The Best 2-Player Games for Cozy Game Nights at Home
- LowerShelf Games
- May 6
- 14 min read
Sometimes group games aren't it. Getting together your friends and family to hangout on a weeknight, or even a weekend, can be a struggle. Getting one other person over to hangout for a night however.... you can make that happen.
In this article we are going to give you the best 2 player games you can play with a partner, a friend, or a family member for those cozy game nights at your home! Games help reduce the stress of trying to create small talk, and bring out the coziest and comfiest settings for any party of 2.
All 5 Games are worth trying, easy to learn, and fun to play! We don't want to just give you one type either. We are going to give you one from each category of gameplay. Pick 10, Penny Hockey, Trash, Spite and Malice, 20 Words or Less are going to give you more than enough game options for your next 2 player cozy game night.
Pick 10
The Gist of the Game Pick 10:
Pick 10 is a perfect 2 player game for players who want to get to know each other a little better. This game uses cards to get people thinking about and answering questions related to a variety of categories. You'll pull cards to either ask a question, or give a dare to your partner.
When Pick 10 should be played:
This game is great for couples! If you are in a relationship already, or just getting started, Pick 10 is a great game for any couple. You'll learn so much about one another, and create laughs in a very calm and slow manner. You can sit on a couch, bed or even a dinner table and play Pick 10 with ease. Friends can also play this game, as the dares get funny and ridiculous quickly.
Full Game Instructions for Pick 10:
The Goal of Pick 10: Abide by the card’s rule!
2 Players will take turns picking up a face down card. Each card has an associated rule. Cards with value A-10 are “List” cards. List cards are when the player will have to list out their top rated items for a category given by another player. If a player gets a J-K, those are “Dare” cards. Dare cards are decided by “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” When all cards are gone, the game is done!
Materials for Pick 10:
Deck of Cards
The Setup of Pick 10:
1. Have player 1 pick up a card
2. If the value of the card is a “List Card” then the opposing player will provide a category (ie. Player 1 picks up a 4 of Hearts, Player 2 says “List your top 4 favorite movies”)
3. If the value of the card is a “Dare Card” then the 2 players will play “Rock, Paper, Scissors”, to determine if Player 1 will have to do a dare (ie. Player 1 picks up a Queen of Spades)
4. After the turn is over, Player 1 discards the from the pile, and Player 2 picks up a new card
5. The game continues until all cards have been used
The Directions for Pick 10:
1. “List Cards” are value Ace-10
- Ace means the player lists their number 1 answer, Two means the player lists their top 2 answers, and so on.
2. “Dare Cards" are value Jack, Queen, King
- If you get a "Dare Card", the players play best 2 out 3 “Rock, Paper, Scissors”, and if the player picked the Dare Card and wins, they do not have to do the dare provided by the opposing player
3. Categories for “List Cards" can be examples such as ‘list your top movies, list your favorite restaurants, list you least favorite colors, etc.
4. Do not repeat the same lists or dares
5. Please make sure the “Dares” are safe and agreed upon by all players
Rules for Pick 10: 1. Shuffle the deck of cards
2. Spread them out face down on the playing surface
3. Have the younger player go 1st
20 Words or Less
The Gist of the Game 20 Words or Less:
20 Words or Less is the best game for 2 players looking to be on a team for their cozy game night. In this game, one player will be a Hinter and the other player will be a Guesser. Working as a team, the hinter will be trying to give 1 word hints to their partner in hopes they guess the predetermined word in less than 20 word hints.
When 20 Words or Less should be played:
We see this 2 player game as the perfect game for friends or couples. Friends and couples are always trying to build their bonds with one another to make their connection deeper. Being in a team setting working towards a common goal with 20 Words or Less, is the best way to do that. You'll lose together, and you'll win together.
Full Game Instructions for 20 Words or Less:
The Goal for 20 Words or Less:
Guess the 7 words within 20 hints
Partners will be working together to try and guess 7 words correctly. One of the partners will know the words, and will give 1 word hints to their partner. The partner who does not know the words will be trying to guess the 7 words correctly before 20 hints are used.
Materials for 20 Words or Less:
No materials needed!
