Hello friends,

my brother and me would like to know how playable this game is for two players.

We played other FFG Games before but only Arkham seems to be a good game for two players.

Runebound e.g. can be really frustrating if one of the two players gets a mighty item or dies before he gets better cards....

So about Talisman would you say it is a good game for two players or do you need more players to make the game work fine ?

As it stands, it works fine with two players. By the time the 1st two expansions came out for 2nd ed it was a bit dodgy to play with two as there were lots of ways to get extra movement which made it too easy to pick on the weaker player. I've played loads of two player games with 4th edition and while its fun with more, the game isn't broken with two.

Geoff

My wife and I returned to Talisman after years away because we wanted a bit of fantasy fun in the winter months. We needed something to while away the hours between writing books and watching the rain fall in torrents. So, a two player game is mostly what we have played. (Sans some online or email experiments with others that I've been doing to pre-test the Fate issue.)

Talisman is certainly more fun with more players. The game will be quicker with two (for reasons mentioned and) as turns coming faster to each player. Player interaction and interactive surprises may be minimal, but as long as the duo is into the spirit of the game, it's no less fun than with 4 or more.

Make sure you use some sort of random selection of characters to play, so the game remains full of surprises even before you start and fresh each time. Consider expansions released to be used (all together or separately) for more variation as well. Variety in play is the spice of Talisman. With a little thought to the HOW and WHAT of the game itself (beyond characters), you can compensate for the loss of variety in characters on the board that comes automatically with a greater number of players.

Ditto to what's been said above. It also plays well with two players playing two characters each. This allows a bit more aggression between the characters, as well as strategies like one character providing cover while the other gets up to no good. There are other ways to make it more interesting with two players, too. For example, when you turn back from a toad you can choose to be a new character (selected at random.) This can turn a game around when a poorly matched pair of characters is in play, or just tinker with someone's strategy.

Get it, play it straight a few times, then do what you like. It's as easy to make variants for as Monopoly. (And more fun. No trolls or toads in Monopoly.)

You could also play where each person plays two or more seperate charcters. Though you will have to keep track of each charcters spells, trophies,objects etc. But it isnt that difficult. And just because you are in control of two or more charcters doesnt mean that they are allied with each other and help out each other. Yes you can do this but that isnt really a fair way to play if you ask me

My girlfriend and I have been playing for years. Right now we are in the middle of a draft-style tournament!

My other half and I have played this 2 player and its fine. Talisman is one of the better games that copes with any number of players. Of course, the amount time it takes increases almost exponentially with each person beyond 2 .......5 player games can take a loooong time. Well, ok, OUR 5 player games take a loooong time.

2 Player game....Yes it is..My Wife and I play a lot of it. At least once a week.

Game is just as fun with 3-6 as well.

I always thought it would be fun to play a 14 player game (each character used) It would probably have to be a multi-day adventure, almost like a regular RPG. Set A time limit and play for 3 hours. Then record where the game left off, and come back another day and continue.

Would make for an interesting game.

Yes

It is easier to get stalemates and get stuck with spells, but the games move faster too.

I enjoy one or two games a week where there are just two players.

Great Variants/House Rules:
No Elf (ridiculously good in 2 player)

Pick Your Poison : Each player writes down the names of 2-4 characters. Any character named by both players is removed from both lists (or can be done by draft). Hand your list to your opponent. He/she picks which character, of those remaining, he wants you to have. You get a character from the list you made, but are stuck with the character your opponent chose. They have the same.

World's Worst : Each player (by draft) chooses bad characters one at a time until 3 characters are selected for each player. Swap lists with your opponent, now choose the "best" character from the bad list you were handed.

Players always reveal their final characters simultaneously to keep someone from countering Warrior with Troll (for example).

Keeps things interesting.

Talisman plays best with 4-5 players. 6 are too many (requires a lot of time and positive people, or you'll have a couple, 2-3 are few and tends to be a collection of 2-3 solo adventures, with a slight chance of a confrontation in the last part of the game.

I feel that 2 player games tend to be one-sided, with less player interaction: one Character becomes clearly stronger and goes first to the top; the other is uncapable of reacting. 3 player games can show some interesting battle in the end, but the game is pretty similar: the Characters do not encounter each other too often and Player-dependant Characters (Sorceress, Thief, Merchant) tend to be less competitive.

However, Talisman has two positive features that make it one of my favourite boardgames, even though I rarely win. 1) it's interesting to watch your opponents play; 2) game is straightforward and newbies can both win and amuse themselves.

For this reason I recommend this game also for 2 players and suggest them to look after another couple of gamers for an occasional 4-player session.

2 players will do fine

I always play with another player, and i have a lot of fun

saundby said:

Oh, you've obviously not played it with my family!

Most of my games are 2 players. I find them the better and quicker games.