Thunderbirds Healthy Heart Hospital This War of Mine: The Board Game Arkham Horror Dawn of the Zeds (Third edition) Circadians: First Light Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island Leaving Earth The Captain Is Dead Hostage Negotiator: Crime Wave Mansions of Madness: Second Edition Nemesis Anachrony Defenders of the Last Stand Le Havre Paladins of the West Kingdom Pavlov's House The Manhattan Project: Energy Empire XCOM: The Board Game Nemo's War (Second Edition) Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game ComancherÃa: The Rise and Fall of the Comanche Empire Dinosaur Island Pandemic: The Cure It's a Wonderful World Freedom: The Underground Railroad Raxxon Assembly First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet The Networks Police Precinct Suburbia Architects of the west kingdom
great video, I picked out several for my wishlist. Too many boardgame reviewers durdle about showing decks that are to be shuffled etc. They should check their youtube stats, we always skip to the verdict! But you always cut to the chase. I haven't played that many games solo, but This War of Mine is my favourite for sure. When I finally won, I had my engine set up to where I felt invincible. After SO many days of stress (probably about three but felt like forever) I was like "come at me. game! for the final days. I have food and water and guns, I laugh at your siege!" It was great. I also really enjoy Scythe solo. Multiplayer, for some reason I always feel pressure to make decisions fast. But when playing solo I can really take my time to plan more than one turn in advance when taking my action. Then - flip a card - stuff happens - and it's my turn again. I think scythe gets too much flak for the solo mode because the automa rules are a bit complicated. But once you've played it two times you learn the system and it's much faster than a multiplayer game.
Cheers Frank. I personally hate having my time wasted when watching a vid, and so assume my audience would feel the same way. So yeah, i always try to provide as much meat and as little filler as possible. Scythe, im the opposite to you here. I like the rythmn of the multiplayer game, but the automa feels too abstracted to me
Dude, as a solo gamer living on a small Caribbean island with no board gaming community, I find your list fantastic and hits many of my regularly played games. Love your production and editing quality, keep it up
Hey Menzo, if you're into dungeon crawling fantasy than you may want to check out a series of books that are collectively referred to as Four Against The Darkness (4AD for short). All that is required is the core rulebook, a couple six-sided dice, a sheet of graph paper while you map out your dungeon room by room, and some spare paper to jot down notes on the characters you'll make. It's a great system, and offers many books that expand your range of options. Theres a Facebook page (4AD Adventurer's Guild), and a supportive community for the game. Its an inexpensive book, you may want to look into it! 8)
Completely agree about Robinson Crusoe. I have only ever played it as a solo game and always look forward to getting it to the table. Usually, I'll spend time over a couple of evenings familiarising myself with the rules and then spend time with the set up. Once I am sat down with a glass of beer, I will sit and ponder over each move and try to plan ahead and attempt to anticipate which completely horrendous disaster is about to imminently strike and bring upon complete misery to my ship wrecked adventurers. The outcome is usually a long drawn out agonising death, but I strangely find it fascinating... probably explains why I listen to so much Radiohead...
Awesome video! These long form videos you do are such a welcome addition to the rest of the "list" landscape on TH-cam. I would love to try most of these (tops on my wishlist would be Anachrony and Circadians First Light). My top 5 solos: 1. Spirit Island 2. Clans of Caledonia 3. Paladins of the West Kingdom 4. Architects of the West Kingdom 5. Terraforming Mars. I think you mentioned all of these in some way or another in the video, except Clans. Paladins I've only played once solo, but it'll overtake Clans soon...it was really fantastic. The automa just seemed so clever and truly competitive. Btw, me having Spirit Island is your doing, so thanks for that! :P
finally good long review on multiple Solo games with usefull info. By far better than any other review of such topic here on youtube. Good freaking job mate!
Thanks for your thoughtful comments on First Martians. I have bought the game for US $25, and you are absolutely correct. It's frustrating and inelegant, but also awesome and fun. It's easy to hate on this game when it's actually quite great, if you know what to expect going into it.
great stuff, mr. Von Clausewitz! I have always found you to have a more caring a healthy relationship with games when compared to most other boardgame contente creators. You always put out videos for older games, or even better: you are amidst the few big content creators that actually talk about strategy or ways to play older games. Heck, the mere fact that your top 10 games of the year are usually "new to me games" is a testament to the fact that you operate on another rhythm. I really appreciate that!
Cheers Lucas. I think that's because I've been in the hobby since the 80s, long before there was any social media pressure or anything more than walking into a store and looking at the back of boxes to sum up a game. So i had plenty of time to develop my own tastes and own way of discovering games. Also, being all the way down here in Aotearoa/New Zealand there has always been lag between new releases hitting the US and Europe and getting here. So chasing the hotness was never really an option anyway.
@@3MBG That makes perfect sense! Being from Brazil, I'm also not able to track down the newest hotness as it comes out. So as much as I like and watch boardgame media, most of it just feels somewhat out of tune to me. I just realized I posted this comment on the wrong video, hahaha. It was supposed to be posted on "Don't buy that game". But I guess it also fits nicely in here.
Fields of Arle, Nemo’s War, Grand Austria Hotel, Le Havre, and Paladins of the West Kingdom. Just outside of them are Nusfjord, Ora & Labora and Healthy Heart Hospital.
You hooked me the moment to removed Mage Knight as an option. Every solo game list I see is always Mage Knight and a few others I’ve also seen a million times. This was a breath of fresh air!
The Manhattan Project: Energy Empire, haves a p&p Automa on the Bgg, it's official, was going to be released with an expansion that never made it to market so they give the p&p
Excellent video! I own *Nemesis* but haven't tried it out solo yet. Thanks for mentioning that one! I'm also happy to see This War of Mine, it really is brilliant.
This is by far the best out of all of the lists of this sort that I've seen. I'm a solo-only gamer, and I'm always seeing all these lists, and hoping to get suggestions for new games, but they're always filled with the same thing. Mage Knight, Spirit Island, and so on. Which I understand, but I already have those. I want to hear about games that arent just the Big Ones. Also, you actually really showed off each game, instead of just plopping a box on the table and talking at the camera. This is the only list that's really given me a sense of what these games I've not seen are like. You've sold me on quite a few of these... I know what my next purchases will be. Also, kudos for the mention of Hostage Negotiator. I've been singing that game's praises for quite awhile now. It's my favorite and most played. But it gets this unfortunate reputation. It's actually NOT a luck-based game. I tell people this all the time. I even wrote an entire strategy guide just to prove the bloody point. The game's ACTUAL main issue is that the strategies available to players are REALLY obtuse. When I see people play this, I see 90% of the conversation cards go unused (when *all* of them are actually useful and important), demands get ignored, and entire game mechanics also are ignored... and then they wonder why it's all luck. The game unfortunately doesnt really do a good job of showing the player what the different elements truly do. One thing I do think you should have mentioned though, is that Career absolutely REQUIRES almost all of the content to be present to be played at all. Important to know so that new players dont try to dive into it before buying the other bits. My own top 5 are: 1. Hostage Negotiator 2. Aeon's End (the game that got me into the hobby) 3. Ghost Stories (always played with all 4 characters, and with the White Moon expansion. So much depth to this one) 4. Too Many Bones (Bloody amazing game. Horrific setup time. Weighs so much that I actually cant pick up the box. But it's so worth it) 5. Nemo's War (another "it's all luck" game that is absolutely not a luck-based game. Ship placement mechanic is amazing, and there's a million different things to do.) Also, I have a suggestion for you: Have you heard of a game called X-ODUS? Based on the things on this list, I think you might enjoy this one. I'm mentioning it partly due to the fact that it seems mostly unknown. It's a very recent release... I got it maybe a month ago, and I know I was very lucky to be able to snag a copy at the time, since most copies were still going off to kickstarter backers. It's a space themed game, which the designers say is inspired by roguelikes and Dark Souls (the video game, not the board game), with all of the ridiculous brutal difficulty that implies. It is absolutely ruthless. Even Ghost Stories' infamous difficulty might be beaten by this one. It can be a bit overwhelming to learn, because you're always controlling 3-4 ships, and there's about 5 bazillion actions they can do, and a TON of hard decisions to make, all while nearly unstoppable boss ships chase you around. I could ramble on and on about it, but I'd suggest looking it up yourself rather than me just making it confusing. Also it's freaking gorgeous and they did a good job with the lore and world-building. That's enough outta me. Sorry, I'm not good at being concise.
Kudos on an excellent solo list. I happen to have many of the more underappreciated games you have on your list. Very refreshing. I would add Maricaibo to that list.
