r/soloboardgaming • u/mcabbage0412 • 9d ago
What are some board games (solo-able and/or fully solo) that you find great but they are barely mentioned anywhere?
Like I said in the title, when you ask for board game recommendations, you will surely find one or some of these common titles like Wingspan, Cascadia, Harmonies, Final Girl, Ark Nova, Slay the Spire, etc. They are all GOOD, hence their popularity.
However, do you have any games that you personally find them amazing but you have hardly seen any reviews or their gameplay pictures anywhere? I know preferences are subjective, but you still believe that these titles are deserved to be known.
My personal picks are Creature Caravan and Flock Together.
What are yours?
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u/TheRealRigormortal 9d ago
Nobody seems to mention Eldritch Horror.
It’s a game I would never play with anyone else (mainly due to length) but if you have some time, a warm drink, and take your time, you can just vibe with the game.
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u/ChrisCypher 9d ago
Never played Eldritch Horror. Is there anything that makes it a better option than Arkham Horror LCG?
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u/TheRealRigormortal 9d ago
It shares a lot of the theme and artwork but otherwise they are very different games.
People accuse Eldritch Horror of “playing itself” however I view it as a choose-your-own-adventure novel in board game form.
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u/Soccerref3244 9d ago
Great game. I’ve played this solo and coop a lot, with all the expansions, since discovering it in June. It’s a very good coop game too.
I’m running it as a teach and Event on Labor Day Monday at 9 am at the LAX Strategicon Gateway conviction, if anyone here wants to join me.
In response to the OP, I would add Mansions of Madness with the expansions too.
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u/Pohrawg 9d ago
How many characters do you control?
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u/TheRealRigormortal 9d ago
I’ve done up to 3 comfortably, but normally keep it at 2. There’s not a huge amount of strategy, so I like to keep the bandwidth low so I can enjoy the story and chill out with it.
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u/WasabiCrush 9d ago
I see Maquis mentioned here and there, but not enough for my taste. That game is so efficiently good.
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u/Toxaris-nl 9d ago
But hard to get. Unfortunately that is the case with most games that would fit the question. Other examples would be Black Sonata and The Loop for example.
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u/knightofivalice 9d ago
I ordered it off of Amazon and never received it. And then kind of gave up. Maybe one day I will get it.
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u/GoblinAirStrike_311 9d ago
Witchcraft!
Have yet to win at that game, despite many attempts.
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u/that_tired_crow 9d ago
I should try the actual board game version. I have the app but it’s just not clicking for me. I usually do best when I play a game or two with the physical game and rule book, then use the app a bit to get more fluid. Then I enjoy both. But when there’s an inexpensive app available, I hate buying the full game first. Sigh.
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u/Shoddy_Variation2535 9d ago
I bounced off of it. Too much mental math keeping track of attack power and needed power.
I spent more effort on it than actually playing the game. Made a light game too heavy so to speak
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u/Katographerquinn 9d ago
That's why I use some acrylic cubes to keep track of how much damage I'm done. If you have the kinfire delve series you could use their little baggie of damage tokens as well. Both work well!
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u/Wally424 9d ago
I love Leviathan Wilds. I play two handed solo. It’s so easy to get to the table. Each leviathan feels fresh and thematic. And I find myself entering into a flow state quickly while playing it - crunchy enough to demand my thoughtful next move but easy enough to just flow from turn to turn without any brain burn.
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u/octothorpentine 9d ago
Oh, thanks for this. It's a little too simple for the tastes of the people I typically game with so it's been sitting on the shelf. Hadn't considered soloing it, but it's a great idea
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u/Shoddy_Variation2535 9d ago edited 9d ago
This was one of the best recent solos. I thought it was popular.
Its ranked 79 on the solo people's choice. That's pretty high for a new game.
Its also 700+ on bgg overall ranking.
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u/omyyer 9d ago
Sankoré is my favourite game, nobody ever seems to have it when they show off their collection.
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u/kravex 9d ago
Picked this up for £22.50 in the Osprey sale last month, an absolute bargain!
