I’ve been writing these solo gaming reports sinceMarch of 2020… but my solo gaming started a lot farther back than that – being a wargamer in the 1970s/80s meant that a lot of your collection only saw table time if you played against yourself – choosing actions and rolling dice for both sides of the conflict. There were some actual solo games (Chainsaw Warrior,Ambush!, Mosby’s Raiders, RAF, etc.) – but the new era of well-designed automata and solo modes for multiplayer games was still a decade or two away.
Solo gaming is now a decent-sized chunk of my gaming experiences – while I still play a lot of games with friends and family,nearly 25% of my gaming in the first eight months of 2024 was solo. For comparison, the yearly total for 2023 was 20%, 2022 was 22%, 2021 was 33%, 2020 was 19%, and 2019 was 6%.
So, what follows are my thoughts on the fifty-six (56!) different solo gamesI’ve played so far in 2024 – ordered by the number of times I’ve played them. (Note: this is not necessarily how much I like a particular game for solo play – for example, I think Nemo’s War is an excellent solo game design but I haven’t played it [yet!] in 2024.)
Nickels
Terraforming Mars(8 plays – approx. playing time: 75 minutes)
With the release of the new material, Terraforming Mars has hit the table more this summer. I’m really impressed with the Automa created by Nick Shaw & Dávid Turczi – with relatively low overhead, it feels like fighting another player for control of the planet. (I’m still enjoying the 3D Big Box bits – there’s just something magical about cities & terrain rising from the Martian surface!)
New Frontiers(7 plays – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)
The Starry Rift expansion for Tom Lehmann’s board game in the Race for the Galaxy universe utilizes a similar solo system to Tom’s Jump Drive – where solo players must complete a variety of goals over multiple games to win the campaign. I’ve tried the simplest campaign twice: once on “short” mode (which I won) and once on “long” mode (which I lost). It sounds like a lot (4 games in order to get a “win”?!), but in practice the games move quickly and it’s an easy game to reset.
Dead Reckoning(6 plays – approx. playing time: 100 minutes)
For a game with this many interactive elements,Dead Reckoningmanages to make the solo mode work and work well. Each time I play, I’m fascinated by the balance between the various victory pathways and the variety in the system.
But as much as I enjoyed the base game solo, I’m infinitely more jazzed about playing it with the Saga and Sea Dog expansions… the addition of a campaign mode for solo play coupled with the constant drip of story elements meant I had a two week Dead Reckoning festival on my gaming table last fall.
This year, I worked my way through the second Saga expansion (victory, sweet victory!) and am looking forward to adding in the third expansion sometime this fall.
Dune: Imperium(6 plays – approx. playing time: 70 minutes)
Much like Lost Ruins of Arnak, Dune: Imperium blends deck-building and worker placement to evoke the feel of the novels/film in an incredibly playable format. Particularly for solo players, the solo deck works like a charm – and Dire Wolf also posted a free app to automate the solo process.
The addition of the Rise of Ix & Immortality expansions just adds to the fun – I like the new variety of cards and technologies… and it feels like the AI is even stronger with this mix of choices.
Let’s Go To Japan(6 plays – approx. playing time: 35 minutes)
The production of the game is top-notch… the artwork is gorgeous… and it has actually has the solo play to match those. It’s “just” a drafting game – but when playing solo, the things you don’t choose are being fed to your opponent, the rival travel agent. I would not be surprised to have 10+ solo plays and 5+ multi-player plays of this by the end of the year. (Dale wrote areally great preview/reviewof this game that convinced me to back it on Kickstarter.)
Lost Ruins of Arnak(6 plays – approx. playing time: 45 minutes)
My pick for Kennerspiel in 2021 was this fantastic multiplayer game of adventure… chock full with a myriad of pathways to win. The solo module (included in the base game) works like a charm.
This spring, I played through The Missing Expedition expansion – which has a solo (or 2 player co-op) campaign that expands the original print’n’play solo campaign to six games. It’s excellent… even though I failed at the end.
Minigolf Designer(6 plays – approx. playing time: 35 minutes)
In a multiplayer game, tiles are drafted in a similar manner to Kingdomino… while in the solo game, the player picks two tiles and places one of them. Both the solo game and the multiplayer game are fun – they are slightly heavier than Carcassonne with a greater variety of scoring decisions.
