• Designer: Jinhee Han and HaeYo
• Artist: Pasio
• Publishers: Self-published and Best with 1 Games
• Players: 1
• Time: 30-60 minutes

I don’t often play solo games but every now and then one comes along that I cannot resist. Dieson was released 2 years ago at TGM but it has just recently become more available in a reprint from Best with 1 Games. I believe there was also a PnP version. Dieson Crusoe as you might suspect is themed around being stranded on a deserted island that uses dice. The game comes with several increasingly difficult quests to complete in which you must survive hunger, weather and wild beasts! 

The game comes with 2 cloth boards, wooden tokens, cards and dice. Players track their position on the map board and also the number of days that have passed. Quest turns are limited to a certain number of days. The other board tracks (resources such as health, stone, wood etc.), weather, and the action rondels. You choose a character to start with that determines your life and any bonuses and you may choose a “friend” to help you along the way.

The quests usually require the player to move to a certain area of the map and craft a certain item before the time limit runs out.

Each day the player has 3 dice to choose from different actions. Players organize the die in ascending order and use the lowest number on the event rondel in the morning. This moves the meeple on the event track and the event is resolved. 

In the afternoon, each die may be used to travel, craft or use the action rondel which allows players to gather resources, hunt and build shelter. The rondel also allows players to rest and regain health. The number of pips also corresponds to a number of stars, with higher numbers being better. More stars are needed for increased difficulty of actions.

Players pick the order to play the dice. The die used will then be placed in slots that determine the effects of weather and if wild animals will attack in the evening. As the game progresses it gets more difficult to avoid this. Players may lose food, shelter or life with these events.

Players win if they complete the quest by the last day and lose if they run out of life or fail the quest.

I don’t often have time to play solo games right now, so I prefer time compact games-so to speak-a lot of game in a short time. My other favorite solo games are Black Sonata and Under Falling Skies. There are no shortages of solo games with a Crusoe theme, but this is my favorite so far. I find Dieson Crusoe to have a challenging decision tree and fun. Using the dice requires strategy and a bit of luck to win and there are ways to mitigate your rolls. I like the way to adjust the difficulty of the game and the variety of different characters and “friends” you can bring along on your island stay. I also appreciate the relatively small table footprint making it great for travel (although sadly, I don’t think it would work on a plane).

Thoughts from other Opinionated Gamers:

I Love It: Lorna

I Like It:

Neutral:

Not for Me: