Two-dimensional (2D) materials have the characteristics of low loss, ultrafast carrier response, and wideband nonlinear saturable absorption properties, they have originated a range of innovative applications in photonics and photoelectric device owing to their advantages of a layered structure. Graphene-like materials have recently been utilized for short and ultrashort pulse laser generation in the visible, near-infrared, and mid-infrared wavelength regions. This article reviews the recent progress of 2D materials as saturable absorbers for Q-switched and mode-locked solid-state lasers. Firstly, the preparation methods of 2D materials as saturable absorbers, the saturable absorption principle, and methods for measuring nonlinear absorption properties are introduced and explained theoretically. Secondly, the solid-state pulsed laser is summarized based on the performance of 2D saturable absorbers in operating wavelength, output power, and pulse width. Finally, the development trend of two-dimensional saturable absorbers in solid-state lasers is suggested.