There is a tremendous amount of board games you can enjoy as a solo adventure. From the grand shores of The 7th Continent, to the cold walls of This War of Mine. You can become a legend in Gloomhaven, Mage Knigth or Sword & Sorcery, defend your world from invaders in Spirit Island, Shadows of Brimstone and the Arkham games, expand your sci-fi empire in Terraforming Mars, Race for the galaxy and the Gaiai Project, save human lifes in the Hostage Negotiator, Pandemic and Black Orchestra, or just try and survive the huge stream of foes and harshness in Legendary Alien, Robinson Crusoe and Ghost Stories. From hacking to visiting parks, from character building to heavy panzer battles, you can find all that in solo board gaming. And why do this instead of playing video games? Tactility, the ritual of oppening a box of all those fun pieces, the fact that you do not have to stare at a screen all day long, and actually letting yourself to have something nice in your own phisical realm. Video games are amazing, but there is a reason why online multiplayer cannot kill off board game nights with your friends right? Well the same can be said about solo board games. Play solo and share your experiences!
KZsZs' games in list form: - 7th Continent - This War of Mine - Gloomhaven - Mage Knight - Sword & Sorcery - Spirit Island - Shadows of Brimstone - Arkham Horror games - Terraforming Mars - Race for the Galaxy - Gaia Project - Hostage Negotiator - Pandemic - Black Orchestra - Legendary: Alien - Robinson Crusoe - Ghost Stories Some really good games there
KZsZs I love you for writing this. It actually makes me a bit sad when Quinn’s talks about solo games. Just because he prefers to play with other people doesn’t mean it’s the only way to go. Loads of games play great as solo experiences and I find I enjoy a lot of games more as solo experiences.
A lot of games do have decent solo modes but I agree with Quinns that the best solo games have a modularity and escalation of difficulty that you don't often see in solo modes of multiplayer board games. Pandemic is a great example: unless you add expansions there isn't a huge amount of replayability for one player. The only option is to try harder difficulties (which play in mostly the same way) or different roles (and there are only a handful in the base game).
Just played the hunters, found it easy to learn and fast to play, with a well written rulebook. Of course you need to like the topic and be open to a more narrative driven game mechanic than decision making.
@David Moyes each Patrol takes maybe 15min, then you could pause, but its really addicting. If you can survive a campaign then you will do about 15-20 patrols. So in total max 3h. But usually i split in in 2 evenings.
In regards to the Oniverse, Onirim is the first and it is by far my favorite. I also enjoy Sylvion and Urbion, but Urbion is harder to find and Sylvion is harder to play and do well. Onirim is fantastic though, and there are still expansions I haven't played.
Zee from Dice Tower has spoken very highly of Onirim as well. Above the other games from the series that were out at the time, though I don't *think* that one was.
I've only played the app of Onirim, and I really enjoy it. I still don't feel like I've fully wrapped my mind around the base game enough to add in any of the expansions.
I've always been partial to Sylvion personally. Onirim is fun but I thought it was a little fiddly for the amount of game it actually delivered. I'll grant that Sylvion is punishingly difficult at first but it's also achingly beautiful to watch your forest burn to the ground. And it just makes it all the more rewarding when after fourty plays you start beating it consistently.
The timing of this video is perfect! I've been looking for a 1 player game for ages and basically found a billion variations of solitaire. Keep up the great humour guys, I'm a huge fan of your work. The digi-link section had me in stiches!
Other 1 player games I've found fantastic: the new Nemesis expansion for Mystic vale (also, mystic vale is good to have for Multiplayer) and the solo version of Xia (again, good for multiplayer as well)
Onirim is broadly considered the best of the oniverse even after all the others released. Though I think just about all of them are solid with more of a variation in how good they are rather than any of them actually being bad.
Check out "Leaving Earth" by The Luminaris Group. It simulates 20 years of the space race. You play one of 5 countries trying to win the space race in a solar system which may be our own, or may be some variation of what scientist believed it to be at some time in the past. It's a game of planning and a bit of gambling. But most importantly it plays just as well as a solo game as it does with up to 5 players. There are a few RU-vid playthroughs which will explain the rules. It's the only solo game I regularly play.
