For Slay the Spire - you can start on a different act. So let's say you only have time for one act - start on act 3. If you have time for 2 acts, start on act 2.
@@TheTintinjb Iirc, it was 5+ hours. I chose to play a number of the more complex spirits and one lower difficulty one. The mental strain of maintaining and remembering EVERYTHING on top of trying to create synergies was brutal. One and done.
This was SUPER useful, Alex! As a board game geek outside the US, I rely a lot on reviews and playthrough videos etc to see if I like the look of certain games before I buy/crowdfund. I find you particularly good at analysing the best player count a game shines at... you've mentioned multiple games good at solo that I assumed were 2+ only due to packaging labels and/or description info being sparse or hard to access about this by publishers sometimes. Also - thank you for your detail in the kind of strategy needed in the game and even if a game isnt your favourite - you always are able to find what was good/better/best about it and/or what it is similar to (if it is simply too derivitive of another game people moght own or be adding to their list). Many of us international customers have to buy in bulk to get shipping deals so we have to build lists of multiple games so are constantly reserching in case those games hit a sale or good second hand or are part of a good shipping multi-game deal etc. THE most useful has been games that can be played solo that may or may not be listed as such. I do have a board game partner but theyre no where near as obsessed, and abstract strategy/deduction/spatial puzzle (polyominos etc) are my fav, but not necessarily theirs. So, keep up the series if you can - tons of us out here need it! ❤
I really like Marvel United cooperative, but I’m starting to prefer it solo a little bit. 3 handed solo and the new commander solo mode with just 1 hero are great
Thanks for the video! It's always great to hear other people's opinions on their solo board gaming habits. Do you plan to try Skytear Horde: Monoliths?
Thank you, great list and I can relate to most of the choices. Think Marvel Champions plays really well at 2. Spirit Island works well even for large player counts and we have played up to 6 players. A friend even experienced an 8 player win during a local Con. Love the discussions. Slay the Spire gained so much through adding co-operation and scalability. Think 2-3 players are perfect. Such great discussions. Also StS allows to start at later Acts (table in the rules). We typically manage two acts on working day evenings (2-3 hrs) but we are getting faster the more we play. This currently advanced to my favourite deck builder to play with friends :D
I come to the realization that I am also an alpha playerin coops, I always find it a very fine line between trying to give ideas on what to do to pull stuff off and not lose vs biting my lip cause it might be bordering on controlling, but accoring to others I step over that line often when I dont mean to. So thats why I generally play coop games solo, dont want to piss off other people not wanting to play with me, and I want to play it the way I think it should be played. The occasional time I do play coop with others now, I try to bite my lip as much as I can. Im actually playing through kindom rush with my wife, and she got mad at me cause she said she just felt like i was being to controlling, so I had to tone it down. Also with solo, I can 'Save Scum' / rollback / change outcomes however much I want :p I think only one I differ with you on the list, is TMB. I do prefer to play with others over solo.
Marvel United is my most played Solo-Game - not in solo mode but either 3 or 4 handed. And I'm completely with you on the "why" question - because I'm the Alpha-Player of my group - not by choice but rather by the fact that everyone turns to me and asks for advice. And I also try to not give specific advice but to rather point in a more general direction to make it more fun for me. MU is easy enough to handle a certain ammount of chaos and still come out on top of it without giving to much advice. Where my group gets worse is Marvel Zombies - I haven't won a single game with my group where my win rate when I play it solo with 4 heroes is somewhere in the 80% range. I still prefer MZ with a group because the game itself can throw a lot of unpredictable chaos at us, but I break it out every now and then alone to get a sense of 'Oh this is how winning feels like'.
Although I’m on Chapter 14 of a co-op game with my gf, I also really enjoy Oathsworn solo (I replayed some early missions by myself with 2 fulls and 2 companions.) It’s fun to control the entire battle as solitaire
I am kind of curious your thoughts on Alpha gamering vs discussing strategy together (teamwork). There can certainly be a fine line if you find yourself giving more of the strategic advice than others in those discussions. I may also be a closet Alpha gamer.
Though I would like to try Spirit Island with others at least once that one is clearly a solo game to me. It is the very essence of AP turned into a board game and with solo play you can take as little or as long as you want on any decisions without bothering anybody.
I have the video game Slay the Spire which I enjoy. If I were to buy the game it would be to play two handed solo- it would be fun to control the Silent and the Defect. You get that sometimes from the mix of cards in a daily run, but you never get to control two characters at once.
