I’ve been writing these solo gaming reports since March of 2020… but my solo gaming started a lot farther back than that – being a wargamer in the 1970s/80s meant that a lot of your collection only saw table time if you played against yourself – choosing actions and rolling dice for both sides of the conflict. There were some actual solo games (Chainsaw Warrior, Ambush!, Mosby’s Raiders, RAF, etc.) – but the new era of well-designed automata and solo modes for multiplayer games was still a decade or two away.

Solo gaming is now a decent-sized chunk of my gaming experiences – while I still play a lot of games with friends and family, nearly 24% of my gaming in the first eight months of 2024 was solo. For comparison, the yearly total for 2023 was 20%, 2022 was 22%, 2021 was 33%, 2020 was 19%, and 2019 was 6%.

So, what follows are my thoughts on the eighty-one (81!) different solo games I played in 2024 – ordered by the number of times I’ve played them. (Note: this is not necessarily how much I like a particular game for solo play – for example, I think Nemo’s War is an excellent solo game design but I didn’t play it at all in 2024. It’s also not a measure of how much I enjoy a game as a multi-player experience – another example: I think the solo mode for Rome & Roll is not very enjoyable – but I like it a lot as a 2-3 player game.)

Yes, it’s a ridiculously long post – you can read the whole thing OR you can simply use it as a guide for finding solo games you might be interested to try. I’m good either way.

Dimes

Wild Tiled West (13 plays – approx. playing time: 35 minutes)

Despite my enjoyment of Wild Tiled West, it didn’t end up on my Best New (to Me!) lists for 2024 because I’d played it originally in 2023 as a multi-player game. And that first play of Wild Tiled West was just OK – but when I found a deal for a copy, I went ahead and picked it up since I tend to like Paul Dennen’s designs. And it turns out that it’s a really sweet solo game… made even more playable with the excellent Dire Wolf Studios app and the solo campaign (which I’ve played through twice now).

New Frontiers (11 plays – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)

The Starry Rift expansion for Tom Lehmann’s board game in the Race for the Galaxy universe utilizes a similar solo system to Tom’s Jump Drive – where solo players must complete a variety of goals over multiple games to win the campaign. I’ve tried the simplest campaign four times: twice on “short” mode (1 win & 1 loss) and twice on “long” mode (I lost both times). It sounds like a lot (4 games in order to get a “win”?!), but in practice the games move quickly and it’s an easy game to reset.

Nickels

Dune: Imperium (8 plays – approx. playing time: 70 minutes)

Much like Lost Ruins of Arnak, Dune: Imperium blends deck-building and worker placement to evoke the feel of the novels/film in an incredibly playable format. Particularly for solo players, the solo deck works like a charm – and Dire Wolf also posted a free app to automate the solo process.

The addition of the Rise of Ix & Immortality expansions just adds to the fun – I like the new variety of cards and technologies… and it feels like the AI is even stronger with this mix of choices. (It’s possible I’m understating my case here – I’ve only beat the AI once with both expansions in.)

Let’s Go To Japan (8 plays – approx. playing time: 35 minutes)

The production of the game is top-notch… the artwork is gorgeous… and it has actually has the solo play to match those. It’s “just” a drafting game – but when playing solo, the things you don’t choose are being fed to your opponent, the rival travel agent. (Dale wrote a really great preview/review of this game that convinced me to back it on Kickstarter.)

Path of Civilization (8 plays – approx. playing time: 45 minutes)

I’m a sucker for civilization building games – and this one has an intriguing mechanic where you continually are getting rid of earlier “technology” cards in order to progress forward. Path of Civilization works very well both with 2-5 players and and as a solo game. The first time we set up the game was a lot of effort – but once you’ve done the work of putting things together in a logical manner, it’s pretty easy to do. The rulebook felt heavier than the rules actually are – the game itself is very straightforward (and interesting) after you’ve learned it. There is a lot of variety in the various challenge and battle cards, as well as the various leaders and wonders that appear.

The solo system is surprisingly effective, esp. once you progress beyond the basic level by increasing the difficulty and/or using the “tougher” side of the five possible opponents.

Terraforming Mars (8 plays – approx. playing time: 75 minutes)

With the release of the new material, Terraforming Mars has hit the table more this summer. I’m really impressed with the Automa created by Nick Shaw & Dávid Turczi – with relatively low overhead, it feels like fighting another player for control of the planet. (I’m still enjoying the 3D Big Box bits – there’s just something magical about cities & terrain rising from the Martian surface!)

Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale (7 plays – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)

An incredibly pleasant flip’n’write game that works like a charm as a solo game… and will also work well as a “over Facetime/Zoom” game if you use the solo rules for monster attacks. The Skills mini-expansion adds another level of decision-making that works well. I’m glad Cartographers is in my collection… adding a set of colored pencils makes my maps look even better!

