2023 Best Solo Board games Review (BGG's People's choice 2023)

hi everyone today I'm running through 2023 is edition of the top 100 solo board games of all time according to the board game geek one player Guild this is a vote that happens on Board Game Geek every year so keep in mind that this list is not my personal opinion and I won't hesitate to comment on some of the games I don't like in this list also this goes without saying but no ranking is unbiased and at the end of the day you're the one who decides what games you like you should consider this list as a data point for what games you might want to play next but there are tons of games not in this list that you might personally prefer as a solo gamer as always gather as much data as you can then make your own opinion with that being said all entries in this list are undeniably solid games and you're bound to love many of them as a solo gamer by the way at the time of making this video it's Black Friday and there are lots of the games in this list being discounted on Amazon and other retailers check the links in the description with the disclaimer out of the way let's Dive Right In we're kicking it off with Earth a card game of Tableau building in which you have to create a fruitful habitat for animals and plants people have praised its slow upkeep AI for solo mode its gorgeous components and an engaging action selection mechanism overall it is a relaxing game with enough strategy to keep you interested if you like Earth you might want to check out Evergreen framework and get on board New York and London create the most fruitful micro Orchard but beware of rotten fruit in number 99 we have Orchard a delightful small game of only nine cards you might also like mechanical Beast noon and circle the wagons ion trespass odys is a big box Cooperative campaign game that's been on my radar for some time now after a very successful Kickstarter in 2022 the game went through a second Printing and it might still not be too late to jump in on a late pledge this is a Cooperative game of Adventures and tactical battles against giant monsters that claims to have more than 300 hours of content in the core box the game has been extremely well received by the community and sits at the top of rankings for people who like solo adventure games with a nicely crafted story for more games like Eon trespass check out camon Kane darkest dungeon the board game and the isofarian guard after the virus is a Cooperative or solo deck builder in which you have to survive in complete different missions there is a campaign of 15 missions included in the game unlike other deck builders you'll want your deck to get bigger with time as your deck also contains the threats of the game if you enjoy after the virus you might also like the following games Arkham Noir and last senas crazy Taco City of gods is a dice work replacement game in which you have to build a pyramid the solo bot replicates a regular player and you have to beat their score there is an app that makes the setup easier you might also like blackout Hong Kong and bonfire baseball highlights 2045 imagines a future in which human baseball players compete with cyborgs and robots this is a deck building game in which you have to improve your team of baseball players and compete against an AI in quick and intense baseball mini games people who like baseball highlights also recommend paperback pandemic The Cure and super skill pinball Forcade the loop is a colorful and fun Cooperative game of time travel you have to defeat the evil doctor Foe and sabotage his machine as a Cooperative game the turn sequence is very similar to games such as pandemic you do something then the game gets to do something bad rinse and repeat people like the replayability and humor of the game as well as the time travel mechanics earthborne Rangers is a deck construction card game set in the wilderness of the far future You Begin by building a deck that reflects your Ranger skills and personality then as you progress in the game you get to augment your deck with improved equipment and more the game plays like a Sandbox Adventure game and people have compared it to the recent Zelda games for more sandbox games check in particular the seventh continent the legends of a drift system is a Sandbox game of space exploration initially designed as a competitive game for several players playing solo requires the ambers of a forsaken star expansion although there is a great unofficial solo variant that only requires the Bas game Zia is falling a bit in the ranks of favorite solo games because we're getting a lot of healthy competition in the space exploration genre clear the land hire Specialists build and gather to make your own trade Empire glass road is a game of card Drafting and tile placement as far as the solo mode is concerned people have praised its setup time and the crunchy decision space if you like glass Road also check out heaven and Ale carpedm and Riverboat Hower toow is a worker placement game in which you have to lead a small town grow hops improve workshops and raise wealth to develop further you might also like Newton Lorenzo El magnifico coimbra Renegade is another great sci-fi game that's consistently been in the top 100 of solo board games this is a euro style of De building game in which you play as a hacker trying to defeat an AI Renegade is falling a bit in the rankings because it's a bit hard to find but rumors say a reprint might be scheduled sometime soon people who like Renegade