Really enjoyed your list! As a solo experience I really like C02 2nd chance. It is a beast! I feel I am planning out my entire game from the first action in turn one, essentially trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. The game makes my brain work extra rounds and I love that! It is one of those games that I sit down to with a looming headache but get up feeling genuinely refreshed and wanting more. Yeah, definitely a masochist too :)
Great video and list! I had Thunderbirds on my shelf of shame, so after watching this I had to pull it off and get it to the table! Wow , so glad I did! I love the pick up and deliver aspect of it and I don’t tend to gravitate to that mechanic. My biggest problem is I can’t seem to win! Those disasters take me out ever time. I can get past the second scheme but then disasters overwhelm me! Any tips on winning are appreciated! Thanks for the nudge to get this one to the table! I love it!
I think the key is planning 3-5 turns ahead, and really focusing on what you need for each scheme. I'd almost always play with Virgil or Brains in the team as well, as those green upgrades that let you get rescue vehicles are massive.
These are the games I played solo since this real pandemic started: Raxxon, Fire!, Welcome to..., Last Defense, Sprawlopolis, Paperback, Marvel United, The Liberation of Rietburg, Second Chance, and Wingspan. (Played these games in this order)
Coffee roaster is one of my favorite solos for my quick plays and I love the win condition so much. I’m also a big viticulture fan as a worker placement with Tuscany, and Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion long before I will ever touch Gloomhaven.
A really great list, with some games I've not seen before that I will now go and check out! My top 5 are Maquis, Burgle Bros, Robinson Crusoe, Black Orchestra and Palm Island. I thought Burgle Bros might appear on your list, as it's similar to some of the others in your top 33, in that it's a brilliant solo game if you play as 2 or 3 of the characters.
@@3MBG I definitely recommend you give it a go - it's fantastic. It's the game that made me realise just how much fun you can have playing board games solo.
I recently stumbled over Gloom of Kilforth and tend to like it a lot. You move out to slay a great evil and become a legendary hero, by roaming a randomized map having random encounters, performing skill checks, similar to those in Arkham Horror, using dice, and gearing up for the final fight. At first look the theme seems to be pretty standard dark fantasy, but, in my opinion, a very well performed one. Also it gets lots of atmosphere thank to its own OST, which supports the feel of ongoing desolation and hopelessness very well. Strongly recommended!
For a quick play I'd recommend Cartographers, which is a Flip and Draw game, that makes you draw a map. Feels like some kind of Tetris on a piece of paper to me.
This is an odd question, but I’m just taking my first peek into this genre and caught myself wondering: have you noticed that all the rule memorizing, logical and analytical thinking have helped you in other areas in life like work or time management? Thank you for this well done video!
Hard for me to comment on this for 2 reasons. One, i've been playing games and solo stuff for 30 years, so i'm not sure what impact it would have on someone coming into it fresh. Two, i'm on the autism spectrum, so stuff like memorization, analysis, pattern recognition, and logical problem solving are things that come very naturally to me, and what led me into the hobby to start with.
Awesome video. On your original recommendation I picked up the whole of Thunderbirds, expansions and all and it really is fantastic. I grew up watching the show and the theme really does shine through. Now I just have to paint it all! I picked it up from unhalfbricking here in Australia. I believe that Julian ships worldwide and he currently has stock of both the base game and an all in Kickstarter version, which is everything packed in the one box.
Awesome video, never heard of the expression gonzo though (was constantly seeing the muppet Gonzo in my mind when you said it lol)! Nearing the end I was wondering when Thunderbirds would come up haha
1. Pax Pamir 2. Nemo's War 3. Lisboa 4. Aeon's End 5. At the Gates of Loyang. .. looks like i might be too influenced by how much work a game is to learn lol. Also love architects & dino island.. I'm worried you've talked me in to paladin otwk & circadians. i shared your feelings about maracaibo, but have heard about too many cool mechanisms and possibly some expansions that is supposed to semi-apologize for the insensitivity? and caved and have a copy en route. great video as always! interesting stuff.
Great Top List with a few games I didn`t know so far ... My Top 5: Robinson Crusoe Mansions of madness (2nd Edition) Elder Signs Lost Expedition Imperial Settlers
Circadians is awesome solo and one of my favorites too (and didn't know it had an expansion already, nice!). My other top to solo are The Gallerist, Crown of Emara, Wingspan, Tiny Epic Galaxies, Isle of Cats has been fun as an honorable mention, and I've just gotten Parks and enjoyed my 1st solo play of that. I really want to try Healthy Heart Hospital!!!
1. Scythe, 2. Terraforming Mars, 3. Paladins of the West Kingdom, 4. Tapestry, 5. Pandemic. I haven't tried Dinosaur Island solo but I may have to on your recommendation.
For a quick-and-breezy solo play, I really like the one-player mode in Era: Medieval Age. It's a score chase that just requires a couple of minor tweaks to the regular rules. That said, I wouldn't recommend purchasing it just for solo play. All those plastic buildings don't come cheap!
Great list. Once I had kids late night solo games became a major part of my gaming life. For whatever reason, even when alone, I still prefer cardboard and plastic to a video game. And I also find the smaller the game, the more it gets played. My favorites as of now: - Terraforming Mars (app is good, but as of yet doesn’t have the prelude expansion in it) - Pursuit of Happiness. - One Deck Dungeon -Arkham Horror LCG - Sprawlopolis (Scratches the Suburbia itch without the setup) I will be looking into hostage negotiator if it’s as quick play time as you make it out to be.
That’s sad to hear. But it makes sense. It’s probably not the same as having the professionally made components, but you can get Sprawlopolis as a print and play buttonshygames.com/products/sprawlopolis-print-play
Its always been part of my gaming, hence why i call out if a game has a solo mode in it. But yeah, its been growing for years and the pandemic has definitely given it a huge boost.
Great video and I like the vast majority of your choices including Robinson Crusoe, Anachrony, and especially Paladins of the West Kingdom (my favorite to play solo). I didn't see Maracaibo or Teotihuacan: City of Gods or Clans of Caledonia and wondered if those were further down the list, never, played, or just didn't make the cut. I think the Teotihuacan solo is especially good.
Maracaibo is a game i am unlikely to play due to its theme, i'm just not a fan of "colonialism for fun and profit" themed games. The other two, not played.
@@3MBG Yes, that would be awkward. That explains why they keep sending me to cultural sensitivity training after playing Maracaibo during the first international studies class!
feel refreshed by your list. I'll add Bios:Genesis. It's a Phil Eklund game which is heavy on the rules, but as with all his games, I love to learn about the subject from the copious footnotes and essays included. Also glad to see This War of Mine on your list. When it came out it got a right ragging from folks about the theme which often took the discussions away from the quality of the gameplay. Not a moment passes when you are not being forced to make a crucial decision, but I have never experienced any analysis paralysis. Always thought it would have done even better if it were themed as a floating space hulk with survivors crawling around in the bowels of a disabled ship, although that would have sidestepped the designer's message. Interesting to muse on...
Just began to consider solo games and the only game on this list I have played is legendary encounters. I won’t be getting that since I own legendary Marvel. But two games caught my attention and those are Nemo’s War and Robinson Crusoe. I do have Horrified and I love it and Raiders of Scythia is arriving in 2 days. Good to hear they were nearly on your list as well. Thanks for the list!
Worth noting that Legendary encounters is a slightly different system to Legendary. They have a lot in common, but end up playing very differently. Could be worth doing some more research on that
i currently have cascadia, last bastion, and nusfjord as my main solo games. thinking about adding a couple more especially if they're different enough from those three. fun video, though quite a few of these are hard to find/expensive
My top 5 until now, also only games I have played more than 2-3 times solo : 1- Tapestry 2 - Gaia Project 3 - Maracaibo 4 - 7 Wonders Duel 5 - Gloomhaven : Jaws of the lion
Ghost stories definitely is my best solo BG. The solo mode is ridiculously crazy. I lost 9/10 times when playing. Yet it’s hooked! The only game i spent money to buy all expansions
It all comes down to ludo-narrative dissonance. That is that the mechanics of the game don't make me feel immersed in the game. Mage Knight is dressed up as a epic fantasy adventure, but it's really a mathematical puzzle to be solved. And i actually didnt find the puzzle as challenging and amazing as most do, i pretty much started winning it straight away. So in the end i was left with a puzzle that didn't capture me about a fantasy game that felt very jerky and disconnected.