There’s now a mini-expansion (Putt of No Return) to the game that adds new tiles, better artwork cards(!), and double layer boards for tracking par… and a second expansion,Minigolf Empire, that adds a campaign element to the game. (I particularly like the news cards from Empire, which can be used when playing non-campaign games as well.)
If you want to know more, I wrote aglowing reviewof Minigolf Designer back in 2021 for the OG.
Path of Civilization(6 plays – approx. playing time: 45 minutes)
I’m a sucker for civilization building games – and this one has an intriguing mechanic where you continually are getting rid of earlier “technology” cards in order to progress forward.Path of Civilizationworks very well both with 2-5 players and and as a solo game. The first time we set up the game was a lot of effort – but once you’ve done the work of putting things together in a logical manner, it’s pretty easy to do. The rulebook felt heavier than the rules actually are – the game itself is very straightforward (and interesting) after you’ve learned it. There is a lot of variety in the various challenge and battle cards, as well as the various leaders and wonders that appear.
The solo system is surprisingly effective, esp. once you progress beyond the basic level by increasing the difficulty and/or using the “tougher” side of the five possible opponents.
Stonespine Architects(6 plays – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)
Your job is to build a dungeon and populate it with monsters, traps, treasure, and a sensible network of tunnels. The game is pretty portable and doesn’t eat too much table space, so it’s a good choice when I’m on the road for work.
I wrote an article about the drafting system used here (and the ones in Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig & NEOM) that you might enjoy.
Final Girl(5 plays – approx. playing time: 40 minutes)
My younger son is a big fan of Final Girl – which takes the base system of Hostage Negotiator and adds layers of variety and theme. (We are waiting for the Season 3 box to come our way.)
However, Final Girl takes up a decent amount of shelf space in his dorm room – so it stays here at home with me. That made it possible to get five plays in this year (so far). Despite my dislike for horror/slasher films, this solo game system is incredibly well-designed and does a great job of mixing playability & story-telling.
Jump Drive(5 plays – approx. playing time: 25 minutes)
Jump Drive is the quickest member of the Race for the Galaxy family of games and certainly the most self-contained… so I was somewhat surprised to hear that designer Tom Lehmann had created an expansion. Thankfully, no games were harmed in the making of this expansion.
Tom managed to add start worlds and goals to Jump Drive (along with a few more cards to make it playable by 5 players)… and in one of the classier moves I’ve seen in a while, brought in the gentleman on BGG (Eric Kaminsky) who’d designed a solo campaign system for the game and used it!
The solo system works brilliantly, btw – so far, I’ve managed to beat the first four campaigns but am stymied by the fifth. (Campaigns consist of 4 games – which explains the longer playing time noted above.)
I reviewed the original game – sansexpansion–here on the OG. There’s also an excellent implementation of it onBoardGameArena.
Pioneer Rails(5 plays – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)
A clever flip’n’write from OG writer Jeff Allers (and Matthew Dunstan – another designer I quite like) that actually does some nice things both with rail-building and with poker. The solo challenges in this game ramp up well – you can experiment to find the appropriate level of difficulty for you.
The Artemis Project(4 plays – approx. playing time: 35 minutes)
A six round engine builder of settling Europa (the ice moon of Jupiter)… it’s primarily a dice placement game that is reminiscent of Jeff Allers’ Order of the Gilded Compass/Alea iacta est games – only with more random events and sci-fi theme… that received a “glow up” from an expansion & 2nd edition printing that fixed some issues with the original game board & rules. The solo version is solid – with the random events changing the challenge of the game. I’m not sure the expansion is worth the hassle for solo play – but I like what it does with multi-player games.
Four on the Floor (or Table)
Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig(4 plays – approx. playing time: 60 minutes)
I’m a big fan of Castles of Mad King Ludwig… but for solo play in that castle-building world, I definitely prefer Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig. The challenges are similar to the “parent” game – though the scoring is more complicated. That complication makes the solo version more interesting and enjoyable.
Fantastic Factories (4 plays – approx. playing time: 20 minutes)
This was a game flea market pickup – and despite multiple plays, I’m not sure that solo is the best way to approach this simple game system. It’s got a nice dice/resource mechanism at the heart of the game, though – so I’m hoping to get it to the table with multiple players soon.
Lockup: A Roll Player Tale(4 plays – approx. playing time: 50 minutes)
You’d think that a game with bluffing as a primary element wouldn’t work as a solo… and I was just as surprised as you are to find out that was incorrect. While I think Lockup is stronger as a multi-player game, the solo game is enjoyable.
And, as much as I like the base game, I think for gamers the expansion adds another layer that’s worth the extra effort.
Scribbly Gum (4 plays – approx. playing time: 15 minutes)
Cute little game roll’n’write game from the Postmark team and Phil Walker-Harding. Dale did a nice writeup of Scribbly Gum earlier this year.
Twilight Inscription(4 plays – approx. playing time: 60 minutes)
There are issues with this roll’n’write homage to one of the classic table-eating 4X games (Twilight Imperium)… the four boards (per player!) are awfully busy and sometimes difficult to read, the symbology is easy to obscure with orange chalk pens in the game, and the order of the event cards can sometimes doom your strategic choices. With that said, I’ve actually enjoyed this more as a solo game than as a multi-player.
I’m working to get tokens printed to track the odd symbols which can be used on other boards – that should help alleviate some of the confusion of what you can/cannot still do with symbols you’ve earned.
Wild Tiled West (4 plays – approx. playing time: 35 minutes)
My first play of Wild Tiled West was just OK – but when I found a deal for a copy, I went ahead and picked it up since I tend to like Paul Dennen’s designs. And it turns out that it’s a really sweet solo game… made even more playable with the excellent Dire Wolf Studios app and the solo campaign.
Three is a Magic Number
Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters(3 plays – approx. 15 minutes)
I pulled this Kinderspiel-winning game out to take pictures of it for mytop 100 gameson my personal blog… and ended up playing a game solo.
Then, thanks to a friend who read that post, I was sent a copy of the OOP Creepy Cellar expansion… so of course I had to try that a couple of times as well.
Still one of the best family co-op games out there.
Monumental(3 plays – approx. playing time: 60 minutes)
Here’s what I wrote last year in responding to my first couple of plays of the game: “Monumental mixes deck building, tableau manipulation, board play, and combat – and, to my surprise, actually has a really solid solo mode that is easy to execute and leaves the focus of the game on what your civilization is doing rather than running the automata. However, it’s a pretty substantial set-up time (30 minutes or so, particularly if you’re using some of the expansion content or extra modules)… so you need to be someone (like me!) who enjoys the process of getting the game ready to go.”
I have some more thoughts now with five games under my belt:
- The solo mode really is very good – and highly customizable as you add in the expansions. (Each civilization has its own AI card in the deck… and each warlord has a characteristic – technological, aggressive, architectural, cultural, or economic that trigger some of the AI cards.)
- The expansions add some nice twists – new civilizations and new terrain hexes with special rules – as well as additional cards/tokens for the Hero/Monster modules. The African Empires has the most new stuff in the box – including the Trade system, the Future Era, Unrest cards, The Reserve, and the Natural Wonders & Quest Modules.
- Speaking of the various modules, I have some feelings:
- Renaissance Era: adds extra time to the game without adding much to the game… only for diehards
- Monster module: a bit fiddly to set up, but nice way to keep the game from feeling same-y (and also gives you more to do with your explorers)
- Heroes module: need to try this one again – the heroes in my single game didn’t make much of a difference, but that might be a different story with a larger player count
- Future Era: a pretty simple system to convert leftover basic resources into points in the final turns of the game – recommended
- Unrest cards: with great power comes great hassles… cards that clog up your deck & display – necessary to use with a number of the African Empire cards
- The Reserve: some tokens and civilizations can reserve cards that weren’t in the original development deck… allowing for some interesting tactics
- Natural Wonders module: essentially pre-placed Wonder(s) that offers extra goodies to whoever controls it/them… another way to vary up board design
- Quest module: each player has two quests which are worth points (2 each) if they fulfill by the end of the game… helps set some directions in how you are going to play/make decisions
- Trade system: not only gives your explorers more to do (create trading posts) but also gives you another way to score points and get resources… I like it a lot
- You really need to either (a) have friends who like helping set up the game, or (b) enjoy the zen-like experience of setting up a large game over 30+ minutes. (I fit squarely in the (b) category.) Probably the biggest strike against playing it solo is set-up time.
- I think the miniatures would look really cool – but the board is busy enough without minis and would be really hard to read with the addition of them.
- Overall, I’m glad I have this… but I think my primary plays will be a max of three players, with solo and two player more likely.
NEOM(3 plays – approx. playing time: 25 minutes)
I love this multi-player game that mixes city-building and 7 Wonders-ish drafting… and the solo game manages to capture most of that feeling through the clever use of “packets” of tiles. I typically play 2-3 games of this at a shot… since once you’ve got it laid out, it’s easy to reset and try again. I’ve defaulted to playNEOMwith all the tiles in, which offers more variety and some interesting decisions since you know that you can (sometimes) wait for the tile you need.
Interestingly, I read that Neom is the name of a planned city/community being built (very slowly) in Saudi Arabia. (It’s an interesting internet rabbit hole to dive down.)
Roll Player Adventures(3 plays – approx. playing time: 75 minutes)
Yes, it’s an epic series of D&D-like adventures in a “choose your own story” mode… but there’s more to it than that. The system uses some simple mechanisms to track what you’ve done and how that will affect return visits to the same location. As well, the skill test/combat system involves actual decisions and brain power.
I’d highly recommend it for solo play – or for two player (my son & I started a two player campaign and are enjoying it immensely.)
Waypoints(3 plays – approx. playing time: 25 minutes)
Another very creative roll’n’write game from Postmark Games… this time using topographical maps and a hiking theme. As I’ve done with other games from this company, I’ve laminated my copy of the twoWaypointsboards so I can take them whenever I travel. (BTW, the 2nd map – a desert national park – has some unique challenges.)
It Takes Two
Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale(2 plays – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)
An incredibly pleasant flip’n’write game that works like a charm as a solo game… and will also work well as a “over Facetime/Zoom” game if you use the solo rules for monster attacks. The Skills mini-expansion adds another level of decision-making that works well. I’m gladCartographersis in my collection… adding a set of colored pencils makes my maps look even better!
I’ll also throw in kind words for the Heroes stand-alone expansion & the six new map packs… they add some variety to the game without overly complicating the system. (The only hassle is how to store the game and the pile of maps in the two small boxes.)
Finally, there’s a great iOS app for Cartographers – which I’ve played a bunch of times this year (but don’t count in my games played list) and an equally great BGA implementation.
Dawn of Ulos(2 plays – approx. playing time: 60 minutes)
Set in the earliest days of the Roll Player universe, this is actually a nicely produced homage to Acquire… albeit one with fantasy theming, special powers, and a workable solo play system. (The emphasis is on workable – I think the game is stronger as a multiplayer.)
Dune: Imperium(2 plays – approx. playing time: 75 minutes)
For players of Dune: Imperium, a lot of this is going to feel very familiar – but there are enough interesting twists (particularly the use of spies and the rejiggered board configuration) to make it a new-ish experience. I haven’t tried yet, but this new version of the base game is compatible with the Rise of Ix and Immortality expansions.
Keep the Heroes Out! (2 plays – approx. playing time: 60 minutes)
Sadly, the good ideas behind this cooperative game are buried underneath a complicated flowchart system to run the boss.
Quadropolis (2 plays – approx. playing time: 60 minutes)
There really isn’t an official solo variant – I was just playing multiple sides to learn the game and figure out how it works.
Small City: Deluxe Edition(2 plays – approx. playing time: 70 minutes)
This very pretty reprint is billed as SimCity as a board game – and since I’m a sucker for city-building games, I dove in. It’s surprisingly crunchy – very easy to make a mistake that dooms your game – but shorter than it looks at first glance.
I keep thinking about it and the puzzle of doing it well – which is a good sign. The hardest part is that the rules are counter-intuitive for some buildings, so getting up to speed each time is part of the learning curve.
Finding a good way to store the game (and the expansions) definitely will help getting this to the table. (I found a really well-designed 3D printable insert.)
Unmatched: Tales to Amaze!(2 plays – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)
One of the curses of doing a good bit of playtesting is that sometimes you end up with the earliest versions of a game – and that’s what happened to my son & I with Tales to Amaze. We were frustrated by a number of things in the original prototype.
However, I trusted Restoration Games to do proper development work – and my trust was not disappointed. Tales to Amaze actually takes one of the best skirmish games out there (Unmatched: Battle of Legends) and creates a highly functional and enjoyable cooperative game as players take on Mothman or the Alien Invader along with their cryptid minions. (Do not play Ant Queen as a minion in your first game – trust me on this one.)
And if the gorgeous production & great cooperative game weren’t enough, all four of the player heroes work as competitive heroes against any of the other Unmatched characters.
The solo version is excellent… though it may be slightly easier (especially if you’re using a hero with multiple sidekicks). Multiple folks I know (including me) have taken to playing two heroes vs the game which keeps you from “speeding” to the end by ignoring the minions and simply pounding on the boss.
BTW, I wrote areview of Tales to Amazefor the OG that I’d love for you to read. :-)
Xia: Legends of a Drift System(1 play – approx. playing time: 120 minutes)
Xia is a sprawling nutty over-the-top wonderful mess of a space exploration/trade/piracy game… and the system for solo play is very enjoyable. It’s not for the faint of heart – a full 20 point game can last 2-2.5 hours for solo play & cover most of my gaming table with pieces & cards. (I think it’s much better solo than the similar Star Wars: Outer Rim – and much more open world than Outer Rim.)
Late in 2021, I started the solo campaign… and I’m having a blast with it. So far, I’ve accomplished 6 of the 10 objectives and still have a positive score… but I’m guessing it will take another 6+ games for me to finish the campaign. I’m totally up for that.
Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game(2 plays – approx. playing time: 120 minutes)
I’m a sucker for zoo building games – and this is flat-out the most like a computer zoo-sim of any I’ve played. That means it has a bit of a rules overhead (at least getting started) and some fiddly bits when you’re tracking the progress of your species – but it makes up for it with interesting (and tricky!) decisions and gorgeous components.
I’ve played the solo mode from the box once and a “two player” game with me playing both sides. At first blush, the solo system seems a little punishing… I may need to tweak the difficulty. That said, I’m really looking forward to playing it again!
One Is the Loneliest Number
Ark Nova(1 play – approx. playing time: 90 minutes)
There’s a reason so many people are nuts about this zoo-building game – it’s really that good. And, as you can probably guess by my number of solo plays last year,Ark Novais an excellent solo game.
The solo design forces you to win the game (get your Conservation & Appeal markers to cross) before time runs out – so you can set your difficulty by where you start your Appeal marker. 20 was too easy – 10 is a good medium range challenge, and 5 is kicking my butt (but I’m getting closer).
I’ve had great experiences playing this game solo, with 2 players, and with 3 players… and my second solo game with the Marine Worlds expansion was very enjoyable. With the plethora of cards in the base game, it’s always a question if “more stuff” will actually be better for the game… and, to their credit, the Marine Worlds expansion adds interesting decisions without gumming up the works of the original game. I particularly like the improved action card draft, which nudges players in new (and often different) directions.
Bad Company(1 play – approx. playing time: 25 minutes)
This nifty game of planning heists and escaping the police with your gang of thieves & getaway drivers feels like it takes the best parts of Space Base and makes a better game of it. What surprised me is how wellBad Companyworks as a solo game since part of the design appeal is that it is enjoyable with up to 6 players.
Boonlake(1 play – approx. playing time: 70 minutes)
Boonlake is not a difficult game once you wrap your head around it… but it’s not a game that’s particularly easy to learn from the rulebook. I played my first solo game as a two player game, playing both sides to make sure I had the rules worked out in my head.
Since then, I’ve played it using the solo rules – which are even trickier to get right than the base game rules. There are some eccentric bits in the AIs engine which absolutely make sense in order to simulate a two player game – but are difficult to remember and caused to spend the first couple of solo games flipping through the solo rules.
That said, it’s a solid solo game with intriguing gameplay. I’m a fan of the game as a solo or 2 player – but I’m not sure I want to bring it to the table with more than that.
My one play this year (so far) has been with the new expansion… which adds some more complications but also gives you more gamespace to explore.
Clank! Catacombs(1 play – approx. playing time: 45 minutes)
The newest entry in the very successfulClank-i-verseinvolves a modular board, a totally new deck of cards, and some interesting twists (freeing prisoners, using lockpicks, etc.). It’s been a wild success with my sons and with other folks as a new take on “standard” Clank!… and I appreciate that the rules even include ways to integrate the Adventuring Party expansion into the game.
As usual, Dire Wolf has done a splendid job of supporting the game with a well-written app-driven solo game.
Eleven: Football Manager Board Game(1 play – approx. playing time: 90 minutes)
While there are some tricky parts (understanding how/when to flip jerseys, for example), the game itself works like a charm and is great fun to play, especially if you are (like myself) a fan of Premier League soccer. Match play is important – butElevenis much bigger than winning matches… it’s actually an economic/management game.
Since the game this re-design was based on (Club Stories) was a solo game, it is not a surprise that this works splendidly for a single player. However, I wouldn’t suggest trying to throw all of the expansions in at one time – that’s my single play for this year (so far) and it was a bit much. (I do plan on mixing the international players into the regular deck for more variety moving forward… but ditching the airline/recruiting mechanic.)
Empyreal: Spells & Steam(1 play – approx. playing time: 45 minutes)
Another used copy find… at half price. So, based on some immutable law of game collecting, that should mean I like it twice as much, right?
Well, it’s actually a pretty brilliant design – my younger son & I have enjoyed a number of two player games of it. The blend of pick up & deliver and network building combined with some really wacky special powers works very well – and the very nice production makes it even more playable.
The solo mode – which I’ve only played once – works as well, but I’m more likely to use the solo bot to add an extra player to our 2 player games.
Everdell(1 play – approx. playing time: 50 minutes)
Based on the recommendations of others (esp. fellow OGer Chris Wray), I splurged on the Everdell Complete Collection without ever having played the game. There are two solo modes: Rugwort (which is mildly entertaining) and Mistwood (Nightweave & her spider crew) that really shines. I’ve barely scratched the surface of the personalities, plans, and plots available in the expansion.
BTW, Chris posted a weeks worth ofEverdell reviewsthat are a great read if you’re interested. (These reviews pre-date the newest expansions, New Leaf & Mistwood.)
Excavation Earth(1 play – approx. playing time: 90 minutes)
I’m still not sure what to think about Excavation Earth – I like the interlocking mechanics in the game, but sometimes I feel like it’s playing me as much as I’m playing it. My play earlier this spring helped me attitude, though – and not just because I found a cheap copy of the Second Wave expansion. Being able to see everything clearly spread out on the table makes the game much more playable… and enabled me to figure out some of the connection points.
It’s not for everyone – but I’m glad I own it.
G.I. Joe Deck-Building Game(1 play – approx. playing time: 45 minutes)
A cooperative deckbuilder with some fun references to the classic character and animated show… but not enough there (at least in the base box) to bring me back for a second play.
Great Western Trail: New Zealand(1 play – approx. playing time: 90 minutes)
In what was a common theme for last year, I found another game that I really enjoyed that I was – based on my previous experience – pretty sure I would dislike. (Non-solo games that fit this category included Red Dragon Inn & Zombicide 2nd Edition.)
I avoided playing the original Great Western Trail for a long time – even though I really enjoyed some of Pfister’s designs. My first play was very good – but I just didn’t see who I could get to play it with me.
The new versions being released piqued my interest – but not enough to pull the trigger until GWT: New Zealand… and boy howdy, I’m glad it did. There are a number of changes to the base game – though the basics are still the same. It’s as if they took GWT and the Rails to the North expansion, smushed them together, added some clever twists to “loosen” the game up a bit, and then did a better job with the graphics than the previous versions.
The solo AI is very solid and incredibly easy to administer – though not always easy to beat.
Imperium: Classics/Legends/Horizons(1 play – approx. playing time: 85 minutes)
My birthday in June 2021 was filled with goodness from Osprey Games… including my favorite new game of 2021. Want more detail? I wrote anextensive review for the OG!
One of the things that caused me to put the Imperium boxes on my birthday list was the promise of a robust solo play system – and David Turczi (who is specifically credited on the cover of the solo play rulebook) delivered.
Each civilization has its own AI set of tables. Five slots are set up and numbered (with provided cardboard counters).The die included in the game (only used for solo play) is rolled and that eliminates one of the slots (or doesn’t – sixes are not a friendly roll in solo play)… and then the remaining cards are revealed and dealt with in order. Impressively, each AI civilization retains a good bit of its character… for example, Egypt accumulates materials in the early going, uses them to attract hordes of population, and then, if conditions are right, converts those masses into Progress.