I’ll also throw in kind words for the Heroes stand-alone expansion & the six new map packs… they add some variety to the game without overly complicating the system. (The purchase of the empty big box in order store all of my base games and expansions solved one of my main issues with the game – how to keep it all together.)

Finally, there’s a great iOS app for Cartographers – which I’ve played a bunch of times this year (but don’t count in my games played list) and an equally great BGA implementation.

A Gentle Rain (6 plays – approx. playing time: 15 minutes)

A beautifully produced solo tile-laying game that does exactly what it sets out to do – create a zen-like peaceful experience while giving your brain a puzzle-y challenge.

Dead Reckoning (6 plays – approx. playing time: 100 minutes)

For a game with this many interactive elements, Dead Reckoning manages to make the solo mode work and work well. Each time I play, I’m fascinated by the balance between the various victory pathways and the variety in the system.

But as much as I enjoyed the base game solo, I’m infinitely more jazzed about playing it with the Saga and Sea Dog expansions… the addition of a campaign mode for solo play coupled with the constant drip of story elements meant I had a two week Dead Reckoning festival on my gaming table last fall.

This year, I worked my way through the second Saga expansion (victory, sweet victory!) and am looking forward to adding in the third expansion in 2025 – hopefully before the 4th expansion lands later this year.

Lost Ruins of Arnak (6 plays – approx. playing time: 45 minutes)

My pick for Kennerspiel in 2021 was this fantastic multiplayer game of adventure… chock full with a myriad of pathways to win. The solo module (included in the base game) works like a charm.

This spring, I played through The Missing Expedition expansion – which has a solo (or 2 player co-op) campaign that expands the original print’n’play solo campaign to six games. It’s excellent… even though I failed at the end.

Minigolf Designer (6 plays – approx. playing time: 35 minutes)

In a multiplayer game, tiles are drafted in a similar manner to Kingdomino… while in the solo game, the player picks two tiles and places one of them. Both the solo game and the multiplayer game are fun – they are slightly heavier than Carcassonne with a greater variety of scoring decisions.

There’s now a mini-expansion (Putt of No Return) to the game that adds new tiles, better artwork cards(!), and double layer boards for tracking par… and a second expansion, Minigolf Empire, that adds a campaign element to the game. (I particularly like the news cards from Empire, which can be used when playing non-campaign games as well.)

If you want to know more, I wrote a glowing review of Minigolf Designer back in 2021 for the OG.

Pirates of Maracaibo (6 plays – approx. playing time: 40 minutes)

The first time I saw Alexander Pfister’s Maracaibo played, it took a crew of dedicated heavy gamers 4+ hours to finish. (They all loved it – but it was, well, “a lot”.) So, rather than invest in the physical game, I picked up the iPad app and played multiple games against the AI. It was, still, “a lot”.

So I was hopeful that Pirates of Maracaibo would be a little more manageable. What I didn’t expect is that it would have all of the stuff I liked about the original game with all of the churn surgically removed. What’s left is a tight and enjoyable game that entranced my son (who tried multiple heavy Pfister games I love – Great Western Trail, CloudAge, Skymines – and pronounced them “your kind of games, Dad”) and has been a blast for me to play against the solo bot.

Stonespine Architects (6 plays – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)

Your job is to build a dungeon and populate it with monsters, traps, treasure, and a sensible network of tunnels. The game is pretty portable and doesn’t eat too much table space, so it’s a good choice when I’m on the road for work.

I wrote an article about the drafting system used here (and the ones in Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig & NEOM) that you might enjoy.

Final Girl (5 plays – approx. playing time: 40 minutes)

My younger son is a big fan of Final Girl – which takes the base system of Hostage Negotiator and adds layers of variety and theme. (We are breathlessly waiting for the Season 3 box to come our way.)

However, Final Girl takes up a decent amount of shelf space in his dorm room – so it stays here at home with me. That made it possible to get five plays in this year. Despite my dislike for horror/slasher films, this solo game system is incredibly well-designed and does a great job of mixing playability & story-telling.

Jump Drive (5 plays – approx. playing time: 25 minutes)

Jump Drive is the quickest member of the Race for the Galaxy family of games and certainly the most self-contained… so I was somewhat surprised to hear that designer Tom Lehmann had created an expansion. Thankfully, no games were harmed in the making of this expansion.

Tom managed to add start worlds and goals to Jump Drive (along with a few more cards to make it playable by 5 players)… and in one of the classier moves I’ve seen in a while, brought in the gentleman on BGG (Eric Kaminsky) who’d designed a solo campaign system for the game and used it!

The solo system works brilliantly, btw – so far, I’ve managed to beat the first four campaigns but am stymied by the fifth. (Campaigns consist of 4 games – which explains the longer playing time noted above.)

I reviewed the original game – sans expansion – here on the OG. There’s also an excellent implementation of it on BoardGameArena.