Neat! Finally a list that I can relate! One day I'll find a steady game group, one day.... Really like those list videos, they make me discover so much new games. Stuff aside, my favourites are in no particular order: anachrony, orchard, X-odus, maquis and klondike solitaire (lol kidding, it's actually masters of the night (on tabletop simulator since the physical copy is not out yet).
@@3MBG Lol, I actually really like solitaire, but it isnt usually what most would call a boatd game since theres no board haha. Solitaire makes 12h shift bearable tbh, even on phone ^^
Yeah, played it many a late night. Its still a board game though, or a tabletop game. Otherwise Magic the gathering, arkham LCG and many other card games aren't :)
This War of Mine is one of my favourites..Have you tried the exspanions? I would reccomend them. The 3 Act campaign is amazing and you get lots of cool modules and scenarios to try out.
Would love to see you do a playthrough of XCOM because I'm one of those who are sceptical of it's ability to provide a good solo experience. 4 characters + real time = good solo? I've gotta see it to believe it 🙂👍
My Top5 solo games are ... 1. Kingdom Death : Monster 2. This war of mine 3. The Hunters AD 2114 4. Arkham Horror - The Boardgame 5. Maximum Apocalypse All five games are great storygenerators ... I love it, if a game created a unique story everytime it's played.
"All five games are great story generator" Yeah, a huge part of a good solo game for me. It has to either do that, or make my brain catch on fire as a puzzle to work.
New to the solo board game world since lock down.. so my list is 5 because thats all i own so far..lol 1. Gloom of Kilforth 2 Call to Adventure 3, The Lost Expedition 4. One Deck Dungeon 5. The 7th Continent .
My list so far: 1- Fields of Arle, 2 - Underwater Cities, 3 - A Feast for Odin, 4 - Tapestry, 5 - Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid (WIth 2 or 3 characters)
Which are the best that are readily available? Anyone? I’m sick and tired of endless searches for games that are just not available yet everyone else seems to have played them. So frustrating.
As far as a revision of Defenders of the Last stand goes, Launius is working with the Sadlers on Freedom Five: A Sentinel Comics Board Game that should be kickstarting soon. Stephen Gibson is doing graphic design, iirc.
My Top 5 currently are: (Whilst I assure you I do like a variety of themes and mechanics, I'm, at heart, a combat-loving fantasy geek) 5. Street Masters 4. Aeon's End 3. Gloom of Kilforth 2. Runebound 3rd Edition (with Unbreakable Bonds) 1. Mage Knight
Great list! I'll have to check out Assembly for a short solo. Does anyone know what his intro means? It sounds like "Kira koto," but I've never been able to figure it out.
Some previously unknown games on this list I'll have to try. I've never tried Architects OTWK solo, mainly for the reason Scythe and Spirit Island isn't on your list, I always play it multiplayer.
Great video, but it just put a dent in my bank account :-) After watching the video, I spent Christmas money on the following games 1 - XCOM base and Evolution expansion 2 - Raxxon 3 - First Martians 4 - The Captain is Dead plus 2 expansions 5 - CIRCADIANS: FIRST LIGHT (with Allies Expansion) 6 - Leaving Earth and all expansions Your insights, plus researching on Board Game Geek led me to hitting the order button.... There were other games from your video that almost made it into the carts, but I can't buy all of them..... :-) Although, after researching Leaving Earth, I ended up ordering High Frontier 4 All and expansions 1&2. But seriously, I look forward to playing these games while stuck inside.
Have you tried Burgle Bros? Funnily enough this gives me the same exploration feels as Mansions of Madness but yet it’s replayable (different tile and wall layout each time you play). Worth a look since you like your co-ops ;)
@@3MBG one to look forward to :). Hope you enjoy it! I also find it works particularly well solo (it’s an easy game play 2-handed and there’s a lot of co operation needed between characters to win)
My Top 5 Solo games in no particular order are 1. Nemesis 2. Obsession (thanks to you!) 3. The Awful Orphanage (two-handed, with my house rules) 4. Brook City (if you like Police Precinct you should give this one a go) 5. The Hunters 2114 A.D. I expect the upcoming Final Girl to be a fantastic solo game as well!
@@3MBG If you can, definitely get a hold of the expansions The Sixth Cycle and Velocity. The Case that is often cited as the one to learn the game with (The Slain Diplomat) is the most static and boring one so one shouldn't judge the game by that Case.
I’d struggle to list a top five but games that would be there for consideration would include: This War of Mine, Wipers Salient (a small, quick card game), Freedom, Robinson Crusoe, Nemos War, Space Corp, and Cloudspire. I own Thunderbirds and Healthy Heart Hospital . I really must get these back to the table again, as I’ve not played them enough. Thunderbirds once with a non gamer, HHH a few times when I picked it up. I also own Dawn of the Zeus and Comancheria both unplayed!!! Too many games, not enough time. Really enjoyed the video although it needs another watch as whizzed through it on semi fast forward during lunch.
I remember watching a Boardgame breakfast where they mentioned they were going to use the “Defender of the last stand / realm” system and change to the Sentinels of the multiverse board game. Should be on Kickstarter either later this year or early next.
It’s interesting you mention Defenders of the Last Stand 2nd Edition. There were plans to do just that, but it morphed into using the Sentinels of the Multiverse IP instead. It’s called The Freedom Five and will be on Kickstarter in the near future.
I just bought Dungeon Degenerates and sadly that is why it hasn't hit the table yet. Circadian took me a long time to purchase, but was an instant hit for me once it hit the table
Thanks for the list! its very different from the ones we often see and its fun to discover new games to play solo. You should try Arkham horror LCG, its a godsend of a solo game for me, endless possibilities with a large card pool.
I own a few games that have solo modes, but I'm just not *that* into playing board games on my own. HOWEVER, when I do drop a game on to the table to play solo, it's "Thunderbirds". Every time. (Though I've just got into "Legends of Andor" and the puzzle and bling of that game might just be enough to make it an alternative...)
Cool list. I love Mansions of Madness, and with all the expansions there's a decent amount of variation between multiple plays of the same scenario. And I really enjoy Legendary Aliens, but I can't shake the feeling that I might not actually be making very many meaningful decisions...
@@3MBG I really enjoy it, it flows really well, evokes the theme of the movies and feels tense. But when I look back on a game I get the nagging feeling that most of the choices I made were obviously the best choices i.e. there wasn't much in the way of nail biting dilemmas. I might be wrong, and it doesn't stop me enjoying it, but I think the game might pretty much play itself. What do you think?
I kinda feel that way about most deck builders if im honest, which is one reason the genre isn't my fav. I think aliens gets a pass, probably because scanning the vents and the act structure still make that process fun.
Good list :) I like playing the mechanical version of root, the solo expansion. Can get pretty difficult, especially starting out. Lots of good ability to add multiple opponents, variable difficulties and additional traits for the AI. Been getting me through lockdown
Re: Arkham Horror. Let's say you're a guy who's just getting into board games because you enjoyed the theme and narrative of Betrayal at House on the Hill so much you bought your own copy of Betrayal Legacy, and enjoyed its campaign. You want more co-op games and have picked up Pandemic, but you're still drawn to spoops because your first taste of modern board games was Betrayal. Would you get the most out of Mansion, AH the board game, or AH TCG? This is for both solo play and co-op times. This version of you is a pauper, who was intrigued by a TH-camr's discussion of Hostage Negotiator (+ all expansions) and Nemesis so much he eagerly looked them both up, but realised he couldn't afford them. Not as up-front large purchases anyway.
Nemesis is up for a late pledge With Nemesis Lockdown Right now. I know you said you are a pauper but Right now it is as cheap as it is ever going to get.
Thank you for this video. I love playing solo games so this helps me a lot with picking games out. I have 2 questions 1. What is terraforming mars like in the solo variant? 2. Have you played Burgle Bros.? If so, what are your thoughts on it? Thanks again for the video!