also recommend Street Masters hakus Origins and darkest [Music] night you will find a lot of U Rosenberg games in this list let me tell you if you're a fan of his designs you're in for a treat after glass Road and herero here is Agricola in number 88 in Agricola you have to help your farm to prosper starting from very humble beginnings ISS Vanguard is another big box campaign Cooperative game by awaken Realms once again after a massive Kickstarter campaign awaken Realms have delivered and the community have reacted extremely positively to this game of Epic sci-fi adventure and Planet exploration people have in particular praised the visuals as well as the immersive Storyline by Kristoff piskorski of Tainted Grail Fame if you like ISS Vanguard have a look at tamashi unsettled in its very similar space exploration theme and lands of Galer space Hulk death and is a great short game in which you play as a team of Space Marines trying to complete a mission before being overwhelmed by Gene Steelers the game is cooperative in nature and in my opinion plays even better solo luck of the dies can be frustratingly punishing though and the game is heavily luck based in my opinion it's still a great solo game that plays quickly but it's very hard to find considering it's been out of print for years my opinion is that you should try it if you find a cheap copy but I wouldn't recommend overpaying for it unless you're really into warhamer 40K [Music] Shadowrun Crossfire will be great for you if you like dig building games and want a great thematic sci-fi people who are bad at the game will tell you it's heavily L based veterans will tell you it's extremely strategic so just get good I guess there is a campaign setting in which your characters evolve in order to tackle stronger scenarios there is no true Solo in the game except for a few missions but since it's a Cooperative game people playing it solo typically control two or even four decks kban EV is a deep strategy game in which you oversee and optimize the productivity of your car factory people have praised the ease of play of the game considering the actual complexity of the strategies and the AI boat for solo game check out the following games if you like kban Eevee start with a single City then explore a new land for Treasure and more in the Guild of merchant explorers a game of nautical exploration which is number 83 in this year's list you might also like first rat fantastic factories beer and bread Nemesis is another gem by awaken Realms which is as close as you get to aliens the board game without using the actual franchise name the game is immersive and feels like a cinematic experience in my opinion Nemesis is okay solo but really shines if you can find a group to play with in particular for the semi co-op mode in which all players have a secret goal in addition to the overall Cooperative Mission Nemesis might be for you in particular if you like the aliens franchise like cool miniatures and don't mind a slightly overproduced game if you already know other games by awaken Realms you probably know what you're getting into anyway for more epic intense games have a look at Lords of helas tyrants of the underd dark and the thing the board [Music] game resist is a fairly recent game that has instantly shot up to the top of solo gaming experiences for many of us resist is a card driven soliter game in which you take on the role of the Spanish macki fighting against the francoist regime it's an easy tolearn hard to master strategy game with sessions of about 30 minutes when it comes to resistance themed solo games a few players tend to prefer macki they have very different play Styles though so if the theme attracts you you might want to try both the castles of burgundy is a tile placement game where you have to build your prince Dom into a bustling Metropolis of Commerce the recently released special edition has a new solo AI which is brilliant according to everyone who's tried it you might also be interested in Istanbul Seven Wonders and Port Royale Gloom of kilforth is a fantasy game of Adventure and exploration mostly based on cards the game doesn't have a story per se but excels in emergent storytelling you have to protect your realm while gaining reputation and allies along the way a solo session will take you roughly 45 minutes more Fantasy games you might like include dungeon Alliance Shadows of kilforth and Veil Wraith in number 78 we have Journeys in Middle Earth this is a modern take on Dungeon Crawlers in which a party of ADV venturers progress on the map trying to achieve a mission as well as potential side quests the game is app driven and the app is here to reveal the next components of the map as well as randomize enemy movement and actions although some people dislike the use of apps in board games it really helps with setup time that being said the game didn't work for my playgroup but it's objectively a good fantasy Cooperative or solo game for simpler adventure games to play with your family give a try to mice and Mystics and stuffed Fables Grove is one of those nine card solo games and is often compared to Orchard a small footprint solo only game that's always easy to bring to the table game sessions last 10 minutes or [Music] less jump drive is inspired by and set in the world of race for the Galaxy it is arguably simpler than its older sister and people seem to enjoy the solo mode and its campaign even more than the multiplayer game I am a big fan race for the Galaxy personally and I'm