Setup for 20 Words or Less:
1. Determine which partner will be "The Guesser" and which partner will be "The Hinter" (ie. Partner 2 is the Guesser)
2. Have Partner 1 determine 7 random words and have them noted somewhere
Directions for 20 Words or Less:
1. Starting with word #1, Partner 1 will provide a 1 word hint to their partner (ie. Word is Pizza, Partner 1’s hint is “Italian”)
2. Partner 2 will then guess a word based on that hint (ie. Hint was “Italian”, Partner 2 guesses Rome)
3. If incorrect, Partner 1 will provide another hint (ie. Hint is “Food”)
4. Partner 2 guesses again based on the hints (ie. Hint is “Italian” and “Food”, and Partner 2 guesses “Pizza”)
5. When a word is guessed correctly, you can move on to the next word
6. If all 7 words are used before 20 total hints are given, you win!
Rules for 20 Words or Less:
1. Hints must be 1 word (ie. can’t be “Sour lemon”, must be “Sour” or “Lemon”)
2. Hints cannot be repeated in a turn, even if used for 2 separate words
3. The words must be completed in order (ie. Can’t jump from the 7th word and go back to the 1st word)
4. Switch Hinters and Guessers each game
Trash
The Gist of the Game Trash:
Trash is a card game where one man's trash is another man's treasure. Cheesy. But true! Trash is the perfect card game for sitting at a table for your cozy game night. Players will be randomly picking up cards, and trying to collect 1-10. When a player gets to 10, they win the round and work their way down to 1 card for the win.
When Trash should be played:
Trash is a game for friends and family. If you just want to keep your cozy 2 player game night simple, easy, and not a lot of thought, Trash is perfect. You can play Trash with a movie in the background, music, or talk through the game pretty easily. With your next night in, add a little Trash in your life to see which one of you ends up champion of the trash.
Full Game Instructions for Trash:
The Goal for the Game Trash: Be the 1st player to win 10 times
Each player will start the game with 10 cards face down. Players take turns picking a card from the middle trying to find each card, Ace-10. When a player gets all 10 cards successfully, the deck is reshuffled, and the round starts over with the winner having 1 less face down card. When a player wins 10 rounds, they win the game.
Materials for the Game Trash:
Deck of Cards
Set Up for the Game Trash:
1. Designate a dealer (ie. Player 1)
2. Deal each player 10 cards face down
3. Each player will organize their cards into a 2x5 grid of facedown cards (from left to right on Row 1 is Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, and left to right on Row 2 is 6,7,8,9,10)
4. Place the remaining deck of cards in the middle
Directions for the Game Trash:
1. Have Player 1 go first and take the top card from the deck and flip it over (ie. 8 of Hearts)
2. Player 1 will then take the 8 Card and exchange it with their respective face down card on their 2x5 grid (ie. an 8 card gets placed where the number 8 is on their grid)
3. Once the card is exchanged, Player 1 will flip the exchanged card face up into the middle (ie. 6 of Spades)
4. Player 1 will then take the 6 Card and exchange it with their 6 spot on their grid
5. Again, Player 1 will flip the exchanged card face up into the middle (ie. 8 of Clubs)
6. Because Player 1 already has an 8 card, the new 8 card does Player 1 no good, and Player 1 will place the face up card in the middle
7. Then Player 2 will go, and decide if they want to use the face up 8 card, or select a new card to flip face up from the deck
8. Whichever card Player 2 chooses, they will follow the same pattern of exchanging cards until they have no further moves
9. The game continues on until a player is able to get all 10 cards, and win the round
10. When a player wins a round, the cards are collected, reshuffled, and dealt again, but the winner will only have to get cards Ace-9, while the loser has to get Ace-10 still
11. And the game continues with the winner dropping a card each round, until a player is able to win 10 rounds to win the game!
