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Recommend a SOLO board/card game - thanks!

J

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
I am about 1.5 years into a D&D campaign with friends and loving it to death.

Most of the enjoyment comes out of the interactions with friends, and even though it's hard for 6 busy adults to meet we still manage to put together a night a month for it.

However, in the weeks between playing I get a real itch to roll some dice or move some minis around. I don't have any other friends who will play board/card games so I was thinking of picking up something I can play solo.


Mage Knight - seems amazing - almost exactly what i want - but very tough to set up / understand?

Lord of the Rings: LCG - seems too 'busy' with pre-game deck building, which I'm not too fond of. also seems to be OOP? i do love LotR, though.

Elder Signs - seems awesome, but also OOP? how often do these get made again?

Netrunner - i know this is MP, but i saw a solo variant. kind of seems like a waste to get a core set just for solo variant some guy made.
Click to expand...


What else is good? I want genres like fantasy, sci fi, cyberpunk, horror... not interested in real life war or anything too light hearted.

Thanks!
 
D

Draxal

Member
jon bones said:
I am about 1.5 years into a D&D campaign with friends and loving it to death.

Most of the enjoyment comes out of the interactions with friends, and even though it's hard for 6 busy adults to meet we still manage to put together a night a month for it.

However, in the weeks between playing I get a real itch to roll some dice or move some minis around. I don't have any other friends who will play board/card games so I was thinking of picking up something I can play solo.





What else is good? I want genres like fantasy, sci fi, cyberpunk, horror... not interested in real life war or anything too light hearted.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Arkham Horror LCG.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1383528

Its more refined version of LoTR LCG, and compares favorable to Elder Souls. There is some deckbuilding, but most people can build the decks for you, and there's alot less stuff to collect than LoTR LCG due to it being a way younger game.
 
V

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
That LOTR game is legit. Try it if you like the franchise.

That being said with the rise of digital versions of things I find it easier to just play something competitive online vs trying to go solo as there isn't much out there comparatively speaking.
 
J

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
soxinthebox said:
Culdcept Revolt just came out for 3DS and looks interesting. Described as a mix of Fortune Street x Magic the Gathering.
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Wrestlemania said:
Superhot
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not interested in anything digital

Plumpbiscuit said:
Tomb Raider Collectible Card Game. 1 - 4 players (can be done solo) and there is a conversion of it on Tabletop Simulator.
Click to expand...


thanks will check it out but seems too old to find

Moobabe said:
You can play Arkham Horror solo - I haven't, though
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thanks - Arkham Horror looks super dope. is it a variant solo game or does it play out of the box solo?
 
S

super-famicom

Member
jon bones said:
not interested in anything digital
Click to expand...

A Superhot solo card game was recently published, that is what we were talking about

superhot1.jpg
 
J

Joe Shlabotnik

Banned
jon bones said:
not interested in anything digital




thanks will check it out but seems too old to find



thanks - Arkham Horror looks super dope. is it a variant solo game or does it play out of the box solo?
Click to expand...

It is out of the box solo or co-op. The rules scale per number of investigators.

The major difference is that you’d need to build your deck differently for one investigator to handle most situations on their own. But since it’s co-op you can easily play “two-handed” as well.
 
J

Joe Shlabotnik

Banned
Also if you don’t mind it being kind of pricey, check out the 7th Continent reprint on Kickstarter, it ends in a week or so. Reprint ships in March, 2nd edition next October.
 
J

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
B

Briarios

Member
Gloom of Kilforth is a cool fantasy game that can be played solo - amazing art. The first printing sold out immediately, so they're on Kickstarter to reprint it with some small expansions:

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...a-fantasy-quest-game-expansions?ref=discovery

If you can find Nemo's War -- that's a great solo board game.

Mage Knight plays well solo if you're looking for a big fantasy game.

Edit:

Almost forgot Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island and The Lord of the Rings LCG -- both a great
 
A

Alex Connolly

Member
Pick up Space Hulk: Death Angel. Watch a tute vid, because the manual is shite.

Top notch. Otherwise, see Decision Games' solo mini games, Phobos Rising and Ceres. Good little sci-fi efforts.
 
A

Archtreyz

Member
Pathfinder: Adventure Card Game. Great deck builder with plenty of expansions that can be done solo as well.

I also enjoy the Resident Evil Deck Builder but it's kind of obtuse sometimes.
 
B

Briarios

Member
Elder Sign is pretty easy to find -- I saw it at my local game store this week, and CoolStuff has it in stock: https://www.coolstuffinc.com/p/137050

Mage Knight is complex in a good way, but definitely consideration if you want to stay away from that.

LotR LCG isn't THAT fiddly setting up your decks, because you just start with the core set -- so, you don't have many cards to work with ... then you add one expansion to play that story, and you have a few more cards. So, it grows pretty organically without being overwhelming, because you know what you want to use. But, like most games played solo, it's really a puzzle, your deck is your built solution to the story.
 
M

mazillion

Member
Try out Guild of Dungeoneering . It seems like i'd be right up your alley, it's basically a card game and a board game combined into one. It's a fantastic game and perfect for solo play. It's also available on mobile.
 
