Image credit: Twin Drums, Cephalofair Games, Prospero Hall, Cubicle 7) What are the most popular board games for 2 players? Because each of these baddies is so distinctive mechanically speaking, this is the sort of game that benefits from repeat play as well. It'll take you a match or two to understand how they work, and different match-ups provide all-new challenges. (Especially if you add the Disney Villainous expansions.) Play ends when a player paces their twelfth tribe card or if the robber reaches the 4 th raid. Scoring is done by adding the number of direct VPs, card text, and bonuses in each player’s tableau. The player with the most points wins. Progress around the outside while gaining cards from the inside Game Experience: Noble: This allows the player to either place the card in their hand into their tableau or discard it.

Every three rounds the robber raids, taking either resources, points or money. Preparing for this is another element to plan for and spices up the rounds preceding this. Prepping to make sure you have the necessary item to stop the robber taking something else more valuable. But all the time, trying to build your display of tribe cards. For centuries the Tuareg have traded across the Sahara, spreading culture, religion, and goods throughout northern Africa. As the leader of a Taureg tribe, you are responsible for expanding your entire clan’s prosperity. Trade with others and increase your tribe’s status while remaining as mobile as the shifting dunes. The desert can be a dangerous place, but the real competition will be from other Targi, all hoping to advance their own clans. A close friend of mine has been talking Targi up for MONTHS so I had to get my hands on a copy. And she was entirely right—it’s a fantastic, strategic game for two.The Targi playing surface is based on a 5×5 grid. The outside is a boarder of 16 action cards that will remain the same throughout the games. Tribe and goods cards are dealt into the center each round of the game. Players will take turns placing meeples on the action cards at the edges of the board, neither sharing a card nor placing a meeple directly across from another. Once meeples are placed, the action cards that meeples are on will trigger and the effect is resolved. Then the interior cards that are at the spot where a meeple’s row and column intersect are collected by each player. Trade resources to build your prosperity The competition is very direct in Targi. During the worker placement phase, you’re directly competing not just for action spaces but for the resource and tribe cards in the interior of the grid. If you play with a table flipper they may need a chill pill, because staying out of each other’s way is impossible. For a number of your moves you may have to choose between taking your big advantage or deliberately interrupting your opponent.

If you can afford the Tribe Card, you place it face-up in front of you, into a tableau of sorts. At the bottom-right of each Tribe Card, you’ll see its value in end-game points. Some cards have text on them, which are one-off or game-long passive bonuses. Some of these offer set-collection incentives, such as owning certain types or quantities of Tribe Cards. Talking of which: there are five different types of Tribe Cards. (Camel Riders, Wells, Oases, Camps, and Targia – female Tuareg members). You’ll want to pay attention to these symbols, for further end-game bonuses. That's easier said than done. Aside from trying to break through any barriers you've erected, they'll do their best to chow down on park guests as well. Seeing as you have other objectives you need to complete at the same time (which often feature unique mini-games), stopping them becomes a delicious Catch 22 conundrum. Mix in legacy mechanics that give you the ability to create your own unique board for use in a separate game type - not to mention freakin' dinosaurs - and you've got a satisfying experience that combines the best bits of Pandemic and Horrified. The rulebook is concise but clear, with a great turn sequence walkthrough as well as pictures to illustrate the card grids. Alternating card distribution and limiting hand size prevents card hogging. And there are two tiebreakers, preventing the dreaded ‘both players are winner’ which wouldn’t fit this competitive game at all. Final Thoughts: Once the second player has placed their 3rd targi, the players will place their Tribe markers at the locations where imaginary lines drawn from their targis intersect. Silversmith: The player can receive victory points by trading in goods or coins: 2 of a kind for 1 victory point, 4 of a kind for 3 victory points, 1 gold for 2 victory points, or 2 gold for 5 victory points. Unlike the Trader, the Silversmith may only be used once per turn.

Targi is one of the best small box two-player games out there. It feels like you are playing such a "bigger" game. The choices and strategy within this tiny box are huge. The gameplay is smooth, satisfying and rewarding. You will feel absorbed throughout and the scoring mechanic is such that it is hard to guess who is going to be the winner until the final scoring. Unless someone races ahead with tribe cards, but that is very rare. As such, at all times, both players are engrossed. When buying a card, you place it into an imaginary 3×4 grid. (Three rows, and four columns.) You may place the card into any of these three rows, but it must sit on the left-most space. At the end of the game, you’ll earn bonus points, depending on the symbols you have in a row. If the row has four symbols of the matching type, you’ll earn an extra four points. If the row has four different symbols in it, that’s worth two extra points. As well as this, if it doesn’t meet either of the above criteria, it scores zero extra points. Likewise, if it isn’t full (four cards), it doesn’t score any bonus points. The Running Robber, And Relentless Raids If you were not blown away by Targi then I would wager this won't change that. It just makes a great game to have a few more options. It won't look or feel that different, the colour scheme will still be bland and uninspiring, the game still just a two-player only experience. The interaction and volume still somewhat muted. But as I say, maybe you just didn’t like it for the analysis paralysis that can occur. And if this is the case, buy this immediately. Thus, each player can fill many rows at the same time. Once a Tribe card is placed in a player's display, it stays there until the end of the game. Being able to swap your letters around when you run out of space takes things up a notch. It really gives your gray matter a workout, and while that will understandably turn some people off, it's a thrill for those who love word games.