Board games for two - mix of strategy and luck

[MrsPS3]

Any suggestions for board games for two (adults)? It has to be a mix of strategy AND luck. This is to play with DP, he is quite brainy and if it is just strategy he nearly always wins!! It becomes boring and we eventually stop playing. I don't like just luck but a mix of both would be great.

I have just bought Azul, which has great reviews but haven't played yet.

Any recommendations??

I was going to recommend Azul.

Patchwork
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/163412/patchwork

Fluxx
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/258/fluxx

Settlers of Catan (2 player card game)
Agricola
Caverna
Feast for Odin
Fields of Arle
Wingspan

Fluxx is better with 3 or more, in my opinion.

Not a board game as such, but Jaipur is good for this.

We really enjoy Carpe Diem

Thank you for the recommendations, I've heard good things about Jaipur and I was considering it.

I'll check the rest of your recommendations, thank you!

@BlueChampagne We have Agricola, we bough ot many years ago but we stopped playing as DP was always winning, isn't it all strategy? (I don't remember the rules now, only that I never won)

I've heard that Wingspan is good, are the rules difficult to learn?

We like castle panic. Can be played by 2 or more.

Schotten totten
It's a card game but really enjoyable.

Pandemic is good as you work together as a team to compete against the board - so a little different to just battling against each other! We also really like Jaipur as a good compact game to take out and about

Rummicub?

DH brainy too and usually wins but does depend on the tiles you pick up.

We used to play backgammon a lot too, should get that out again.

Watching for other suggestions.

Scrabble

If you can cope with the rules to Agricola, then you'll be fine with Wingspan! We find there are various strategies to Agricola, so we don't always have the same winner.

Jaipur and Patchwork are nice but not as meaty as Agricola etc. Hive, however, is highly strategic (like chess) so maybe not one for you guys!

Cribbage?
Bezique?

I quite enjoy Splendour.

Wingspan, beautiful game and a good combo of luck and skill

My favourite two player game is Lost Cities

Backgammon

What I was going to say.
Plus not exactly a board game but Monopoly Deal?

Rummikub, Rummikub Word, Upwords, Sequence, Crib, Honeycombz, Bananagrams. (not necessarily board games but all good for 2 players)

Watching

Splendour

Splendour is good. As is 7 Wonders Duel. Both have an element of planning what you want to do but then there is still luck of what cards turn up and whether the other person takes what you want.

Have you considered cooperative games?
Hanabi
Codenames Duet

For non cooperative but with some luck involved
Dice Throne
7 Wonders Duel

We play rummikub all the time - try others but always come back to rummikub.
Also like schotten totten Jaipur. and wingspan for a longer game.
My parents really like letter jam which is cooperative, also what about codenames duet also cooperative.

House of plants
welcome to the dungeon
Scoville
Fog of Love