I've recently picked up the game and both expansions because the company is reportedly quite unreliable (and the designer left the family business that produces the game). I've played a bit solo with the base game and it's really unlike any other tabletop game I know of. It simulates engineering and management really well, and isn't about chaining combos or converting resources so much as mitigating risk. I've really struggled against the simplified and quite harsh economy/funding mechanic in the game ($25 a year, no matter what), and wish I knew people who'd want to play a game like this since negotiation and trading techs, along with getting that $10 bonus when someone else achieves a milestone, would really make the game fun. On the other hand, I imagine this game would have about the worst AP problem imaginable. I've personally spent tens of minutes with pad and paper to figure out a maneuver; granted, I'm new.
@@Nikolus 100% agree with you two on all counts. To Nick's analysis paralysis point -- I don't think that's necessarily an issue for this particular game. I also spend an extraordinary amount of time planning out missions, but if you're the sort of person who enjoys games like Leaving Earth, that's where a lot of the fun comes in. It can potentially make the game a bit of a slog if you're playing with friends, but in a solo game where you can walk away and ponder for a bit, or plan out several years in advance without having to worry about what opponents are doing, that just sort of spreads out the entertainment. I've actually put together a spreadsheet of the most money-efficient way to launch payloads of each different weight assuming you have access to all the rockets, and I think creating these sorts of player aids for yourself (whichever ones you find most valuable for your style of play) is a great way to reduce some of the more tedious calculations and focus on the risk mitigation and time management challenges of the solo game.
“Why not play a video game?” Clearly what you should do is play a video game that lets you play board games! Like Tabletop Simulator. Then again these solo games look good too, decisions decisions.
I'm an only child, and I am constantly on the lookout for single player games. I am unbelievably glad you're covering this topic because I'll be playing them well after this quarantine is over. Also, I think Terraforming Mars (though I remember from a pervious review you weren't too keen on it) is an excellent single player game.
Gonna have to take up the opportunity that Quinns presented and recommend some other of the Omniverse games. Nautilion has the same multi-layered expansion progression as Aerion but with wonderful little discs and a crew of 9 different crew members you have to pick up before the end. In many ways it layers it's complexity behind these expansions and the base game is quite dry, but as soon as you start combining stuff it becomes a hell of a lot of fun, definently one to look into if you want to try something luck of the dice is less important than making smart decisions.
If there was ever an example of a site you'd expect to be completely screwed over by the present situation finding a way to adapt to the times, this is it. Brilliant, timely work. Looking forward to more! ... Not more isolation, just... more videos to tide us all over until it stops..
I think it's fun of pulled out rarely but offers too little choice for dedicated play. The dice will have a huge part to play in how well you go. And given that the entire game is about allocating dice, well, it gets old pretty quickly.
I’m partial to the *insanely* difficult Oniverse game Castellion. I acquired it at the beginning of the coronavirus quarantine and have played it every day since. Even if you love a challenge, the Expert level will have you begging for mercy. 😁👍🏼
I'm a big fan of solo games. I live in a small town, and while I do have a tabletop RPG group, getting enough people together that are wanting to boardgame with regularity is tought. And getting to ponder all of the strategies and solutions myself is almost meditative. It is worth mentioning, though, that a lot of the games you presented are one-and-done. You play them once and give them away or trade them in. That's a big factor for a lot of people.
Quinns, I can't believe you have broken lockdown procedure by having your friends over. It's not acceptable no matter how fabulous their fur coats are.
I think their current view is that it's a brilliantly constructed game with a lot to offer a dedicated player, but the rules are such an insane mountain of conditions and bi-laws and such that it's probably not quite worth it for most. If so then I agree, but I love Mage Knight anyway. I still play it sometimes.
Arkham Horror LCG: best solo game hands down. Incredibly replayable, challenging but with an excellent choose your own difficult system, interesting systems, and a fun choose-your-own-adventure story.
My finnicky solo "war game" of choice is Smoke Jumpers. You fight forest fires, and the only randomizing element is rolling for shifts in wind and weather, which determine how fast and what direction the fire grows. It uses the classic small cardboard chits, which, I ended up using glass beads instead, which was easier to push around on the map.