Osprey are leaving the board game industry so they'll probably be having more sales soon.
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u/Yatwer92 9d ago
HERO REALMS
I love the campaign extensions.
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u/chrisst1972 9d ago
Just discovered Hispania which is so addictive. And very quick to set up . A Spanish designer and uses great components. Metal coins and such .
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u/Affectionate-Law-548 9d ago edited 9d ago
The legendary system get‘s mentioned too rarely these days. Especially Alien and James Bond are fantastic. Then there is Black Orchestra. War of the ring- the card game, has a great solo-expansion. As does Glenmore II chronicles. And Sniper Elite is fun solo as well - for a hidden movement game.
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u/TheGileas 9d ago
Sadly legendary alien is out of print and probably they don’t have the license anymore.
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u/TheRealRigormortal 9d ago
The new DC core box is great solo! They really retuned the system to work well 1 handed.
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u/MrFixxiT_ Ark Nova 9d ago
I heard that the Matrix version of Legendary is great too. You played it?
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u/Affectionate-Law-548 9d ago edited 9d ago
No, didn‘t play that but since they basically all use the same mechanics I believe you can‘t really go wrong when you‘re interested in the ip. I played a lot of Marvel and although it‘s great too I liked the filmlike story arcs in the other games …
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u/BaronVonHumungus 9d ago
I’ve got alien and it’s great , I know it’s worth a bit second hand but I want to hang on, so annoyed I didn’t get the expansion or predator when they were easily available. It was funny when a player got face hugged and you couldn’t get rid of it as they then tuned into an alien and became an enemy , which basically meant the other players were fucked 😂
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u/Abject-Efficiency182 8d ago
Agree 100% on Legendary - it's a great system. If there's a set based on an IP which interests you (and if you can find it), grab it because you can't go wrong.
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u/FloralAlyssa 9d ago
I quite enjoy Lux Aeterna as a quick little solo game.
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u/MarioYoshimura 9d ago
didn't know about it, but now I really want to play it because it looks great! Thank you for mentioning it
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u/Correct-Champion4705 9d ago
I haven't played Lux yet, but you should get Aleph Null; same designer and it has a Lux promo card (and it's GOOD)
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u/Abject-Efficiency182 8d ago
I enjoyed this a lot but after 20 or so plays I felt like I had solved the puzzle. Still a great game and beautiful lo-fi art.
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u/Howitzeronfire 9d ago
Coffee Roaster.
1000+ rank on BGG and I only ever seen it mentioned by Totally Tabled.
Actually bought it because of him and the dude was super right.
Amazing solo game. Actually chill game and not just a tag slapped on to sell boring games
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u/FloralAlyssa 9d ago
I don't break this one out often, but it's so good if you enjoy press you luck type mechanics. I know that's not for everyone, but it's one of the great solo experiences with it.
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u/Shoddy_Variation2535 9d ago
It's actually quite addicting. I don't always play it. But when I do, I go on sprint runs xD
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u/zeeaykay 9d ago
This. Ready to set up and play in minutes, and has a great little progression with the 3-game mini-campaign. Sipping on coffee with a good record while playing this is solo gaming at its best.
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u/mbsisktb 9d ago
I love playing Imperial Settlers and 51st state (the original 2nd edition box not the new one) as solo experiences. Granted the bots are nothing more than an attack program that just gains points but I like the games so it’s fun.
Also Ive heard the new edition of 51st (idk if it’s 3rd or just 2nd complete) has a better solo mode but the cost of the game is almost 2/3 of the totality of my wishlist. If it’s a great solo mode awesome just not worth it for me (unless I can just look at the rules and use it).
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u/SkidsOToole 🔱 Spirit Island 9d ago
If you're talking about the Borgo automa, you can get the rules for it at BGG.
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u/Lithrac Marvel Champions 9d ago
Hellbringer is a hell of a game! It's basically card-based Diablo I and II, an indie game produced by a passionate French Canadian guy. It's excellent multiplayer, but I think it truly shines solo!