TM solo is a beat your score type challenge. I like it and i basically play it where other people would do a crossword or sodoko. I have like 500 hours on steam playing the solo mode. Burgle bros, i have it but have not got to it yet
1. Tiny epic galaxies 2. Sentinels of the Multiverse 3. Thunderstone Advance 4. Phantom Leader 5. Terraforming Mars 6. A Feast for Odin 7. Le Havre 8. Scythe 9. A Touch of Evil 10. Arkham Horror 2ed 11. Legends of Andor 12. Dungeon Crawler 13. Pathfinder Rise of the Runelords 14. Galactic Strike Force 15. Dungeon Alliance 16. Shadowrift 17. Aeons End 18. Pandemic 19. Ghost Stories 20. Field Commander Rommel 21. The Hunters 22. The Battle for Greyport 23. Dungeon Degenerates 24. Xia 25. The Fallen Land 26. 51 state 27. Xenoshyft 28. Dark Souls Card game 27. LotR card game 28. Legendary Alien 29. Legendary Marvel 39. Thunderbolt Apache Leader 40. Andean Abyss 41. Merchant of Venus 42. Star Trek Frontiers 43. Attack on Titan deckbuilder 44. Thiunderstone quest barricades 45. Samurai Spirits 46. Return of the Heroes 47. Flashpoint 48. Galaxy defenders 48. Star Realms 49. Of Dreams and Shadows 50. Dark Darker Darkest 51. Mageknight 52. Robinson Crusoe 53. Nemo’s War 57. Warfighter 58. Mistfall 59. Warhammer Quest card game 57. D&D board games 58. Eldricht Horror 59. Defenders of the Realm 60. Castle Panic 61. Clans of Caledonia 62. Gaia project 63. Architects of the west k 64. Paladins of the w. k. 67. Circadians first light 68. Agricola 69. Caverna 70. Tank duel 71. Empire of the Sun 72. Return of the Heroes 73. Zopocalyse 2 74. Zombicide 75. Draconic invasion These are my most played. By the way I hateeeeeeeeeeeeeee Gloomhaven!
korrok At first I loved Gloomhaven, but after many plays it became so repetitive that it became boring. Also the story was not engaging enough for me. I like Tiny epic galaxies with the expansions and it is a game that I usually play when traveling. This list is not in order so tiny epic is not in the same league with Gloomhaven. 😉
I do not play solo boardgames a lot, usually I would rather play a video game. I do not like busy work so no automa - it's mostly coops. Mage Knight is the only game I prefer solo to any other count as it is so crushingly slow otherwise. A Feast for Odin is probably the next - I am not sure other players add any game play value but they are nice to have around. I played a fair bit of Sentinels before there was an app and Lord of the Rings LCG and this year Marvel Champions LCG which might actually be best solo as it is surprisingly mathsy.
Pandemic The Cure and Legendary Encounters Alien are excellent. I was a bit disappointed with Anachrony, but I probably should play it a few more times to get a better feel for it. And I'll have to try Dinosaur Island and Energy Empire based on your list. I'm a big fan of soloing games by Uwe Rosenberg (A Feast for Odin, Glass Road, At the Gates of Loyang) and Alexander Pfister (Blackout Hong Kong, Maracaibo, Mombasa fan-made solo). Have you tried unofficial solo variants from the BGG files section? I've started trying some and they're quite good actually.
I rarely use unofficial variants. Although one i do like is roll for the galaxy. Unofficial variants were not included in the list as well. Just to keep it clean
I have to solo out of necessity, so I'd say my most played ones are Marvel Champions, Architects & Paladins of the West Kingdom, Scythe, Raiders of the North Sea. Anachrony solo is waiting for me but lack the time to have a go at it.
Do you like finding "holy grail" games? I have several of the games on your list, and, in addition to experiencing the joys from the great game play, some of the game offer an additional joy that I have found a game I love that was hard to find. What sticks out most about your list to me is how many of the games are out of print or difficult to purchase.
Interesting. I suspect there are several drivers for that. 1.) What comes in stock in NZ is pretty random. 2.) I tend to buy games from 2nd hand/discount tables a lot because its cheaper. This means i sometime get weird games (Most of my collection is purchased, not review copies as well) 3.) I also tend to buy games based on gut feel and looking at the mechanics/theme. I don't really watch other reviewers often 4.) I pick lists based on what i like. Not what i think people will like or whats hot. (Saying Mage knight number 1 solo for example). I'm not gaming the metadata, just sharing what i like 5.) Some of the games on there are a little bit hotter because i've mentioned them on earlier vids like my top 100's, which combined have about 350k views. So in the case of things like Thunderbirds, some of the grail factor is because i've been banging on about how good it is for a while now.
I got the Thunderbirds game. Have yet to play it as I only skimmed the rules and found them a bit hard to follow. I would definitely recommend Planet of the Apes as a solo game.
Thunderbirds is just a bit tricky, because you have to think a few turns ahead. The key thing to hold in your brain is the active character can swap vehicles and people around in their area and move and act. Which means you can pick up the next acting player and move them, so they act next turn.
![[FULL] RETROSPECTIVE : Final Fantasy Tactics](/img/n.gif)
So, let me know what you thought and what your top 5 are. TLDR list posted below.
Thunderbirds
Healthy Heart Hospital
This War of Mine: The Board Game
Arkham Horror
Dawn of the Zeds (Third edition)
Circadians: First Light
Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island
Leaving Earth
The Captain Is Dead
Hostage Negotiator: Crime Wave
Mansions of Madness: Second Edition
Nemesis
Anachrony
Defenders of the Last Stand
Le Havre
Paladins of the West Kingdom
Pavlov's House
The Manhattan Project: Energy Empire
XCOM: The Board Game
Nemo's War (Second Edition)
Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game
ComancherÃa: The Rise and Fall of the Comanche Empire
Dinosaur Island
Pandemic: The Cure
It's a Wonderful World
Freedom: The Underground Railroad
Raxxon
Assembly
First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet
The Networks
Police Precinct
Suburbia
Architects of the west kingdom
all 3 games are mentioned in the video.
great video, I picked out several for my wishlist. Too many boardgame reviewers durdle about showing decks that are to be shuffled etc. They should check their youtube stats, we always skip to the verdict! But you always cut to the chase.
I haven't played that many games solo, but This War of Mine is my favourite for sure. When I finally won, I had my engine set up to where I felt invincible. After SO many days of stress (probably about three but felt like forever) I was like "come at me. game! for the final days. I have food and water and guns, I laugh at your siege!" It was great.
I also really enjoy Scythe solo. Multiplayer, for some reason I always feel pressure to make decisions fast. But when playing solo I can really take my time to plan more than one turn in advance when taking my action. Then - flip a card - stuff happens - and it's my turn again.
I think scythe gets too much flak for the solo mode because the automa rules are a bit complicated. But once you've played it two times you learn the system and it's much faster than a multiplayer game.
Cheers Frank. I personally hate having my time wasted when watching a vid, and so assume my audience would feel the same way. So yeah, i always try to provide as much meat and as little filler as possible.
Scythe, im the opposite to you here. I like the rythmn of the multiplayer game, but the automa feels too abstracted to me
Good short games there though Splotchy
1) Aeon’s End
2) Nemo’s War
3) Yggdrasil
4) Mutants
5) 7th Continent
6) Roll Player
7) Dawn of the Zeds
8) Darkest Night
9) Mage Knight
10) Iron Helm
Dude, as a solo gamer living on a small Caribbean island with no board gaming community, I find your list fantastic and hits many of my regularly played games. Love your production and editing quality, keep it up
Cheers Menzo!
You do not have to live on an island to lack companions for a board game. This 33 game review is useful and fun.
Hey Menzo, if you're into dungeon crawling fantasy than you may want to check out a series of books that are collectively referred to as Four Against The Darkness (4AD for short). All that is required is the core rulebook, a couple six-sided dice, a sheet of graph paper while you map out your dungeon room by room, and some spare paper to jot down notes on the characters you'll make. It's a great system, and offers many books that expand your range of options. Theres a Facebook page (4AD Adventurer's Guild), and a supportive community for the game. Its an inexpensive book, you may want to look into it! 8)
Completely agree about Robinson Crusoe. I have only ever played it as a solo game and always look forward to getting it to the table. Usually, I'll spend time over a couple of evenings familiarising myself with the rules and then spend time with the set up. Once I am sat down with a glass of beer, I will sit and ponder over each move and try to plan ahead and attempt to anticipate which completely horrendous disaster is about to imminently strike and bring upon complete misery to my ship wrecked adventurers. The outcome is usually a long drawn out agonising death, but I strangely find it fascinating... probably explains why I listen to so much Radiohead...
Haha you are totally making me want this one 😂
Wow, your work is so dense, concise and on point. Thank you
Never understood the point of mucking about on video :)
You changed my mind on a few games I had dismissed and introduced me to a few gems that shouldn’t be too hard to find. Great video.
Awesome video! These long form videos you do are such a welcome addition to the rest of the "list" landscape on TH-cam. I would love to try most of these (tops on my wishlist would be Anachrony and Circadians First Light).