Great list. I enjoy Ares Expedition better for solo as well. Spirit Island is one I am not sure if I prefer solo or 2 player. My wife and I just got done playing Assassin's Creed 2 players and it was great for us. I also prefer Calico solo.
Hello Alex. I want go into the zombicide and in my land, marvel are in a good price the box 1 and the xmen resistence do you thinking that is a good solo game?
My favorite solo ganes that are actually designed as solo games are: Call to Adventure Wyrmspan Everdell Sagrada Isle of Cats and Arcana Rising. But tbh I have homebrewed rules for solo play for so many games like Zombicide Black Plague, Champions of Midgard, Art Society, Villainous, Astra, Taverns of Teifenthal, Stone Age, etc, that at this point, I thiiiiink I could play just about any game solo and enjoy it more that way, too.
Personally I also really like the StS board game solo. It is different enough from the video game that I wouldn't say the digital version is better or worse solo, and it is nice to be able to check the limits of a deck. Digital doesn't let you add an extra fight against Time Eater if you have a deck that plays a lot of cards per turn and you want to see how it would play out, or similar boss or elite tests. It can also be interesting to play out a fight as a best of 3 if you came out of it feeling like you got very lucky or unlucky in your draw.
I find I prefer most campaign games (Kingdom Death, Frosthaven, Darkest Dungeon, will soon try 7th Citadel) solo, and I also feel they are the most different in terms of how they feel solo vs with a group. Vaguely related question since it came up in the video, did you have any plans to continue the Tanares Adventures playthrough?
What about Rurik Dawn of Kiev ? I remember you were saying how much you love that game solo (I also think it would be nice to bring up that game because it finally gets a reprint)
I'd say for Spirit Island 2p-3p are amazing and I'd have a hard time deciding between 4p and 1p for which I prefer below that. I need to try more 2p Marvel Champions but so far I've mostly played it solo (and mostly true solo). I don't like controlling multiple characters most of the time and 2p (although quite longer) gives way to so many fun dynamics.
Where did you get the Scarlet Witch shirt? Yeah, due to my entire family not being into board games I have to consider solo play out the gate with new games. Raiders of Scythia is probably my favorite game with multiplayer that can be played solo-the turns can be super fast and unless I’m playing someone else that has played the game a good bit, my ADD brain can’t handle waiting.
I believe the shirt’s from TeeTurtle, and I agree with you! I also have a family that isn’t into board games, solo mode is a major consideration for me when buying new games.
Gloomhaven/Frosthaven is better solo because they're easier to table and you end up with no downtime - while playing them with partners (online or face to face) involved downtime while they make decisions. It also frustrates when other people make big decisions that work to your detriment. I'd also add Marvel Zombies. The thematic elements of it make it a different experience for me than normal Zombidice - which thrives on dice chucking with friends. MZ has those thematic elements that ask for a more cohesive approach - and make it best as solo for me.
For me Slay the Spire only really starts to shine (over the app) at 3+ players. I've played both the board game and app a ton, for 1 player your far and away better just playing on the app. My main issues with 2 player: 1) If one person starts getting a really good deck going the other player can start feeling redundant. with 3+ players things tend to get average out more so theres less of a gap. 2) Your encouraged to have a more balanced build with lower player counts to cover all bases. With 3+ you can lean into wierd builds or being more of a team player, for instance focusing on skills that help protect others. 3) With 2 players the optimal plays can be more obvious which may make the game less interesting for some. With 3+ there just seems to be more frequent fun discussions happening, which for me is the main draw of board game over the app.
Because it’s easy enough to follow solo while being able to visualize the senarios. I love to try and recreate my favorite comic issues. Even if you have to house rule certain boss teamups.
I know people are going to come at me here in this comment section but I'm just going to say it: ... I really think Alex Radcliffe is the new Tom Vasel I know some of you might get triggered but to me that's how it is :)
I agree! I thought I was the only person that finds Tom too black and white in his analysis? He either seem to love or hate a game upfront and that very quickly colours the rest of the review where you stop getting useful info and just get "i did/didnt like this" but not an analysis about WHY. Info like: rules are too punishing, not enough choice, too much choice (analysis paralysis), game offers solo but it's tacked on/not fleshed out, game offers up to 4 but is truly better at lower counts. Info like this is CRUCIAL when either comparing games or making lists to try games or kickstsrt them or go berserk in a black Friday sale etc. Alex seems to be able to analyse the good/better/best of multiple aspects of games and is able to compare the different kinds of strategy (EXTREMELY useful if you know the type of games you are trying to collect - or you might be trying to avoid 😂). The best part to me is he's good at saying the best player count where he thinks the game works best. This REALLY helps solo players look at games that aren't traditionally marked for 1+ player!
even though im playing slay the spire on steam as i watch this. I 'hate' it. it is mind-numbingly boring and i play it as a fidget spinner more than trying to beat it. it is pure deck builder, but with is massively swingy and obviously loaded decks (never get the build you really want). Spirit island would be my #1
Slay The Spire? Are you serious? The cooperative aspect is what makes this game even better than the computer game. But as solo it's better to play the computer game. Marvel Champions is also way better as a 2P than 1P game, similarly to LOTR LCG.