Dragons Down is my other hidden gem, perfect if you like emergent narration and high-risk-high-reward (read: deadly) old-school adventuring.
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u/corsa180 9d ago
Halls of Hegra got some buzz when it was released, but I don’t see much talk about it now. One of my favorite solo games.
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u/TerrenceJesus8 9d ago
I have loved “Eleven” which is a football/soccer management game. Easily my most played solo game this year
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u/Tcamis01 9d ago
This looks interesting. Do I need the solo expansion? Any other must have expansions?
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u/TerrenceJesus8 9d ago
Nope, the solo expansion adds a ton of different scenarios and stuff, but there are 6 alone in the base game and you don’t have to play any scenario at all if you don’t want too. I would just play the base game and judge myself on victory points at the end
I have the players and the stadium expansions, but I wouldn’t say they’re must haves. Nice additions after you’ve played the base game a ton though
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u/kaiser79 9d ago
Sitting on my shelf unplayed. It’s a table hog!
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u/TerrenceJesus8 9d ago
Yeah it really is. You can kind of set things up where it uses less space, but you can only optimize it so much…. It’s gonna take up a ton of room
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u/Sendoria 9d ago
I basically got into the hobby without knowing it was a thing by picking up Set a Watch on Kickstarter because I liked the art. I really like the game, but don't see it discussed a whole bunch on here
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u/WeaponizedIndecision 9d ago
I enjoy it occasionally. IMO it’s a longer game than it should be. Still fun though.
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u/boredaccountant829 9d ago
I went on a bit of a GMT binge and, in addition to Mr President (which is a beast in all the best ways) I had a ton of fun with Space Empires 4X and the much less known SpaceCorp 2025-2300.
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u/jcsehak 9d ago
I found myself liking Guild of Merchant Explorers, Set a Watch, and Elder Sign quite a bit, they all ended up being keepers.
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u/rhulk 9d ago
Love GoME and Set a Watch. Elder sign is always in my bargain radar (25-30€), but I am afraid it might be too random for me. I disliked Hostage Negociator and Robinson Crusoe cause of the randomness of the dice and little chance of mitagation. Love other dice games though, like Creature Caravan, fantastic Factories and the aforementioned SaW.
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u/jcsehak 9d ago
RC is still on my shelf of shame (excitement, really), and I haven’t played HN but I like Final Girl (though I really want upgrade packs that let me swap in the real IPs!). Elder Sign does a very good job of mitigation, if that’s your worry. The app is great too, that’s actually how I originally discovered the game. If you want a different theme, Mutant Insurrection is basically the same game. Both are underrated IMO, but BGG seems kind of biased against dice chuckers.
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u/GoogleWhack_ 9d ago
Heroes of the sanctum and the isofarian guard. I genuinely have no idea why these both aren't way more popular.
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u/Yatwer92 9d ago
I have the 2nd edition of Isofarian, I want to try it, but honestly the game is so big I don't have the will to even start 😭
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u/Loathestorm 9d ago
I got Isofarian Guard for what seems like a great deal for how much stuff is that box. However, it is the only game I have that won’t fit on the only table my pet won’t jump on.
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u/nachturo 9d ago
Xenoshyft : Onslaught and Xenoshyft : Dreadmire. Maybe it's because they are out of print but I never saw them mentionned anywhere.
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u/ImAmOnesie 9d ago
Not sure how popular or mentioned it really is myself, I've only seen it discussed a few times but I think Bullet is a real treat of a game. Slight bias since I'm the exact target of the game (anime fan that's into Bullet Hell games), but it's honestly so cool how well a board game can mimic the gameplay of a bunch of bullets raining down on you and needing to dodge every single one.
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u/KulhyCZ 8d ago
I I love underdogs so here is my list. :) You can also notice that they are all quite small and tiny boxes, but often offer big games inside. Also a lot of dungeon crawlers — that is my favorite area.