My top 5 solos:
1. Spirit Island
2. Clans of Caledonia
3. Paladins of the West Kingdom
4. Architects of the West Kingdom
5. Terraforming Mars.
I think you mentioned all of these in some way or another in the video, except Clans. Paladins I've only played once solo, but it'll overtake Clans soon...it was really fantastic. The automa just seemed so clever and truly competitive.
Btw, me having Spirit Island is your doing, so thanks for that! :P
finally good long review on multiple Solo games with usefull info. By far better than any other review of such topic here on youtube. Good freaking job mate!
Thanks for your thoughtful comments on First Martians. I have bought the game for US $25, and you are absolutely correct. It's frustrating and inelegant, but also awesome and fun. It's easy to hate on this game when it's actually quite great, if you know what to expect going into it.
Very much so. I quite enjoy it, for all its flaws.
great stuff, mr. Von Clausewitz!
I have always found you to have a more caring a healthy relationship with games when compared to most other boardgame contente creators. You always put out videos for older games, or even better: you are amidst the few big content creators that actually talk about strategy or ways to play older games. Heck, the mere fact that your top 10 games of the year are usually "new to me games" is a testament to the fact that you operate on another rhythm. I really appreciate that!
Cheers Lucas. I think that's because I've been in the hobby since the 80s, long before there was any social media pressure or anything more than walking into a store and looking at the back of boxes to sum up a game. So i had plenty of time to develop my own tastes and own way of discovering games. Also, being all the way down here in Aotearoa/New Zealand there has always been lag between new releases hitting the US and Europe and getting here. So chasing the hotness was never really an option anyway.
@@3MBG That makes perfect sense! Being from Brazil, I'm also not able to track down the newest hotness as it comes out. So as much as I like and watch boardgame media, most of it just feels somewhat out of tune to me.
I just realized I posted this comment on the wrong video, hahaha. It was supposed to be posted on "Don't buy that game". But I guess it also fits nicely in here.
Fields of Arle, Nemo’s War, Grand Austria Hotel, Le Havre, and Paladins of the West Kingdom. Just outside of them are Nusfjord, Ora & Labora and Healthy Heart Hospital.
These are my favorite kind of videos you do!! You tend to have unique taste (in a good way) and you open the door for games I haven't seen before.
You hooked me the moment to removed Mage Knight as an option. Every solo game list I see is always Mage Knight and a few others I’ve also seen a million times. This was a breath of fresh air!
Cheers. Its funny how group think gets in. Not everyone has to like the same games :)
I love this list and I love mage knight so we can all live happily together
@@DarkAddictionYT Absolutely :)
I think the most intriguing one for me on this list is The Captain is Dead.
Great list. Love your channel. Keep up the good work!
Agreed. It seems interesting and the acrylic standees look pretty nice too.
The Manhattan Project: Energy Empire, haves a p&p Automa on the Bgg, it's official, was going to be released with an expansion that never made it to market so they give the p&p
Excellent video! I own *Nemesis* but haven't tried it out solo yet. Thanks for mentioning that one! I'm also happy to see This War of Mine, it really is brilliant.
This is by far the best out of all of the lists of this sort that I've seen. I'm a solo-only gamer, and I'm always seeing all these lists, and hoping to get suggestions for new games, but they're always filled with the same thing. Mage Knight, Spirit Island, and so on. Which I understand, but I already have those. I want to hear about games that arent just the Big Ones. Also, you actually really showed off each game, instead of just plopping a box on the table and talking at the camera. This is the only list that's really given me a sense of what these games I've not seen are like. You've sold me on quite a few of these... I know what my next purchases will be.
Also, kudos for the mention of Hostage Negotiator. I've been singing that game's praises for quite awhile now. It's my favorite and most played. But it gets this unfortunate reputation. It's actually NOT a luck-based game. I tell people this all the time. I even wrote an entire strategy guide just to prove the bloody point. The game's ACTUAL main issue is that the strategies available to players are REALLY obtuse. When I see people play this, I see 90% of the conversation cards go unused (when *all* of them are actually useful and important), demands get ignored, and entire game mechanics also are ignored... and then they wonder why it's all luck. The game unfortunately doesnt really do a good job of showing the player what the different elements truly do. One thing I do think you should have mentioned though, is that Career absolutely REQUIRES almost all of the content to be present to be played at all. Important to know so that new players dont try to dive into it before buying the other bits.
My own top 5 are:
1. Hostage Negotiator
2. Aeon's End (the game that got me into the hobby)
3. Ghost Stories (always played with all 4 characters, and with the White Moon expansion. So much depth to this one)
4. Too Many Bones (Bloody amazing game. Horrific setup time. Weighs so much that I actually cant pick up the box. But it's so worth it)
5. Nemo's War (another "it's all luck" game that is absolutely not a luck-based game. Ship placement mechanic is amazing, and there's a million different things to do.)
Also, I have a suggestion for you: Have you heard of a game called X-ODUS? Based on the things on this list, I think you might enjoy this one. I'm mentioning it partly due to the fact that it seems mostly unknown. It's a very recent release... I got it maybe a month ago, and I know I was very lucky to be able to snag a copy at the time, since most copies were still going off to kickstarter backers. It's a space themed game, which the designers say is inspired by roguelikes and Dark Souls (the video game, not the board game), with all of the ridiculous brutal difficulty that implies. It is absolutely ruthless. Even Ghost Stories' infamous difficulty might be beaten by this one. It can be a bit overwhelming to learn, because you're always controlling 3-4 ships, and there's about 5 bazillion actions they can do, and a TON of hard decisions to make, all while nearly unstoppable boss ships chase you around. I could ramble on and on about it, but I'd suggest looking it up yourself rather than me just making it confusing. Also it's freaking gorgeous and they did a good job with the lore and world-building.
That's enough outta me. Sorry, I'm not good at being concise.
Awesome comment. Will keep an eye on X-ODUS. And yeah, hostage negotiator is far smarter than a lot of people give it credit for, it really is.
nice video! :-)
my List:
1: Spirit Island
2: Too Many Bones
3: Fields of Arle
4: Nemos War
5: Imperial Settlers
Kudos on an excellent solo list. I happen to have many of the more underappreciated games you have on your list. Very refreshing. I would add Maricaibo to that list.
Really enjoyed your list! As a solo experience I really like C02 2nd chance. It is a beast! I feel I am planning out my entire game from the first action in turn one, essentially trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. The game makes my brain work extra rounds and I love that! It is one of those games that I sit down to with a looming headache but get up feeling genuinely refreshed and wanting more. Yeah, definitely a masochist too :)
I still haven't played the 2nd ed. I enjoyed the first ed of CO2, but it was a bit wobbly as a game.
1. Robinson Crusoe
2. Mage Knight
3. Fire in the Lake
4. X-Odus
5. Dawn of the Zeds
This War of Mine is even better as a solo game than as a coop game
Thanks for the Thunderbirds tip!! Really love my pandemic games :-)
Played Thunderbirds for the first time recently through Tabletopia. Had a great time. Interesting it's great solo.
Lots of perfect information co-ops are really good solo, they translate really well if you dont mind playing multiple characters
Great video and list! I had Thunderbirds on my shelf of shame, so after watching this I had to pull it off and get it to the table! Wow , so glad I did! I love the pick up and deliver aspect of it and I don’t tend to gravitate to that mechanic. My biggest problem is I can’t seem to win! Those disasters take me out ever time. I can get past the second scheme but then disasters overwhelm me! Any tips on winning are appreciated! Thanks for the nudge to get this one to the table! I love it!
I think the key is planning 3-5 turns ahead, and really focusing on what you need for each scheme. I'd almost always play with Virgil or Brains in the team as well, as those green upgrades that let you get rescue vehicles are massive.
I enjoy my thunderbirds. Picked a copy up 2nd hand with the expansions. Really lovely production that's so thematically right.
5.- Cuba libre
4.- Eldritch horror
3.- Nemo's war
2.- Dawn of the zeds
1.- Labyrinth war on terror
These are the games I played solo since this real pandemic started:
Raxxon, Fire!, Welcome to..., Last Defense, Sprawlopolis, Paperback, Marvel United, The Liberation of Rietburg, Second Chance, and Wingspan. (Played these games in this order)
Loving the film , and hoping you will make more of top videos of specific types of games
Thanks for this great list, theres a bunch of games on it that I never heard of and am now curious about.
Cheers, love my solo gaming and glad to have shared something thats not just the same list you see all the time
Coffee roaster is one of my favorite solos for my quick plays and I love the win condition so much. I’m also a big viticulture fan as a worker placement with Tuscany, and Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion long before I will ever touch Gloomhaven.