Well the community of solo players would vastly disagree with you. It is the top rated game for solo players. It’s okay if it’s not a game for you, but just because you don’t like it Joe, doesn’t mean it isn’t good solo.
love solo content. keep it coming :)
Pandemic, Zombicide, Forbidden Desert, Forbidden Island, ...
Like hearing thoughts for games that aren't brand new. Also, Solo is important to me.
For Slay the Spire - you can start on a different act. So let's say you only have time for one act - start on act 3. If you have time for 2 acts, start on act 2.
As a mad lad that played Spirit Island solo 6-handed, I suggest NEVER doing it. 😵💫 Solo 3-handed is excellent though.
Never went over two. How long did the game last? That was a feat.
@@TheTintinjb Iirc, it was 5+ hours. I chose to play a number of the more complex spirits and one lower difficulty one. The mental strain of maintaining and remembering EVERYTHING on top of trying to create synergies was brutal. One and done.
Mage knight, set a watch, dungeon universalis, hexplore it, waste knight, warfighter, kanvan ev, aliens bughunt, city of kings...
How bad is HEXplore it at 3 or 4?
@@bcantui Kind of long. four is definitely a no go for me.
This was SUPER useful, Alex! As a board game geek outside the US, I rely a lot on reviews and playthrough videos etc to see if I like the look of certain games before I buy/crowdfund. I find you particularly good at analysing the best player count a game shines at... you've mentioned multiple games good at solo that I assumed were 2+ only due to packaging labels and/or description info being sparse or hard to access about this by publishers sometimes.
Also - thank you for your detail in the kind of strategy needed in the game and even if a game isnt your favourite - you always are able to find what was good/better/best about it and/or what it is similar to (if it is simply too derivitive of another game people moght own or be adding to their list).
Many of us international customers have to buy in bulk to get shipping deals so we have to build lists of multiple games so are constantly reserching in case those games hit a sale or good second hand or are part of a good shipping multi-game deal etc.
THE most useful has been games that can be played solo that may or may not be listed as such. I do have a board game partner but theyre no where near as obsessed, and abstract strategy/deduction/spatial puzzle (polyominos etc) are my fav, but not necessarily theirs. So, keep up the series if you can - tons of us out here need it! ❤
I really like Marvel United cooperative, but I’m starting to prefer it solo a little bit. 3 handed solo and the new commander solo mode with just 1 hero are great
3 handed solo is my favorite way to play Marvel United
Thanks for the video! It's always great to hear other people's opinions on their solo board gaming habits. Do you plan to try Skytear Horde: Monoliths?
Thank you, great list and I can relate to most of the choices. Think Marvel Champions plays really well at 2. Spirit Island works well even for large player counts and we have played up to 6 players. A friend even experienced an 8 player win during a local Con. Love the discussions.
Slay the Spire gained so much through adding co-operation and scalability. Think 2-3 players are perfect. Such great discussions.
Also StS allows to start at later Acts (table in the rules). We typically manage two acts on working day evenings (2-3 hrs) but we are getting faster the more we play. This currently advanced to my favourite deck builder to play with friends :D
I come to the realization that I am also an alpha playerin coops, I always find it a very fine line between trying to give ideas on what to do to pull stuff off and not lose vs biting my lip cause it might be bordering on controlling, but accoring to others I step over that line often when I dont mean to. So thats why I generally play coop games solo, dont want to piss off other people not wanting to play with me, and I want to play it the way I think it should be played. The occasional time I do play coop with others now, I try to bite my lip as much as I can.
Im actually playing through kindom rush with my wife, and she got mad at me cause she said she just felt like i was being to controlling, so I had to tone it down.
Also with solo, I can 'Save Scum' / rollback / change outcomes however much I want :p
I think only one I differ with you on the list, is TMB. I do prefer to play with others over solo.