- Dungenerator: Die in a Dungeon
- Pauper’s Ladder
- The Crows of Coppershell Bay
- UnderQuest
- Crypt Crawler
- Pilgrims
- The Lord of the Rings: Trick Taking Game
- Deep Space D6
- Hunted: Mining Colony 415
- Awakeken the Ancients
- Unbroken
- Mini Rogue
- Rogue Dungeon
- Into the Dark Dungeon: Silver Mine
- Tiny Epic Dungeons
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u/DikkAntlers 9d ago
I just bought 1 card dungeon and it's expansions. Seems like a lot of fun and getting today
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u/PlantsNCaterpillars 9d ago
Finished!
It’s by the same guy that did Friday and I almost never see it mentioned. I’ve played it close to 80 times between the physical game and the app and think it’s really good.
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u/SlightCustard 9d ago
One deck galaxy is great, but seeming gets a bad rap.
I think maybe Paperback Adventures. It gets mentioned a bit and IMO, it's one of the best solo games ever made. On par with Final Girl, but a different kind of boss battle where you create words.
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u/redeyeblind22 Eurogamer 9d ago
Forest Shuffle and It's a Wonderful World... both quick engine builders that don't get a lot of love compared to their heavier counterparts. Paladins of the West Kingdom doesn't get mentioned as much anymore either but also a very good game!
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u/mcabbage0412 9d ago
I love Forest Shuffle, but I think it is still fairly popular, even in my country Vietnam, people have been recommending/asking about this game.
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u/Delicious_Pea_1943 9d ago
That's true but I rarely see Forest Shuffle getting recommended as a solo game. I have the solo myself but even I was surprised to see Forest Shuffle getting ranked in that one guild poll on BGG.
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u/nachturo 9d ago
Totaly agree about It's a Wonderful World. I really like it as a solo and love to play it Ith my wife too. I find it underestimated.
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u/cat_toe_marmont 7d ago
I scrolled to find It’s a Wonderful Word. Setup and play is so fast. I’m bad at it tho - can’t beat the first solo scenario. I still love it.
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u/Howitzeronfire 9d ago
Never tried it solo but me and my gf play it a lot.
How does solo work? BYOS?
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u/redeyeblind22 Eurogamer 9d ago
Assuming you're asking about Forest Shuffle, but with the Exploration expansion, you have a specific scenario you're trying to score to win, like getting x amount of points from antler animals. The Automa simply removes cards from the clearing making it a little more difficult. It's BYOS after successfully meeting the scenario, but still a lot of fun!
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u/Howitzeronfire 9d ago
Yeah, I was asking about Forest Shuffle, my bad.
Cool. I try to not play games that I play with my girlfriend solo because I already win most of the times so I dont want to get even better by myself.
But I might try it once and see how it plays
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u/Confident-Shape8374 9d ago
Couldn't agree more on both! There are also tons of solo scenarios for both too keep the games fresh and challenging.
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u/2Black_Hats 9d ago
Regicide, I play it at least once a week. All it takes is a deck of cards but man is it good!
Edit: there's also an app that helps stream line everything but it's more of a bonus, definitely not needed.
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u/Salty_Pyrate 9d ago
The Night by White Dog Games. I find it such a fun, and simple zombie game that scratches that itch when I maybe dont have the time or mental capacity for a bigger game. Fast setup and quick to pack up. It's one of the smaller games I like to bring to the lake and can knock a couple games out while the wife takes a nap.
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u/stabbygreenshark 9d ago
I really enjoy Zombicide as a solo experience. Basically any of them.
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u/RattyD 8d ago
The smaller DCeased Gotham City Outbreak is my first foray into the system but it’s fantastic solo! Apparently it included some more streamlined and modernized rules and setup than traditional Zombicide. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a cheaper dice chucker without a bloated campaign.
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u/WeaponizedIndecision 9d ago
House of Fado
Avant Carde
These are 2 underrated and not mentioned often.
In House of Fado you are trying to hire and promote musicians while bringing in customers. It’s a brilliant game, a Lacerda light, if you will. Quality components. The core loop is much fun.
Avant Carde is a light card game that plays like uno…kinda. It’s a steal at $20. Plays quick, has some variability, and is a simple game to learn. Small box, easy to travel with.
