Recommendations for 2 player board and card games please!

[AcerTree]

I really want to invest in some board games and card games that work well for only 2 players for ages 11-15 years. So many games say they are suitable for 2 players but in reality they don't really work that well. So I'm after some trusted MN recommendations please!

We really like baker street, it's a lot like cluedo. We've only ever played it 2 player and it works well.

Normal pack of cards, learn how to play German Whist, and Spite & Malice.... Spite & Malice was a particular favourite for us as teens, as it's a fast game that involves being mean to each other!!

Backgammon is definitely for 2.
Don't know if you'd count it as a boardgame but my 12 year old has enjoyed learning it.

Favourite games that DP and I play together include Jaipur, Machi Koro, Kanagawa, Stone Age, Sushi Go, Carcasonne. Nothing too complicated so I'm pretty sure ok for that age range.

Ziggerty

We just got Hive Pocket edition and it's been a real hit. Easy to take on journeys as well. 8 year old DS got the hand of the rules quickly but there is plenty of scope for strategy.

We love the following as 2-player games:

Battle Line (2 player only)
Carcassonne (tile-laying)
Port Royal (cards, push your luck + gathering victory points)

Have heard great things about Hanamikoji (spelling?) but haven't played it yet.

Oh yes, Santorini is supposed to be an excellent (and stunning) abstract!

Also, my dd9 and I actually prefer Love Letter as two player, although many people prefer it with more. Small and cheap, so maybe worth a try?

Sorry for many posts, just remembered that ds11 likes to play the following 2-player with friends:

Forbidden Island
Forbidden Desert
Ticket to Ride Europe

Also, Kingdomino is brilliant with two.

Hanabi - cooperative card game where you can't see your own cards only other peoples
We also have Jaipur and Lost Cities - both 2 players only.
Patchwork is on my wish list and meant to be very good.
Rocky Road al la mode is a great little game about ice cream trucks which works well with 2-4
Pandemic (another cooperative game) works fine with 2 (Forbidden Island/desert are the more junior versions - same sort of idea)

Pictureka!

Callisto (comes with different bases for different number of players)
Othello
Scrabble works (scrabble online is usually just two players)
Cribbage
Brain master (I knew it as mastermind as a kid)

Quirkle, settlers, splendour, ticket to ride.

Oh, forgot patchwork, bananagrams and dobble.

Maybe visit a local board game cafe and see what they have that you all enjoy.

Jaipur is great. Sushi go is good (I think it is better with 3+ players though)
Patchwork is much better than it looks.

Hive is top of my list for next purchase.

Oh, ticket to ride is great but get the Scandinavian board if you are going to only have two players.

USA, Europe and Germany ticket to ride all work as a two player

There are lots of good two players, some of my favourites are:

Patchwork
Go Sushi
Fluxx
7 Wonders Duel

Blink
Dobble
Banana grams
Battleships
Othello
Halma
Blokus
Connect 4

I find the larger Ticket to Ride boards mean it is too easy to circumnavigate if someone tries to block your route.

Dobble is brilliant for any age and is small which is a winner for me! Skipbo too for same reasons.

Wow, lots of games recommendations, thank you! We already have Pandemic, Fobidden Island, Qwerkle, Dobble, Bananagrams, Fluxx, Battleships, Othello and Blokus (we find this one too easy with 2 players though).
I'm v tempted by Ticket to Ride, Carcassone, Settlers of Catan, Jaipur, Patchwork, 7 Wonders Duel and Machi Koru. Can anyone comment on whether these games have enough to hold the interest of an adult too? It's often 1 adult and 1 child playing games so it needs to be interesting enough for both.

Catan is 3 player

boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4396/odins-ravens

This is supposed to be good for two players- recommended in my local board game shop. It's called Odin's Ravens if I haven't managed to make it clicky.