Marvel United is my most played Solo-Game - not in solo mode but either 3 or 4 handed. And I'm completely with you on the "why" question - because I'm the Alpha-Player of my group - not by choice but rather by the fact that everyone turns to me and asks for advice. And I also try to not give specific advice but to rather point in a more general direction to make it more fun for me. MU is easy enough to handle a certain ammount of chaos and still come out on top of it without giving to much advice. Where my group gets worse is Marvel Zombies - I haven't won a single game with my group where my win rate when I play it solo with 4 heroes is somewhere in the 80% range. I still prefer MZ with a group because the game itself can throw a lot of unpredictable chaos at us, but I break it out every now and then alone to get a sense of 'Oh this is how winning feels like'.
Although I’m on Chapter 14 of a co-op game with my gf, I also really enjoy Oathsworn solo (I replayed some early missions by myself with 2 fulls and 2 companions.) It’s fun to control the entire battle as solitaire
I am kind of curious your thoughts on Alpha gamering vs discussing strategy together (teamwork). There can certainly be a fine line if you find yourself giving more of the strategic advice than others in those discussions. I may also be a closet Alpha gamer.
Though I would like to try Spirit Island with others at least once that one is clearly a solo game to me. It is the very essence of AP turned into a board game and with solo play you can take as little or as long as you want on any decisions without bothering anybody.
I love Slay The Spire on the pc so much I got the board game for power outages, lol its been great so far - very glad I backed it
I have the video game Slay the Spire which I enjoy. If I were to buy the game it would be to play two handed solo- it would be fun to control the Silent and the Defect. You get that sometimes from the mix of cards in a daily run, but you never get to control two characters at once.
Great list. I enjoy Ares Expedition better for solo as well. Spirit Island is one I am not sure if I prefer solo or 2 player. My wife and I just got done playing Assassin's Creed 2 players and it was great for us. I also prefer Calico solo.
Ares Expedition is the one that was unexpected.
3:33 Hey Alex,
What do you think about the upcoming Knitting Circles - A Calico Game?
Hello Alex. I want go into the zombicide and in my land, marvel are in a good price the box 1 and the xmen resistence do you thinking that is a good solo game?
My favorite solo ganes that are actually designed as solo games are:
Call to Adventure
Wyrmspan
Everdell
Sagrada
Isle of Cats
and Arcana Rising.
But tbh I have homebrewed rules for solo play for so many games like Zombicide Black Plague, Champions of Midgard, Art Society, Villainous, Astra, Taverns of Teifenthal, Stone Age, etc, that at this point, I thiiiiink I could play just about any game solo and enjoy it more that way, too.
Great Video.
I heard that the main reason to play the Slay the Spire board game is because you can play with multiple players. For solo you can just use the app!
Personally I also really like the StS board game solo. It is different enough from the video game that I wouldn't say the digital version is better or worse solo, and it is nice to be able to check the limits of a deck. Digital doesn't let you add an extra fight against Time Eater if you have a deck that plays a lot of cards per turn and you want to see how it would play out, or similar boss or elite tests. It can also be interesting to play out a fight as a best of 3 if you came out of it feeling like you got very lucky or unlucky in your draw.
I find I prefer most campaign games (Kingdom Death, Frosthaven, Darkest Dungeon, will soon try 7th Citadel) solo, and I also feel they are the most different in terms of how they feel solo vs with a group. Vaguely related question since it came up in the video, did you have any plans to continue the Tanares Adventures playthrough?
What about Rurik Dawn of Kiev ? I remember you were saying how much you love that game solo (I also think it would be nice to bring up that game because it finally gets a reprint)
I'd say for Spirit Island 2p-3p are amazing and I'd have a hard time deciding between 4p and 1p for which I prefer below that.
I need to try more 2p Marvel Champions but so far I've mostly played it solo (and mostly true solo). I don't like controlling multiple characters most of the time and 2p (although quite longer) gives way to so many fun dynamics.
Where did you get the Scarlet Witch shirt?
Yeah, due to my entire family not being into board games I have to consider solo play out the gate with new games. Raiders of Scythia is probably my favorite game with multiplayer that can be played solo-the turns can be super fast and unless I’m playing someone else that has played the game a good bit, my ADD brain can’t handle waiting.
I believe the shirt’s from TeeTurtle, and I agree with you! I also have a family that isn’t into board games, solo mode is a major consideration for me when buying new games.