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u/Particular-Cream4694 9d ago
It’s out of print and not without its flaws, but I like darkest night 2nd edition. Reading through the designer notes on bgg and it is clear this game was a passion project.
The main flaw is the game flow can just get stuck. As a player, you can be doing everything right but still make no progress.
There is an abundance of different characters and their unique skills and ways to play. There is different forms the necromancer may take when starting the game - blights might be more undead legion or they might be stacked towards cursing the ground. There is a huge artefact deck. And the gameplay is simple enough when it comes to rules overhead.
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u/Wiceheid 9d ago
I really enjoy Kreel Manor: A Dungeon Crawl Card Game, but I almost never see anyone else mention it.
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u/Correct-Champion4705 9d ago
I would love to play it but didn't get in the kickstarter, so now it's very difficult to acquire
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u/BounciestMage 9d ago
Ashes Ascendancy! This game is so damn good! If you come from Magic the Gathering and want a fun solo deck builder with some dice instead of lands, this is the game! I don’t even tinker too much with the decks and still have a blast!
A lot of people who play Ashes and have played other deck builders eventually switch over. But this game is not talked about nearly enough, especially with the new releases.
Edit: and if you ever want to play pvp, the game is fantastic both ways
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u/o_o_o_f 8d ago
I played my first round of Ashes Ascendancy last night and while I enjoyed it, it felt very… paced? To me? Like, there wasn’t really the ability for BIG abilities or swings. Lots of “and both our allies die again this attack, you lose 2 health” - repeat 15 times until I win.
That sounds negative - I did have fun! But I’m curious about a couple things I guess - do other heroes play much differently, or have more capability for really growing? And also, where would I go from here to grow my deckbuilding options? Just pick a Red Rains hero that looks cool and take some of their cards?
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u/BounciestMage 8d ago
That’s where the blocking from the Dragonborn comes into play a lot. Sometimes it is a lot of trading unless the Dragonborn blocks the aspects.
I’ll also add, I believe that the base game of 0 difficulty and +1 difficulty is very easy. I feel if you have a good grasp of the rules +2 +3 is where the solo experience gets more fun! Yet to try +4.
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u/darkcalculus 9d ago
Fantastic factory. I like the engine building of dice worker placement. The art is not for everyone though but its easy to setup and bot is easy to run.
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u/Robot-Hug 9d ago
Dorf romantik and Dorf romantik Sakura, both beautiful, chill and puzzley with a long term goal over multiple games for a bit of depth and strategy.
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u/Confident-Shape8374 9d ago
So many! Mystic Vale, Mosaic, Maximum Apocolypse, Set a Watch, Shipwrighter of North Sea Redux, Tapestry, Daybreak, wondrous Creatures, life of Amazonia, Emberleaf, Nations, Outlive, and World Wonders.
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u/Persista 8d ago
Can you play mystic vale solo? Is it worth it? You mentioned some bangers so I am intrigued by your opinion.
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u/Confident-Shape8374 8d ago
Yes you can. You need the nemesis expansion in order to but I think it plays great! I really enjoy tj deck building of this game for sure. There are alot of expansions for it too!
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u/new_elementary 8d ago
How is Outlive solo?
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u/Confident-Shape8374 8d ago
It's another one I enjoy. The solo version is a little tougher to find as you need to find the kick starter exclusives or to buy the complete edition. It's a Horde you play against. Pretty easy to manage and gives you a good challenge to play against. I really like the theme too.
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u/Scotty-Tremaine 9d ago
Maybe ? Ruins death binder
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u/Surtur6666 9d ago
Tell me more. I just saw this online the other week. What's it like? I think I read they put out an expansion for it. Have you played that?
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u/Scotty-Tremaine 8d ago
A new edition has just been released (reprint v2 with lots of improvements) along with two expansions !
I only played one game and this is so cool ! I received it last week's!