wondering if it's worth owning both games number 75 is Tainted Grail and we are used to seeing awaken Realms games in this list by now tainted Grail is a grim fantasy Adventure inspired by arthan Legends in which you have to understand why your world is falling into darkness as often with awaken Realms games tainted Grail has been praised for its narrative and art the exploration of the map very similar to games such as the seven continent is also a strong point of the game the card driven combat system and ass Associated deck building might or might not be your thing but it's also an original aspect of the game for more medium and heavy Fantasy games have a look at sword and sorcery mcka Arcana and bloodborne the board game in the search for Planet X players take on the role of astronomers who use observations and logical deductions to search for a yet undiscovered Planet a companion app handles the randomization of the game components in this deduction game which plays great solo Harvest crops and fulfill orders to become the most prosperous Merchant at the gates of lyang is a card drafting game in which you have to plant and sell vegetables solo players have praised the richness of gameplay and the interesting Victory track mechanism for a game Which packs a lot of strategy for a reasonable time in space [Music] footprint Kulu death may die the original aspect of this Loft draft game is that as investigators you are this time actively trying to summon the Elder gods in order to be able to destroy them the game plays in under 2 hours and has great table presence people tend to appreciate that it breaks the stereotypes of lovecraftian games and as a solo gamer that it's easy to manage two [Music] characters Ro is a tiny game that I personally really love it's one of those nine card games designed to be solo from the ground up game sessions are extremely short and the art is cute don't expect deep theme in here the Sci-Fi art is just here for flavor it's just a tiny puzzle game but an extremely satisfying one you can get the print andplay version of the game for about $5 and in my opinion it's really worth it button shy have lots of great solo player games that fit in your pocket if you like Rove give a try to unable food chain island or ancient realm macki is an oldtime solo favorite it's a clever worker placement game in which you play as a group of French resistants trying to complete a mission while avoiding Nazi patrols decisions are tough and strategic missions are thematic and there is surprising depth for such a tiny game a print andplay version exists so you can technically play this game for free and I 100% recommend that you give it a try I don't think pandemic needs to be introduced at this point if you're into Cooperative or solo board games you've probably already played this game or one of its variations you play as a team of scientists who have to contain and destroy viruses before they take over the entire Globe the game is tense full of interesting decisions yet surprisingly easy to play always a good time with pandemic Solo or With Friends the following games are not Solo or even Co-op but people tend to recommend them a lot if you like pandemic code names King of Tokyo and love letter in role player you have to draft Dice and purchase skills traits and equipment to create the perfect RPG hero the game is easy to Play and Learn but has a lot of situations where you need to stop and think to make sure you get the most out of your turn it is a beat your highscore type of game with no true win or lose condition you might also like champions of midgard Imperial settlers and Mystic Veil travel the kingdom seeking upgrades in an attempt to bring poverty or prosperity in viscounts of the West Kingdom number 67 in this top solo ranking you might also like circadian first light Pulsar 2008 49 or gong in Arkham Horror you have to piece the clues together to stop the horrors before your sanity shatters this game is of course very similar in theme art and even gameplay to the much more popular Arkham Horror card game it is still a great game much less demanding in terms of buying expansions and will get to your table once in a while as a solo gamer but if you can afford the countless expansions I personally really prefer the card game at this point at number 65 we have one deck dungeon a minimalist Dungeon Crawler you open doors that are symbolized by a deck of cards fight the monsters or defeat the traps that hide behind the doors then move on to the next room until you reach the boss battles are handled with dice placement if you follow this Channel or my website you know that I'm personally not a huge fan of this game I personally find game sessions too repetitive and too long for what the game has to offer in my experience the game can also be unbalanced almost impossible to finish with some characters and conversely becoming too easy Once you acquire additional abilities through the campaign mode but there's no denying that people like it so here it is at ranked [Music] 65 64 is legendary Marvel a game that I personally really like a lot this is a deck builder in which you select a team of Marvel heroes who will try to defeat the scheme of a villain and their minions there are tons of expansions that add a lot of depth to the game and even though I personally prefer Alien Encounter Marvel is probably the most successful game of the legendary franchise the game has been losing ground in the rankings though probably because of competition from