Interesting list! I don't necessarily agree with everything on it but it's definitely refreshing to see a solo list that doesn't include Mage Knight, Friday and the Oni-verse games.
I assumed that Descent or Mansions would have been on this with the app functionality. Agree 100% with Robinson Crusoe, love it either with friends or solo.
Ya Silver Tower kind of does all of that without the app (as I explained). I do think part of me is holding out for hope that the Imperial Assault app will have a kind of delve mode or something special to set it apart.
This one didn't make your list ... but I really enjoy "Nations" as a solo play ... I'm going to look deeper into the list that you created ... all of them look great.
Great list, thanks. I would have Mansions 2ed, Mage knight and Friday in there I think. It's interesting that you (and I do to) migrate towards dungeon crawly/dice chucker games for solo over euros with solo variants (caverna, Agricola, Vinhos, scythe etc.). I think I need a strong theme to keep my interest for a solo game.
Nice list Joel. Have you tried any of the Hoplomachus games? Ricky Royal has it as his top solo, and it is in the top 5 for me. SoB and Myth are up there too, but can't argue with your choices.
Great list with great games. Your number one is currently my favourite Co-op. I play solo a lot, but I find it hard to play this one solo. There are few events that are designed for 2 or more players (f.e. if players decide to wound one of them, they all get a reward), also I enjoyed quarrels with my son about who should use the purple 6 die. Finally, the look on my son's face, when after dealing the final blow to the summoner, my Chieftain sworn allegiance to him...You won't get that in solo mode. (he played the Knight and wasn't happy that I've chosen this ending) Usually I play games for the mechanics, but this one is all about the story and when I play solo I tend to skip all texts in italics.
Love the streamlined dice chucking/action selection of Silver Tower. Cool to hear you get into the theme of gameplay. Joel, how do you feel about DVG's Leader series nowadays?
The only one I ever got into was Phantom Leader. Tried a couple others. I think I doubt my enjoyment beyond a sentimentality towards the theme. My grandfather was actually a munitions engineer in Vietnam.
WOOO HOOOO!!!! SOLO LIST!!!!! I sometimes feel us solo boardgamers are the most neglected group in the hobby but there's over 10,000 of us on Facebook who can't get a group together for one reason or another. Anyway, thank you for doing this 😊
I am curious if you have tried Terraforming Mars solo. I love playing that solo, and it is rare to run across a Euro style game with a very engrossing solo experience. At least it is for me.
I really enjoy it. Unless you get insanely good, it is a race to terraform the planet by yourself in 14 generations, which isn't exactly easy. Plus, outside of trying to solve that puzzle each game, you get to use your corporations and build unique engines each game. I enjoy losses just as much as victories.
Both actually. If I feel like just playing it for a narrative sense, I will quadruple fist it, and just use the charts as a guide. Sometime the carts don't do the absolute perfect thing. But, if I want to try and "beat" the game, I'll stick to the charts.
Thanks! The main trick is hidden information. It's harder to solo (most of the time) if there is a hidden hand of cards or similar element in the game.
LoveInPaint Creations Strictly solo games won’t have hidden info but sometimes coops will and it makes it hard to pretend not to know what’s in another player’s hand etc
I've found that Pathfinder the Adventure Card Game works well as a solo game...it's one of my favorite solo games but I do like Warhammer Quest also so it stinks that we aren't going to get any expansions
Nemo's War deserves all the props. Fantastic game. Here's hoping the new edition brings in a sub-load of new fans. I'd also recommend VPG's Cruel Necessity, which is set during the English Civil War. Other than Nemo, CN is probably my favourite 'specifically designed for one' solo game.
I've found Black Orchestra to work nicely for solo play. Also, have you ever played the very old school Barbarian Prince? Obviously wouldn't make the list as is today, but it was the granddaddy of solo dungeon crawls.
I've not. I've watched Marco's review of it. Seems like it would be a cool thing to update for today. Mage Knight is a bit complex for me to want to sit with for a few hours alone.
I like your choices, though there's a few I haven't tried (or seen before) in there. Have you tried Fortune & Glory, Assault on Doomrock, or Shadowrun Crossfire solo? I find those to be pretty enjoyable as well.
