Two people, nothing to buy: pen and paper, one deck of cards, a few dice or just talking.
2 Person Games at Home
Would You Rather1. Open the site’s would you rather questions. 2. Read one aloud. 3. Both answer at once, then say why. 4. Keep a tally of how often you pick the same. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
Exquisite Corpse Drawing1. Fold a sheet into three strips. 2. One draws a head on the top strip, folds it back and leaves two lines showing. 3. The other draws a body from those lines, folds, and hands it back for the legs. 4. Unfold together and laugh. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: paper and pens.
Two Truths and a Lie1. One says three things about themselves, one of them false. 2. The other guesses the lie. 3. Swap. 4. A point for each lie found; the site’s ideas list helps if you are stuck. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
These 2 person games at home are for two people in real life, with nothing to buy: pen and paper, one deck of cards, a few dice, or just talking. Press the button for a game, or pick a set.
Read the full guide
Pick by what you have
Pen and paper covers eleven games, from Tic-Tac-Toe to Nine Men’s Morris. One deck of cards and a die cover nine more, including Gin Rummy and Pig. The talking games need nothing at all, and several open one of the site’s decks.
Games to get you moving
Six living-room games get two people off the sofa, such as Balloon Rally and Sock Basketball. For 2 player games to play outside, pick the Outside set: Hopscotch, Chalk Target Toss and Flying Disc Golf need only chalk, stones or a disc.
Tips
Swap who goes first every game: in Tic-Tac-Toe and Nim the starter has the edge.
Questions and answers
What are classic two player games?
Old games anyone can play with no box: Tic-Tac-Toe, Dots and Boxes, Nine Men’s Morris, Nim, Gin Rummy and War. All are here with short rules.
What can two people play with a deck of cards?
Gin Rummy for a long game, Speed for a fast one, Crazy Eights, War, Go Fish, Snap and Pairs. Each needs one standard deck.
What are good 2 player games to play outside?
Hopscotch, Chalk Target Toss, Flying Disc Golf, Catch and Step Back, Hide and Seek, and Red Light, Green Light. Pick the Outside set to deal only those.
Dots and Boxes1. Draw a grid of dots, 5 by 5 is plenty. 2. Take turns joining two neighbouring dots with a line. 3. Close the fourth side of a box and you write your initial in it and go again. 4. Most boxes when the lines run out wins. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: paper and a pen.
Exquisite Corpse Drawing1. Fold a sheet into three strips. 2. One draws a head on the top strip, folds it back and leaves two lines showing. 3. The other draws a body from those lines, folds, and hands it back for the legs. 4. Unfold together and laugh. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: paper and pens.
Five in a Row1. Draw a big square grid on squared paper. 2. Take turns writing X or O in any empty square. 3. First to make five in a row, across, down or on a slant, wins. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: squared paper and a pen.
Show all 40 games (37 more)
Pen and paper, continued
Hangman1. One thinks of a word and draws a dash for each letter. 2. The other guesses a letter at a time. 3. Right letters go on their dashes; wrong ones are written below. 4. Guess the word before ten wrong letters, then swap. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: paper and a pen.
Letter Lists1. Both write the same five categories, such as animals, foods and names. 2. Pick a letter and set a two-minute timer. 3. Write one thing per category starting with that letter. 4. A point for each answer the other did not write. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: paper, pens and a timer.
Nim With Coins1. Make three rows of coins: 3, 4 and 5. 2. On your turn take as many coins as you like from one row, at least one. 3. Whoever takes the last coin loses. 4. Play again and swap who starts. Players: 2. Time: 5 min. Props: 12 coins or buttons.
Nine Men's Morris1. Draw three nested squares joined at the middles of their sides: 24 points. 2. Each has nine coins of one kind; take turns placing them on points. 3. Three in a line on one side is a mill: remove one of the other player’s coins. 4. Then slide coins along lines. Leave the other with two coins, or none to move, to win. Players: 2. Time: 25 min. Props: paper, pen and 18 coins in two kinds.
Paper Battleships1. Each draws two 10 by 10 grids, lettered across and numbered down. 2. Hide your ships on the first grid without showing. 3. Take turns calling a square; the other says hit or miss, and you mark it on your second grid. 4. Sink the whole fleet first to win. Players: 2. Time: 25 min. Props: paper and two pens.