Marvel champions if you like legendaries mechanics the franchise has a lot of variations that you might want to try including legendary villains legendary Buffy or legendary Firefly onim is a solo game of cards in which you have to discover eight door cards in the deck before the deck Runs Out game sessions are short at about 15 minutes the second edition of the game includes several variants that really extend the lifespan of the game you might also like the following games if you enjoyed onim there are many other games set in the universe such as syvan aryion and More in Star Wars outer rim you're trying to make your mark on the Galaxy you'll travel the outer rim in your personal ship hire legendary Star Wars characters to join your crew and try to become the most famous Outlaw in the Galaxy first player to 10 points of Fame wins the game the solo mode no pun intended includes a deck of AI cards the game is thematic but sessions can be a bit on the long end of things Frost Punk is based on the popular video game of the same name and is a Cooperative or solo a board game in which you have to survive as Leaders of a small colony of survivors in a post-apocalyptic Frozen World the game has great table presence but is known to be very [Music] punishing oath schr in number 60 is a big box campaign game that has been Gathering a lot of attention due to its captivating art ambitious design and engaging gameplay it's been a good surprise coming from a Kickstarter project that actually delivered on its promise this fantasy board game of narrative choice and miniature combat is great Solo or cooperatively with friends for more heavy campaign driven games have a look at midara etherfields and stars of acaros Concordia is a peaceful strategy game of economic development in Roman times Traders compete to build the greatest Empire in the Roman Mediterranean the solo mode requires an expansion Concordia solitaria which has an easy setup and is challenging enough with three levels of difficulty field of farl is number 58 in this ranking of best solo games in this worker placement game players develop an estate and expand their territory the game lasts 9 half years with alternating summer and winter seasons and each season allows or denies specific player actions it has a great solo mode with an easy setup I love Sentinels of the Multiverse even though I've mostly played the pcab version the app does a lot of The Bean counting for you and makes set up a breeze with that being said the board itself is a great boss battler there are lots of expansions with original villains and well-designed heroes an awesome game Solo or with friends you might also like Astron knightes Sky te horde and Ascension tactics legendary encounters alien is my favorite game of the legendary deck building series you have to complete missions that follow very closely the scenarios of the movie series while hordes of aliens come to attack you it is an extremely thematic game and it's yet another Cooperative game that can be enjoyed Solo or with friends for more Cooperative games with a sight of horror check out legendary predator of course Elder Sign and ghost [Music] stories this war of mine consistently scores well in Solo board game rankings and this year is no exception if you can stomach the Grim theme of being a civilian surviving during wartime this game is great at emergent storytelling this is a very unique solo game but you have to be in the right mood to bring it to the table Mara Kaio has been on my solo wish list for a while while but I still didn't buy it people have compared it to another Euro game by the same designer Great Western Trail the solo mode has been praised for how simple it is to use Rays for the Galaxy is one of my favorite solo games the rules and icons feel a bit counterintuitive at first but once you've grasped them playing is a breeze the solo mode requires the Gathering storm expansion which is fairly easy to find nowadays as part of an all-inclusive expansion box called expansion and brinkmanship rise for the Galaxy is a victory point game of cards and honestly the theme could be anything but the Sci-Fi World in race for the Galaxy appeals to me in Solo mode you play against a bot and try to beat their score the bot has a really intuitive but efficient mechanism that lets it behave differently depending on its starting world I found this great for replay value as a solo gamer lead a unique civilization to Greatness through cultural and technological advances in tapestry a ston Meer game with an AI bot from popular company automa Factory tapestry is number 52 in this ranking touring machine is to me the big surprise of this year the game jumped from being mostly unknown last year straight into the top 100 within a year it is a must try if you're a fan of deduction games understand though that this is a pure logic game where you have to guess numbers if the dry theme doesn't work for you you might want to pass this game is certainly not for everyone but if you like abstract deduction and logic games you're in for a treat people who like touring machine also recommend Acropolis Challengers or canvas we're really getting into great games here as we hit number 50 bullet heart keeps climbing the ranks for good reasons it is a fast-paced puzzle action game that will remind you of video games such as Tetris or puzzle bubble in the solo version of the game you play against a boss version of one of the characters the game also has a growing list of expansions with new