Recently while talking to many of my couple friends I have been asked the question, “what’s a good game for 2 players?”. This isn’t always an easy question to answer. When telling people a good game to get them into the hobby I will usually go with Catan or Machi Koro; something light that takes a bit of strategy to master. What I’ve realized however is that many people are looking for a fun game to share with their significant other or kids that can be taken to a coffee shop or a restaurant and enjoyed in the midst of a busy lifestyle. The game that I’m featuring today hits on all cylinders for a couple’s game on the go. Patchwork by Uwe Rosenberg is one of Mayfair game’s two player line that is extremely simple to teach, straightforward to learn but very difficult to master. You are essentially playing a version of tabletop Tetris but the object of this game is to find the right quilt patch to fill up a player board and get the most buttons. If this game sounds like the cutest, most lighthearted experience you can imagine you would be absolutely right. This game feels like the tabletop equivalent of Little Big Planet for video games. At first whenever I saw the cover I found myself thinking “I’m going to have a hard time enjoying a game about quilting”…I couldn’t have been more wrong. This is my favorite two player tabletop game right now and the more I play it the more I’m liking the strategy and interaction.
To start the game each player will take a player board, a player marker (either yellow or green but who are we kidding, you’re going to want to take green) and five buttons. Besides making this game the most adorable thing you’ve ever played in your life buttons are used as the currency in the game. Whoever has the most wins.
After taking your starting buttons the player who most recently handled a needle and thread will go first. The patch board in the middle will be surrounded by quilt patches that can be purchased with buttons that the players will be looking to buy.
The players will take turns buying patches and filling up their player boards until both players reach the end of the Patch Board Track and then players will count up their scores. First players will need to subtract 2 points for every empty space on their player boards at the end of the game, and then whoever has the most buttons wins…hooray!
Patchwork takes about 5 minutes to setup and about 20 minutes to play. This is a game that you will want to play again and again and one that will stay in your collection permanently if you are anything like me. Uwe Rosenberg has typically designed much heavier more in depth games in the past. To see Mr. Rosenberg design such a lighthearted, quick playing game for 2 players is a refreshing break from some of what he is best known for. I love his heavier designs as well but this is an approachable game that could very well be used as a gateway game for those looking to get into the hobby for the first time, and that is a beautiful thing. This game is about 22 to 25 dollars online and at your friendly local game store and is worth every penny. I rated this game an 8.5 on Board Game Geek and almost rated it higher than that. The game is that good, and for two players only I’m not sure that there are many out that are better. The reason that this game is so approachable is that it will include a large audience appeal whereas other popular two player titles like Magic The Gathering and Dice Masters will not necessarily appeal to everyone in the family like Patchwork will. This game is one that I would feel comfortable playing with my Grandma and Grandpa. It might be a bit tougher to get some of my family excited about piloting a Goblin Aggro deck from Magic The Gathering to victory. There is beauty in the simplicity of this game but there is also such strategic depth that it will draw in new gamers and seasoned tabletop players alike. I’ve posted a how to play video below and I hope you enjoy the video and if you get the chance pick this game up you won’t regret it! I hope you enjoy the article and the video and until next time I’ll see you at the table!
The Dicey Review 