Spacecorp by GMT is actually a very fun solo experience - and I say this as one who generally doesn't play GMT style games (more a conventional middle weight euro player), nor one who generally likes solo table top experience due to the lack of surprise. The automa you play against is both easy to manage, and good at altering your plans in a way that never felt cheap or frustrating. Recommended if a v2 of this video is ever planned. Plus Spacecorp has a really cool "three games in one" conceit you should look up. Overlooked gem.
As someone who has played many solitaire board games and wargames (Target for Today, The Hunters, Patton's Best), I was really disappointed by their decision to have someone review The Hunted who really just didn't seem to get it. Simulative solitaire games like The Hunted aren't about pitting your brain against the systems in the same way as more abstracted titles. It's much more about having your own unique story playing out in front of you. Playing The Hunters (don't yet own The Hunted), I'd just taken down a tanker and tried to dive away, but been detected by an enemy destroyer. All I could do was sit and pray as depth charge after depth charge blasted the water around me. At last, one of the charges damaged my fuselage and we started to flood. We blew balast and were forced to resurface, staring down the destroyer and near certain death. One lucky torpedo, and it was their flaming wreck left behind. Not ours. We limped back home, having failed to complete our full patrol, but succeeded in surviving. Yes, that story was actually just some dice rolling and a *lot* of referencing various tables. But it's also something I'll never forget.
Please note, I was playing with some home-brewed "Mulligan" rules. In the base game when you resurface from flooding you're captured and the campaign ends.
I bought Tank Duel from GMT games. I want to hear from Quinn and the boys about what they think of that game. It's a fantastic introduction to GMT game design. I think the Hunted is for a specific type of esoteric gamer who loves procedures, multiple conditions and tokens.
Have you folks thought about reviewing Spirit Island? It's cooperative with adjustable difficulty settings and transitions into a really fun solo experience very well. It also has a huge expansion coming out later this year thats basically the size of the base game.
Also, I've been lurking you folks channel for a while and I've really appreciated the content you've made while this has been going on. Liked, subscribed and hit the bell.
What, no Spirit Island, Paladins of the West Kingdom, Teotihuacan, Mage Knight, Anachrony, Aeon's End, Empires of the North, Duelosaur Island, The Lost Expedition, Nemo's War, or Feast for Odin?! You do solo gaming a disservice, sirs!
I'm a big fan of Nemo's War too. On their website you can see all the solo games they've reviewed in the past, so I'm assuming for this video they wanted to focus on some new ones, while still mentioning the classic Consulting Detective. Maybe you should make a response video!
I recommend Castellion, which is the only Oniverse I have played so far. Fun tile-laying that will definitely give you your money's worth before feeling like you've mastered the puzzle as much as you'd like.
Whilst I would agree with Tom that GMT games require a passion for the topic/game design, I'd argue they do actually have some great games. For something a little different (and it's not for the feint hearted but I found it worth the effort), Commancheria is a really interesting and rich game on a much neglected topic that produces a fascinating narrative with each game. If you're after something with a military bent I'd recommend pretty much any of the games released by DVG. Warfighter is an excellent (if now bloated) solitaire/co-op wargame of squad level combat. The Leader series covers both aerial combat in games such as Thunderbolt-apache leader, Corsair, Hornet leader and Phantom leader (reviewed by SUSD years ago) and now expanded to ground operations in both Tiger and Sherman Leader. Pretty much any co-op game can be played solo. I often find myself playing Matt Leacocks excellent Thunderbirds game. Shadows of Brimstone and Touch of Evil by flying frog are other great solo friendly games. Just a few more suggestions anyway...
I'd second trying out the leader series. I have thunderbolt Apache leader which I think does a good job of giving you plenty of interesting decisions to make while still being streamlined enough to pick up and play. It's also getting some explanations which I'm looking forward to. The only thing about TAL is that the theme (us military intervention around the world) hasn't really aged well but there are plenty of other options in the Leader series of this is a concern.
Love GMT games myself but some are daunting. Would love to have seen them try Fields of Fire :) SpaceCorp and Churchill are very accessible. For the budding solo wargamer, DVG is a publisher worth looking at. Games like Pavlov's House have great production values and are simple to play.
@@MentatOfDune I find the DVG rulebooks harder to read personally (I struggled with B-17 leader). But I agree that Pavlov's house is a good intro to solo wargaming.
@Stephen Bradley GMT is a good company (certainly niche) but none of the games you mentioned are solitaire which was my original point. Having played Twilight struggle I'd say BGGs rating system is essentially an echo chamber. It's not even my favourite CDG!