Rules for the Game Trash:
1. The player who won the previous round will get to start the next round
CARD VALUES:
Ace = 1
2-10 = Face Value
J = Wild Card (Meaning you can place on any card)
Q, K = Stop Cards (Meaning you cannot play these cards at any time)
Spite and Malice
The Gist of the Game Spite and Malice:
Spite and Malice is the best game for 2 players looking to learn a game together. This is the most strategic game on our list, but fun once you learn how to play. Players are trying to get rid of their piles before the opposing player. To do so, they will decide which pile to choose from to discard and place. If you have a cozy game night planned, this game is going to be worth your time.
When Spite and Malice should be played:
We see Spite and Malice as a good friend or family game, for people you are familiar with. Learning a new game with strangers or people you just met can be daunting, and lead to a change of activity. So for this one, you want to know the person, and have spent a lot of time with them, so learning a new game is more of a fun task than an arduous challenge.
Full Game Instructions for Spite and Malice:
Goal for the Game Spite and Malice: Get rid of your goal pile first
Using 2 decks of cards, players will take turns strategically discarding cards from their set of cards into the middle of the table. Each player will have a “Goal Pile” consisting of 20 cards. When all of the cards from a “Goal Pile” are played, the player wins.
Materials for the Game Spite and Malice:
2 Decks of Cards, not 1!
Set Up for the Game Spite and Malice 1. Grab 2 decks of cards, and shuffle them together
2. Deal each player 20 cards face down to the left of their body (This is their “Goal Pile”)
3. Place the remaining deck in the middle (This is the “Stock Pile”)
4. Have each player flip the top card on their “Goal Pile” (Highest card goes 1st)
TO HELP IMAGINE THE PERSONAL LAYOUT:
1. Each player has a Goal Pile (20 cards)
2. Each player will have 5 cards in their Hand
3. Each player will have 4 imaginary slots to place cards after each turn (These are their “Discard Piles”)
TO HELP IMAGINE THE GAME LAYOUT:
1. There will be the Stock Pile in the middle
2. There will be 3 imaginary slots in the middle to play cards from your personal layout (These are “Game Piles”)
Directions for the Game Spite and Malice: 1. Player 1 will take 5 cards from the “Stock Pile” and add to their hand to start their turn
2. Player 1 will then try to play a card into one of the 3 “Game Piles” in middle of the table
3. Because there are not any cards in the middle to start the game, players can only play a card into a “Game Pile” if they have an Ace
4. If Player 1 does not have an Ace in their hand, and the faceup card on their “Goal Pile” is not an Ace, Player 1 must choose a card from their hand and place it into one of the 4 “Discard Piles”
5. When Player 1 plays a card into the “Discard Pile” their turn is over
6. Player 2 then takes 5 cards from the “Stock Pile” and tries to play a card into the “Game Piles”
7. Let’s say Player 2 has an Ace, and plays it into a “Game Pile”
8. Player 2 gets to continue adding cards that are 1 value higher to the “Game Piles” until they have no more moves (ie. Playing a Two onto Ace, and then playing a Three onto a Two, etc.)
9. Player 2 will then place a card from their hand into one of their 4 “Discard Piles”
10. And then Player 1 will make sure they have 5 cards again in their hand to start their next turn, and make any moves they can
11. And the game continues back and forth, playing cards from your Hand, from your Goal Pile, and from your Discard Piles
12. When a player is able to get rid of all of their cards from their Goal Pile, they win the game!
Rules for the Game Spite and Malice: 1. If both players flip their card to start, and they are the same value, place at the bottom, and reflip the top card to try again
2. Card Order is Queen is High, and Ace is Low
3. Kings are Wild Cards, and can be played at any time to make it the next high number (ie. Playing a King on a Four, would make the King a Five, and then allows you to play a Six on top of the King)
4. There are only 3 total places to play cards into the middle
5. Players must play a card from their hand into their discard pile to end each turn
6. Players can make as many moves as they can during a turn
7. A player starts each turn with 5 cards in their hand
8. If a player is able to play all 5 cards from their hand during a turn, they will get another 5 cards to continue playing their turn
9. When playing cards into a Discard Pile, order does not matter, but only the top card of a Discard Pile can be played
10. When a Queen is played onto a Game Pile, the entire Game Pile is removed from the game, and the imaginary slot will open up again (ie. Game Pile has full set of Ace-Queen)
TYPES OF PILES:
Goal Pile: The Goal Pile is the 20 cards you are given at the start of the game and will be trying to get rid of to win
Discard Piles: The Discard Piles are 4 imaginary slots next to you, where players will place a a card at the end of each turn
Stock Pile: The Stock Pile is the remaining deck of cards that players will be pulling cards from and adding to their hand at the start of each turn
Game Pile: The Game Piles are the 3 imaginary slots in the middle, where players will be playing cards that are 1 value higher during each turn
MAKING MOVES:
The goal of each turn is to get rid of as many cards from your Goal Pile as possible, but you will likely need the help of the cards in your Hand, and from your Discard Piles in order to do so.
