The best games with a tug-of-war marker that keeps the game score 2025

7 Wonders Duel takes the essence of the classic 7 Wonders and refines it for an intense two-player experience. It retains the thematic elements of building a civilization through acquiring various types of cards, but it introduces unique mechanics suited for a duel.

Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game brings the epic conflict between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance to your tabletop. This two-player game captures the essence of the Star Wars universe, offering a dynamic and strategic experience where players build their decks and battle to destroy each other's bases.

Players bring tennis to the dining table, flicking a coin instead of hitting a ball with a racket. The board represents a tennis court, and players aim to land the coin in high-scoring areas while following traditional tennis scoring. The game concludes when a player wins the predefined number of sets.

Watergate thrusts players into the historical tug-of-war between the Nixon Administration and a determined journalist from the Washington Post. This game recreates the infamous political scandal, requiring strategic card play and keen decision-making.

Caper: Europe thrusts players into the heart of a high-stakes game of thievery and strategy, set against the backdrop of Europe's most iconic locations. As rival criminal masterminds, players draft a crew of skilled thieves, dispatch them across the continent, and equip them with various gear to pull off daring heists. The challenge lies in outsmarting your opponent by efficiently managing your resources, controlling key locations, and securing valuable stolen goods. With only six rounds to enact your master plan, the pressure is on to be the most cunning and successful mastermind.

Jekyll vs. Hyde is a riveting two-player trick-taking game inspired by the classic novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. This game pits two iconic characters against each other in a battle of wits and strategy, with one player embodying Dr. Jekyll, striving to maintain his secret and sanity, and the other player taking on the role of Mr. Hyde, seeking to dominate and unveil the dual identity.

Twilight Struggle offers an immersive journey through a pivotal period in history, where the world stood on the brink of nuclear annihilation. This two-player game takes place during the forty-five year rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States. Instead of traditional warfare, players engage in a dance of intrigue, prestige, and the occasional outbreak of hostilities. As the superpowers strive to make the world safe for their ideologies, you'll navigate a complex web of politics, espionage, and strategy. The game begins in the aftermath of World War II, with both superpowers scrambling for control, and concludes in 1989, leaving only one superpower standing.

An unusual and complex two-player board game that is finely balanced. Players aim to lure six pieces to their respective ends of the board by playing cards of the same color to move the pieces. The game involves strategic tricks and restrictions, where the central figure can only move within the limits of two protective figures, creating a dynamic of attack and defense that encourages replayability. With a playtime of 10-20 minutes, it's designed for quick engagement and immediate rematches.

Experience the thrill of fencing in a card game format! It features two players where tactics, skill, and a bit of luck determine the best fencer. The game includes three rule levels, offering a gradual learning curve from basic concepts to advanced challenges. Players must decide when to attack and how to counter their opponent’s moves, making for a dynamic and strategic gameplay experience.

13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis is a tense, strategic two-player game set during the critical moments of the Cuban Missile Crisis. It captures the high-stakes Cold War atmosphere, offering a rich thematic experience in just 45 minutes. The game challenges players to navigate complex dilemmas, such as choosing between gaining prestige or risking global nuclear war, and strategically managing their hand of cards to outmaneuver their opponent.

Players compete in a racing game where the goal is to finish second to win. Each race consists of five rounds, during which players select cards that determine their movement on the track. After five races, the player with the second highest score who has won at least one race triumphs. This revised version introduces simultaneous player actions, reducing the overall playtime.

Dogs of War is a beautifully crafted board game that transports players into a steampunk-renaissance universe, where noble houses clash in a struggle for dominance. Players assume the roles of the eponymous Dogs of War, mercenary captains who wield their private armies to sway the outcomes of battles between these houses for profit and influence.

In 506, Sun Tzu marched up the Hwai River and faced an attack from Ch'u armies led by King Shao. Outnumbered, Sun Tzu feigned retreat to trick King Shao into spreading his forces, allowing Sun Tzu to crush them in the Battle of Bai Ju. Players assume the roles of Sun Tzu or King Shao, using strategy and card play to unite China without brute force, while the game progresses through rounds of tactical decision-making.

Win duels by playing cards of equal or higher value to defend your hand or sacrifice your lowest card. When you're down to your last card, the lowest card wins the round and brings Tacocat closer to victory.

Shadows over Camelot is a unique blend of cooperative and semi-cooperative gameplay set in the legendary world of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. It combines hand-management and deduction, suitable for 3–7 players.