Oww wow surprised SI you prefer solo, also have you played with expansions already? 😊
Gloomhaven/Frosthaven is better solo because they're easier to table and you end up with no downtime - while playing them with partners (online or face to face) involved downtime while they make decisions. It also frustrates when other people make big decisions that work to your detriment.
I'd also add Marvel Zombies. The thematic elements of it make it a different experience for me than normal Zombidice - which thrives on dice chucking with friends. MZ has those thematic elements that ask for a more cohesive approach - and make it best as solo for me.
For me Slay the Spire only really starts to shine (over the app) at 3+ players. I've played both the board game and app a ton, for 1 player your far and away better just playing on the app. My main issues with 2 player:
1) If one person starts getting a really good deck going the other player can start feeling redundant. with 3+ players things tend to get average out more so theres less of a gap.
2) Your encouraged to have a more balanced build with lower player counts to cover all bases. With 3+ you can lean into wierd builds or being more of a team player, for instance focusing on skills that help protect others.
3) With 2 players the optimal plays can be more obvious which may make the game less interesting for some. With 3+ there just seems to be more frequent fun discussions happening, which for me is the main draw of board game over the app.
Loving your series. You should do one for 2 player games/ones you love to play with your wife.
She prefers to stay behind the scenes from now on...
@@defleshedbuttocks why?
For me marvel champions, marvel united, arkham horror lcg.❤ also like to play zombicide and cthulhu death may die solo 😊 more solo content please
So far I love playing groups. The only game I much prefer solo then with friends is marvel United.
Because it’s easy enough to follow solo while being able to visualize the senarios.
I love to try and recreate my favorite comic issues. Even if you have to house rule certain boss teamups.
I’d rather play video games solo. I board game when I’m with family and friends
I've only played Spirit Island with two more friends. We've yet to lose. 😊
woot, Burncycle!!
My choices:
Horrified (for the highest difficulty/challenge)
Mission Catastrophe
Keep the Heroes Out
Illiterati
The Marvel's: United/Champions/Zombies
amazing content....Alex for Secretary of State
Those are ten games that I would not want to play at any player count. But I can understand why you prefer them solo.
do you play them all at once Alex? very ambitious...
Not bad. : D Not bad at all.
Unsettled
Yes!
I know people are going to come at me here in this comment section but I'm just going to say it: ... I really think Alex Radcliffe is the new Tom Vasel
I know some of you might get triggered but to me that's how it is :)
I agree! I thought I was the only person that finds Tom too black and white in his analysis? He either seem to love or hate a game upfront and that very quickly colours the rest of the review where you stop getting useful info and just get "i did/didnt like this" but not an analysis about WHY. Info like: rules are too punishing, not enough choice, too much choice (analysis paralysis), game offers solo but it's tacked on/not fleshed out, game offers up to 4 but is truly better at lower counts. Info like this is CRUCIAL when either comparing games or making lists to try games or kickstsrt them or go berserk in a black Friday sale etc.
Alex seems to be able to analyse the good/better/best of multiple aspects of games and is able to compare the different kinds of strategy (EXTREMELY useful if you know the type of games you are trying to collect - or you might be trying to avoid 😂).
The best part to me is he's good at saying the best player count where he thinks the game works best. This REALLY helps solo players look at games that aren't traditionally marked for 1+ player!
Distilled for me.
Oooh, interesting choice :)
this is how I play Vital lacerda games, I dont want to teach them, lol
I can relate. I played CO2 solo several times and never attempted to play it multiplayer
Whaaat Spirit Island Multiplayer is so much better! Its my favorite solo game as well though 😊😅
Aeons End
Imo almost all coop games are really just solo games.
even though im playing slay the spire on steam as i watch this. I 'hate' it. it is mind-numbingly boring and i play it as a fidget spinner more than trying to beat it. it is pure deck builder, but with is massively swingy and obviously loaded decks (never get the build you really want). Spirit island would be my #1
So you play Assassins Creed solo... so you can save scum 😂
Lol at least you’re aware you have alpha player tendencies, some people don’t even realize what they’re doing.
Slay The Spire? Are you serious? The cooperative aspect is what makes this game even better than the computer game. But as solo it's better to play the computer game. Marvel Champions is also way better as a 2P than 1P game, similarly to LOTR LCG.
Spirit Island isn't that good solo.
Lol what? It's been #1 solo for last couple years in bgg.
Well the community of solo players would vastly disagree with you. It is the top rated game for solo players.
It’s okay if it’s not a game for you, but just because you don’t like it Joe, doesn’t mean it isn’t good solo.
Imperium classics legends and horizons
It's good solo. Just way better multiplayer.