Here's a link to "Artefact," in case anyone else was curious (it's a kickstarter project): www.kickstarter.com/projects/jhrrsn/the-artefact-a-solo-rpg-zine And The Quiet Year: buriedwithoutceremony.com/the-quiet-year
I have played both Onirim and Sylvion. Onirim is kinda like a deck searching game. You're trying to get all the keys to all the doors before the deck runs out. It's a great game but I much prefer the app because of how much shuffling is involved. It's constant shuffling. Sylvion is a tower defense style game much like Plants Vs Zombies. It's very hard and offers a lil more depth than Onirim. Both great solo games, but may also be played with 2.
you didn't cover any of the games on my top 3 list. actually, I don't think you ever covered any of those 3 most splendid (SOLO) games: 3) Unknown 2) Blitzkrieg! 1) One Deck Dungeon great video though!
Barbarian Prince is available as a free print'n'play from its entry on Boardgamegeek. If you like Fighting Fantasy, or other choose your own adventure type gamebooks, it's absolutely worth checking out.
That intro had me laughing my ass off, well played sir! O,,,,O **Rubs knees furiously** Also, whoever owns a jacket like THAT 0:29 _deserves_ to play tabletop games alone!
I'm a fan of playing Pandemic as a solo game where you simply control 3-4 pawns at once. If you find that when you play pandemic, you're the one who needs to restrain yourself from quarterbacking, this might actually be the version of the game for you. I've played through Pandemic Legacy, and now I can decide which "expansions" I want to use on any given day. I keep track of whose turn it is with a pikachu coin I got in a pokemon card pack. Plus, it's on-brand.
I picked up Spirit Island because I saw it recommended as a solo game and hoo boy, that one is a challenge and a half but has some good replayability with a few different invaders and options to increase the difficulty. It's quite expensive for a game for a game you're going to play solo, though.
SU&SD is a worth of it's weight in gold. I will be cancelling whatever adult website subscription's I have and becoming a SU&SD monthly donator. These guys have earned it, I advice others to do the same.
Y’all should review Dawn of the Zeds, if it’s available to you. It looks more like the Hunted among games you reviewed, but with smooth easy rules, escalating difficulties to add (similar to Aerion) and an evocative (perhaps timely) theme. Most of all, I think you’d enjoy all the very individually-realized characters.
There are some good solo games out there. Personally I'd recommend Hostage Negotiator and Pocket Landship. I've also been having fun with D-Day Dice and Deckbox Dungeons too. Also, on the topic of escape room board games, as someone who generally seeks them out, I think Unlock is the best. Exit is good too, but a few of the ones I've played just got boring towards the end. Unlock is the more varied and engaging of the two series, with the added bonus that you're not required to destroy the components allowing you to pass them on when you're done, or even replay them a year or two down the line.
Not sure if you are willing to try a solo RPG, but there is one called Ironsworn that I'm finding very useful during this confinement situation. It is basically the Vikings RPG that you can play with no game master and it's FREE. There's a lot of rolling dice to simulate things a game master would introduce. You can also play it co-op, if you're confined with a friend. Check it out!
I bought Mage Knight Ultimate Edition 2 months ago and have been playing it solo every other day for the past 7 weeks (1 week for learning the rules lol sorry I'm not a native english). So goood and so many contents. Hands down the best board game purchase I've ever done.
Wicaksono Adi Even native English speakers can take a week to learn the rules for that game. Absolutely my favorite solo game, but there are a lot of rules...
Wait until you get to try it with a friend! It is a great solo game, and one we've covered a few times in the past, but even if you never fight each other the added pressure of racing for encounters, exploration, and resources really adds a great dimension to it, as well as the chance for a breather between rounds, and tactic cards really pop with some competition. However, it does also add time, so best with small groups. Absolutely, during these times if you have $100-$200 spare and time/willpower to crunch the dense rulebook it's a great box by one of our all-time favourite designers. www.shutupandsitdown.com/games/mage-knight/
@@shutupandsitdown Actually I have played it multiplayer once! Back then when I've only played solo 2-3 times, I asked 3 other players to join on a full conquest. It's just as good as you said. We didn't mind the 5+ hours game time, but haven't got the chance to meet again due to the outbreak.