1. Playing Cards from your Hand: At the start of each turn you will have 5 cards in your hand, and will try to play them into the Game Piles, and when your turn is over you will place a card from your Hand into a Discard Pile of your choosing
2. Playing Cards from your Discard Pile: You can play cards from your Discard Pile into the Game Piles, but only the top card of a Discard Pile can be played into a Game Pile, and no cards from your Discard Pile can be moved around
3. Playing Cards from your Goal Pile: You can only play the face up top card from your Goal Pile at any point, and cards from your Goal Pile can only be played onto Game Piles, they cannot be placed into Discard Piles or a player’s Hand.
Penny Hockey
The Gist of the Game Penny Hockey:
Penny Hockey is a hit for any 2 player game night. It's our only dynamic game on this list, and great for the competitive types. The game is played on any table surface (typically square/rectangular) and scores are had by moving coins through one another to get to the other side of the table.
When Penny Hockey should be played:
Penny Hockey is our favorite game on this list, because it is the most universal game type. You can play this game with your partner, a loved one, or someone you just met. Penny Hockey gets the competitive juices going, and the game is so difficult it helps 2 players share a challenge. Sure there is one winner in the end, but the game is fun enough to make that hurt a little less.
Full Game Instructions for Penny Hockey:
Goal for the Game Penny Hockey: Be the first to score 7 goals!
2 players will compete against one another to try and score the most goals. Using 3 coins, the players will take turns attempting to rest the coin to an overhang position on the edge of the table. In order to move the coin (or puck) a coin must pass through the other 2 coins. Whoever scores 7 goals first wins!
Materials for the Game Penny Hockey:
3 Coins
Table
Set Up for the Game Penny Hockey:
1. Flip 1 of the coins to determine who will start (ie. Player 1)
2. Give the 3 coins to Player 1
Directions for the Game Penny Hockey:
1. Player 1 will place the 3 coins touching one another in front of them
2. Player 1 will then use their finger to push the 3 coins forward (This is called a "Breakout")
3. Player 1 will then use their finger to push 1 of the coins through the other 2 coins
4. Player 1 will have 5 separate attempts to try and land their last shot on the edge of the table
5. If Player 1 scores / cannot successfully push a coin through 2 other coins / or the coin falls off the table, Player 2 will begin their turn
6. The 1st player to score 7 points will win
Rules for the Game Penny Hockey: 1. If the coin hits another coin, it is ruled as a turnover, and the other player gets to take their turn
2. If the coin has fallen off the table, or a goal is scored, the opposing player must start their turn with a "Breakout"
3. If a coin does not fall off the table after a player takes their 5 shots, the opposing player must take their 5 shots as it lies
4. If a turnover is committed (a coin hits another coin), the opposing player can choose if they want to start as a "Breakout" or if they want to play their 5 shots as it lies
5. A goal can only be scored if a portion of the coin is hanging off the edge of the table
6. If a player scores on a "Breakout" it is worth 2 goals
Wrap Up
People always assume there has to be some grand event or a lull to have a reason to play a game. It is quite the opposite! Games are one of the most effective ways to allow for seamless communication with others, and why you should be including them into more of your life.
These 5 games, Pick 10, Penny Hockey, Trash, Spite and Malice, and 20 Words or Less are all great games to try. For your next cozy game night at home, these 2 player games are all going to make you and your counterpart laugh the night away without creating too much of a ruckus.
So wrap your night up with a nice hot chocolate, maybe some cookies, and get playing!
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