NEOM (5 plays – approx. playing time: 25 minutes)

I love this multi-player game that mixes city-building and 7 Wonders-ish drafting… and the solo game manages to capture most of that feeling through the clever use of “packets” of tiles. I typically play 2-3 games of this at a shot… since once you’ve got it laid out, it’s easy to reset and try again. I’ve defaulted to play NEOM with all the tiles in, which offers more variety and some interesting decisions since you know that you can (sometimes) wait for the tile you need.

Interestingly, I read that Neom is the name of a planned city/community being built (very slowly) in Saudi Arabia. (It’s an interesting internet rabbit hole to dive down.)

Pioneer Rails (5 plays – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)

A clever flip’n’write from OG writer Jeff Allers (and Matthew Dunstan – another designer I quite like) that actually does some nice things both with rail-building and with poker. The solo challenges in this game ramp up well – you can experiment to find the appropriate level of difficulty for you.

River Valley Glassworks (5 plays – approx. playing time: 20 minutes)

River Valley Glassworks has some of the same feel as Azul (draped in an Everdell costume) but the scoring is more interesting. It’s short (the longest game we’ve played landed at about 25 minutes) and yet still offers interesting decisions.

And each of the player boards is backed by a different solo opponent – the first couple are fun but not particularly difficult to beat. The rest of them are not that easy… and that’s a good thing.

The Artemis Project (5 plays – approx. playing time: 35 minutes)

A six round engine builder of settling Europa (the ice moon of Jupiter)… it’s primarily a dice placement game that is reminiscent of Jeff Allers’ Order of the Gilded Compass/Alea iacta est games – only with more random events and sci-fi theme… that received a “glow up” from an expansion & 2nd edition printing that fixed some issues with the original game board & rules. The solo version is solid – with the random events changing the challenge of the game. I’m not sure the expansion is worth the hassle for solo play – but I like what it does with multi-player games.

Twilight Inscription (5 plays – approx. playing time: 60 minutes)

There are issues with this roll’n’write homage to one of the classic table-eating 4X games (Twilight Imperium)… the four boards (per player!) are awfully busy and sometimes difficult to read, the symbology is easy to obscure with orange chalk pens in the game, and the order of the event cards can sometimes doom your strategic choices. With that said, I’ve actually enjoyed this more as a solo game than as a multi-player.

I’m working to get tokens printed to track the odd symbols which can be used on other boards – that should help alleviate some of the confusion of what you can/cannot still do with symbols you’ve earned.

Four on the Floor (or Table)

52 Realms: Adventures (4 plays – approx. playing time: 20 minutes)

The VERY recent release from the good folks at Postmark Games doesn’t use dice – instead, it employs a deck of standard playing cards to act as items, loot, equipment, monsters, and wounds. There are two dungeons and four characters already available for 52 Realms – it’s well worth your $6 to pick up and print yourself a copy.

Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig (4 plays – approx. playing time: 60 minutes)

I’m a big fan of Castles of Mad King Ludwig… but for solo play in that castle-building world, I definitely prefer Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig. The challenges are similar to the “parent” game – though the scoring is more complicated. That complication makes the solo version more interesting and enjoyable.

Distilled (4 plays – approx. playing time: 40 minutes)

My #1 new (to me) game of 2024 is also an excellent solo game. All of the standard bits of the multiplayer game are still there – drafting/buying ingredients & equipment, distilling your spirits, bottling and selling it – but instead of simply creating a “beat your previous” solo element, the design/development team came up with three decks of goals you have to complete to score a win. Traversing the goal layout and making decisions to build a distillery to meet those goals raises this terrific game up a notch in my solo play repertoire.

Note: All of the solo plays of Distilled occurred in the last 35 days of 2024, as that is when my BGG Secret Santa sent me the game!

Second note: yes, it’s weird (and a little funny) that a non-drinker like me likes this game about making alcoholic beverages so much. Then again, I also love Memoir ’44 – and I have zero desire to fight in a war or own a gun, so there’s that.

Fantastic Factories (4 plays – approx. playing time: 20 minutes)

This was a game flea market pickup – and despite multiple plays, I’m not sure that solo is the best way to approach this simple game system. It’s got a nice dice/resource mechanism at the heart of the game, though – so I’m hoping to get it to the table with multiple players soon.

Scribbly Gum (4 plays – approx. playing time: 15 minutes)

Cute little game roll’n’write game from the Postmark team and Phil Walker-Harding. Dale did a nice writeup of Scribbly Gum earlier this year.

Xia: Legends of a Drift System (4 plays – approx. playing time: 120 minutes)

Xia is a sprawling nutty over-the-top wonderful mess of a space exploration/trade/piracy game… and the system for solo play is very enjoyable. It’s not for the faint of heart – a full 20 point game can last 2-2.5 hours for solo play & cover most of my gaming table with pieces & cards. (I think it’s much better solo than the similar Star Wars: Outer Rim – and much more open world than Outer Rim.)

