What we‘re looking for:
- Easy to learn, hard to master
- small footprint
- It has to be great with both 2 or more players (up to 5)
- exciting (push your luck or take that or similar mechanisms, maybe bluffing? A coop small engine builder tycoon game heavier than Bohnanza maybe?)
What we already have and like, but are bad with 2p
- The Crew: Awesome, but sucks at 2p
- For Sale
- High Society
What we didn‘t enjoy:
- Sushi Go Party
- Cascadia (also too big)
- King if Toyko (awesome but a bit too big, we‘d prefer a game without dice)
- Love Letter
- Coup
These are all great fun with 2-5, and may fit your requirements:
Port Royal
Century: Spice Road
Camel Up
Incan Gold (AKA Diamant)
On the lighter side i would suggest king of the dice as a yahtzee+ game, or port royal. A little mire involved and a great game is rajas of the ganges - the dice charmers (roll & write with good decisions)
Three Cheers For Master. Struggles a little with the small footprint aspect, board states can get pretty large, but it is small and portable, quick to play, and a LOT of fun.
I often refer to it as the good version of Munchkin, in that its very funny, and features a lot of direct attack mechanics. The key difference is that every attack relies on exploiting a weakness in the opponent’s board state. Instead of just feeling like you got fucked, you’re always left thinking “Shit, I should have seen that coming. I’ll do better next time.”
Also, the card art and flavour text are some of the best I’ve ever seen.