characters and new abilities you might also like some of bullet's Standalone expansions such as bullet star or mind management or fort [Music] Welcome To The Moon also keeps climbing in Solo rankings this is a Sci-Fi roll and right game with an eight mission campaign your decisions in a mission will impact the next mission the game can be played Solo or competitive with friends heat pedal to the metal is another smashing hit from last year it came out late 2022 and instantly made it to the top games of the year for many people this is a racing game and the solo otoma is simple but good you might also like Caper Europe res Arana and the crew mission deep sea fic culture is a worker placement game in which you have to manage a Vineyard the essential Edition introduced a solo mode where you have to beat the OTA in seven rounds or less furthermore the solo mode includes a mini campaign with eight challenges which makes the solo experience very unique everdale is a worker placement and Tableau building game with a gorgeous theme of forest animals in the solo mode you compete against an AI opponent and have to beat their score everdale fans have suggested libertalia kitos and Azul summer Pavilion the seven continent is a very unique game of Adventure and crafting where you have to explore an island and lift a curse it takes inspiration from the old school Choose Your Own Adventure books except the book here is a map that you reveal as you progress in the game seven continent can be brutally hard but that is intentional you will need to draw a map of the island as you play through it in in order to get better in your future runs this game can be played with multiple players but in my experience it truly shines solo for more games with strong narrative emergent or story driven have a look at the pandemic Legacy series time stories or near and far Marvel United is a great Cooperative game in which you fight a villain with your team of superheroes the game has tons of replayability thanks to the many expansions it plays great solo but a lot of people are pointing out that it's also a very fun game for families it is considered a lightweight game which is perfect once in a while if you like Marvel United you might want to try more games from the series for more Cooperative fights against Monsters try horrified and if you like the Marvel Universe Thanos Rising is also a great recommendation Great Western Trail is a western themed Euro game of victory points the second edition includes soliter rules in which you play against an AI opponent Named Sam although this is a great game solo a lot of people have recommended not buying it exclusively for the solo mode sleeping Gods is a game where you and your boat crew have to explore Islands in a mysterious land you have to find hidden totems on the map or die trying the art is gorgeous and the gameplay original in particular exploration and combat for me sleeping Gods is proof that you don't always have to agree with a ranking I personally don't like this game and it didn't work for my play group we found that it was too hard for our crew to get better while simultaneously the game wasn't good at killing us to end our misery faster we kept barely surviving from one encounter to the next our boat was always barely functioning and it just wasn't fun I might try it again this is undeniably a great game but it didn't work for me Friday is a solitary deck building game based on the story of Robinson criso in Friday you optimize your deck of fight cards in order to defeat the hazards of the island this has been a staple of solo gaming for years a fun and challenging game for all the lightweight solo games have a look at onim mint works and finished Invaders are coming from everywhere keep the faith and defend your Homeland in paladins of the West Kingdom a worker placement and victory points game with a great solo mode you might also like wayf farers of the South tigis whistle mountain and endless winter Legacy of H is another game that went right up to the top of the rankings for solo Gamers people have praised the balanc complexity of the gameplay and the overall campaign of this deck building and worker placement game people who like Legacy of hu have also recommended the following games scentier Vengeance roll in fight and three [Music] sisters terraforming Mars Aris Expedition is inspired by the popular terraforming Mars game of course with game mechanics of Tableau building very similar to race for the Galaxy race for the Galaxy remains my favorite because it was one of my first solo games but it's undeniable that Aris Expedition is a great game for solo players you might also like Red Rising Clank catacombs or Raiders of the North Sea I'm amazed that anacron stays so high in the rankings it's a game that's been on my list for a very long time but that is practically impossible to find on retail anacron is a worker placement game set in a science fiction setting with a very original Mechanic of being able to borrow resources from your future self something that you will of course have to pay in future turns you might also like traron and davier and escape plans for Northwood is another surprise this year the game had a very successful crowdfunding campaign last year which brought it to the spotlight but it has been a print andplay game for quite some time now it is a bit difficult to find on retail but the print andplay version should do the trick I haven't played it yet but it's on my list for next year for sure for Northwood