Wow great list Joel! Like you, and in many ways *because* of you, I went all in on Eldritch Horror and I'm *so* glad I did! I just want to ask how you handle all of the double sided cards (Unique Assets, Spells, and conditions) when you have to reshuffle the *entire* deck frequently? (and that means four or five stacks of cards!) I love the variety the expansions give you but I'd just like to streamline this process so I can play more games! I would really like some more info on Nemo's War, hopefully you'll do a review when it's re-released? I guess I got my answer about which you prefer between S.o.B. and Galaxy Defenders! I remember making my decision about which to get based on your response to that question back when you reviewed them both and I've been loving G.D. ever since! I see some real innovations with the Arkham Horror LCG but I agree that it's really too soon to make your list, now for the exclusions that surprised me: Mansions of Madness 2nd ed. and of course, MageKnight. Then again, you *do* have the funniest MageKnight video on the net and given what you've said, I understand. I just want to say that MageKnight is a game whose enjoyment is *directly* proportional to the amount of study you put into it. I think that's partly because of the way the game slowly shows it's true beauty once you "get to know it." as for Mansions of Madness maybe it's due to the newness of that game as well. I really liked what you said about Silver Tower maybe being better for you than Descent because of all the extras you can throw at it while not having much Descent. I think the more variety you have the better your experience will be. I love Descent, I'm just horrible at the game. Rules interpretations for one. I just need to play it more. I'm also curious what you think of Zombicide Black Plague. Again, great list, thanks for all the hard work. Now I'm going to go watch your "MageKnight in five seconds" video again because I could use a good cry for all the right reasons! : )
Haha! re: the Mage Knight video. I don't worry too much about perfectly shuffling all those double sided cards. If I get a condition for example, I just stick it at the bottom and grab randomly from the middle... and then just shuffle the deck every so often when I feel like it and want something to do with my hands while I think about the problem ahead. I did review the first edition of Nemo's War. The new edition won't change too much from that, but it does have some additions for sure.
The only game I've ever played solo is Mansions of Madness Second Edition, but listening to this video made me what to try WH Quest. But, since I'm invested in Brimtstone, I doubt I'll pick it up. I wonder how Gloomhaven will compare to the two....KDM looks great, but the art direction is not my style.
I know you didn't have it kicking around for that long, so maybe not, but how do you feel about KDM relative to Brimstone or Warhammer Quest from a solo perspective? Clearly, since you sold KDM that says something on your thoughts, but that does seem somewhat incongruent from what you were saying during the KDM review .. I assume further plays warded you off? Did your group not love it?
I believe I did state in the review that Brimstone still had our/my hearts, but it was a tough one, because KDM is arguably the better designed game than Brimstone. And both are arguably better designed than Silver Tower! But in terms of solo play, it's so easy to break out Silver Tower and have a great time with it.
Glad to see the COIN series in there. I haven't soloed Cuba Libre, but Andean Abyss is a fun solo. I would put KDM at the top of my solo games, because it has the campaign roleplay depth that Warhammer Quest ST lacked (and Warhammer Quest did not do well either if you ask me). Besides, I like the challenge of mitigating failure in KDM and trying to recover from guys dying.
Nice list...sounds like you really needed a top 15, since you mentioned Combat Commander (great game). Interesting choice for number 1. I've only played the 1st scenario, but really enjoyed it. Shadows of Brimstone was a YUUUUUGGGGEEEE disappointment for me. 1st and only time I played it was with 4 total, and the combat turned out to be so friggin' tedious that we all wanted to bail after about 30 minutes. I will give it another try one of these days, probably solo with 2 characters, or with 1 other person. BTW, have you tried Defenders of the Last Stand? It's Defenders of the Realms post-apocalyptic mad max cousin :)
Not yet. I gave it a shot some time ago. But there were some issue with the rules and productions that turned me off. I still need to get it back and give it another go. It seems like it should be great.
I would recommend Castellion. Beside the awful box design (in terms of practicality) it is one of those games that could be an app but still works with the tiles and even in coop.