Sprouts1. Draw three spots. 2. On your turn draw a line from a spot to another spot, or back to itself, and put a new spot on it. 3. Lines may not cross, and a spot may have at most three lines. 4. The player who cannot move loses. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: paper and a pen.
Tic-Tac-Toe1. Draw a 3 by 3 grid. 2. X goes first, then take turns marking a square. 3. Three in a row wins; a full grid is a draw. 4. Swap who starts each game. Players: 2. Time: 5 min. Props: paper and a pen.
Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe1. Draw nine small tic-tac-toe grids inside one big one. 2. The square you play in a small grid sends your partner to the matching small grid. 3. Win a small grid to claim that square of the big one. 4. Three big squares in a row wins. Players: 2. Time: 20 min. Props: paper and a pen.
Cards and dice 9
Crazy Eights1. Deal seven cards each and turn one up. 2. Play a card of the same suit or number on it, or draw. 3. An eight can go on anything, and you name the next suit. 4. First to empty their hand wins. Players: 2. Time: 15 min. Props: one deck of cards.
Gin Rummy1. Deal ten cards each and turn one up. 2. Each turn draw one card, from the pile or the upturned card, and throw one away. 3. Build sets of three or four of a kind and runs in one suit. 4. Knock when your loose cards add to 10 or less; lowest loose total scores. Players: 2. Time: 30 min. Props: one deck of cards.
Go Fish1. Deal seven cards each and spread the rest face down. 2. Ask for a rank you hold, such as eights. 3. If the other has any they hand them all over; if not, you go fish from the pile. 4. Most sets of four at the end wins. Players: 2. Time: 15 min. Props: one deck of cards.
Pairs1. Lay the whole deck face down in rows. 2. Turn two cards over. 3. A matching number is yours and you go again; if not, turn them back. 4. Most pairs wins. Players: 2. Time: 15 min. Props: one deck of cards.
Pig1. On your turn roll one die as many times as you like, adding up the numbers. 2. Stop and bank the total whenever you want. 3. Roll a 1 and you lose that turn’s total. 4. First to 100 wins. Players: 2. Time: 15 min. Props: one die, paper and pen.
Ship, Captain and Crew1. Roll five dice, up to three times a turn. 2. You need a 6 (ship), then a 5 (captain), then a 4 (crew), set aside in that order. 3. With all three, the other two dice are your cargo and score their total. 4. Highest cargo after one turn each wins the round. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: five dice.
Snap1. Split the deck in two. 2. Take turns turning a card onto your own face-up pile. 3. When the two top cards match in number, the first to shout snap wins both piles. 4. Win every card to win. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: one deck of cards.
Speed1. Each gets a hand of five and a face-down pile; two cards go face down in the middle. 2. Flip the middle cards together. 3. Play as fast as you can onto either middle card, one higher or one lower. 4. First to run out of cards wins. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: one deck of cards.
War1. Split the deck into two face-down piles. 2. Both turn the top card; the higher takes both. 3. Equal cards mean war: each lays one face down and one face up, and the higher wins the lot. 4. Win every card, or have more when time is up. Players: 2. Time: 20 min. Props: one deck of cards.
Talking games 8
Category Race1. Open the category game and deal a category and a letter. 2. Take turns naming things in it that start with the letter. 3. Five seconds a turn, no repeats. 4. First to be stuck gives the other a point. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
Ghost1. Take turns saying one letter, building the start of a real word. 2. Do not finish a word of four letters or more. 3. If you think the other is bluffing, challenge them to name the word. 4. Finish a word or lose a challenge and you lose the round. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
This or That1. Open the this or that questions. 2. Read a pair such as beach or snow. 3. Both point to one on three. 4. A point each time you match. Players: 2. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
Twenty Questions1. One thinks of a thing, an animal or a person. 2. The other asks up to 20 questions that can be answered yes or no. 3. Guess it and swap; run out of questions and the thinker wins. 4. The site’s 20 questions deck gives ready-made answers. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
Two Truths and a Lie1. One says three things about themselves, one of them false. 2. The other guesses the lie. 3. Swap. 4. A point for each lie found; the site’s ideas list helps if you are stuck. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
Word Association1. One says a word. 2. The other says the first word it brings to mind. 3. Keep going back and forth fast. 4. A pause of more than three seconds or a repeat ends the round. Players: 2. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
Word Chain1. Pick a category, such as animals. 2. Say one; the other says one that starts with its last letter: cat, tiger, rabbit. 3. No repeats, and five seconds a turn. 4. The one who gets stuck loses the round. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
Would You Rather1. Open the site’s would you rather questions. 2. Read one aloud. 3. Both answer at once, then say why. 4. Keep a tally of how often you pick the same. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
Living room, on your feet 6
Balloon Rally1. Blow up one balloon. 2. Tap it back and forth without letting it touch the floor. 3. Count every tap together. 4. Try to beat your best count; no catching allowed. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: a balloon.