is a trick taking card game for one player people have praised the game mechanics and the replayability there are tons of awesome print and play solar board games out there waiting to be discovered some favorites include voyages black Sonata and aquamarine dawn of the Zeds is a solo or cooperative game in which you have to defend a city against invading zombies Your Heroes have to look for supplies and ammo heal and of course shoot zombies the game relies a lot on dice rolls for combat resolution you might also like D-Day dice the city of kings and heroes of Tero warp Sage is yet another game that I have to try which went directly to the top of the rankings as soon as it was released back in 2020 at the core it's a boss battler with some back building mechanics you play as a spaceship that has to defeat uh well a larger spaceship and its minions if you like warps edge here are a few other solo board games that might be for you even if they didn't make it to this list eldrich horror is a lovecraftian Cooperative game where you have to fight evil around the globe the game is fairly difficult and game sessions can last several hours you might also like Fury of Dracula unfathomable and full out the board game cartographers is a very relaxing game of roll and right where you have to draw a map You Don't Have To Be A Gifted artist and it plays more like a turnbas Tetris where you have to position elements of a map in a way that will let you score higher at the end of the round it's a bit like King Domino except you draw the map areas instead of positioning cardboard tiles the game is very relaxing solo the kind of game that you play with a cup of coffee personally I have other roll and r games I prefer such as voyages so I don't play cartographers that much but it's undeniably a great solo game it's also pretty cool for families pack pamier is a game of political influence set in Afghanistan during the 1800s people like these Victory point games product value as well as the interesting challenge offered by the AI bot in Solo mode Cloud Spire has been described as a board game equivalent of multiplayer battle arena games or Tower Defense games the game has many modes including but not only a solo and Co-Op campaign you might also like Uprising towns folk tussle or role player Adventures develop future cities on the sea floor through politics production and Science in underwater cities number 29 in this ranking sail the seven seas as the hardened Captain Nemo fighting the imperialist powers Nemo's war is an exclusively solo experience with war game aspects set in Jill vn's world of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for some more mediumweight solo games that you might enjoy have a look at hostage negotiator black Orchestra and unbroken in It's a Wonderful World you are an expanding Empire and must choose your path to your future future you must develop faster and better than your competitors you'll carefully plan your expansion to develop your production power and rule over this new world this is a drafting game and the solo mode tries to emulate that by giving you a choice of cards to pick each turn the decisions are interesting setup and gameplay are easy there is a bit of card luck involved which might or might not be your thing you might also like nider hadara and Bunny Kingdom use your three workers to clear trees build a harbor and fish in Northern Norway new is a worker placement game one of the most liked solo experience of popular designer U wenber for games with similar themes or gameplay have a look at lowlands laav and Grand Austria hotel hakers victorum is a solo only campaign game of tactical combat the game has an in-depth rewarding adventure with deep strategic decisions and exciting combat hamacas remastered is a standal and expansion that can be combined with victorum also have a look into other games from cheap Theory Scythe is a very popular game for many good reasons despite its massive table presence and cool Miniatures at the end of the day it is a midweight worker placement game that has a fairly easy learning curve I have a love and hate relationship with the solo mode it was one of the first big games that introduced a well-refined OTA and I think this is why people like it so much as a solo game but the solo mode plays with different rules than a regular game specifically the bot follows very different rules and I always found that to be a bit disappointing it's still always fun to get this game on the table though and I believe size and its solo mode take a the well-deserved spot in the ranking here attract a beautiful and diverse collection of birds to your Wildlife Preserve in wingspan a great tblo building game that's also a staple of solo gaming for other beautiful and somewhat relaxing games people recommend Azul sagr and my city Hadrian's wo has been a solo favorite since it came out in 2021 I still have to try this roll in right myself I have seen it on sale recently on Amazon and might give it a go check the link in the description below for the Amazon ongoing sale for board games renovate an estate manage servants and purer romance in Victorian England with Obsession a game that everybody seems to love this is a victory point game with great components and theme the solo mode involves an AI opponent that's easy to run spro police is one of my favorite solo games and it fits on a total of nine cards playing spop polce is like playing a mini City you have to score points by building your city According