It was my first review. They sort of fall in that same camp as Friday for me. Burned out on them after several plays, so they are kind of out of my mind. Certainly got my money's worth out of them though! Could be I'm just burned on that facet of the genre. Those games are all great though.
Thanks for the list, I didn't expect to see so many meaty games but I read afterwards in the comments you're burned out on many of the card games like onirim and such. So I wanted to point out Longsdale in Revolt (Oh My Goods expansion) but I won't. Oh wait, I just did anyway! :)
I think they will focus their efforts on the Arkham LCG moving forward. Would be cool to add some kind of Delve mode to that. But, I'm not sure it's built for it.
The original Star Wars Card game was actually a lot like the LOTR and Arkham card games, but they scrapped it for the competitive one. I still have no idea why they did this. I would be ALL OVER a Star Wars co-op card game.
You know. I enjoy that game, but have only played it (iirc) three times. It's OK. It just doesn't grab me like Defenders of the Realm or Eldritch Horror for that style of co-op. Gorgeous though!
I can see where those games that you mention might fill the same niche...fair enough. On a different note, I have toyed with getting into Shadows of Brimstone but the miniature horror stories always send me away. I am a veteran figure modeler/painter...are they really that badly designed that its an exercise in frustration?
Nice! I use to say that i don't like solo and especially co-op's (many times the same thing). I am a competitive player. For co-op's i usually need a traitor role, but it does not work in solo games. I like Onirim games and Imperial Settlers have been my cafe game. Still, i look at my collection and lately i have bought a lot of co-op games. Strange! :) For example I bought Mansions Of Madness thinking it might be nice solo game because there is app.
Ah... Silver Tower. I almost guessed it might be your number one game :) After i have Blood Bowl project over, i will start assemble and paint Silver Tower...
Those are fun miniatures. Only 3 pieces to assemble per miniature. And still there are a lot of details in them. Humans are a bit pain to paint with my skills, but Orcs were fun. Waaagh!
The Lord of the Rings LCG is undoubtedly my #1. I also enjoy playing solo Zombicide, Pandemic, Arkham Horror, Elder Sign and Space Hulk Death Angel. Still have to try Arkham Horror LCG and Robinson Crusoe (both in my wishlist). In the other hand, I hate the "beat your own record" solo versions of eurogames such as Agricola and Le Havre (pretty boring imo). Great video as always!
Interesting list! I don't necessarily agree with everything on it but it's definitely refreshing to see a solo list that doesn't include Mage Knight, Friday and the Oni-verse games.
fantastic list Joel! Robinson Crusoe is my #1 solo game. I just love the theme
Joel, this is my favorite video you have done so far. Well done and thank you.
último cigano verdadeiro Thank you!
can u do a top 10 solo games up to date?
I’ll think on it. Sounds like a good idea to me though.
I assumed that Descent or Mansions would have been on this with the app functionality. Agree 100% with Robinson Crusoe, love it either with friends or solo.
Ya Silver Tower kind of does all of that without the app (as I explained). I do think part of me is holding out for hope that the Imperial Assault app will have a kind of delve mode or something special to set it apart.
This one didn't make your list ... but I really enjoy "Nations" as a solo play ... I'm going to look deeper into the list that you created ... all of them look great.
Great list, thanks. I would have Mansions 2ed, Mage knight and Friday in there I think. It's interesting that you (and I do to) migrate towards dungeon crawly/dice chucker games for solo over euros with solo variants (caverna, Agricola, Vinhos, scythe etc.). I think I need a strong theme to keep my interest for a solo game.
Ya. I think I need that bit of randomness too, to keep it fresh and not so procedural.
I'm glad to hear that about Nemo's War. I backed the Kickstarter and I'm looking forward to the final result.
Nice list Joel. Have you tried any of the Hoplomachus games? Ricky Royal has it as his top solo, and it is in the top 5 for me. SoB and Myth are up there too, but can't argue with your choices.
Paul Aceto Haven't tried that series yet. Need to get around to looking at them.
Wow I was just looking into solo games and you post this haha.
Great list with great games.
