Great list. Hallertau is probably my favorite solo game of all time. My favorite thing is specifically the card play - the variance actually allows my brain to just ease up and go with the flow, "come what may". I just wish they would release more decks! EDIT: I also wanted to add that I find it so interesting that Uwe designed both Agricola and Hallertau - two games that on the surface have so much similar dna but are yet so radically different. It's like someone asked two different designers, "make a medieval worker placement game where you can develop your home, take care of animals, farm crops, and play cards for special effects." Agricola is Bach (rich, multi-layered and very overt with its moving parts and complexity) while Hallertau is Mozart (supremely elegant, complexity revealed as you play). Both great games.
I totally agree with your comment in the edit. However, given the time frame difference on the release, I can see how it is possible. The thoughts on the farming process seem to have evolved based on some of hot other designs over the years.
Thank you for sharing your list. I'm really glad so many of his games are a great solo experience. I'm looking forward to playing Caverna (and Forgotten Folk) and A Feast for Odin!
nice list, and thank you. Here in Brazil, Agricola and Caverna are being reprinted, but unfortunately I don't have many friends who are willing to play expert games. Your video will help me a lot between me choosing which of the two I will take
I love the shout out to Merkator, one of Mr. Rosenberg's most underrated titles, IMHO. Both it and Glass Road are on a 30x30 solo challenge that I am currently doing. I already have 30 solo games of Loyang under my belt. I have yet to play Nusfjord and Hallertau, although I own them both. I very much enjoy Ora & Labora and the sense of satisfaction that the game gives me at its end. Caverna is a favorite with both me and my daughter. I have yet to play it solo. I have never played Agricola and honestly, do not want to. I am happy with Caverna. I love Fields of Arle! I will have to get the expansion as I have never played it. A Feast for Odin and Fields of Arle flip flop for me as to which is my favorite. Thanks for the list! I had been looking forward to this one.
Agricola is worth it. If you play a campaign where you need to hit a certain score and keep an occupation as you keep playing games, it's solid solo. With a few occupations, you get the feeling of a nice combo and the game really shines.
Sweet list! I was debating on Caverna or Agricola, but in the end chose Caverna with the forgotten folk expansion, just ordered it a few minutes ago. Love the theme of being a dwarf in a cave. I also ordered Feast for Odin, which has been on my list for a while! Definitely planning to pick up Agricola and Fields of Arle down the line to have a nice Uwe solo collection.
Very interesting video!! In my case, I have Agricola for years with the extension and I love it! I’ve bought recently Hallertau & Caverna & Feast for Odin but never played any of these 3 😅 I still need to read and understand the rules 😁 At least, I’m glad to hear that I’ve bought good games 😂
Merkator? Wow a local Professor translated a biography of Gerardus Mercator and the man adopted Italics and arabic numerals for condensing information on maps, published a small manual on Ptolemy's triangulation maths and how to log them for maps, then got merchant and exploration navigators on ships to map the world. He invented several globe projections to translate a sphere onto paper (including a heart shape that was "protestant" and got him locked up. Most famous for his Mercator Projection of the globe and compilation of maps that he named the "Atlas". Uwe is one of my favorite game designers so I think I am nearly forced to buy the game!
Nice! I was on the fence with Caverna, was considering Caverna Cave vs Cave for solo... so you reccommend the original one with the Forgotten Folk expansion instead?
Nice list. I just received Merkator not long ago. Thought it was ok solo but better multiplayer. I agree about Le Havre, started to feel repetitive after awhile, was at the mercy of the card market. Didn't care care much for Loyang. Enjoyed Glass Road but after playing Fields of Arle I enjoy the sandbox mode much more. Never tried Caverna, it appeared much simpler in comparison to his other games, nor did it feel unique enough. Thanks for your listing, really enjoyed.
You got it! I would say that Caverna is not simpler at all. The food wall is easier to manage but there is a lot more to juggle than Agricola, though it is less constrained.
@@JohnLaRuffa As they say it's the holiday season will put this one on my list to get as I'm sure there will be a sale in the next two months. Maybe I was looking at another version as it didn't look more in-depth than Agricola.
@@JohnLaRuffa Found the version I was looking at Caverna Cave vs Cave. Is there much of a difference between this and the version you mention cave farmers?
Interesting you like Agricola better than Caverna, thought I've always heard the opposite, could you please expand on why? Are you saying specifically for solo only, or multi too? (I play 50% of the time solo, and 50% multi)
I am talking about solo only and to be honest, it is neck and neck. I would say the only reason that Agricola nudges just ahead of Caverna is because you can play a campaign mode in it. Otherwise they both have their strengths that make them amazingly good games!
I agree that Loyang is best as solo. I didn't like playing it with other players. Nusfjord is probably #3 for me, with Hallertau at #10. A Feast for Odin #1 for me with Agricola and Caverna floating at #2 and #4. Edit: Farmers of the Moor made the game less fun for me. Feeding is enough of a chore, and adding in heating with peat tipped it for me. Also, Le Havre is not a top 10 for me either.