to some specific goals it's very clever very elegant and it plays fast it's also available as a print and play for typically less than five bucks so I really recommend you give it a try more great solo games from button shy include standal and expansion agropolis as well as tusy musy and skulls of sedl A Feast for Odin is a great game if you're the right person for this Viking themed Victory point game it did not work for me at all but I'm assuming I'm not the target audience if you can't get enough Euro games have a look at sukin cleans of kidonia and Orleans Cascadia is a very relaxing game that plays great Solo or with friends you have to create a Terrain and populate it with Wildlife the game has continuously stayed in the top 100 since it was released in 2021 and it keeps climbing the ranks you might also like the quacks of quinley BG Calico and the taverns of tantal underfilling Skies is one of my favorite solo games the game initially started as a print and play and that's the version I own but there is a commercial version which adds a caign this is an exclusively solo game in which you have to contain Alien Invaders while figuring out the technology to destroy them this is a dice placement game with lots of crunchy decisions it's also very thematic with its Space Invaders atmosphere in particular for such a tiny game I love it a few more great solo games for you to consider if you like under Falling Skies coffee rooster the l Expedition and seta watch lost Runes of arck is a deck building and worker placement game with a great solo mode it is often compared to Dune Imperium as both games came out the same year and have similar mechanics in my opinion you should pick one of the two depending on your theme preference they're both great so there isn't a bad choice here you might also like Planet unknown Parks or seven wonders Duo Robinson criso has been in this ranking for 10 years now and it stays very close to the top of the rankings which is insane in this game you have to survive on an island full of threats gather wood craft a shelter survive the elements and dangerous animals everything once to kill you in this game and I personally found it exhausting to not be able to catch my breath definitely not a relaxing game but if you're looking for a thematic game of survival that pulls no punches this is the one Gia project is a he Gia project is a heavy Euro Style game with a Sci-Fi theme set in the Terra mystica Universe people have praised its a in the solo mode while recognizing that it can be a bit finicky to handle Gaia project offers lots of death and people love the variety of the factions in the game Gia project has been a bit hard to find on retailers but as I'm making this video not only is it available on Amazon but it's also on sale Eon Zend is a great boss battler that you can play either Solo or Co-op you play as magicians fighting a monster and its minions in a heroic fantasy setting the game is a deck builder with a sharp mechanism ion Zend has has lots of interesting mechanics in particular the fact that your deck isn't shuffled when it runs out or its initiative mechanism which can bring chaos into your strategy the enemies are also pretty well thought out the only reason Eon Zen isn't in my collection today is that I've played too much of it already if you like Eon Zend the game has lots of expansions including Standalone ones such as Eon Zen War Eternal and even a legacy version of the game which I'm personally not a huge fan of Clank might also be for you final girl was one of my favorite board games last last year I've cooled down a bit on it and I have yet to play the new content from season 2 but it is a very unique and extremely thematic game of horror in which you play the final girl who has to defeat a serial killer or die trying the game is tense and fun whether you win or lose there's also lots of contents for it with its modular system allowing you to play a lot of different scenarios and characters based on popular horror movie franchises some people have criticized the randomness of Final Girl due to luck of the dice but in my experience there are lots of ways to make mitigate the game events in other words get good folks you might also like vagrant song Horizons of spirit Island and reand [Music] run I have nothing but praise for gloom Haven although it's probably one of those games that is so well known that your opinion on it is probably already made Gloom Haven is the game that got me back into board games back when it came out this is a very heavy Dungeon Crawler with a massive campaign the campaign has about 100 scenarios 16 characters that you will all get to play and about 300 hours worth of gameplay but what really sets glom Haven apart is its elegant combat system based on decks of cards that are very unique for each character and that simultaneously represent your initiative your movement your attack and your life there's honestly nothing like it except for its squl fraven and jaws of the lion which is the game I actually recommend if you want to play Gloom Haven well well well I still don't get it Imperium classics is the game that really didn't work for me I found it too long with too big of a footprint both in time and space for what it has to offer the art fell flat for me not to mention the overall quality of the game components which I really found subpar I guess I need to give it another chance as the civilization Victory point game keeps climbing the ranks in the best solo votes as we're getting