Most of the Tiny Epic series have solo rules in them. The one for Tiny Epic Galaxies is quite fun! Star Realms Frontiers has multiple solo/co-op modules included in the box(and can be played co-op or competitive with up to 4). Quinns himself gave a glowing review to Samurai Spirit, which and be played solo. Plus there are bigger box games that can do this too. Thanks to phone apps (which some people do find heretical) some adventure games do this pretty well. Clank In Space has some app assisted missions and if you want to push some miniatures around and solve puzzles there is always Mansions of Madness 2e. Were you craving some tabletop miniature wargames goodness? Well, we have the ever popular Frostgrave which has some solo expansions (and may still be free right now) and from the same designer and built from the grand up with solo in mind there is Rangers of Shadow Deep. Thinking more Sci Fi? Hardwired might be right up your alley!
I've only played with the digital version of it, but I'm quite enjoying Onirim (of the Oniverse franchise). It's a simple game, the kind of thing you can boot up in the washroom, or while waiting for food, or in any little bits of downtime you've got. It's got the same modular-expansion approach Aerion has, which is really fun- even though out of the 3 expansions on mobile I only really connected with the second one; yet mixing and matching small batches of cards really makes the game more replayable (and I play with the other expansions regardless). I think the base game is F2P and the expansions are really cheap on mobile (1.5 CAD each methinks). Essentially, you want to use up cards of identical color by playing 3 of them in order to open up 8 "dream doors" in 4 different colors. Cards also have symbols. You cannot play two cards with identical symbols in a row (so for example you can open a red door by playing Red Moon - Red Sun - Red Moon). You win if you manage to open all the doors before you run out of cards to draw from the deck. Some cards have special powers- cards with the Key symbol can be used up to open a door if you draw one into your hand of 5 cards, the same Key cards can be discarded -not played- to rearrange the top cards of the deck, and black Nightmare cards can pop up, forcing you to discard your hand or a key, or close a door you've opened previously. I like Onirim for its beautiful simplicity, and the convenience of the app. But if you want a longer game or a more complex game, or a wider decision tree, the (relatively few, I think) expansions on the app might be fun: "Glyphs" adds in 4 more Doors as well as a new symbol, the Glyph (surprising!), which can be used to immediately open a Door that's in the top 5 cards of the deck; "Crossroads & Dead Ends" adds wild cards -Crossroads- and Dead Ends, which cannot be played or discarded unless you somehow discard your entire hand (my favorite of the three!). These two mainly serve to make the game a bit longer, and just a tiny bit more complex/ savoury. I recommend both; the C&DE expansion (I just realized that's alphabetical, nice!) also has an optional rule where you can only play wild cards in the middle of a 3-symbol sequence, which I enabled after my first game with it and never looked back. The last expansion is called "Citizenry", I think, and I don't like it much, because I think it muddles up the game by including 8 new cards -the Citizens- all of which have a unique effect, which you can hold and play separately of your main hand at the cost of discarding one card when you play them. It also introduces a wild-color Door to unlock. The first two expansions try to keep things "crunchy" and yet flexible and smooth, but this xpac introduces a learning learning curve to the game which I don't enjoy. I also feel like the first two expansion packs kept the difficulty more balanced. You can mix and match the expansions, so you can be playing for 8, 9, 12 or 13 unlocked doors; you can be playing with 20+ unique cards, or you can be playing a short, simple game. It's really quite fun. I recommend the app.
Aerion is great but Onirim is just classic. It’s absolutely fantastic. Started the series and imo is the best. Castellion is the only other one I’ve played and it’s a very fun spacial puzzle if you like Tetris type things.
Top mini review by the Brewster on his first solo review voyage. Totally agree and feel the sentiment of some solo games feeling a lot like learning an unnecessary, Sisyphean skill. I think the harder the rules intake the greater that feeling. Enjoyed the poetry too.
I have a couple in 'The Hunted' line, but I don't think the system provides many player choices for a solo game. Much of it is just rolling to find out what happens. A bit like the old B-17 Queen Of The Skies or it's new iteration Target For Today, but without the far larger and more detailed book of tables to roll on. Would recommend something like DVG's Hornet Leader (and a lot of their Leader series) or VPG's Nemo's War for some command/mil themes made for solitaire play, and having quite a few different choices to be made.