In March 1917, Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate the Russian throne. A conservative provisional government emerged, while the Petrograd Soviet, a council of socialist activists, opposed it. Players control the forces in this power struggle through political action, social maneuvers, and military conflict, ultimately shaping Russia's future and determining whether a civil war will erupt or be suppressed.

Two Scottish players engage in a classic tug-of-war, occasionally joined by Nessie. They first compete to build their decks in real time. Once the decks are complete, the card game alternates back and forth until someone pulls the whisky barrel over their line and claims it. The first to win three whisky barrels wins the game.

As night falls over Tokyo, two giant silhouettes rise from the smoke of destroyed skyscrapers. Only one can be crowned the King of Tokyo, either by defeating their rival or instilling fear in the crowd. King of Tokyo Duel is a dice game for two players. Choose your unique monster and roll new dice to gain glory and destruction points, or crush your rival with new special power cards to become the ultimate King of Tokyo!

In 500 B.C., Ionia rebelled against Persian rule, with Greece offering support. The Persian Empire, under the pretext of "foreign interference," decided to invade Greece, leading to fierce battles at Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis.

Players collect Pug points in this fun card game to become the greatest Pug point collector of all time. To win, they must gather and protect their pugs from other players while navigating tricky action cards and opponents' strategies. The game balances strategy and luck as players compete in a fast-paced environment.

Blue Moon is a unique card game for two players, designed by Reiner Knizia, which stands out in the realm of strategy card games for its distinctive mechanics and setting. It differs significantly from games like Magic: The Gathering, primarily in that it is not a collectible card game (CCG) but rather a precursor to what is now known as a Living Card Game (LCG), with no random cards in its expansions.

In the summer of 1972, the Chess World Championship finale in Reykjavik featured an epic showdown between American Bobby Fischer and Soviet champion Boris Spassky. Players compete in a series of quick and intense games, where every decision is crucial for victory. By playing cards with unique effects from asymmetrical decks, each player attempts to manipulate the other's mental endurance and influence the outcome, requiring careful consideration of when to relinquish the advantage to activate their cards.

Maria is a strategic board game set during the tumultuous period of the War of the Austrian Succession, offering a rich blend of military strategy and historical diplomacy. Designed primarily for three players, it casts them into the roles of the major powers of the time: Austria, France with Bavaria, and Prussia along with the Pragmatic Army. Utilizing a unique map that is divided into two parts—Flanders and Bohemia—Maria challenges players to navigate the complexities of warfare and alliance, demanding not just military might but also political sagacity to emerge victorious.

The sunken city of Pacifica comes back to life as two players determine its future. They collect art treasures, build paths, and advance inventions. The player who gains the upper hand in a discipline earns an idol. Speed and strategy, along with a touch of luck, will decide who can advance the underwater city the fastest.

Two players battle for control of Olympus by pitting demigods, titans, and soldiers against each other. Each player has six slots on their side of the board for military confrontations, control tokens, and resources. Players play as many cards as they want during their turn, paying their costs, and can either deal damage to opposing cards or directly to the opponent to swing the strength pendulum in their favor. Victory can be achieved by either reaching a strength sum of 7 or filling all six slots with cards at the start of a turn.

Churchill places you in the shoes of one of the three iconic leaders during World War II - Churchill, Roosevelt, or Stalin - engaging in a strategic battle of wits and diplomacy rather than military might. This unique game focuses on the pivotal conferences that shaped the Allied strategy and post-war landscape, challenging players to negotiate, manipulate, and sometimes cooperate to advance their agendas.

Europa in Turmoil is a card game set in the early 20th century, where players adopt the roles of political ideologies prevalent in Europe at the time. One side represents the Liberals, who embody both liberal and socialist principles, while the other side takes on the Authoritarians, reflecting the repressive regimes of Central Europe. The game explores political tensions and crises that could lead to a world war, requiring players to navigate complex alliances and manage escalating conflicts to determine the fate of nations.

The year is 1956, and protests in Poland reveal cracks in the Eastern European communist block. Encouraged by these signs, students and intellectuals in Budapest organize an unprecedented protest. When the communist leadership intervenes, violence erupts, triggering the revolution on October 23.

Following the tremendous critical and commercial success of a previous game, a new release showcases a classic title. It covers the Nanboku-cho period of Japanese history, simulating a dynamic and significant era from 1336 to 1392, marked by a power struggle between two major courts.