I've heard good stuff about Coffee Roaster, should pick it up
A really great list, with some games I've not seen before that I will now go and check out!
My top 5 are Maquis, Burgle Bros, Robinson Crusoe, Black Orchestra and Palm Island. I thought Burgle Bros might appear on your list, as it's similar to some of the others in your top 33, in that it's a brilliant solo game if you play as 2 or 3 of the characters.
I have burgle bros, just haven't gotten to it yet.
@@3MBG I definitely recommend you give it a go - it's fantastic. It's the game that made me realise just how much fun you can have playing board games solo.
I recently stumbled over Gloom of Kilforth and tend to like it a lot. You move out to slay a great evil and become a legendary hero, by roaming a randomized map having random encounters, performing skill checks, similar to those in Arkham Horror, using dice, and gearing up for the final fight. At first look the theme seems to be pretty standard dark fantasy, but, in my opinion, a very well performed one. Also it gets lots of atmosphere thank to its own OST, which supports the feel of ongoing desolation and hopelessness very well. Strongly recommended!
For a quick play I'd recommend Cartographers, which is a Flip and Draw game, that makes you draw a map. Feels like some kind of Tetris on a piece of paper to me.
Great selection. Added a few to my ‘want to play’ list. I’m certainly going to get my Arkham Horror back to the table soon.
This is an odd question, but I’m just taking my first peek into this genre and caught myself wondering: have you noticed that all the rule memorizing, logical and analytical thinking have helped you in other areas in life like work or time management? Thank you for this well done video!
Hard for me to comment on this for 2 reasons. One, i've been playing games and solo stuff for 30 years, so i'm not sure what impact it would have on someone coming into it fresh. Two, i'm on the autism spectrum, so stuff like memorization, analysis, pattern recognition, and logical problem solving are things that come very naturally to me, and what led me into the hobby to start with.
this also works in reverse ie. it helps a helluva lot if you've got a good analytical mind / great memory to play some of these complex games !
Great list Jarrod, I really need to get my hands on Thunderbirds 👍
Awesome video. On your original recommendation I picked up the whole of Thunderbirds, expansions and all and it really is fantastic. I grew up watching the show and the theme really does shine through. Now I just have to paint it all!
I picked it up from unhalfbricking here in Australia. I believe that Julian ships worldwide and he currently has stock of both the base game and an all in Kickstarter version, which is everything packed in the one box.
Awesome
Top 5
1: Hostage Negotiator + Crime Wave
2: Friday
3: Sprawlopolis
4: Spirit Island
5: Tiny Epic Galaxies
Awesome video, never heard of the expression gonzo though (was constantly seeing the muppet Gonzo in my mind when you said it lol)! Nearing the end I was wondering when Thunderbirds would come up haha
Gonzo the muppet is named after the term i believe, because he's weird, out there and just over the top :)
@@3MBG That makes sense lol
1. Pax Pamir 2. Nemo's War 3. Lisboa 4. Aeon's End 5. At the Gates of Loyang. .. looks like i might be too influenced by how much work a game is to learn lol. Also love architects & dino island.. I'm worried you've talked me in to paladin otwk & circadians.
i shared your feelings about maracaibo, but have heard about too many cool mechanisms and possibly some expansions that is supposed to semi-apologize for the insensitivity? and caved and have a copy en route.
great video as always! interesting stuff.
Great Top List with a few games I didn`t know so far ...
My Top 5:
Robinson Crusoe
Mansions of madness (2nd Edition)
Elder Signs
Lost Expedition
Imperial Settlers
Thanks for your list, it really has some great games, a few I didn’t know and then some I still have to buy.
Cheers
Mage knight is amazing but an obvious choice.
7 wonders duel has a very solid little solo mode available that I recommend printing and playing.
Circadians is awesome solo and one of my favorites too (and didn't know it had an expansion already, nice!). My other top to solo are The Gallerist, Crown of Emara, Wingspan, Tiny Epic Galaxies, Isle of Cats has been fun as an honorable mention, and I've just gotten Parks and enjoyed my 1st solo play of that. I really want to try Healthy Heart Hospital!!!
1. Scythe, 2. Terraforming Mars, 3. Paladins of the West Kingdom, 4. Tapestry, 5. Pandemic. I haven't tried Dinosaur Island solo but I may have to on your recommendation.
Tapestry is so good in solo. I love Architect of the west kingdom but never tried Paladins.
For a quick-and-breezy solo play, I really like the one-player mode in Era: Medieval Age. It's a score chase that just requires a couple of minor tweaks to the regular rules. That said, I wouldn't recommend purchasing it just for solo play. All those plastic buildings don't come cheap!
YES!! ERA: Medieval Age is a very addictive little game, the kind I want to set up and play a few times in a row (and I've only played it solo)
Great list. Once I had kids late night solo games became a major part of my gaming life. For whatever reason, even when alone, I still prefer cardboard and plastic to a video game. And I also find the smaller the game, the more it gets played.
My favorites as of now:
- Terraforming Mars (app is good, but as of yet doesn’t have the prelude expansion in it)
- Pursuit of Happiness.
- One Deck Dungeon
-Arkham Horror LCG
- Sprawlopolis (Scratches the Suburbia itch without the setup)
I will be looking into hostage negotiator if it’s as quick play time as you make it out to be.
Sprawlopolis is one id like to try. But those very small games cost more to ship to NZ than the game itself
That’s sad to hear. But it makes sense.
It’s probably not the same as having the professionally made components, but you can get Sprawlopolis as a print and play
buttonshygames.com/products/sprawlopolis-print-play
Excellent list, solo gaming has become a lot more popular in recent years.
Its always been part of my gaming, hence why i call out if a game has a solo mode in it. But yeah, its been growing for years and the pandemic has definitely given it a huge boost.
Great video and I like the vast majority of your choices including Robinson Crusoe, Anachrony, and especially Paladins of the West Kingdom (my favorite to play solo). I didn't see Maracaibo or Teotihuacan: City of Gods or Clans of Caledonia and wondered if those were further down the list, never, played, or just didn't make the cut. I think the Teotihuacan solo is especially good.
Maracaibo is a game i am unlikely to play due to its theme, i'm just not a fan of "colonialism for fun and profit" themed games. The other two, not played.
@@3MBG I've heard as much from other gamers as well. Makes sense 🙂👍
@@cwb95k Its especially an issue for me. I have Maori in my test group and, well, its awkward as heck putting a game like that out there.
@@3MBG Yes, that would be awkward. That explains why they keep sending me to cultural sensitivity training after playing Maracaibo during the first international studies class!
Hahahahaha
feel refreshed by your list.
I'll add Bios:Genesis. It's a Phil Eklund game which is heavy on the rules, but as with all his games, I love to learn about the subject from the copious footnotes and essays included.
Also glad to see This War of Mine on your list. When it came out it got a right ragging from folks about the theme which often took the discussions away from the quality of the gameplay. Not a moment passes when you are not being forced to make a crucial decision, but I have never experienced any analysis paralysis.
Always thought it would have done even better if it were themed as a floating space hulk with survivors crawling around in the bowels of a disabled ship, although that would have sidestepped the designer's message. Interesting to muse on...
I think there is space for that theme. Its kinda what i wanted GEN7 to be in someways.
Just began to consider solo games and the only game on this list I have played is legendary encounters. I won’t be getting that since I own legendary Marvel.
But two games caught my attention and those are Nemo’s War and Robinson Crusoe. I do have Horrified and I love it and Raiders of Scythia is arriving in 2 days. Good to hear they were nearly on your list as well. Thanks for the list!
Worth noting that Legendary encounters is a slightly different system to Legendary. They have a lot in common, but end up playing very differently. Could be worth doing some more research on that
My list:
1. Aeon's End
2. Gloomhaven
3. Legendary Alien
4. Marvel Champions
5. Arkham Horror Card Game
i currently have cascadia, last bastion, and nusfjord as my main solo games. thinking about adding a couple more especially if they're different enough from those three. fun video, though quite a few of these are hard to find/expensive
I just went with what I play, nothing more. Some of the games are definitely hard to get these days though.
1. Mage Knight
2. Gloomhaven
3. Aeons End
4. Friday
5. Arkham horror Lcg / Marvel Champions Lcg
Fantastic video, thanks for the suggestions
My top 5 until now, also only games I have played more than 2-3 times solo :
1- Tapestry
2 - Gaia Project
3 - Maracaibo
4 - 7 Wonders Duel
5 - Gloomhaven : Jaws of the lion
Ghost stories definitely is my best solo BG. The solo mode is ridiculously crazy. I lost 9/10 times when playing. Yet it’s hooked! The only game i spent money to buy all expansions
Ghost stories is brutal. I once watched a group at a cafe at the table over lose 5 games in a row.
Hi! Awesome videos! Any chance you could clarify what you did and did not like about Mage Knight? Thanks!
It all comes down to ludo-narrative dissonance. That is that the mechanics of the game don't make me feel immersed in the game. Mage Knight is dressed up as a epic fantasy adventure, but it's really a mathematical puzzle to be solved. And i actually didnt find the puzzle as challenging and amazing as most do, i pretty much started winning it straight away. So in the end i was left with a puzzle that didn't capture me about a fantasy game that felt very jerky and disconnected.
Gloom/shadow of kilforth is really fun!
Neat! Finally a list that I can relate! One day I'll find a steady game group, one day.... Really like those list videos, they make me discover so much new games. Stuff aside, my favourites are in no particular order: anachrony, orchard, X-odus, maquis and klondike solitaire (lol kidding, it's actually masters of the night (on tabletop simulator since the physical copy is not out yet).
Hey, don't knock solitaire ;) It was the first solo game i learned. My nana taught me when i was about 7.
@@3MBG Lol, I actually really like solitaire, but it isnt usually what most would call a boatd game since theres no board haha. Solitaire makes 12h shift bearable tbh, even on phone ^^
Yeah, played it many a late night. Its still a board game though, or a tabletop game. Otherwise Magic the gathering, arkham LCG and many other card games aren't :)
This War of Mine is one of my favourites..Have you tried the exspanions? I would reccomend them. The 3 Act campaign is amazing and you get lots of cool modules and scenarios to try out.
First expansion, yes. Mean to get the second at some point
Would love to see you do a playthrough of XCOM because I'm one of those who are sceptical of it's ability to provide a good solo experience.
4 characters + real time = good solo? I've gotta see it to believe it
🙂👍
My Top 5 solo in no particular order and based purely on plays are:
Gaia Project
Anachrony
7th Continent
Roll Player
Dungeon Alliance
My Top5 solo games are ...
1. Kingdom Death : Monster
2. This war of mine
3. The Hunters AD 2114
4. Arkham Horror - The Boardgame
5. Maximum Apocalypse
All five games are great storygenerators ... I love it, if a game created a unique story everytime it's played.
"All five games are great story generator"
Yeah, a huge part of a good solo game for me. It has to either do that, or make my brain catch on fire as a puzzle to work.
Circadian’s and thunderbolts definitely don’t get enough credit!
Circadians's mechanics are nice, but I wasn't able to like the art and theme.
New to the solo board game world since lock down.. so my list is 5 because thats all i own so far..lol
1. Gloom of Kilforth
2 Call to Adventure
3, The Lost Expedition
4. One Deck Dungeon
5. The 7th Continent .
My list so far: 1- Fields of Arle, 2 - Underwater Cities, 3 - A Feast for Odin, 4 - Tapestry, 5 - Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid (WIth 2 or 3 characters)
Underwater cities will likely shoot up my top games list as i just started playing it solo and its great.
Which are the best that are readily available? Anyone? I’m sick and tired of endless searches for games that are just not available yet everyone else seems to have played them. So frustrating.
This all depends on where you are Lee.
Great list. Dawn of the Zeds at Director's Cut level is EPIC! I have successfully defended Farmingdale once, after weeks of losses.
As far as a revision of Defenders of the Last stand goes, Launius is working with the Sadlers on Freedom Five: A Sentinel Comics Board Game that should be kickstarting soon. Stephen Gibson is doing graphic design, iirc.
I could be keen for that for sure
nice list. thunderbirds is on amazon right now, in the USA anyway. might go for it, i loved that cartoon/show when i was a kid.
My Top 5 currently are:
(Whilst I assure you I do like a variety of themes and mechanics, I'm, at heart, a combat-loving fantasy geek)
5. Street Masters
4. Aeon's End
3. Gloom of Kilforth
2. Runebound 3rd Edition (with Unbreakable Bonds)
1. Mage Knight
Played 3 of those, all solid games (1,2 and 4)
Great list! I'll have to check out Assembly for a short solo. Does anyone know what his intro means? It sounds like "Kira koto," but I've never been able to figure it out.
Kia ora Koutou. it's "Hi all" in Te reo Maori
@@3MBG Thanks! I've always been curious about that :)
Thanks Scott. I hope you enjoy Assembly!
My top 5:
1. Four Against Darkness (and its expansions)
2. Micro Chapbook RPGs
3. Grimslingers
4. Dark Tower (the 1981 original)
5. Core Runner
Some previously unknown games on this list I'll have to try. I've never tried Architects OTWK solo, mainly for the reason Scythe and Spirit Island isn't on your list, I always play it multiplayer.
Great video, but it just put a dent in my bank account :-)
After watching the video, I spent Christmas money on the following games
1 - XCOM base and Evolution expansion
2 - Raxxon
3 - First Martians
4 - The Captain is Dead plus 2 expansions
5 - CIRCADIANS: FIRST LIGHT (with Allies Expansion)
6 - Leaving Earth and all expansions
Your insights, plus researching on Board Game Geek led me to hitting the order button.... There were other games from your video that almost made it into the carts, but I can't buy all of them..... :-) Although, after researching Leaving Earth, I ended up ordering High Frontier 4 All and expansions 1&2.
But seriously, I look forward to playing these games while stuck inside.
That's a lot of game. Especially with High Frontier which i just got as well. That's a beast
Have you tried Burgle Bros? Funnily enough this gives me the same exploration feels as Mansions of Madness but yet it’s replayable (different tile and wall layout each time you play). Worth a look since you like your co-ops ;)
Its been on my "too play shelf" for a while now. Keep meaning to get to it
@@3MBG one to look forward to :). Hope you enjoy it! I also find it works particularly well solo (it’s an easy game play 2-handed and there’s a lot of co operation needed between characters to win)
My Top 5 Solo games in no particular order are 1. Nemesis 2. Obsession (thanks to you!) 3. The Awful Orphanage (two-handed, with my house rules) 4. Brook City (if you like Police Precinct you should give this one a go) 5. The Hunters 2114 A.D. I expect the upcoming Final Girl to be a fantastic solo game as well!
Brook city is one that gets mentioned to me a bit, so i will try and get a hold of it. Also looking forward to final girl
@@3MBG If you can, definitely get a hold of the expansions The Sixth Cycle and Velocity. The Case that is often cited as the one to learn the game with (The Slain Diplomat) is the most static and boring one so one shouldn't judge the game by that Case.
I’d struggle to list a top five but games that would be there for consideration would include: This War of Mine, Wipers Salient (a small, quick card game), Freedom, Robinson Crusoe, Nemos War, Space Corp, and Cloudspire.
I own Thunderbirds and Healthy Heart Hospital . I really must get these back to the table again, as I’ve not played them enough. Thunderbirds once with a non gamer, HHH a few times when I picked it up. I also own Dawn of the Zeus and Comancheria both unplayed!!! Too many games, not enough time.
Really enjoyed the video although it needs another watch as whizzed through it on semi fast forward during lunch.
The inclusion of Napoleon Solo was genius!
I think you might be the first person to spot that :)
I remember watching a Boardgame breakfast where they mentioned they were going to use the “Defender of the last stand / realm” system and change to the Sentinels of the multiverse board game. Should be on Kickstarter either later this year or early next.
I am intrigued
Freedom Five is the name of the game and it’ll be a Dice Tower Essential game FYI
"I just want to punch it in the face 😂..."
Now I want to lighten my wallet just for anachrony
Great list. But Mage Knight not being on it is inexcusable 🙈🤪
Lol. Nah. I also don't like Titanic and Taylor swift ;)
It’s interesting you mention Defenders of the Last Stand 2nd Edition. There were plans to do just that, but it morphed into using the Sentinels of the Multiverse IP instead. It’s called The Freedom Five and will be on Kickstarter in the near future.
And i am keen for it :)
Nice list. I like the idea of Circadians but couldn't get past the art if there was another art style then that may be a different story.
I know this is true for a lot of people, which is unfortunate. But i get it. I haven't played any "flying frog" games because the art makes me cringe.
I just bought Dungeon Degenerates and sadly that is why it hasn't hit the table yet. Circadian took me a long time to purchase, but was an instant hit for me once it hit the table
Thanks for the list! its very different from the ones we often see and its fun to discover new games to play solo. You should try Arkham horror LCG, its a godsend of a solo game for me, endless possibilities with a large card pool.