Late in 2021, I started the solo campaign… and I’m having a blast with it. So far, I’ve accomplished 6 of the 10 objectives and still have a positive score… but I’m guessing it will take another 6+ games for me to finish the campaign. I’m totally up for that. (2 of my games late this year were dangerously close to finishing a seventh objective… but to no avail.)

Three is a Magic Number

Ancient Knowledge (3 plays – approx. 35 minutes)

Ancient Knowledge was one of the games that I enjoyed from last year – and this year they published the Heritage expansion. There are really two major reasons to own this well-done expansion: first, if you play with four players (which you’ll notice is not recommended by a lot of BGG users), it adds more cards to the technology piles. Second (and more important – at least to me) is that it offers two different solo systems to play Ancient Knowledge: a way to play one-off games and a way to play a campaign. The solo system is simple to administer and lets you marinate in the puzzle of saving the knowledge of your decaying civilization.

I’m just starting a Heritage campaign after playing 3 Challenge solo games… I’ll let you know what happens in 2025!

Ark Nova (3 plays – approx. playing time: 90 minutes)

There’s a reason so many people are nuts about this zoo-building game – it’s really that good. And, as you can probably guess by my number of solo plays last year, Ark Nova is an excellent solo game.

The solo design forces you to win the game (get your Conservation & Appeal markers to cross) before time runs out – so you can set your difficulty by where you start your Appeal marker. 20 was too easy – 10 is a good medium range challenge, and 5 is kicking my butt (but I’m getting closer).

I’ve had great experiences playing this game solo, with 2 players, and with 3 players… and my solo games with the Marine Worlds expansion was very enjoyable. With the plethora of cards in the base game, it’s always a question if “more stuff” will actually be better for the game… and, to their credit, the Marine Worlds expansion adds interesting decisions without gumming up the works of the original game. I particularly like the improved action card draft, which nudges players in new (and often different) directions.

Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters (3 plays – approx. 15 minutes)

I pulled this Kinderspiel-winning game out to take pictures of it for my top 100 games on my personal blog… and ended up playing a game solo.

Then, thanks to a friend who read that post, I was sent a copy of the OOP Creepy Cellar expansion… so of course I had to try that a couple of times as well.

Still one of the best family co-op games out there.

Imperium: Classics/Legends/Horizons (3 plays – approx. playing time: 85 minutes)

I’m slowly working my way through the avalanche of new content in the stand-alone Horizons box… and while I love the innovations with the Trade module, it turns out I’m not very good at leading civilizations with it in the game. I do appreciate the improved quality components, the solo “bot” cards, and the updated rulebook.

Want more detail about the game system? I wrote an extensive review for the OG!

Lockup: A Roll Player Tale (3 plays – approx. playing time: 50 minutes)

You’d think that a game with bluffing as a primary element wouldn’t work as a solo… and I was just as surprised as you are to find out that was incorrect. While I think Lockup is stronger as a multi-player game, the solo game is enjoyable.

And, as much as I like the base game, I think for gamers the expansion adds another layer that’s worth the extra effort.

Monumental (3 plays – approx. playing time: 60 minutes)

Here’s what I wrote last year in responding to my first couple of plays of the game: “Monumental mixes deck building, tableau manipulation, board play, and combat – and, to my surprise, actually has a really solid solo mode that is easy to execute and leaves the focus of the game on what your civilization is doing rather than running the automata.  However, it’s a pretty substantial set-up time (30 minutes or so, particularly if you’re using some of the expansion content or extra modules)… so you need to be someone (like me!) who enjoys the process of getting the game ready to go.”

The extensive setup time has kept it from getting more solo plays.

Roll Player Adventures (3 plays – approx. playing time: 75 minutes)

Yes, it’s an epic series of D&D-like adventures in a “choose your own story” mode… but there’s more to it than that. The system uses some simple mechanisms to track what you’ve done and how that will affect return visits to the same location. As well, the skill test/combat system involves actual decisions and brain power.

I’d highly recommend it for solo play – or for two player. (My son & I started a two player campaign and are enjoying it immensely… but that campaign sidelined solo play for me for most of the year.)

Voidfall (3 plays – approx. playing time: 2 hours 30 minutes)

Normally, I’d balk at a game with a non-random combat system and intertwined mechanisms – but the theme of defeating the Voidborn is so tightly woven into the design & flow of the game that I find myself lost in the world and the puzzle of trying to expand my civilization’s capabilities whilst fending off the encroachment of mind-altering evil. 

The game comes with a myriad of player factions and stunning gorgeous production – as well being fully playable as a solo (the way I have been playing), cooperative, and competitive game.

The team here at the OG had a great conversation about Voidfall.