If there were high quality PDFs of the newspapers and London directory, Consulting Detective would be so perfect to play over voice chat, since only one person needs to have the case book. My friends and I were supposed to play CD for my birthday, but then the plague hit, so I looked into alternatives. Unfortunately I couldn't find PDFs of newspapers or directory, so we couldn't play the case we were meant to do, but we played a case of the Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective FMV game instead. That was a pretty good compromise.
I've never been so nervous watching a RU-vid video a u was watching Quinn reviewing Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective with a full glass of water right in the middle of the table. My stomach was churning and my heart was beating a mile a minute.
Oniverse is fantastic, my personal favorite is Nautillion. I love how the simple mechanics make for a lot of factors in your decision making, and how it adds depth to a roll and move game. You need to go fast but not TOO fast
Thanks for the reviews, I’ve been following for a few months now and they’ve great, having informed a lot of my buying choices. While we’re in lockdown and you’re focusing on one-player games, do you know what would be really amazing? ‘The best one player games for...your mum.’ I’m sure many of us have parents and grandparents at home on their own and, where my mum has become obsessed with 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles, I’d be keen to order her something a little more tantalising! Some of the games in this video may do the trick, but what would you recommend as the best gateway games for the generic, British, quarantined mother who has never experienced the tabletop world beyond solitaire, scrabble, and Christmas-enforced monopoly?
TTS Gloomhaven is my current quarantined solo escapade of choice. It's not really a solo "boardgame" since I'm still glued at the screen, but it's sooooo well done and it scratches that solo boardgaming itch so perfectly it's incredible. Yes, the physicality is not there, but at the same time it's so much like playing actual Gloomhaven while having enough room to leave it on the table AND a helpful invisible butler who sets up and tears down the scenarios for me in seconds. Bliss.
Think that the Hunted review was a little harsh for a game designed to simulate a ww2 submarine...maybe just not the cup of tea for non-wargamers, which is fine. Other reviewers have given the series a more positive response 🤷🏻♂️
Marcel de Jong It’s fair enough not to like the game, but it literally says on the front of the box that it’s a “simulation” and then his final opinion on the game is “I didn’t want a simulation.” I’m not sure what he was expecting.
Onirim Digital is free on Steam. I like the physical version more, but there's so much shuffling of a 100+ card deck that my busted wrists and fingers can't really handle it after a while. It's also got a problem where sometimes I just... lose? A game is maybe 20 minutes, though, so if you have rounds where you never have a chance then at least it's quick. Beautiful, flavorful game in any case. It's $20 for the cards and all the expansions, and I can absolutely recommend it at that price if you like the digital game and you want the thing in your hands.
I'm going to drop That's Very Clever (Ganz Schon Clever to our German friends) It's a fun little game that plays up to 4, but can be played solo. You roll different coloured dice to fill in different coloured sections on a score pad according to rules and conditions. The real fun being that different sections have bonuses that will often be "fill in a 6 anywhere on your pad" or "fill in any square in the yellow section", and you can start getting these brilliant cascading combinations Lots of fun, and it's got a real old-school arcade video game feel of constantly re-running it to beat high scores (it's also small enough to whip out on a train)
as far as board games go, ive been playing alot of Space Hulk In My Pocket (based off of ZIMP) and enjoying its brutal mechanics. (they dont quite answer alot of questions with the rules, such as "what happens if i finish combat and their are still genestealers on the board?" my answer to this is that you must draw another incident card, complete it, and continue to the combat phase again. it makes the game even more brutal by using up time.)
For 1 player games I'd really recommend Van Ryder's Graphic Novel Adventures. They are like a tabletop game mixed with a choose your own adventure comic book.
I feel like you guys didn’t do justice to the hunted. It’s a different style of game to the ones you usually review, and that style of game has a lot of detail. You shouldn’t just say that it’s bad because it has so many rules, but review it in comparison to similar games from that style. Or just say that realistic simulation war games aren’t your thing. Imagine someone who only plays party games saying Twilight Imperium sucks!! They should just say that they only review party games.
Or just play any Uwe Rosenberg game solo, particularly Glass Road, Loyang, or Nusfjord. Super simple to learn and setup, very quick, and perfectly satisfying alone.