Love the LCG, but always play it as a group game
I own a few games that have solo modes, but I'm just not *that* into playing board games on my own. HOWEVER, when I do drop a game on to the table to play solo, it's "Thunderbirds". Every time. (Though I've just got into "Legends of Andor" and the puzzle and bling of that game might just be enough to make it an alternative...)
Andor is one i've been looking at for a while, seems very me
Cool list. I love Mansions of Madness, and with all the expansions there's a decent amount of variation between multiple plays of the same scenario. And I really enjoy Legendary Aliens, but I can't shake the feeling that I might not actually be making very many meaningful decisions...
Oh, that's interesting about alien. Tell me more.
@@3MBG I really enjoy it, it flows really well, evokes the theme of the movies and feels tense. But when I look back on a game I get the nagging feeling that most of the choices I made were obviously the best choices i.e. there wasn't much in the way of nail biting dilemmas. I might be wrong, and it doesn't stop me enjoying it, but I think the game might pretty much play itself. What do you think?
I kinda feel that way about most deck builders if im honest, which is one reason the genre isn't my fav. I think aliens gets a pass, probably because scanning the vents and the act structure still make that process fun.
Good list :) I like playing the mechanical version of root, the solo expansion. Can get pretty difficult, especially starting out. Lots of good ability to add multiple opponents, variable difficulties and additional traits for the AI. Been getting me through lockdown
Re: Arkham Horror. Let's say you're a guy who's just getting into board games because you enjoyed the theme and narrative of Betrayal at House on the Hill so much you bought your own copy of Betrayal Legacy, and enjoyed its campaign. You want more co-op games and have picked up Pandemic, but you're still drawn to spoops because your first taste of modern board games was Betrayal. Would you get the most out of Mansion, AH the board game, or AH TCG? This is for both solo play and co-op times.
This version of you is a pauper, who was intrigued by a TH-camr's discussion of Hostage Negotiator (+ all expansions) and Nemesis so much he eagerly looked them both up, but realised he couldn't afford them. Not as up-front large purchases anyway.
@korrok I SERVE NONE BUT KORROK I mean thank you
What Korrok said :)
@@3MBG Thanks! I could afford to get into the TCG since it's not a big bulk purchase... Do you think Mansions of Madness is a better game?
@@scotchbox They are both in my top 20 or so overall. I just find mansions much easier as a solo
Nemesis is up for a late pledge With Nemesis Lockdown Right now. I know you said you are a pauper but Right now it is as cheap as it is ever going to get.
Thank you for this video. I love playing solo games so this helps me a lot with picking games out. I have 2 questions
1. What is terraforming mars like in the solo variant?
2. Have you played Burgle Bros.? If so, what are your thoughts on it?
Thanks again for the video!
TM solo is a beat your score type challenge. I like it and i basically play it where other people would do a crossword or sodoko. I have like 500 hours on steam playing the solo mode.
Burgle bros, i have it but have not got to it yet
Excellent video and list. So would you recommend Suburbia standard edition as the one to get?
Yeah, for solo play. There's just too much guff is the collectors
1. Tiny epic galaxies
2. Sentinels of the Multiverse
3. Thunderstone Advance
4. Phantom Leader
5. Terraforming Mars
6. A Feast for Odin
7. Le Havre
8. Scythe
9. A Touch of Evil
10. Arkham Horror 2ed
11. Legends of Andor
12. Dungeon Crawler
13. Pathfinder Rise of the Runelords
14. Galactic Strike Force
15. Dungeon Alliance
16. Shadowrift
17. Aeons End
18. Pandemic
19. Ghost Stories
20. Field Commander Rommel
21. The Hunters
22. The Battle for Greyport
23. Dungeon Degenerates
24. Xia
25. The Fallen Land
26. 51 state
27. Xenoshyft
28. Dark Souls Card game
27. LotR card game
28. Legendary Alien
29. Legendary Marvel
39. Thunderbolt Apache Leader
40. Andean Abyss
41. Merchant of Venus
42. Star Trek Frontiers
43. Attack on Titan deckbuilder
44. Thiunderstone quest barricades
45. Samurai Spirits
46. Return of the Heroes
47. Flashpoint
48. Galaxy defenders
48. Star Realms
49. Of Dreams and Shadows
50. Dark Darker Darkest
51. Mageknight
52. Robinson Crusoe
53. Nemo’s War
57. Warfighter
58. Mistfall
59. Warhammer Quest card game
57. D&D board games
58. Eldricht Horror
59. Defenders of the Realm
60. Castle Panic
61. Clans of Caledonia
62. Gaia project
63. Architects of the west k
64. Paladins of the w. k.
67. Circadians first light
68. Agricola
69. Caverna
70. Tank duel
71. Empire of the Sun
72. Return of the Heroes
73. Zopocalyse 2
74. Zombicide
75. Draconic invasion
These are my most played.
By the way I hateeeeeeeeeeeeeee Gloomhaven!
I also hate Gloomhaven. 👍
Whilst I did like Tiny Epic Galaxies, I grew bored of it after a dozen or so plays.
korrok At first I loved Gloomhaven, but after many plays it became so repetitive that it became boring. Also the story was not engaging enough for me. I like Tiny epic galaxies with the expansions and it is a game that I usually play when traveling. This list is not in order so tiny epic is not in the same league with Gloomhaven. 😉
Shane Annigans Did you try the expansion for TEG?
@@nydaloth Nah, I traded it away before trying the expansion.
I do not play solo boardgames a lot, usually I would rather play a video game. I do not like busy work so no automa - it's mostly coops.
Mage Knight is the only game I prefer solo to any other count as it is so crushingly slow otherwise. A Feast for Odin is probably the next - I am not sure other players add any game play value but they are nice to have around. I played a fair bit of Sentinels before there was an app and Lord of the Rings LCG and this year Marvel Champions LCG which might actually be best solo as it is surprisingly mathsy.
Pandemic The Cure and Legendary Encounters Alien are excellent. I was a bit disappointed with Anachrony, but I probably should play it a few more times to get a better feel for it. And I'll have to try Dinosaur Island and Energy Empire based on your list.
I'm a big fan of soloing games by Uwe Rosenberg (A Feast for Odin, Glass Road, At the Gates of Loyang) and Alexander Pfister (Blackout Hong Kong, Maracaibo, Mombasa fan-made solo).
Have you tried unofficial solo variants from the BGG files section? I've started trying some and they're quite good actually.
I rarely use unofficial variants. Although one i do like is roll for the galaxy. Unofficial variants were not included in the list as well. Just to keep it clean
3 Minute Board Games I’ll check that one out. I saw the Roll for the Galaxy app was recently released.
I've been playing it hard out recently. Roll is also the next scheduled 3 minute recap
Circadians First Light sounds interesting to me
I have to solo out of necessity, so I'd say my most played ones are Marvel Champions, Architects & Paladins of the West Kingdom, Scythe, Raiders of the North Sea. Anachrony solo is waiting for me but lack the time to have a go at it.
Good games, all of them. Not played Marvel, but i understand it shares a lot of DNA with the arkham lcg which is great
Do you like finding "holy grail" games? I have several of the games on your list, and, in addition to experiencing the joys from the great game play, some of the game offer an additional joy that I have found a game I love that was hard to find.
What sticks out most about your list to me is how many of the games are out of print or difficult to purchase.
Interesting. I suspect there are several drivers for that.
1.) What comes in stock in NZ is pretty random.
2.) I tend to buy games from 2nd hand/discount tables a lot because its cheaper. This means i sometime get weird games (Most of my collection is purchased, not review copies as well)
3.) I also tend to buy games based on gut feel and looking at the mechanics/theme. I don't really watch other reviewers often
4.) I pick lists based on what i like. Not what i think people will like or whats hot. (Saying Mage knight number 1 solo for example). I'm not gaming the metadata, just sharing what i like
5.) Some of the games on there are a little bit hotter because i've mentioned them on earlier vids like my top 100's, which combined have about 350k views. So in the case of things like Thunderbirds, some of the grail factor is because i've been banging on about how good it is for a while now.
I got the Thunderbirds game. Have yet to play it as I only skimmed the rules and found them a bit hard to follow. I would definitely recommend Planet of the Apes as a solo game.
Thunderbirds is just a bit tricky, because you have to think a few turns ahead. The key thing to hold in your brain is the active character can swap vehicles and people around in their area and move and act. Which means you can pick up the next acting player and move them, so they act next turn.
I def have (or preordered alot on your list) Dinosaur Island, Nemesis, Robinson Crusoe, Mansions of Madness,