Waypoints (3 plays – approx. playing time: 25 minutes)

Another very creative roll’n’write game from Postmark Games… this time using topographical maps and a hiking theme. As I’ve done with other games from this company, I’ve laminated my copies of the Waypoints boards so I can take them whenever I travel. (BTW, the 2nd map – a desert national park – has some unique challenges.)

It Takes Two

Dawn of Ulos (2 plays – approx. playing time: 60 minutes)

Set in the earliest days of the Roll Player universe, this is actually a nicely produced homage to Acquire… albeit one with fantasy theming, special powers, and a workable solo play system. (The emphasis is on workable – I think the game is stronger as a multiplayer.)

Dune: Imperium – Uprising (2 plays – approx. playing time: 75 minutes)

For players of Dune: Imperium, a lot of this is going to feel very familiar – but there are enough interesting twists (particularly the use of spies and the rejiggered board configuration) to make it a new-ish experience. I haven’t tried yet, but this new version of the base game is compatible with the Rise of Ix and Immortality expansions.

Era: Medieval Age (2 plays – approx. playing time: 45 minutes)

I found an incredible deal on this Matt Leacock 3D design (and the expansion) a few years back… and didn’t really think about the solo mode until it arrived. It’s actually a lot of fun – and it’s just stinkin’ cool to build your city, especially when you add the rivers and roads.

Everdell (2 plays – approx. playing time: 50 minutes)

Based on the recommendations of others (esp. fellow OGer Chris Wray), I splurged on the Everdell Complete Collection without ever having played the game. There are two solo modes: Rugwort (which is mildly entertaining) and Mistwood (Nightweave & her spider crew) that really shines. I’ve barely scratched the surface of the personalities, plans, and plots available in the expansion.

BTW, Chris posted a weeks worth of Everdell reviews that are a great read if you’re interested. (These reviews pre-date the newest expansions, New Leaf & Mistwood.)

FateFlip: Washed Ashore (2 plays – approx. playing time: 20 minutes)

A choose-your-own-adventure solo card game in a single deck… there was more variety in the design and possible endings than I thought there would be.

In the Ashes (2 plays – approx. playing time: 60 minutes)

I’m currently working on playing through this solo book-based adventure. It has elements of both Gloomhaven (the fighting system) and Legacy of Dragonholt (the way the game “remembers” things you’ve done) but contained in a single hard-bound book.

As I get further into the story, I plan on writing a review for the OG.

Keep the Heroes Out! (2 plays – approx. playing time: 60 minutes)

Sadly, the good ideas behind this cooperative game are buried underneath a complicated flowchart system to run the boss.

Roll Player (2 plays – approx. playing time: 60 minutes)

The Monsters & Minions expansion and/or Fiends & Familiars expansion are required for enjoyable solo play. (In fact, I think this is one of the “required” expansions for multiplayer play as well… it offers more variety and more options for players on their turn. Most importantly, it gives the game an ending via fighting the big boss that is much more satisfying than “hey, look – I built a character”.)

SAS Rogue Regiment (2 plays – approx. playing time: 45 minutes)

Another game I’m working on a review for… this is a solo or cooperative game of WW2 secret operations. The team attempts to quickly & quietly accomplish their mission – but inevitably the guards are alerted and all heck breaks loose.

While the rulebook is complete, it is eccentrically organized, which has made finding important details tricky.

Small City: Deluxe Edition (2 plays – approx. playing time: 70 minutes)

This very pretty reprint is billed as SimCity as a board game – and since I’m a sucker for city-building games, I dove in. It’s surprisingly crunchy – very easy to make a mistake that dooms your game – but shorter than it looks at first glance.

I keep thinking about it and the puzzle of doing it well – which is a good sign. The hardest part is that the rules are counter-intuitive for some buildings, so getting up to speed each time is part of the learning curve.

Finding a good way to store the game (and the expansions) definitely will assist you in getting this to the table. (I found a really well-designed 3D printable insert.)

Undaunted: Normandy (2 plays – approx. playing time: 40 minutes)

One of the last Christmas boxes to arrive in 2021 was a copy of Undaunted: Reinforcements… the expansion that offers extra units, new scenarios, 2 vs 2 play, and – most importantly for this recap – solo play. The AI is smart and keeps me on my toes… and while it takes a minute to figure out how to set up and run, it’s worth the time. I’ve been slowly working my way through the Normandy campaign as the Americans and enjoying each time it hits the table. (One of the bonuses of the design: I can flip to the Axis side and play through the campaign again – both come in the Reinforcements box!)

The AI plays “faster” than we have normally played (in other words, it chases objectives and unit elimination pretty hard)… which has forced me to take more chances and ‘fail boldly’ against it. Makes for a very exciting game.

I want desperately to play Undaunted: Stalingrad (released in 2022)… but the lack of a solo option and no consistent opponent may have that one wait a while – but I did pick up a copy when it was on sale, so I’m ready.

Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game (2 plays – approx. playing time: 120 minutes)

I’m a sucker for zoo building games – and this is flat-out the most like a computer zoo-sim of any I’ve played. That means it has a bit of a rules overhead (at least getting started) and some fiddly bits when you’re tracking the progress of your species – but it makes up for it with interesting (and tricky!) decisions and gorgeous components.

I’ve played the solo mode from the box once and a “two player” game with me playing both sides. At first blush, the solo system seems a little punishing… I may need to tweak the difficulty. That said, I’m really looking forward to playing it again!

One Is the Loneliest Number

Adulthood (1 play – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)

Yet another take on the classic “The Game of Life” genre. Solid design with great illustrations – but the draft display has a tendency to clog in solo play.

Aqua ROVE: Results-Oriented Versatile Explorer (1 play – approx. playing time: 15 minutes)

This small solo card game/puzzle fell completely flat for me… your mileage may vary.

Aquamarine (1 play – approx. playing time: 15 minutes)

The second print’n’play roll’n’write (could I possibly use more apostrophes in this sentence?!) from Postmark Games… I find it a little less brain-burning than Voyages and great fun to play. It is – to some extent – a tile-laying game as you track your dive adventure.

I laminated my copy of this game – and I carry the Aquamarine boards (plus the Voyages & Waypoints boards) in my laptop case along with three d6 and a dry erase pen so I can play pretty much wherever I go.

And there are now FOUR boards to play… each which offers some nice twists.

Bad Company (1 play – approx. playing time: 25 minutes)

This nifty game of planning heists and escaping the police with your gang of thieves & getaway drivers feels like it takes the best parts of Space Base and makes a better game of it. What surprised me is how well Bad Company works as a solo game since part of the design appeal is that it is enjoyable with up to 6 players.

Boonlake (1 play – approx. playing time: 70 minutes)

Boonlake is not a difficult game once you wrap your head around it… but it’s not a game that’s particularly easy to learn from the rulebook. I played my first solo game as a two player game, playing both sides to make sure I had the rules worked out in my head.

Since then, I’ve played it using the solo rules – which are even trickier to get right than the base game rules. There are some eccentric bits in the AIs engine which absolutely make sense in order to simulate a two player game – but are difficult to remember and caused me to spend the first couple of solo games flipping through the solo rules.

That said, it’s a solid solo game with intriguing gameplay. I’m a fan of the game as a solo or 2 player – but I’m not sure I want to bring it to the table with more than that.

My one play this year was with the new Artifacts expansion… which adds some more complications but also gives you more game space to explore.

Clank! Catacombs (1 play – approx. playing time: 45 minutes)

The newest entry in the very successful Clank-i-verse involves a modular board, a totally new deck of cards, and some interesting twists (freeing prisoners, using lockpicks, etc.). It’s been a wild success with my sons and with other folks as a new take on “standard” Clank!… and I appreciate that the rules even include ways to integrate the Adventuring Party expansion into the game.

As usual, Dire Wolf has done a splendid job of supporting the game with a well-written app-driven solo game. Since I received the Lairs expansion for Christmas, I’m hoping the app updates to support it for solo campaigns as well.

Demon Extermination (1 play – approx. playing time: 25 minutes)

Demon Extermination is a rough translation of the Japanese name of this game… and it’s a solo trick-taking game that I had the privilege to learn at an invitational gathering early in 2024. It’s probably impossible to find… but the mechanic at the heart of the game is a nifty idea.

Doggerland (1 play – approx. playing time: 90 minutes)

I know, I know… the cover and game description evoke a vibe suspiciously like the classic Euro game, Stone Age. While it shares thematic elements (prehistoric tribal life) and mechanisms (collecting food & other resources), Doggerland contains no dice (whoa!) and has a much less abstracted process of utilizing the various stuff you’re hoarding. Additionally, the play space “expands” as you send tribe members out to gather and hunt – and “contracts” as spaces are exhausted when you’ve used up all the resources available there.

The production job here is top-notch… but the solo goals are pretty brutal/difficult. I want to try it again on an easier setting.

Eleven: Football Manager Board Game (1 play – approx. playing time: 90 minutes)

While there are some tricky parts (understanding how/when to flip jerseys, for example), the game itself works like a charm and is great fun to play, especially if you are (like myself) a fan of Premier League soccer. Match play is important – but Eleven is much bigger than winning matches… it’s actually an economic/management game.

Since the game this re-design was based on (Club Stories) was a solo game, it is not a surprise that this works splendidly for a single player. However, I wouldn’t suggest trying to throw all of the expansions in at one time – that’s my single play for this year and it was a bit much. (I do plan on mixing the international players into the regular deck for more variety moving forward… but ditching the airline/recruiting mechanic.)

Empyreal: Spells & Steam (1 play – approx. playing time: 45 minutes)

Another used copy find… at half price. So, based on some immutable law of game collecting, that should mean I like it twice as much, right?