Your number one is currently my favourite Co-op. I play solo a lot, but I find it hard to play this one solo. There are few events that are designed for 2 or more players (f.e. if players decide to wound one of them, they all get a reward), also I enjoyed quarrels with my son about who should use the purple 6 die.
Finally, the look on my son's face, when after dealing the final blow to the summoner, my Chieftain sworn allegiance to him...You won't get that in solo mode. (he played the Knight and wasn't happy that I've chosen this ending)
Usually I play games for the mechanics, but this one is all about the story and when I play solo I tend to skip all texts in italics.
Love the streamlined dice chucking/action selection of Silver Tower. Cool to hear you get into the theme of gameplay.
Joel, how do you feel about DVG's Leader series nowadays?
The only one I ever got into was Phantom Leader. Tried a couple others. I think I doubt my enjoyment beyond a sentimentality towards the theme. My grandfather was actually a munitions engineer in Vietnam.
WOOO HOOOO!!!!
SOLO LIST!!!!!
I sometimes feel us solo boardgamers are the most neglected group in the hobby but there's over 10,000 of us on Facebook who can't get a group together for one reason or another.
Anyway, thank you for doing this 😊
Sure thing. Glad you enjoyed!
I am curious if you have tried Terraforming Mars solo. I love playing that solo, and it is rare to run across a Euro style game with a very engrossing solo experience. At least it is for me.
Jackanapes7 I've not. I should give it a whirl as I do like Race for the Galaxy solo.
I really enjoy it. Unless you get insanely good, it is a race to terraform the planet by yourself in 14 generations, which isn't exactly easy. Plus, outside of trying to solve that puzzle each game, you get to use your corporations and build unique engines each game. I enjoy losses just as much as victories.
I am also anxiously awaiting my copy of Nemo's War. Great list, Joel! Thanks.
wow, very interesting... these solo lists are always very personal, hard to know what to expect
Great list, I'm a big fan of most games in this list and am now keen to try Nemo's War. I'm loving Silver Tower too :)
When you solo Cuba Libre, do you use the flow chart bots or just play all sides to the best of your abilities?
Both actually. If I feel like just playing it for a narrative sense, I will quadruple fist it, and just use the charts as a guide. Sometime the carts don't do the absolute perfect thing. But, if I want to try and "beat" the game, I'll stick to the charts.
Excellent video. I was not aware some of those games could be played solo. Thank you :-)
A couple favs of mine are Imperial Settlers (automata but super simplistic) and Friday (which you really can play on a plane).
Also enjoy Imperial Settlers solo.
Rael Dornfest I bought Friday for a plane ride & didn't end up playing it on that flight but good to know it will work on that tray.
Hey there! I just found your channel and have subscribed. This was a great video; what do you look for in solo games as opposed to co-ops?
Thanks! The main trick is hidden information. It's harder to solo (most of the time) if there is a hidden hand of cards or similar element in the game.
So you prefer solo games that don't have hidden elements?
LoveInPaint Creations Strictly solo games won’t have hidden info but sometimes coops will and it makes it hard to pretend not to know what’s in another player’s hand etc
I've found that Pathfinder the Adventure Card Game works well as a solo game...it's one of my favorite solo games but I do like Warhammer Quest also so it stinks that we aren't going to get any expansions
Nemo's War deserves all the props. Fantastic game. Here's hoping the new edition brings in a sub-load of new fans. I'd also recommend VPG's Cruel Necessity, which is set during the English Civil War. Other than Nemo, CN is probably my favourite 'specifically designed for one' solo game.
You know I tried that and just couldn't get into it. It felt a little too scripted for me, but everyone I've talked to... to a T, has loved it.
I've found Black Orchestra to work nicely for solo play. Also, have you ever played the very old school Barbarian Prince? Obviously wouldn't make the list as is today, but it was the granddaddy of solo dungeon crawls.
I've not. I've watched Marco's review of it. Seems like it would be a cool thing to update for today. Mage Knight is a bit complex for me to want to sit with for a few hours alone.
Great list!
I like your choices, though there's a few I haven't tried (or seen before) in there. Have you tried Fortune & Glory, Assault on Doomrock, or Shadowrun Crossfire solo? I find those to be pretty enjoyable as well.
