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What are your favorite board games to play solo?
I've recently gotten into the board gaming hobby and picked up a few solo games for when I want to play but don't have anyone to play with. I was wondering what everyone's favorite solo board games were, fully solo, solo modes, or 3rd party solo rules.
So far my favorites have been the two lcgs I picked up, Marvel Champions and Lord of the Rings the card game. They both have similar gameplay but are different enough to keep things interesting. I really enjoy the deckbuilding aspect too, though I'm new to it so theres lots of trial and error involved.
I've also played a bit of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a pandemic spinoff, which seems like it could be fun once I get into it more.
In your post you mention enjoying the Marvel Champions LCG. Well, if you like Marvel and card games, the Marvel Legendary deckbuilding game has a pretty fun solo mode. It's actually the only game in my collection I've played solo more than once, so it gets my vote.
Thanks for the rec, I'll check it out, could be another option instead of just buying expansions for champions.
If you have Tabletop Simulator, you can try out Marvel Legendary on it. It is fun, but I also quite enjoy deck builders
I'll def check it out on tts, also saw there are a bunch of spinoffs of the legendary system set in IP's I love that seem interesting, albeit expensive.
Scythe has been my family’s main game for a couple years now. There’s enough randomization each game to keep it fresh.
One warning: it’s not totally balanced. Two factions are noticeably stronger than the others, and the expansion factions are agreed to be the hardest. Still fun, though.
I actually have the digital version of that but haven't played it yet, I really should to see if I'd enjoy it. I really enjoy the art style and it's nice to know you can play solo. Thanks for the rec.
I've tried some solo board games before and always found the effort required a higher than my enjoyment. But three games that have well implemented solo modes:
Root and Scythe really are meant to be multiplayer (Robinson Crusoe too but it is coop). Social dynamics are pretty important in these games. But their AI wasn't bad and not onerous to run.
Adding my own two cents for Robinson Crusoe: it's a really interesting game with a novel idea but it's also exceedingly complex, even for my tastes. YMMV
I've had my eye on Root and Scythe for multiplayer, it's nice to know they have solo modes as well. Makes it so if I ever have the itch to play I can just pull it out. Thanks for the recs.
I very much enjoy Agricola solo mode. It's not even really a "mode", it's just play the game without an opponent and try to beat a particular score. It also has a solo campaign where each game you can choose one profession to keep from any you added that game, and the score requirements are higher each game. It's interesting if you enjoy min/maxing, and you can strategically plan multiple rounds in advance.
Yeah man, that's like, non competitive homesteading. I love it.
I'll have to check it out, I'm happy when a game is good both solo and with friends, expands my play options. Seems like it could be a relaxing sort of game. Thanks for the rec!
Dan Verssen Games makes a bunch of single player war games. I have Hornet Leader and it's a ton of fun. Tldr you command a squadron of pilots and send them on missions in a campaign. There are cards that determine the scenario for each mission, so you'll always get something a little different and loadout management is really important, to make sure that you have the ability to take on both air and ground targets.
I've also had my eye on Apache Leader from the same developer, considering that's my favorite aircraft.
I do enjoy wargames on my pc so I'll definitely check them out, thanks!
Deep Space D-6
A singleplayer board game where you pilot a ship and try to survive
https://www.tauleadergames.com/deep-space-d6
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/183571/deep-space-d-6
It was a random kickstarter project I backed ages ago, and I'm very happy with how it turned out. Unique, quite challenging, but really fun. I've played similar ideas in video game form (think FTL), but doing it in a board game is an entirely different experience, much more tactile and requires you to keep track of things (like, the rules) yourself.
I highly recommend giving it a try, if you can still get a copy.
Maybe my favorite! Kickstarterd it, helped play test the campaign and the mobile app
I do enjoy FTL, and it looks like it's not to hard to get a copy direct from the company. Adding it to my list, thanks for the rec!
I've only played the solo mode for a couple but, one that did stand out to me was Spirit Island. As it's a co op game I found solo play to be a good way to get a grip on the rules and try different play styles.
I've seen that mentioned a lot, I'd heard of it but never thought of it as solo, I'll have to move it up my wishlist.
