Me and my g/f have been loving Arkham Horror since we got it but are looking for a similar game to mix it up from time to time... normally its just the 2 of us that play but sometimes we have 1-2 more... we love AH for its flexibility, cooperative play, range in difficulty, and its playstyle (loot, monsters, goals, randomness). I was looking into Mansions of Madness but it just doesn't seem like a game for 2 people to really enjoy or get the most out of. Also it might be nice to switch settings into something more fantasy or futuristic. In the end though we are pretty much up for anything. So any suggestions?

I guess it depends which element of Arkham you are most wanting to find in another game.

I have recently purchased Pandemic, simply because I don't always have 3-4 hours to spare playing AH.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/30549/pandemic

Pandemic typically takes 30-45 mins and is also co-op play. Far less to enjoy in terms of theme, artwork etc but still a fun ride.

The only other board game I have played of a similar genre is Fury of Dracula, which is 4 Vampire hunters V Dracula.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/20963/fury-of-dracula

There is nothing to stop 1 player being the 4 hunters and the other being Dracula, so can be 2 - 5 players.

As a general resource, http://www.boardgamegeek.com is excellent for game information and has some helpful forums.

yeah time limit isn't really an issue...arkham takes a fair amount of time to begin with mainly due to the fact that we can't just leave it set up (due to cats)

Let's see... if you like dungeon-crawling games, Descent works very well for two players. One player can control the Overlord who has traps, monsters, and dark magics under his possession along with, of course, a dungeon. Another can become up to 4 heroes who try to delve into the dungeon uncovering many different treasure and powerful magical artifacts to eventually defeat the Overlord in a final confrontation. It's quite randomized due to different scenarios that provide different monsters, treasures, and a new dungeon every time you play. If you're looking for another co-op game, Space Hulk Death Angel works if you're into Warhammer (and if you're not, you can still enjoy it). It's quite simple and doesn't take long to play. The Call of Cthulhu Card Game is another two-player game that's very fun with engaging gameplay. That's all the boardgames I can recommend that works well for two people.

yeah ive been looking into Decent for a long time...and the amount of expansions they have out for it looks like it could last AWHILE... but im kinda in the same boat with that as i am with the upcoming Mansions of Madness... it just seems kinda awkward to only play it with 2 people even though it can technically work.

Mansions of Madness seems a little similar.

Some time ago, I had the same issues about games that could be good for two players. The best game in the world to be played in two is chess :-) But probably it can't be filed under "board game" ::laughing:: Anyway, my suggestions are in line with the toughts of many here: Fury of Dracula is a magnificent game, even if the combat system is too fortune-dependant to be really good (I hate playing a perfect game and then losing everything because I rolled badly a couple of dice). If you like strategical killing games, go for Doom (if you like playing with a horror sf setting) or Descent (I like Doom much more than Descent, but it's probably a question of personal taste). Finally, the Call of Cthulhu and A game of thrones LCG produced by FFG are dam(n) good ::nodding and shuffling decks::

A Touch of Evil (and it's excellent expansion) is an obvious one, though it is very similar to AH (referred to by some as Arkham Horror-lite) there are some interesting differences (the town elders mechanic) and it can be played co-op or competitive. It's also quicker to setup and play.

All Things Zombie: The Boardgame is a nice little game, again quick to setup and play. Can be a little hard to get hold of unless you are in the US.

Castle Ravenloft also a quality co-op game, easy to play, lots of customisation potential (indeed there is loads of stuff for this on BGG).

Incursion is another quality game. Setting is similar to Tannhauser. It plays a little like Space Hulk, although I think Incursion is much better. This another one that is quick to setup and play

Earth Reborn is a brilliant top quality game too, you get a hell of lot of stuff for your money, has massive potential. Snapped this one up as soon as it was released (got it before it was in retail in fact), another of my favs.

Lord of the Rings (not the Silver Line version unless you don't want to play with the expansions) a great co-op game. The theme really comes thru in the gameplay. Add in the Battlefields and Friend & Foe expansions and it just gets better.

If search around on BGG (www.geekdo.com/) you will find plenty more, and a lot more detailed info.

Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation: Deluxe Edition is an awesome 2-player game if you want to go head to head without any randomness. Think of it as Stratego with actual strategy involved.

If you want a co-op, then I can also recommend Defenders of the Realm, designed by Arkham Horror's original designer, Richard Launius. It is similar to the previously recommended Pandemic, but in a fantasy setting with monsters, quests, and special powers. Fun game!

There's also Betrayal at House on the Hill. Though with two players, you'll probably need to control two investigators each. When the haunt occurs, one person controls the traitor and the other person takes control of the three heroes.

My wife likes Last Night on Earth. I think she likes watching me work my butt off while she throws wave after wave of zombies at me.

While not board games, my wife and I like Dominion and Ascension, which are deck-building games. With Dominion, both players start with a "deck" of seven Treasure cards and three Victory cards. You lay out ten sets of cards you can purchase with the Treasures and add to your deck. This lets you get to customize the deck as you play, and develop new strategies and combos. It's a pretty level playing field, and works great for 2-4 players out of the box. Adding the Intrigue (expansion/stand-alone game) set lets you expans the player base.

Ascension is another deckbuilding game, but instead of Victory cards you get attack cards that you use to kill monsters. And instead of a fixed card pool, a large deck of cards to add (and monsters to kill) is shuffled and six cards are laid out for players to use. As cards are purchased or killed, they are immediately replaced.