Sometimes we don’t have big game nights, but just play the two of us! Actually, before we moved to Alberta and got such a great group of friends willing to game so often, it was usually just Jon and I gaming together. For many people out there, their best and sometimes only gaming buddy is their partner/spouse. So it’s definitely worth talking about some great 2 player games! To go along with that, I’m starting to discover some ‘small batch’ or ‘made for two’ recipes. First up, brownie pots for 2, Patchwork, and LOTR Duel! Read on for the details!

At a Glance…

The Sweets

These little brownie pots were *super* easy to whip up and didn’t require any extra items from the store that I didn’t already have on hand. Except the ice cream. Which wasn’t required. But really was. Because, who can have brownies with no ice cream? Not I. So I asked Jon to pick up ice cream from the store on his way home for unspecified reasons, and then quickly whipped up the brownies and surprised him with them while we played some games! Dessert for Two is a new to me site, but I was quite impressed! I love how the ingredients were listed in tablespoons and grams, and how you could just mix everything up in one bowl for minimal mess. Microwave in less than a minute? Yes please. Plus I got to use my cute little ramekins I never get to use! These brownies were gooey and fudgy, and the slight bit of a peanut butter was a nice touch! Would recommend with ice cream, but also good on their own! Give it a try when ya need just a little something.

The Strategy

For our two player games this week, we went with a classic, chill game followed by a tense and new-ish game. Let me explain.

Patchwork is one of our older games which we first acquired in 2016. Our first play of it was at a board game convention which I believe sadly no longer exists. This convention was a fantastic combination of things for us. It took place in gorgeous locations like Breckenridge Colorado, and there was a huge board game library, you stayed in cute little condos with other gamers (our house was the veggie house, with 2 other vegan couples!). There were also lots of other activities you could do like horseback riding, rafting, hiking, and more. Anyway, our roommates for the week recommended this one to us and it was an immediate hit with us. It’s a simple Uwe Rosenberg (same designer as Agricola), where you are both making your own quilts out of polyomino patches. You do this by sort of drafting the tiles in a big rondel, buying them with buttons, and spending time. You’re trying to fill up your board, but are also running out of time. At the end of the game (when you’ve both run out of time), the person who has filled their board the most/has the most buttons wins. It’s pretty chill but nice and puzzly.

Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth is a new to us game! We have had the original (7 Wonders Duel), and the game the original was based on (7 Wonders) for years, so we didn’t pursue LOTR Duel too much since we were thinking it’d be too similar. I’m happy we ended up getting it though! While it does obviously share the same DNA as 7 Wonders Duel of drafting cards, building fortresses (instead of wonders), and building up your economy, there were some pretty major differences. The area control on the map for example was an added layer to think about and prevent your opponent from running away with. There were also sudden win/death options (a little like the original) where you could ally with other races, or get the ring where you wanted it. I need to play it some more to decide whether we’ll feel like we only want to keep one version, but at the moment I see them both having their place. Original Duel is a little less attack-y and tense, but I do love the theme of LOTR and the added layers when I’m up for it. If you’re a fan of LOTR or the other versions of 7 Wonders, check this one out!

Want to buy these games? Check out your FLGS (Friendly Local Game Store) or Board Game Bliss using my referral!

Or buy Patchwork from Amazon.com . Bling up your quilts with [these awesome buttons] from the BGG store! Get LOTR: Duel on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca