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??

Another vote for Patchwork, Jaipur and Splendour

Also Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride (Ticket to Ride is one of our favourites and we have the app on our phones so can play it when travelling / in a pub if we fancy. Jaipur via app is also decent

Snakes and Ladders
Ludo
Chess
Draughts

Thank you for so many recommendations, I am checking all of these out!

At the moment Shotten Totten, Jaipur and Rummikub sound very good to me.

We have Pandemic but have never played, I found it in a charity shop brand new for £2.50 but I hate reading instructions and it is a bit complicated to learn... I've got a friend who wanted this game so he has borrowed it for some time and he'll show us the rules next time we meet. I should have said I like easy to learn games 😅

Not a fan of snake and ladders and Ludo type of games. I do like chess but it is all strategy and I don't stand a change against DP...

Have you tried Mastermind or Ofhello? Oldies but still favourites of mine.

If you like the idea of Pandemic (playing together to beat the game) but want something a bit shorter/easier, "Forbidden Island" is perfect. Takes around 30 mins per game.

Love many of the other games but some of them are a bit fiddly! Wingspan also fun (and very pretty). There are some great "learn to play" videos around for most games if rules-booklets leave you cold.

Canopy! It's beautiful and combines luck and strategy.

Also, another vote for Jaipur

I've just missed my train stop reading about the games 😂

Another vote for Jaipur

Othello. One of my fav games ever

Oops hope you're headed back now!!

RISK is great game.

Sequence

We play Rummikub - DH is very good irl at strategy etc but I can outplay on this - as there's only 2 of us to play we sometimes make it harder by dealing a dummy hand/dummy goes .

Card games - we play Exploding Kittens and Unstable Unicorns.
Catan that's been mentioned before is good too.
Uno.

We do play these DH and I and have fun but I think all games are better in a small group tbh than just two of us.

Came on to say Jaipur. It's definitely a board game! Only thing about it is it takes a little while to set up. I used to play it on boardgame arena during COVID and it was much easier!

Another vote for Wingspan for more complex and Patchwork for less so. Carcassonne is also good with two- the first 'proper' game we bought.

How about some co-operative games so you're working together:

Pandemic
Forbidden Island
Castle Panic
Codenames Duet
Legends of Andor
Ghost Stories
Elder Sign
Robinson Crusoe
Arkham Horror

Scrabble
Jaipur
Qwirkle
Azul
Hive

All favourites here. DH plays chess but I don't. Does anyone recommend backgammon? I played it once years ago but have forgotten if it is good or not.

Our favourite 2 player is Duel, which is strategy but depends on the luck of what cards come up.

Jaipur is also 2 player and good, although not quite as good.

Agricola (there is an app you can practice!)
Carcassonne (with the rivers expansion)
Rummikub
Ticket to ride
Monopoly deal
Risk

Following for ideas! DH and I are trying azul tonight not played it before but have heard good things and it looks beautiful!

@Decafflatteplease How was Azul for you both? We played twice yesterday. We really liked it! Still most of it is strategy but even though I didn't win, I was only two points behind once. Beautiful game too.

I am looking forward to playing on Monday again (we have plans today and tomorrow) and discovering other games. I am in between Duel and Forbidden island for my next purchase

Azul is definitely a good shout for starters - although there can be a lot of strategy to it. There are definitely people in my group who always seem to win.

Seven Wonders Duel.

Ticket to Ride - I like the Europe version best.

Carcassonne.

Lost Cities.

Splendour.

Hey! That's My Fish.

Patchwork.

Cascadia.

Again though - with all of these - I think if you have a very strategic mind then you will be better at most board games, so it's tricky to find one you'll be evenly matched with once he's played it a few times.

I understand the issue as my DH also has a very strategic mind!

Something like backgammon is more heavily weighted towards luck - it's a nice game although maybe not quite as interesting!

Chess??

That's one game that is definitely 99% strategy - not at all suitable for what OP is asking!

It was great thanks @MrsPS3 we are already looking at the expansion pack to buy!

It was quite easy to get into, and something very satisfying about lining the tiles up.

I think our teens would like it too, as a 4 player.

Another vote for forbidden island but I think it's for 3+ players rather than 2

Tokaido Duo, is lovely and a nice mix I think.
Hadn't realised there was an expansion for Azul, will have to check that out.
Don't go near Hive, total strategy fest my 12 year old always beats me.
I tend to find normal card games work in my favour against very strategy DH. He refuses to play Scrabble!