Mirror Game1. Stand facing each other. 2. One leads, moving slowly; the other copies like a mirror. 3. Swap after a minute. 4. Try to move so smoothly nobody could tell who leads. Players: 2. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
Paper Plane Distance1. Each folds a paper plane. 2. Throw from the same line, three throws each. 3. Mark your best landing with a coin. 4. Farthest best throw wins. Players: 2. Time: 15 min. Props: paper.
Rock Paper Scissors1. Count to three together, then show a fist, a flat hand or two fingers. 2. Rock beats scissors, scissors beat paper, paper beats rock. 3. Same sign is a replay. 4. Best of five wins. Players: 2. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
Sock Basketball1. Roll pairs of socks into balls. 2. Stand a laundry basket across the room. 3. Take five shots each from the same line. 4. Most baskets wins; step back a pace after each round. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: socks and a basket.
Thumb War1. Hold right hands with fingers curled together, thumbs up. 2. Count to four together, tapping thumbs side to side. 3. Try to pin the other thumb down. 4. Hold it for a count of four to win. Players: 2. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
Outside 6
Catch and Step Back1. Stand two paces apart and throw a ball back and forth. 2. After every catch both take one step back. 3. A drop sends you back to the start. 4. Count your most catches in a row. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: a ball.
Chalk Target Toss1. Chalk three rings inside each other and score them 1, 2 and 3 from the outside. 2. Stand at a line and throw five stones or beanbags each. 3. Add up where they stop. 4. Highest total wins. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: chalk and five stones.
Flying Disc Golf1. Pick five targets round the garden, such as a tree or a bin. 2. Throw a flying disc from a start line to the first target, counting throws. 3. Carry on target by target. 4. Fewest throws for the round wins. Players: 2. Time: 20 min. Props: a flying disc.
Hide and Seek1. Agree where the edges of the game are. 2. One counts to 30 with eyes closed while the other hides. 3. The seeker looks until they find them. 4. Swap; quickest find wins. Players: 2. Time: 15 min. Props: none.
Hopscotch1. Chalk eight numbered squares on the ground. 2. Throw a stone into square 1 and hop the course without landing in its square. 3. Pick the stone up on the way back. 4. Miss or step on a line and it is the other’s turn; first to finish square 8 wins. Players: 2. Time: 20 min. Props: chalk and a stone.
Red Light, Green Light1. One stands at the far end, back turned. 2. They call green light and the other walks forward. 3. On red light they turn round; anyone caught moving goes back to the start. 4. Reach and tag the caller to swap places. Players: 2. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
How this list was compiled: Written by the Game Night Generator editors for exactly two players, in our own words; times are our estimates. Traditional games were checked on 2026-09-28 against English Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ followed by the name): Dots_and_boxes, Sprouts_(game), Battleship_(game) (the pencil and paper game that dates from World War I), Gomoku, Tic-tac-toe, Ultimate_tic-tac-toe, Hangman_(game), Nim (played here misere: the last coin loses), Nine_men%27s_morris, Gin_rummy, Speed_(card_game), Crazy_Eights, War_(card_game), Go_Fish (seven cards each for two players), Snap_(card_game), Pig_(dice_game), Ship,_captain,_and_crew, Twenty_questions, Ghost_(game), Word_chain, Thumb_war, Rock_paper_scissors and Hopscotch. No boxed game or brand is named: the disc is a flying disc. Talking games point to the site’s own decks. Licence: own work