Well, it’s actually a pretty brilliant design – my younger son & I have enjoyed a number of two player games of it. The blend of pick up & deliver and network building combined with some really wacky special powers works very well – and the very nice production makes it even more playable.

The solo mode – which I’ve only played once – works as well, but I’m more likely to use the solo bot to add an extra player to our 2 player games.

Everdell Duo (1 play – approx. playing time: 45 minutes)

This smaller & much more portable version of Everdell (I own the complete box, which can double as a canoe or small apartment if you empty it out) works both as a solo/cooperative game or as a competitive game. Some of the typical limits in Everdell are gone but they’re replaced by others… so my first game was a bit disorienting. I’m looking forward to trying again.

Excavation Earth (1 play – approx. playing time: 90 minutes)

I’m still not sure what to think about Excavation Earth – I like the interlocking mechanics in the game, but sometimes I feel like it’s playing me as much as I’m playing it. My play earlier this spring helped me attitude, though – and not just because I found a cheap copy of the Second Wave expansion. Being able to see everything clearly spread out on the table makes the game much more playable… and enabled me to figure out some of the connection points.

It’s not for everyone – but I’m glad I own it.

G.I. Joe Deck-Building Game (1 play – approx. playing time: 45 minutes)

A cooperative deckbuilder with some fun references to the classic character and animated show… but not enough there (at least in the base box) to bring me back for a second play.

Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs (1 play – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)

Thanks to BasementCon, I played through a couple of adventures at the beginning of Buttons & Bugs – and I quite enjoyed the stripped-down version of Gloomhaven. This would be an awesome travel copy of a dungeon crawl – it easily fits in a corner of a suitcase and doesn’t need extra stuff.

Great Western Trail: New Zealand (1 play – approx. playing time: 90 minutes)

In what was a common theme for last year, I found another game that I really enjoyed that I was – based on my previous experience – pretty sure I would dislike. (Non-solo games that fit this category included Red Dragon Inn & Zombicide 2nd Edition.)

I avoided playing the original Great Western Trail for a long time – even though I really enjoyed some of Pfister’s designs. My first play was very good – but I just didn’t see who I could get to play it with me.

The new versions being released piqued my interest – but not enough to pull the trigger until GWT: New Zealand… and boy howdy, I’m glad it did. There are a number of changes to the base game – though the basics are still the same. It’s as if they took GWT and the Rails to the North expansion, smushed them together, added some clever twists to “loosen” the game up a bit, and then did a better job with the graphics than the previous versions.

The solo AI is very solid and incredibly easy to administer – though not always easy to beat.

Koala Rescue Club (1 play – approx. playing time: 20 minutes)

Another family-friendly roll’n’write from the folks at Postmark Games & Phil Walker-Harding.

Kronologic: Paris 1920 (1 play – approx. playing time: 35 minutes)

I am completely the wrong person to review these kind of deduction/logic games – while I love detective stories and can appreciate the craft that goes into building a game like this, my brain shorts out quickly and I end up flailing about as if I’m the guy from Memento who needs to tattoo stuff on body so he doesn’t forget it.

Magic Maze Tower (1 play – approx. playing time: 30minutes)

It’s more difficult versions of the puzzles from the classic real-time silent game (Magic Maze), but without the timer. For solo play, it’s just solving the puzzles, so not much oomph to my early games

Mice & Mystics (1 play – approx. playing time: 75 minutes)

Yet another nearly untouched used copy for bargain prices meant this thematic adventure game entered my collection. I really enjoyed my single play last year and want to keep my Mice & Mystics campaign going… but I have to be in the right mood for it, so it doesn’t come out as often as it deserves.

Mosaic: A Story of Civilization (1 play – approx. playing time: 100 minutes)

I’ve immensely enjoyed both my multiplayer and my solo plays of this 90-120 minute civilization building game. There isn’t a direct combat system in the basic game – as your primary objective is influence across the various countries of the Mediterranean.

The solo bot (by noted solo mode designer, David Turczi) can be adjusted for difficulty and for “personality” – which means I’ve won some of my games and lost others… but I’ve always had a wonderful time. 

I am frustrated that Forbidden Games is not currently planning to update the automata to include the expansion components – and I’ve made my frustration known both on BGG and in reaching out to the company. There is a fan-made variant that is functional – I’ve only played it twice and enjoyed it – but I do wish the company had followed through.

Mr. President: The American Presidency (1 play – approx. playing time: 400 minutes)

I wrote an extensive first impression/preview of this massive solo game for the Opinionated Gamers site – it is essentially a solo roleplaying game for political nerds… and I definitely qualify. (My one play this year involved staving off scandal and keeping China from provoking all kinds of badness.)

This is a table-eater of the first order… and it’s NEVER a short play – but if you’re the right person, it’s completely worth it.

Nations: the Dice Game (1 play – approx. playing time: 35 minutes)

I’d rather play this with more players… but the solo game works well. If I didn’t have a number of better options (see above and below), this would hit the solo table more often.