Appreciate the updates and reviews during this lockdown. They are one of the things my kids and I look forward to. We are playing boardgames like crazy right now.
When the cover of A Distant Plain flashed I thought the subtitle was 'Insurance in Afghanistan'. I don't know which would be more of an evil game, an adventure searching for insurance as a soldier at war, or a blackhearted resource management fiasco wherein you play an insurance salesman trying to capitalize in a warzone.
Oniverse games are all pretty light but fun and all have that, "mix and match the included expansions." GMT games are pretty much the extreme opposite. Worth a mention that there are a ton of games in between those extremes that are worth taking a look at, given our present situation - a lot of games that aren't "solo only" and that people might already have on their shelves include solo rules right in the box - Viticulture, Scythe, Terraforming Mars, Wingspan, Imperial Settlers, the Arkham Horror card game - that's the sweet spot!
I’m a big fan of Onirim. Played it many times and with all the different expansions. The app version is great too, since as another post mentioned, it’s nice to take a break from the shuffling. I’m interested in Aerion - especially after this quick overview. Thanks!
Best solo game is still Ghost Stories - or the long forgotten Gears of War. For a smaller, quicker game the options are Onirim (from the Oniverse), Friday (Friedman Friese's solo deck builder), Castles of Burgundy: the Card Game or Castles of Burgundy: the Dice Game.
Wish Black Sonata got coverage in this. Availability is a legitimate concern (though players can order the base game off the expansion's Kickstarter page right now), but very inventive solo title... and who doesn't like a Shakespearian theme in a table top experience?
@@ANAKHA8 Oh my, I missed this one too. Looks like they have an iOS app version, and a (apparently easy to construct) PNP version, though. www.pnparcade.com/products/maquis?_pos=1&_sid=c7db2f8df&_ss=r I hope SH&SD are paying attention to this and include Maquis in their free solo game video, as this looks hot. (personally, I went for the $2.99 iOS version).
Thanks! I've been playing the few games I own that have solo variations (DC Deck Building Crisis expansions, Legendary James Bond, IT: Evil Within, Horrified). Working from home, I keep a game set up and play a few turns at a time. Gets me off a screen for a bit. I'll have them played out pretty soon though, so recommendations are right on time.
The big glaring hole I see in this video being a solo gamer myself, is that they left out big box campaign games. Things like Tainted Grail, Gloomhaven or KDM are huge in the solo community, and now is a good time for anyone to delve into a bigger experience.
If you were lucky enough to get hold of a copy of Nemesis, that is a brutal but fun game that can be played solo. That said, just about any game can be converted to solo play, especially if you are willing to play multiple characters.
I played one game of Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective with someone whom I gifted it to last year. We had a moment where we both "cracked" the mystery of the case at the same time, and were astonished by how cleverly the story fell into place. We didn't do it nearly as fast as Sherlock, but we still got it right. Anyone who doesn't mind free-form exploration and a bit of mystery should absolutely spend an afternoon at least playing a scenario with someone.
You should look into One Deck Dungeon and Black Sonata! They're both great solo games. I've also enjoyed Orchard and Crystallo, though they feel more like cute puzzles than full-fledged experiences.
I cobbled together a homemade set of Onirim using several decks of regular playing cards. Solid game, but way too much shuffling of cards for my taste.
The Oniverse swings from wonderful (Aerion) to grindingly painful (Castellion). While everybody should be speaking brilliantly about Onirim, and you know you already like Aerion, you seriously need to try out Nautilion. I never once believed that roll and move could be an engaging mechanism but man did that game pull it off. Add in a wide variety of expansion options in the box as well as a variety of submarine layouts that drastically change your selection prioritization as you play. It's really great. Sylvion is a questionable recommendation largely based on if you like tower defense or not. It's also difficult to recommend because of how much of it is draw dependent based on the decks combined with the fact it has such a larger footprint and setup time than any of the other four. You can safely ignore Casellion, but really seriously try Onirim (probably my favourite of them) and Nautilion.
I'm a big fan of the Oniverse. Castellion is actually my favorite. I think it's Torbey's tightest design, which is why you don't see many "modules" for it. There are many opportunities to be clever, as opposed to simply lucky. That said, Nautilion is my second favorite. I think Aerion is fun, but on the easy side.
