As we continue our look at great card games for two, you will recognize that the next two entries both come in nice small boxes. This is great because you get a lot of game at a small cost to your wallet and your game shelf.
10. Yomi
9. Lost Cities
8. Citadels
7. Smash Up
6. Carnival
Carnival has some cool things going for it. First, it has a cool theme. Very few people have explored the carnival/theme park genre. Sure, we have Rollar Coaster Tycoon, and a board game adaptation, but that is about it. I love when companies grab themes that haven't been over done. Second, we have cards and dice. This game could really qualify for favorite dice game, or favorite card game. This is a great mix. Most of the time, designers chose either cards or dice, but very few mix the two--especially when a board is just about non-existent (Carnival has a tiny little board). Third, this game is just a lot of fun. You steal and trade cards from your opponents as you try to build all your rides. If you don't like a "Take that!" in your game, you probably won't take well to this one. However, if that is your thing and you enjoy some sweet graphic design, you are going to love Carnival, just as we have.
5. Jaipur
Santa Claus brought me this game this past Christmas, and I am glad that (S)he did. This had been on my wishlist for some time, and many a people had asked me how I could be "Games with Two," and not own Jaipur. Well, I now know what they were talking about. This is a solid two-player card game, and it has quickly become a favorite. The simple play with difficult decisions makes it a winner for us. And if you are a fan of trading and hand management, that is what Jaipur is all about. Trading, selling and then trade and sell some more. Glad that this one was added to my collection and I am glad that I was a good little boy, otherwise I would have gotten coal.
For games numbered four and three we take a look at some hunting and some shooting.
Santa Claus brought me this game this past Christmas, and I am glad that (S)he did. This had been on my wishlist for some time, and many a people had asked me how I could be "Games with Two," and not own Jaipur. Well, I now know what they were talking about. This is a solid two-player card game, and it has quickly become a favorite. The simple play with difficult decisions makes it a winner for us. And if you are a fan of trading and hand management, that is what Jaipur is all about. Trading, selling and then trade and sell some more. Glad that this one was added to my collection and I am glad that I was a good little boy, otherwise I would have gotten coal.
wow. carnival? that game is borderline broken with its unresolvable actions and incomrehensible rulebook. i mean wow.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous - We really enjoyed Carnival, the times we have played. I guess I haven't had the "Unresolveable" actions issue arise, and if it did, I believe the rules or FAQ, say that you just don't a get a turn (I mean it is published by Dice Hate Me :)). As for the rules, I would agree with you that they are difficult, but we were still able to understand them in order to play the game. As I said above, we liked the back and forth stealing from each other that the game offers, and I enjoy the mix of dice and cards. Sorry to hear that you did not enjoy the game as much as we do.
ReplyDeleteJaipur is number 5? Can't wait to see what the rest are!
ReplyDeleteJaipur would probably be higher, if I had owned it longer.
ReplyDeleteI don't really care for Carnival either, there's just way too much luck and it's just not fun. Jaipur on the other hand is a fantastic game.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I hearing a lot of more people that don't care for Carnival. I didn't realize it was such a mixed bag. We've enjoyed it though. As for Jaipur I am thinking that I should've had it a little higher on the list. Maybe at 3 or 4.
ReplyDeleteI always love to play card games. What a colorful looking cards!
ReplyDelete