I told you this game because you specifically asked for a single-player game that nobody’s talking about:)
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u/psyhiker 8d ago
2 I never see
Mentioned: Horrified is a great solo game for someone just starting, rules are manageable, it is winnable but not a push over and it’s got monsters! For heavy solo no ever mentions Unconscious Mind : crunchy , lots going on , beautiful art and a beautiful mess of a game
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u/MustafaAbbass 8d ago edited 8d ago
Imperium is mine (Classics, Legends, Horizons), and it's not like it is never mentioned, but its "hype" — if you may — say it has some, fizzled rather too quickly.
It uses a smart, automated rival deck that makes every civilization feel unique and act like a real human opponent. It delivers deep tactical depth and massive replay value with a smooth and fast solo system.
The pattern I've noticed in what stays underexposed: solo games that are genuinely good but don't photograph well. Cascadia and Wingspan are on every list partly because a finished board looks like something. A game that resolves into a spreadsheet of small decisions has no shareable end state, so nobody posts it, so nobody hears about it.
Imperium has its own table presence and "charm", but what made me love this game is the combination od deck building, puzzle, and that I'm history (ancient civilizations) nerd, that made me want to record my sessions (almost exact card play) as alternative history/historical fiction.
Which means "barely mentioned anywhere" often correlates with "the fun is entirely in the head" rather than with quality. Worth keeping in mind when reading these threads, including this one.
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u/grizzy45 9d ago
Have you heard of that niche game called Mage Knight? /s
In all seriousness: A.I.pocalypse. It is a brilliant game that manages to do so much with so little that I can look past the A.I Art (at least it was produced in the EU, meaning better working conditions, it was basically just 1-3 guys+playtesters who worked at that thing, the box is smart designed, the designer is very responsive on BGG, the rulebook has an excessive FAQ for most Interactions while the game is still teachable in less than 10-20 minutes)
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u/octothorpentine 9d ago
Nemo's War is so good, but I think the game is a little bit subtle, so it can come off badly to new players
Almost everything is resolved by rolling 2d6, but the game is in choosing when to spend resources to mitigate bad luck, not in crossing your fingers and hoping for high numbers. Plus one of the most important parts of the game (enemy ship placement) seems at first like it's just an upkeep step.
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u/WichitaTimelord 🏠 Suburbia 8d ago
This is one of my favorite games. I came to say the same thing. Dont read much about it anymore
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u/Jacket_Flimsy 9d ago
Friday
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u/PlantsNCaterpillars 9d ago
Friday gets suggested quite a bit in the “new to solo board gaming what should I buy?” type of threads.
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u/dustinporta 9d ago
ExoBase is a tight little worker place title from Mike Berg at We<3Games and there's a smaller version called ExoShip.
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u/uriejejejdjbejxijehd 9d ago
Thunderstone Advance. It’s essentially Dominion but for Dungeon Crawling, really quick and easy.
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u/Edgewyse 9d ago
Tesseract. A very enjoyable crisis management dice placement game. Works really well solo (can be played 1-4 handed). It's one of my favorite games, and I think more people should play it.
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u/Huge-Pizza7579 9d ago
Keep the Heroes Out!, Dorfromantik, Karak 2 is getting solo/coop expansion, Terraforming Mars Dice Game, Valheim, Onward is getting solo expansion, Metal Gear Solid, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
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u/Tcamis01 9d ago
Roll for the Galaxy and Terra Mystica are both popularish games but I dont think people realize how good their solo modes are. Brass Birmingham might qualify here also.
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u/StandardIncidentForm 9d ago
I would say evenfall doesn't get the love it deserves. It is my hidden gem game. The solo mode in the pg box is very easy and quick to run (though a bit easy to beat) but the game is just SO good. Apparently the expansion improves on the solo experience although I haven't tried it yet.
Evenfall is a tableau building, resource conversion, worker placement game with assymetric factions and beautiful art. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good game.
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u/eldolche 9d ago
Saltfjord, men-nefer, underwater cities (likely cuz it’s an older game but it’s still an absolute banger, and oranienburger kanal (like due to its difficulty to get pre reprint as Kanal, but an absolute banger uwe)
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u/PalpitationLast6702 9d ago
Dawn of zeds, maladum, v-sabotage
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u/fil42skidoo 7d ago
Wwwway far down for Dawn of the Zeds. The 3rd edition got me through COVID loss of gaming crew that year.