I have not tried the first two. I do want to try Fortune & Glory. Seems fun. I didn't care for Shadowrun unfortunately :(
Wow great list Joel! Like you, and in many ways *because* of you, I went all in on Eldritch Horror and I'm *so* glad I did! I just want to ask how you handle all of the double sided cards (Unique Assets, Spells, and conditions) when you have to reshuffle the *entire* deck frequently? (and that means four or five stacks of cards!) I love the variety the expansions give you but I'd just like to streamline this process so I can play more games! I would really like some more info on Nemo's War, hopefully you'll do a review when it's re-released? I guess I got my answer about which you prefer between S.o.B. and Galaxy Defenders! I remember making my decision about which to get based on your response to that question back when you reviewed them both and I've been loving G.D. ever since! I see some real innovations with the Arkham Horror LCG but I agree that it's really too soon to make your list, now for the exclusions that surprised me: Mansions of Madness 2nd ed. and of course, MageKnight. Then again, you *do* have the funniest MageKnight video on the net and given what you've said, I understand. I just want to say that MageKnight is a game whose enjoyment is *directly* proportional to the amount of study you put into it. I think that's partly because of the way the game slowly shows it's true beauty once you "get to know it." as for Mansions of Madness maybe it's due to the newness of that game as well. I really liked what you said about Silver Tower maybe being better for you than Descent because of all the extras you can throw at it while not having much Descent. I think the more variety you have the better your experience will be. I love Descent, I'm just horrible at the game. Rules interpretations for one. I just need to play it more. I'm also curious what you think of Zombicide Black Plague. Again, great list, thanks for all the hard work. Now I'm going to go watch your "MageKnight in five seconds" video again because I could use a good cry for all the right reasons! : )
Haha! re: the Mage Knight video. I don't worry too much about perfectly shuffling all those double sided cards. If I get a condition for example, I just stick it at the bottom and grab randomly from the middle... and then just shuffle the deck every so often when I feel like it and want something to do with my hands while I think about the problem ahead.
I did review the first edition of Nemo's War. The new edition won't change too much from that, but it does have some additions for sure.
Can you do a top 5 or 10 of the best board game apps?
It's a couple years old and probably needs to be updated, but... :) th-cam.com/video/w0uzQMxtN4U/w-d-xo.html
The only game I've ever played solo is Mansions of Madness Second Edition, but listening to this video made me what to try WH Quest. But, since I'm invested in Brimtstone, I doubt I'll pick it up. I wonder how Gloomhaven will compare to the two....KDM looks great, but the art direction is not my style.
I know you didn't have it kicking around for that long, so maybe not, but how do you feel about KDM relative to Brimstone or Warhammer Quest from a solo perspective? Clearly, since you sold KDM that says something on your thoughts, but that does seem somewhat incongruent from what you were saying during the KDM review .. I assume further plays warded you off? Did your group not love it?
I believe I did state in the review that Brimstone still had our/my hearts, but it was a tough one, because KDM is arguably the better designed game than Brimstone. And both are arguably better designed than Silver Tower! But in terms of solo play, it's so easy to break out Silver Tower and have a great time with it.
I really wish the new Brimstone kickstarter project more clearly tied into the world - I really wanted to jump into it.
I hear you. It took me back at first, but it really grew on me.... "Cowboys... and Samurai.... and demons?!?! with magic!!!" Perfect :)
Glad to see the COIN series in there. I haven't soloed Cuba Libre, but Andean Abyss is a fun solo. I would put KDM at the top of my solo games, because it has the campaign roleplay depth that Warhammer Quest ST lacked (and Warhammer Quest did not do well either if you ask me). Besides, I like the challenge of mitigating failure in KDM and trying to recover from guys dying.
Ya KDM is great. I give Brimstone the edge for that style. I kind of expect most people would prefer KDM over Brimstone though :)
Nice list...sounds like you really needed a top 15, since you mentioned Combat Commander (great game). Interesting choice for number 1. I've only played the 1st scenario, but really enjoyed it. Shadows of Brimstone was a YUUUUUGGGGEEEE disappointment for me. 1st and only time I played it was with 4 total, and the combat turned out to be so friggin' tedious that we all wanted to bail after about 30 minutes. I will give it another try one of these days, probably solo with 2 characters, or with 1 other person. BTW, have you tried Defenders of the Last Stand? It's Defenders of the Realms post-apocalyptic mad max cousin :)
Not yet. I gave it a shot some time ago. But there were some issue with the rules and productions that turned me off. I still need to get it back and give it another go. It seems like it should be great.
