Games for Two: 3 Printable Games for a Cosy Evening at Home

The dishes are done, the phones are in another room and it is just the two of you. You want something to do together that is more fun than another episode – but not a board game that takes an hour to explain.

Here are 3 games for two that you can print at home: Knock Knock Hotel, a quick card game of bluff; Grandma's Garden & Jars, a calm dice game; and Star on Top, a Christmas dice game. All three work well with just 2 players – for couples, but also for a parent and a child, two siblings or a grandparent and a grandchild. Each one has a free edition, so you can play tonight.

What makes a good game for two

• Rules you can learn in a minute, so you start playing straight away.
• Short games of 10–20 minutes, so there is always time for a rematch.
• A real choice every turn – and a little rivalry.
• Both players play at the same time, so nobody waits.
• Print at home and play – no trip to the shops, no big setup.

1. Knock Knock Hotel – a bluffing card game for two

Every round, 1 new room goes under every door of a magic hotel: a Bubble Bath, a Cloud Bedroom… or a Ghost Room that takes 2 stars away. You both pick a door in secret, put that door card face down, then turn both cards over as you say “Knock knock!”. Alone at a door? You take all the rooms under it. Same door? You bump: nobody gets anything, and the rooms stay and pile up. The card you just played rests face up for one round, so the other player can see which door you cannot pick next. When the rooms run out, the player with the most stars wins.

With 2 players, a third, invisible player joins in: the Night Porter. For him, take the door cards (doors 1–3) of a colour nobody is playing. Each round, after you have both chosen, shuffle his cards that are not resting and turn one over at “Knock knock!”. If you go to his door, you bump. He never takes rooms and never wins – he just makes every door a little riskier.

Why it works for two: with only one other player, every choice becomes a duel of “I know that you know…”. A game takes about 10 minutes and suits ages 7+. The full edition also has Sharp mode for adults (2–4 players): each player who bumps must put their room with the fewest stars back in the box (never a Ghost Room). All the rules and examples are on the How to play Knock Knock Hotel page.

The free edition is for 2–5 players: 72 cards on 8 sheets and a 10-page rulebook. Download the free edition – enter your email on the page and the PDF links appear right away. The full edition costs €3.90: 135 cards on 15 sheets for up to 8 players, 8 guests with small powers, the Night Porter's own card, Sharp mode and a 14-page rulebook.

Download the free edition Get the full edition

2. Grandma's Garden & Jars – a calm dice game for two

One of you rolls 2 dice for you both: one die is the row, the other is the vegetable. Each of you draws that vegetable on your own garden sheet – strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, cabbages or pumpkins. Grow big beds side by side and watch out for the snails. After every season comes the harvest, and Grandma's shelf fills with jars. In winter, the player with the most points wins.

Why it works for two: you use the same dice but make your own choices, so you can chat, tease each other and compare gardens at the end. It is a roll & write game for 1–6 players, ages 7+, about 20 minutes. On a night when one of you is busy, the other can play alone and climb Grandma's solo ladder (full edition). See how to play Grandma's Garden & Jars.

The free edition has the garden sheet (A4 and US Letter) and 8 pages of rules; you also need 2 normal dice and a pencil each. The full edition costs €3.90: the garden sheet and the Master shelf sheet with 3 recipes, 9 cards (6 of Grandma's helpers with a special power and 3 help cards), 2 fold-up dice and Grandma's solo ladder.

Download the free edition Get the full edition

3. Star on Top – a Christmas dice game for two

Each of you has your own Christmas tree on a sheet. One player rolls 2 dice for both. Choose 1 of the 2 numbers and write it in a bauble on your tree. The bottom row takes any number; higher up, a bauble can hang only when both baubles below it are hung, and your number must be the same as or bigger than the smaller one. No place? Cross out an empty bauble. Golden baubles score their number, a garland lights up when all its numbers are different and none is crossed out, and when your top bauble hangs, the star goes on top. After 21 rolls, the player with the most points wins.

Why it works for two: it is quiet, cosy and over in 15–20 minutes – just right for Advent evenings and the winter holidays. It is for 1–6 players, ages 6+, so it also works for a parent and a 6-year-old. In the full edition, an event card is turned over before every third roll, and 6 little helpers change that one roll. See how to play Star on Top.

The free edition has the Christmas tree sheet (A4 and US Letter) and 8 pages of rules; you also need 2 normal dice and a pencil each. The full edition costs €3.90: 18 cards (12 event cards and 6 help cards), 2 fold-up dice, a solo ladder and a 10-page rulebook with a full example game.

Download the free edition Get the full edition

Ideas for a cosy game evening for two

• Play the best of three: Knock Knock Hotel takes about 10 minutes, so three games fit easily into one evening.
• Take turns rolling the dice in the dice games – it feels fairer, even though you both use the same roll.
• Agree on a small prize before you start: the loser makes the tea or chooses the next film.
• Keep the score sheets in a drawer and see who wins the month.
• Put a game sheet in a clear plastic sleeve and use a whiteboard marker to play again and again.

Which game for which evening

• You want to bluff and laugh: Knock Knock Hotel.
• You want to talk while you play: Grandma's Garden & Jars.
• It's December, or you are playing with a child aged 6: Star on Top.
• You only have 10 minutes: Knock Knock Hotel.
• One of you wants to play alone: the dice games, with their solo ladders in the full editions.

Like both dice games? The Star on Top + Grandma's Garden & Jars bundle has both full editions in one download for €6.90 instead of €7.80.

What you need to print

A printer, plain paper for the sheets and the rules, thick card (250–300 gsm) for the cards, scissors and a pencil for each player. For the free editions of the dice games you also need 2 normal dice. To get a free edition, enter your email on the product page: the PDF links appear right away – no checkout, no payment. All the games come in 7 languages, and you'll find their rules on the How to play page.

A good evening for two does not need much: a printed sheet, two pencils and someone who wants a rematch.

The photos in this article are AI-generated scenes. The files are for your own household and, if you are a teacher or lead a club or group, also for your own class, club or group. Small printed parts are not suitable for children under 3.