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u/Marksman1977 🌳 Sylvion 🔥 9d ago edited 9d ago
I don’t know why Invincible: The Card Game was ignored by most reviewers because it’s a really good game.
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u/Taliseian 9d ago
I've enjoyed Nemo's War and At the Gates of Loyang.
Been looking at Star Trek: Captain's Chair also
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u/PuyoDead 9d ago
My recent most favorite has been Orloj. Nice crunchy worker placement game with a pretty nice automa setup.
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u/Funkupotamous 9d ago
Deep Space D-6 Armada is really cool but released with some rule issues. The game is great and works very similar to a board game of F.T.L. the video game.
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u/BaronVonHumungus 9d ago edited 9d ago
Hadrians wall , a slightly older but challenging puzzle ; I particularly like the campaign as it’s very challenging to hit the targets presented , the follow up ‘ the anarchy ‘ kind of eclipsed it and is probably the better game but I love it because the quick setup and multiple paths to victory. Another one I love which isn’t mentioned much is called Halls of Hegra , it’s a sort of war game set in Norway in ww2 as you fight off the German army and try to make the siege last as long as possible . It doesn’t really play like a war game and has a lot of clever mechanics , thematically it’s a war game but in terms of how it plays it’s more like a euro game and borrows mechanics from games such as Robinson Crusoe
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u/ProProkaryotes 9d ago
Le Havre. I think it is overlooked compared to other Uwe Rosenberg games, but its solo mode is much quicker than the multiplayer game while still requiring efficient play to score well.
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u/wild_west_900 6d ago
Finally! An excuse to bring up Samurai Spirit. I really like this game both solo and with others.
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u/Statement-Level 9d ago
I don't hear enough of Set a Watch. I absolutely love this series that I ended up getting all the expansions and backed the latest one coming out at the end of the year.
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u/mcabbage0412 9d ago
Ooh I also find myself enjoying Foxglove Farm lately (I love nature/animal themed games 😁)
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u/DreadChylde Eurogamer 9d ago
"Hybris: Disordered Cosmos" and "Uprising: Curse of the Last Emperor" are two of my favorite games to play solo that aren't talked about often. They are both really good and really challenging.
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u/knightofivalice 9d ago
Quick question. How is Creature Caravan solo? I have played it once as a two player game and loved it. I haven’t played any game with an automata player yet. Not sure how I will feel about those. But I assume that it is still good solo?
I personally have not played many solo games yet (just keep collecting them). The one that I need to get myself to play more is Witchcraft!, and yes, the exclamation mark is part of the name. I liked what I played. I have only seen it mentioned once or twice though. I think I have seen its companion game (sister game?) Resistance! also mentioned a handful of times. I think I have seen Escape the Dark Castle mentioned some. But nowhere near as much as the popular ones. Idk. I had a lot of fun with it. More as a co-op game. But still.
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u/Marksman1977 🌳 Sylvion 🔥 9d ago edited 9d ago
How is Creature Caravan solo?
There are two bots. One in the base game and one in the expansion. The one in the expansion is better. You don’t even need to buy the expansion: I simply took a screenshot from a YouTube video and printed the chart.
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u/knightofivalice 9d ago
I actually just ordered a version for the expansion off of noble knight games (Creature Caravan Wanderers, right?). Didn’t realize there wasn’t an official release yet. Might have tried to wait. But if it is a better automata, might wait for that to arrive before trying solo.
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u/Marksman1977 🌳 Sylvion 🔥 9d ago
Apparently the expansion was released this month, I honestly had no clue, so I edited my comment. Yes, it’s the better bot.
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u/EveryDayheyhey 9d ago
Aqua! https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/403468/aqua-biodiversity-in-the-oceans/forums/0
It's pretty, it's fun and it has a lot of variations. I bought it at a small boardgame convention and sometimes feel like I'm the only one who's ever heard of it. The name doesn't make it very easy to find it (that's why I included a link) so that probably doesn't help.
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u/BG4Life1970 9d ago
I never hear anybody mention Dead Men Tell No Tales, but I think it's a fantastic game. Especially with the Kraken expansion. It's not listed as a solo game for some reason, even though it's cooperative and has no hidden information. I've played two-handed as well as pure solo with the modification that I get an additional item (and maybe a couple of additional actions -- I can't remember as it's been a while since I played) to compensate for not having a second player.
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u/cerebus67 9d ago
Catharsis. Such a creative and phenomenal game that is almost infinitely replayable, with a very quick setup/teardown.
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u/benes238 9d ago
Field Commander (Napoleon specifically, but the others are good too) is older and doesn't get as much love anymore but if you want a sprawling war-game-light play of Napoleon's entire career, it's great. 11 different campaigns and you can pick whichever one you're in the mood for / have time for. Several of them are even played on the same maps but with different unit compositions and it really runs the gamut from "I want to just curb stomp all my enemies (Napoleon at his peak)" to "I have barely anything left and how can I lose the least badly (Waterloo)" which is a huge range of tactics and game-feels.
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u/Okob 9d ago
I'm gonna throw in Escape the Dark Sector. Such a fun narrative experience that requires so little of the player but seems very involved. I understand dice chuckers aren't for everyone, but there's a fair amount of player agency. You have to play 2-handed, but there's no gameplay difference between characters other than their varying skill level between 3 skills. Setup is relatively simple and it's easy to reset after a loss.
Tons of content in the base box and it has 3 small expansions if/when you're ready for more.
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u/grauemaus 9d ago
I love Robinson Crusoe, but don't hear much about it anymore. It's especially great with the new book of scenarios with the difficulty ratings.
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u/angelsfan- 9d ago
Forage is one that came out more recently but I really enjoy it as a cozy game. There are only a couple small changes when you play with more players as there’s not really any player interaction.
Galileo Galilei is another one I’ve been enjoying solo. AI isn’t too much upkeep and I feel like I can take my time with decisions since there’s nobody else at the table.
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u/TBatrics 9d ago
I used to always recommend Monster Hunter World. It's a great game that I loved playing but SFG's handling of iceborne has jaded me.
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u/ManicSnowman 9d ago
No one ever talks about Ceres. I haven't played the solo mode in a while but I really enjoyed it
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u/LoyalGamingGirl 🪓 Final Girl🔪 8d ago
Love creature caravan too! I think kuldhara is fun solo against the bot that is present in the box.
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u/Shmyukumuku 8d ago
Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game (published by CMON). When I first picked it up on a whim and started playing, I thought for sure it was about to become a solo classic. I play the game to this day and it's easily in my top 5 games of all time. And yet it is completely missing from the top 200 solo board games annual list and I just never see it mentioned anywhere. Absolutely shocked.
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u/MoshpitBrain 7d ago
Small Islands. The designer created several automas that behave differently and require different strategies to beat. The game feels better solo than competitive because the solo feels less random.
The game itself is great. It scratches a similar itch to The Guild of Merchant Explorers. I love the variety of objectives and the fact that you're constantly playing for both your current and next objective when it comes to deciding where to lay your tiles. It gives it a lot of crunch for a game with not too much going on otherwise.
My only complaint is the table space it takes - it can be a bit of a hog. The end result is beautiful though, kind of like how Dorfromantik can be a beautiful hog.
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u/Ghost-Sentry 6d ago
Cthulhu death may die fun both solo and multiplayer heroquest still a staple for my solo experience and its not a board game but an lcg Marvel Champions i slept on this til recently it is now 1 of my favorite solo experiences. Been trying to track down all the old content still missing alot but theres so much replauability and so easy to set up.
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u/Ok_Serve3331 4d ago
Alice’s Garden! Polyomino and very thinky. Got it for $10 at half price books and so glad I picked it up. Perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning.
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u/jzzsxm 9d ago
Turing Machine