In the meantime, the player civilization is running by the exact same rules as the multiplayer game – allowing you to learn the ins and outs of the various decks as well as consider different tactical and strategic decisions.
There is also a simple way to vary the difficulty of solo play… and even a campaign mode in the solo rulebook (which I still haven’t tried). The new Horizons stand-alone/expansion has a bunch of new material – I’m still wrapping my head around the changes to the game (all positive!)
Koala Rescue Club(1 play – approx. playing time: 20 minutes)
Another family-friendly roll’n’write from the folks at Postmark Games & Phil Walker-Harding.
Mice & Mystics(1 play – approx. playing time: 75 minutes)
Yet another nearly untouched used copy for bargain prices meant this thematic adventure game entered my collection. I really enjoyed my single play last year and want to keep my Mice & Mystics campaign going… but I have to be in the right mood for it, so it doesn’t come out as often as it deserves.
Nations: the Dice Game(1 play – approx. playing time: 35 minutes)
I’d rather play this with more players… but the solo game works well. If I didn’t have a number of better options (see above and below), this would hit the solo table more often.
Paper App Dungeon(1 play – approx. playing time: 20 minutes)
Possibly the least successful solo game I played this year – too much randomness. My “character” felt like a pinball bouncing around off bumpers rather than an adventurer doing adventure-y things.
Parks(1 play – approx. playing time: 50 minutes)
The addition of the two expansions makes this a much more enjoyable solo game – more choices and tactical decisions to make. The high-quality production is a bonus as well.
Port Royal: The Dice Game(1 play – approx. playing time: 40 minutes)
A single playthrough with multiple “players” in order to figure out the rules – not a solo game per se.
SpaceCorp: 2025-2300 AD(1 play – approx. playing time: 120 minutes)
Fascinating multi-stage (including multiple boards and card decks) game of space exploration. It works really well as a solo design – I need to get it back to the table soon.
The Guild of Merchant Explorers(1 play – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)
This extremely clever flip’n’write doesn’t actually contain any writing – instead, you place explorers (cubes) on your map and by completing regions, place village buildings. At the end of each round, all of your explorers are removed from the board, but your villages stay to give you new starting places.
There are four different maps in the originalGuild of Merchant Explorersbox, with 2 more maps available as an expansion from AEG. It’s been a hit with everyone I’ve taught it to… and I find it relaxing and enjoyable to play as a solo game.
Tucana Builders(1 play – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)
Tucana Buildersfeels more like Take It Easy crossed with Trails of Tucana… there’s definitely a real push-your-luck element here. The solo requirement of completing 2 randomly determined objectives can vary the difficulty of the game widely – but it’s short enough that I don’t mind.
Undaunted: Normandy(1 play – approx. playing time: 40 minutes)
One of the last Christmas boxes to arrive in 2021 was a copy of Undaunted: Reinforcements… the expansion that offers extra units, new scenarios, 2 vs 2 play, and – most importantly for this recap – solo play. The AI is smart and keeps me on my toes… and while it takes a minute to figure out how to set up and run, it’s worth the time. I’ve been slowly working my way through the Normandy campaign as the Americans and enjoying each time it hits the table. (One of the bonuses of the design: I can flip to the Axis side and play through the campaign again – both come in the Reinforcements box!)
The AI plays “faster” than we have normally played (in other words, it chases objectives and unit elimination pretty hard)… which has forced me to take more chances and ‘fail boldly’ against it. Makes for a very exciting game.
I want desperately to play Undaunted: Stalingrad (released in 2022)… but the lack of a solo option and no consistent opponent may have that one wait a while – but I did pick up a copy when it was on sale, so I’m ready.
Voidfall(1 play – approx. playing time: 2 hours 30 minutes)
Normally, I’d balk at a game with a non-random combat system and intertwined mechanisms – but the theme of defeating the Voidborn is so tightly woven into the design & flow of the game that I find myself lost in the world and the puzzle of trying to expand my civilization’s capabilities whilst fending off the encroachment of mind-altering evil.
The game comes with a myriad of player factions and stunning gorgeous production – as well being fully playable as a solo (the way I have been playing), cooperative, and competitive game.
The team here at the OG had a great conversation about Voidfall.
I received review copies of Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig, Koala Rescue Club, Monumental, Scribbly Gum, and Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game.