Iliad

Two armies, one beach, and nobody has thought to check the horse.

The Trojan War as a two-player duel, from Reiner Knizia. One of you leads Hector and the Trojans, the other Achilles and the Greeks, and the whole siege comes down to a board and two handfuls of tiles.

Both sides have identical pools of tiles with strengths from one to five. On your turn you pick one of the two tiles in your hand and lay it next to one of your opponent's, triggering its ability as you do. The tension is entirely in where and when you commit: put a strong tile down early and it invites a reply, hold it back and the moment may pass. The Dolos tile copies whatever your opponent has placed next to it, which is exactly as treacherous as the name suggests.

Perfect for: Couples who have finished every two-player game in the house and are starting to look at each other suspiciously.

2 players