Paper App Dungeon (1 play – approx. playing time: 20 minutes)

Possibly the least successful solo game I played this year – too much randomness. My “character” felt like a pinball bouncing around off bumpers rather than an adventurer doing adventure-y things.

PARKS (1 play – approx. playing time: 50 minutes)

The addition of the two expansions makes this a much more enjoyable solo game – more choices and tactical decisions to make. The high-quality production is a bonus as well.

Port Royal: The Dice Game (1 play – approx. playing time: 40 minutes)

A single playthrough with multiple “players” in order to figure out the rules – not a solo game per se.

Quadropolis (1 play – approx. playing time: 60 minutes)

There really isn’t an official solo variant – I was just playing multiple sides to learn the game and figure out how it works.

Rolling Realms Redux (1 play – approx. playing time: 35 minutes)

Lots of folks love the Rolling Realms system and the game-themed expansions… it wasn’t my cup of tea but Dale’s a big fan (so you should read his review rather watch me virtually shrug my shoulders.)

Runemasters (1 play – approx. playing time: 35 minutes)

This is a tower defense cooperative game with limited amount of special powers. Actions are dice activated and re-rolls are somewhat limited. (Things got dicey down near the end of my solo play, but I managed to pull out a win on the easiest level.)

Slappy Panda Goes to Boise (1 play – approx. playing time: 5 minutes)

OK, you got me. There isn’t a game named Slappy Panda Goes To Boise… but there should be.

The OG writers have the most interesting discussions as we’re bantering about various gaming topics – and when this name went by (in jest), I realized that I really wanted someone to design such a game.

I’m also a bit curious of who will spot this bit of meta silliness in the midst of all of my real solo gaming reports.

Update (late 2023): after putting Slappy Panda into play back in May 2023, there were extended discussions about the solo version (Lonely Panda Goes to Boise), a potential designer for the suggested solo version (David Turczi, of course), and then a bit of crossing our fingers to hope that the Slappy Pandas could be a civilization in the upcoming Imperium: Horizons.

I wanted to add a picture of Slappy Panda to this article – but there isn’t one. I am willing to take potential submissions.

Update to the update (January 2025): Slappy Panda took a break for 2024… but since all great games get an expansion, I’m pleased announce that my (non-existent) game company is considering both Slappy Panda Goes To Boise via Catapult and Slappy Panda Legacy.

Snowcrest (1 play – approx. playing time: 50 minutes)

3×3 tableau building, mixed with resource management… and with stunning production values. I really need to play it again with multiple players – the solo game of Snowcrest uses a timer system that changes the dynamic of how you play.

SpaceCorp: 2025-2300 AD (1 play – approx. playing time: 120 minutes)

Fascinating multi-stage (including multiple boards and card decks) game of space exploration. It works really well as a solo design – I need to get it back to the table soon.

Spectacular (1 play – approx. playing time: 45 minutes)

Typically, I’m a big fan of zoo-building/animal habitat games. This one was solid but not particularly compelling. (Note: my opinion is an outlier – lots of folks really like Spectacular.)

The Guild of Merchant Explorers (1 play – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)

This extremely clever flip’n’write doesn’t actually contain any writing – instead, you place explorers (cubes) on your map and by completing regions, place village buildings. At the end of each round, all of your explorers are removed from the board, but your villages stay to give you new starting places.

There are four different maps in the original Guild of Merchant Explorers box, with 2 more maps available as an expansion from AEG. It’s been a hit with everyone I’ve taught it to… and I find it relaxing and enjoyable to play as a solo game.

The Taverns of Tiefenthal (1 play – approx. playing time: 60 minutes)

This is NOT a solo game… but I set it up & played multiple player spots to see who all the extra stuff from the expansion would work. (It works great, btw.)

Tranquility: The Ascent (1 play – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)

Cooperative tableau building game. Nothing wrong with it – but not my thing. More puzzle than game.

Tucana Builders (1 play – approx. playing time: 30 minutes)

Tucana Builders feels more like Take It Easy crossed with Trails of Tucana… there’s definitely a real push-your-luck element here. The solo requirement of completing 2 randomly determined objectives can vary the difficulty of the game widely – but it’s short enough that I don’t mind.

• Picture at the top of the article…
  • Top row: Path of Civilization, Ark Nova, Mr. President, River Valley Glassworks
  • Second row: Small City, Runemasters, Wild Tiled West, Final Girl
  • Third row: Undaunted 2200: Callisto, Mosaic, Voidfall, Monumental
  • Bottom row: Xia: Legends of a Drift System, Let’s Go To Japan, Tucana Builders, Terraforming Mars

I received review copies of Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig, Doggerland, In the Ashes, Koala Rescue Club, Monumental, SAS Rogue Regiment, Scribbly Gum, and Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game.