to the very top of this ranking let me say ahead of time that the best performers haven't been disrupted much since last year which is understandable they were considered to be excellent solo experiences last year and that of course hasn't changed and so the off firing Mars is our number nine people love what this thematic Euro game of strategy and tile placement has to offer for the solo experience while recognizing that the components of the base game aren't of the best quality you might also like Through the Ages caverna and Alchemists plan and build a modern scientifically managed Zoo to support conservation projects in Arc Nova number eight in this ranking you might also like beyond the sun architects of the West Kingdom and Great Western Trail we've mentioned lost Runes of arach a few minutes ago and here is its Nemesis I'm not sure if it's the theme that attracts more people or if Dune imperium's gameplay is a bit better or if it's the quality expansions that get delivered on a regular basis for the game but it seems to rank a bit higher than arnac every single year Dune Imperium is a game of light dig building and game worker placement the game is great with friends and it's awesome solo too you might also like brass Birmingham Twilight inscription and blood rage [Music] toss gobs of unique dice in an epic adventure and routs to a final boss Showdown cheap theories too many bones remains solidly in the top 10 this self-proclaimed dice Builder RPG was number five last year and is in sixth position this year you might also like other chip Theory games such as burn cycle or too many bones under tow for more heavy campaigns have a look at Frost Haven Lord of the Rings the card game was the first living card game by Fantasy Flight it's a very very solid game Co-op or solo extremely thematic but also brutally hard famously one of the three included scenarios in the Bas game is pretty much impossible to beat with only the cards in the Bas game nonetheless once you get the hang of it it's one of the most thematic and crunchy Cooperative board games out there you might also like War of the Ring the card game and descent Legends of the dark I have played so much of the Arkham Horror card game of all three Fantasy Flight living card games this is probably the one which them appealed the most to me I know that Fantasy Flight have a tendency to recycle their art and so if you've played eldrich horror or the Arkham Horror board game you might get bored of it by now but the art of the game is great but also gruesome the game is hard thematic I mean you probably know the drill if you've tried any of the living card games by Fantasy Flight what sets aramor lcg apart beside its theme is that each expansion is a full campaign with multiple scenarios whether your team succeeds or fails at a scenario you'll have to move forward to the next one The Narrative Arc of each campaign is pretty convincing if you like Lovecraft and horror and this is a great game on all fronts theme gameplay mechanics you name it absolutely no surprise this is in the top 10 the Fantasy Flight living card game series are undeniably great games Marvel Champions is the third one in the family after Lord of the Rings in Arkham Horror they all follow similar mechanics but play differently enough that you might eventually want to play all of them but if you've never tried any of these games I'd say pick the one with the theme you like the most Marvel Champion is a solo or Co-op boss battler with deck construction mechanics you play as a superhero who has to defeat a villain the heroes as well as the villains all have very different mechanics and abilities which help keep the content fresh there is enough content in the base game for you to have hours of fun but if you like the game no doubt that you'll want to buy more heroes or scenarios for more games based on popular franchises check out Star Wars the deck building game X-Men mutant Insurrection and Star Wars the Clone Wars Mage Knight has been consistently in the top of the rankings for solo Gamers although I think it was initially meant to be played with a group game sessions are fairly long and it's become a staple of solo gaming I do have the game but I have yet to try it shame on me Gloom Haven jaws of the lion is said to have taken heavy inspiration from Mage Knight people also recommend Imperium Legends unsurprisingly Spirit Island remains number one in the list this year Spirit island is a Cooperative game in which you play as magical Spirits or Gods trying to defend your Island from Invaders the rules can appear dating at first but once you've got them this game is phenomenal either Solo or cooperative there's also a lot of content in the base game with multiple spirits that play very differently from each other and additional scenarios that ramp up the difficulty it's a game I've owned for years and that I'm always delighted to bring to the table just talking about it right now makes me want to play it this is it for the one player guilds ranking of the best solo games this year what did you think of the list are there solo games would recommend that did not make it to this ranking let me know in the comments thanks a lot for watching do check the links in the description below if you're interested in some of the games and see you next time

Channel: MeepleShelter

Views: 23,691

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Id: HzX-l9wHCX8

Length: 42min 8sec (2528 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 22 2023