Hanamikoji could be a good option.
this post was submitted on 27 Jul 2025
46 points (100.0% liked)
Board Games
1964 readers
33 users here now
Let's Play a Game! A place to discuss all things board game, regardless of genre. Everything from Scrabble and Catan to Ark Nova, 1830 and beyond is fair game! That means we have blackjack. Bring your own hookers, sorry.
Rules:
- Play nicely with others here.
- Discussion should be at least somewhat related to board games and all that entails.
- Self-promotion is allowed within reason. Don't go overboard!
Other comms that might be of interest:
Other boardgame comms:
- !juegosdemesa@feddit.cl (Spanish)
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
My goal is to have a game that I can carry around with me, walk up to people I meet in public, and ask them to play.
Is it just about portability or do you also need a small playing area?
I want the game to be strategic with minimal luck but simple enough that a first time player could reasonably win against someone experienced.
Those goals are at odds. If there's minimal luck, there's little room for the new player to win in a strategic game.
That being said:
- Azul can be quite portable (if you dump the box), but needs some playing space. It's vicious with two players, the more experienced player will usually win, but the rules are simple enough for a first time player to at least understand what happens.
- Onitama is chess-like, with simple rules and some randomization that prevents the need to memorize start sequences and the like.
- Arboretum is a tight battle with two players. You constantly need to worry which cards to play in order to gain points, which cards to keep in order to even be eligible for scoring and which useless cards not to drop, because they might be useful for your opponent.
- Kahuna is a bit older, with simple rules but some strategy.
- The Fox in the Forest is a two player trick taking game I found rather enjoyable (and I don't even like trick taking games).
There's an Azul Mini which would be more portable.
in Hive, there is no way a new player can challenge somebody who already knows the game + the movements of the insects confuses new players
do you know Set, it's not a strategy game but that's why somebody who's playing for the first time can challenge a more experienced player. No luck either.
I've recently discovered Ninjan ☞ https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/425254/ninjan basics are from rock paper scissors (so everybody is familiar with the dynamics) It adds another level to this base
Give "Love Letter" a try.
Our portable goto is Star Realms, but other card-based games will work. Dominion comes to mind except for the deck size!
Star Relams is a great choice! Basically a deck builder where each player is building their deck throughout the game. There are factions, and economy, and expansions to extend the variability.
Dominion is also good, but you'd need to decide on the deck to use ahead of time (Dominion has multiple decks you can build for normal play, so most games only use a fraction of all the cards).
Hive Pocket is fairly easy to learn, maybe strangers would be down to play. I would also recommend a magnetic set of backgammon or maybe mancala.
If space isn't limited, I really like Knarr. It's pretty short and easy to learn, but it does basically require a decently sized table.
Radlands. 2-player tower defence game. Minimal space required. Tight gameplay. I have the retail edition without the maps.
Cabo. Up to 5 players. Anyone can play it. From primary school kids to granny. Remember your cards and try to swap to get the lowest score.
Radlands is great, but I question whether a random person on the street will be able to learn it and have a shot at winning?
The biggest hurdle is that someone played with you. If you got someone, the rest is easy. If you crash the weekly bingo night with a game you take Cabo with you. If you sneak into a magic tournament, you take Radlands.
True! Curious to hear more about where OP will be finding folks to play with them.
Splendor. If taken out of the box, it can be stored in a much smaller box. It is very easy to learn and a lot of fun for 2-4 players.
Also there's Splendour Duel which is specifically for 2 players
I have never played it, but have heard it is not as good as splendor.
Splendor Duel is more complicated to teach but has more agonizing decisions (lots of times when you can make a good move that also enables good moves for your opponent or you take a bad move and deny your opponent opportunities).
For some people both of those are positive changes, but I think both are negative.
I personally prefer it, feels like it has way more options especially for 2 players
I feel the same
Actually plays a lot better, imo
I have travel versions of Guess Who, Connect 4, Operation and Battleship that I acquired from work (they were a Happy Meal toy line at McDonald's a while back).
Guess Who and Battleship can technically be played on paper, or just verbally (Guess Who but with people you know or celebrities is basically just 20 questions). Connect 4 and Operation can be 3D printed, if you have a printer. Though Operation would also require some electrical parts if you want the full experience. And if you make it yourself, you can actually make it shock you if you touch the sides and not just buzz.
I also love me some Mille Bornes and Uno.
'Mastermind' is a peg-based two player game. Loved playing that when I was younger.
You might like the Pack O Game series, very small and portable. Hue would be a good one to check out but the rest are good too:
Go might be a good option. It uses a simple square grid or checker board, and only has one kind of piece per player. The rules are super simple. Play time depends on the players' skill and the size of the board.
Also good is Pente, which uses the same pieces and board as 19x19 Go. It also has simple rules and is easy to learn.
Checkers is an option. I haven't played it enough to know how strategic it gets.
All of these are easiest to port if you have a board that rolls instead of folding.
Quatro or Quoridor. You can get a 3D printed travel version.
Trying to squid games people OP?
Mr. Jack Pocket is the ultimate short simple 2 player game. The depth of gameplay is much greater than the size of the game or ruleset.
"Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza" is a card game that's purely reaction based, and is very similar to "war" which you may have played with a standard deck of cards in grade school, but there are a few special cards to mix things up a little bit.
Since it's reaction-based, it's not very luck based and it's not very strategic (edit: oops you asked for strategy, my bad .. disregard?). After a round, everyone knows what the cards look like, so experience counts for very little as well.
And it's surprisingly fun. We laugh a lot. Pro tip: remove wedding rings.
You need a flat surface to play on.
Reasonable options might be Cat Lady or Cascadia, maybe Codenames Duet and Welcome To.
I also second Splendor and Star Realms.
If you're into dice games Quizz or Yahtzee could work.
Both are pretty portable. Quizz comes with its own box, and Yahtzee technically just needs five die (and probably some paper or a phone for scoring).
if you're looking for coap I'd recommend space team if you want frantic or hinabi if you like puzzles
Hinabi is a great game!
Scopa - easy to learn, hard to master. Quick, fun. And if you come across an Italian they'll likely already know how to play. Added bonus, some of the decks are gorgeous.
Nine Men's Morris or Reversi/Othello?
Morris indeed ☞ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_men%27s_morris
you can draw it anywhere and play
@umean2me@discuss.online, also, there are so many games you can play by carrying just 5 dice
Heckmeck.
The version I have is in what I assume is German, but I'm pretty sure it has an English name. It's probably more luck than strategy, but can't possibly win without some sort of a plan. Roll some dice, decide what to keep, and get those worms!
Replacing the box with a bag would increase portability.