I would recommend Castellion. Beside the awful box design (in terms of practicality) it is one of those games that could be an app but still works with the tiles and even in coop.
Ah. I should have mentioned those games in the Oniverse. I do enjoy those, just didn't make the list (barely).
I was quite surprised that nothing from the Oniverse made it. Since Onirim was your first ever review (right?), I thought it would be right up there.
It was my first review. They sort of fall in that same camp as Friday for me. Burned out on them after several plays, so they are kind of out of my mind. Certainly got my money's worth out of them though! Could be I'm just burned on that facet of the genre. Those games are all great though.
@toddhunter123 Why do you think the box design of Castellion is awful?
Thanks for the list, I didn't expect to see so many meaty games but I read afterwards in the comments you're burned out on many of the card games like onirim and such.
So I wanted to point out Longsdale in Revolt (Oh My Goods expansion) but I won't.
Oh wait, I just did anyway! :)
Cool. I'll look into that.
They need to retheme warhammer quest act. It's too valuable as a solo game to let die.
I think they will focus their efforts on the Arkham LCG moving forward. Would be cool to add some kind of Delve mode to that. But, I'm not sure it's built for it.
it'll for sure be Star Wars Quest, it's just a matter of when!
The original Star Wars Card game was actually a lot like the LOTR and Arkham card games, but they scrapped it for the competitive one. I still have no idea why they did this. I would be ALL OVER a Star Wars co-op card game.
Drive Thru Review we all would! I want to build a wookie deck :)
No love for Legends of Andor?...an awesome solo game!
You know. I enjoy that game, but have only played it (iirc) three times. It's OK. It just doesn't grab me like Defenders of the Realm or Eldritch Horror for that style of co-op. Gorgeous though!
I can see where those games that you mention might fill the same niche...fair enough. On a different note, I have toyed with getting into Shadows of Brimstone but the miniature horror stories always send me away. I am a veteran figure modeler/painter...are they really that badly designed that its an exercise in frustration?
Nice! I use to say that i don't like solo and especially co-op's (many times the same thing). I am a competitive player. For co-op's i usually need a traitor role, but it does not work in solo games. I like Onirim games and Imperial Settlers have been my cafe game.
Still, i look at my collection and lately i have bought a lot of co-op games. Strange! :) For example I bought Mansions Of Madness thinking it might be nice solo game because there is app.
Ah... Silver Tower. I almost guessed it might be your number one game :)
After i have Blood Bowl project over, i will start assemble and paint Silver Tower...
Good deal. Plan on painting up some Blood Bowl over the holidays.
Those are fun miniatures. Only 3 pieces to assemble per miniature. And still there are a lot of details in them. Humans are a bit pain to paint with my skills, but Orcs were fun. Waaagh!
Ya I assembled them all (and Skaven) already. Just need to finish painting up Deathwatch stuff first :)
Yeah, Cuba Libre.
The Lord of the Rings LCG is undoubtedly my #1.
I also enjoy playing solo Zombicide, Pandemic, Arkham Horror, Elder Sign and Space Hulk Death Angel.
Still have to try Arkham Horror LCG and Robinson Crusoe (both in my wishlist).
In the other hand, I hate the "beat your own record" solo versions of eurogames such as Agricola and Le Havre (pretty boring imo).
Great video as always!
'I hate the "beat your own record" solo versions' - you and me both. :-)
Mage Knight!!!!!! lol
I see the Gallerist behind you. Not a great solo game?
I don't usually go in for the Automata stuff for the solo experience. I miss the player interaction too much.
Id have to say my favorite solo games don't make your list. Mage Knight and the new Mansions of Madness. Great list though!
Thanks. Enjoy both of those as well. "Near misses" from the list for me.