The trick is giving clues that point to safe cards, while avoiding leading your teammate into an assassin. To do this, each player must give a one-word clue that points to cards on the board that can be safely overturned. The two players must reveal all fifteen agents without bumping into an assassin. Players lay out a grid of 25 word cards that represent secret agents and assassins trying to defeat your wily crew. This two-player version of the popular Codenames is a clever twist on a simple but engaging concept. Price: £18 | Amazon | Zatu Codenames Duet Games can quickly develop into tense standoffs as each player tries to figure out which group of mushrooms their opponent is gathering and how much they’re willing to risk to venture into the darkest reaches of the forest in search of the rarest ‘shrooms. Eight shared cards in the middle of the board make up the “forest” which evolves over time, offering up a new combination of mushrooms as well as extra cards that offer bonus points. In this two-player card game players must collect and cook mushrooms in order to turn their culinary creations into flavour points and claim victory. If the markets of Jaipur don’t capture your imagination, you might prefer to take a trip mushroom hunting in the dark woods of Fungi. Gameplay is fast and varied, with a blend of luck and strategy that lends Jaipur bags of replay potential. The value of each good drops as more of that item is sold while selling multiple items at one time attracts bonus points, leaving players having to strike the balance between selling while prices are high and building a large haul that can rake in the maximum points. But getting the maximum cash for your haul will require a sound strategy and perfect timing. Each of you is racing to hawk your respective bounty of jewels, spices and precious metals in order to earn the coveted Seal of Excellence. You and your opponent are competing traders in a bustling market in Jaipur, the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan.

If you're looking for something to get you through lockdown, or your Queen's Gambit-inspired chess binge is starting to wear thin, look no further than this list of the best board games for two players. It's something of a golden era for board games – crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter have made it easier for people with clever ideas to get them in front of an audience, and quirky new games have turned into massive global hits.

Popular 2 player card games