I've enjoyed Final Girl. It's a solo only game that's pretty thematic to horror films. There's a decent amount of luck but overall the system just works well together. There's a decent amount of mix and match as you can mix the maps and killers and items.
That actually looks right up my alley as a huge horror fan, I like that it seems pretty expandable so once I get bored of playing one way I can just pick another expansion up. Thanks for the rec!
Any of Button Shy's -Opolis games are convenient and challenging solo experiences. Under Falling Skies has more to set up but has loads of replayability and can really conjure tension.
I like the idea of the button shy games, the small footprint means I can just toss them in my bag and play them wherever. I'd seen Under Falling Skies before, the theme interested me but I didn't realize it was very replayable, thought it was a campaign sort of thing, it's definitely moving up my list now. Thanks for the recs.
I enjoyed the small, simple, free print and play under falling skies..
Then I bought box version and never touch it 😞. Wish there was a mini version for sale.
Love the button shy games. Sprawlopolis and it's likes.
Food chain Island, Rover, Numbsters
Spirit Island is just about the only game I play solo.
I've seen Spirit Island mentioned a few times so it's definitely moving up my wishlist, thanks for the rec!
I hope you enjoy it. Fantastic as a solo game, even better at 2 players. I rarely play it at 3, but it's still very good at that player count. I would only play with very experienced players at 4. But of course, that's just my experience.
One Deck Dungeon has been a fun single and multiplayer(2,4 players) experience. There's a digital version that is the exact same game, just limited to 2 ppl max.
Looks fun, I like that it has a small box so I can easily take it places too, thanks for the rec!
If you like strategy games, A Distant Plain is a rather clever take on the post-9/11 US presence in Afghanistan.
It comes with a detailed flowchart system, like a cardboard AI that simulates players surprisingly well. But I've actually been perfectly happy just playing all of the factions myself. It is a very asymmetric game, with each side practically playing a different game. Lots of fun.
Looks interesting, I enjoy more realistic war video games so it seems like something I might enjoy, adding it to my list, thanks for the recommendation.
Ambagibus is a fun tile laying game. https://www.fecundity.com/codex/ambagibus.pdf
Oh cool, it's print and play too, hard to say no to trying it if it's basically free. Thanks for the rec!
I don't play solo board games very often (I prefer video games to scratch that itch), but when I do I've very enjoyed Warp's Edge. It's built from the ground up to be a solo game, and it has (for me) the perfect amount of complexity and decisions to be interesting without being tedious.
I've also really liked Mage Knight in the past, but that is a huge commitment in terms of time, brain, and rules. I haven't played it in years and years, but I still keep it and have moved it a dozen times because it's that good, and if all the video games explode I think it'll be the best single-player experience around
Warps edge looks interesting, added it to my list. Mage knight was already on my radar but definitely one I'm not sure on, I'll probably try it out on tabletop sim to see if I like it. Thanks for the recs.
Onirim and the other solo games are quick and fun.
There's a free Android app, you can pay for extensions (but doesn't work on pixel 7, 64bit only apps)
I'll check it out, it's nice that theres an app that you can test out for free, thanks for the rec.
I’m a fan of Railroad Ink for solo play. You have a whiteboard playing field and four dice (or six, if you play with the expansion). Each turn, roll the dice, then draw the “tiles” from those dice on to the field to create roads and railways that connect to different points on the edge of the board. After seven rounds, you count up your score and subtract any errors. Bonus points for your longest road and longest rail. Each game tends to take about 10-15 minutes.
The expansion dice add additional items, such as lakes, rivers, forests, cacti, etc. Plus, you can also get giant boards if you want a longer game/more of a challenge. Both my wife and I play semi-regularly as a bit of a break from our phones.
Looks interesting, pretty different from the others I've seen too so it'd add some nice variety. It's not that expensive either and the quick playtime seems nice. Thanks for the rec!
No problem! I picked up the blue version for myself and a copy of the green version for a gift exchange. The color versions are all functionally the same for the base game. The difference is the expansion dice that come with it and the colour of the boards.