resource management
- Players: 2
- Ages: 10+
- Playtime: ~45–60 minutes
- Based on: Catan
Instead of a shared island, each player builds their own expanding principality with roads, settlements, and improvements represented by cards. It keeps the “build, trade, expand” DNA of Catan but controls luck more tightly and plays great at exactly two.
2. Joyride: Next Gen – Car Combat Board Game for Adrenaline Junkies
A dedicated head-to-head racing battle game. Not the most popular game but fits this list well as a fun racing game.
Stats at a glance
- Type: Scenario-based car combat, racing tactics
- Players: 2
- Ages: 12+
- Playtime: Typically a single scenario in about 30–45 minutes
You blast around double-sided racetracks, ramming, drifting, and firing weapons. It’s very different in feel from the other games on this list, but if you and a partner want something more kinetic and cinematic, Joyride is a fun “duel” alternative.
How To Choose The Right Duel/Duet Game For You
If you’re trying to decide which of these to put at the top of your list:
- Like engine-building and “combo turns”?
Go for Splendor Duel, 7 Wonders Duel, or Res Arcana Duo. - Prefer puzzly spatial games?
Try Azul Duel, The Isle of Cats: Duel, Imhotep: The Duel, Kingdomino Duel, or Overboss Duel. - Want word or card games that are easy to teach?
Look at Codenames: Duet, The Fox in the Forest Duet, or Bang! The Duel. - Want something thematic and swingy?
King of Tokyo: Duel, The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth, and Joyride: Next Gen give you more theme and spectacle.
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