Why these games work for two
Every game on this page is a head-to-head contest, which is exactly what pass and play does well: one of you moves, then slides the device across the table. The board stays exactly where you left it, an optional “pass the device” screen shows whose turn is next, and undo is there for slipped fingers. The current game saves on the device, so a match can wait until after dinner.
The list covers a wide range of time and depth. Tic-Tac-Toe and Four in a Row take minutes and suit younger players. Chess, Backgammon and Nine Men’s Morris reward a longer, quieter game. Every one of them also has a computer opponent, so the same page works when you’re on your own.
The games
- Chess: the classic strategy duel, won by checkmating the king. Games can run from ten minutes to an hour. New to it? Start with the chess rules guide.
- Checkers: American rules on an 8×8 board, with forced captures, multi-jumps and kinging handled for you. Most games take 15 to 30 minutes.
- Backgammon: a race around the board where dice and judgment both matter. The game takes care of hitting, the bar and bearing off. The backgammon guide walks through the setup.
- Four in a Row: drop discs into a seven-column grid and line up four. Easy to teach, rarely longer than ten minutes.
- Tic-Tac-Toe: Xs and Os on a 3×3 grid. Perfect play by both sides always ends in a draw, which makes it a good first lesson in blocking.
- Reversi: place a disc to trap and flip your opponent’s discs. The score can swing wildly in the last few moves, so the corners matter most.
- Mancala: sow stones around the board and fill your store, played here with Kalah rules and four stones per pit. The Mancala guide explains captures and extra turns.
- Nine Men’s Morris: make lines of three, called mills, to remove your opponent’s pieces, through placing, moving and flying phases.
- Gomoku: also known as Five in a Row. Get five stones in a straight line on a 15×15 board. Simple rules, sharp tactics.
- Dots and Boxes: take turns drawing lines and claim every box you close. A bigger board makes a longer game.
- Hangman: one player types a secret word behind the pass screen while the other looks away, then the guessing starts.
Tips for two players on one device
- Choose how you pass. With a tablet flat between you, the pass screen is optional. When a phone goes hand to hand, turning it on avoids “was that my move?” moments.
- Swap who goes first. Moving first is a real edge in Four in a Row, Gomoku and Tic-Tac-Toe, so alternate between games.
- Mix short and long. A quick round of Hangman or Dots and Boxes is a good break between longer games of Chess or Backgammon.
- More than two of you? Ludo, Chinese Checkers and Yacht dice play well with two but really open up with more. See the 3 and 4 player games.