J

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
Briarios said:
Elder Sign is pretty easy to find -- I saw it at my local game store this week, and CoolStuff has it in stock: https://www.coolstuffinc.com/p/137050

Mage Knight is complex in a good way, but definitely consideration if you want to stay away from that.

LotR LCG isn't THAT fiddly setting up your decks, because you just start with the core set -- so, you don't have many cards to work with ... then you add one expansion to play that story, and you have a few more cards. So, it grows pretty organically without being overwhelming, because you know what you want to use. But, like most games played solo, it's really a puzzle, your deck is your built solution to the story.
Click to expand...

thanks - it might sound counter to what most solo games are but i was hoping for something 'story' based if that makes sense. not necessarily something you puzzle out, but something replayable where emergent stories get created through a playthrough.

i don't know if this exists

Archtreyz said:
Pathfinder: Adventure Card Game. Great deck builder with plenty of expansions that can be done solo as well.
Click to expand...

this is one i am considering checking out when the iPhone X drops as the mobile adaptation seems very good

MilkyJoe said:
Heroquest :eek:D
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oh man i always wanted that as a kid
 
K

Karkador

Banned
Hostage Negotiator is a 1P only game, just came out with a reprint. You play against a variety of different hostage takers, trying to free hostages and capture them before too many die or the villain escapes. It has an interesting mix of card and dice gameplay, and it's relatively inexpensive for the base game (there are lots of expansions).


The Oniverse series of 1P games (Onirim, Urbion, Sylvion, Nautilion, and Castellion), each game does something different. Most people like Onirim for its simplicity. I personally like Sylvion the most, as it's maybe the deepest game in the series, with some good "Plants vs Zombies" style of gameplay. The cool thing about these releases is that they come with a number of expansions and variants in the box.


Pandemic is always good for a bigger board game that plays well 1P, without a lot of extra setup needed. You need to play as two players minimum, but keeping both hands open on the table is easily doable.
 
B

Briarios

Member
jon bones said:
thanks - it might sound counter to what most solo games are but i was hoping for something 'story' based if that makes sense. not necessarily something you puzzle out, but something replayable where emergent stories get created through a playthrough.

i don't know if this exists



this is one i am considering checking out when the iPhone X drops as the mobile adaptation seems very good



oh man i always wanted that as a kid
Click to expand...

When you're playing solo, it's always a puzzle, it's just how the puzzle gets colored lol In LotR, there is definitely a story -- you and there are branching paths. If you're looking for more emergent stories from what you're playing, probably Mage Knight or Gloom of Kilforth would be good bets. Here's a bit about a solo session, which a lot of people love because of the narrative your actions create: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1855821/gloom-kilforth-session-report-perspective-soloist
 
K

Karkador

Banned
jon bones said:
thanks - it might sound counter to what most solo games are but i was hoping for something 'story' based if that makes sense. not necessarily something you puzzle out, but something replayable where emergent stories get created through a playthrough.
Click to expand...

Any solo game is pretty much gonna be a puzzle, but maybe you'd be more interested in something like Robinson Crusoe. I also hear Nemo's War is good. Both of these are considerably pricier, though.
 
C

Cindres

Vied for a tag related to cocks, so here it is.
I might have to check out Arkham if there are more decks out there. I played LOTR but haven;'t picked it up in a while because I'm crap at the deck building and have no real interest in getting better at it. I love the gameplay though so it's a real shame (really just wanted to do the sagas)
 
J

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
Briarios said:
When you're playing solo, it's always a puzzle, it's just how the puzzle gets colored lol In LotR, there is definitely a story -- you and there are branching paths. If you're looking for more emergent stories from what you're playing, probably Mage Knight or Gloom of Kilforth would be good bets. Here's a bit about a solo session, which a lot of people love because of the narrative your actions create: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1855821/gloom-kilforth-session-report-perspective-soloist
Click to expand...

Karkador said:
Any solo game is pretty much gonna be a puzzle, but maybe you'd be more interested in something like Robinson Crusoe. I also hear Nemo's War is good. Both of these are considerably pricier, though.
Click to expand...

dope, really appreciate the insight as i dip a toe here

Hostage Negotiator and Gloom of Kilforth both look super interesting, though on opposite ends of the spectrum lol
 
C

Cfh123

Member
Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/146652/legendary-encounters-alien-deck-building-game

For a story-based game, this one is dripping with theme. You play each of the first 4 Aliens movies. There is some set-up involved but the rules are light and it plays smoothly. I play two-handed (with two characters).

Board Game Geek is a fantastic resources for board games.

If you get into solo board gaming, you may want to check out the 1 Player Guild at BGG and ask your question there:

https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/1303
 
T

Teh Lurv

Member
Eldritch Horror - From the Arkham Horror series like Elder Signs, expect it has a globe-trotting adventure theme. There are several expansion sets that add additional characters, quests, etc. I think there are one of two expansions that add sub-boards like a map of Antarctica for added complexity.
 
R

RelentlessRolento

Member
An additional note that I feel is important:

The Lord of the Rings LCG is not out of print or going out of print any time soon. There's been confusion but the only thing ending is the Saga Campaign which is just a playthrough of the LOTR books.

Additionally, yes, LotR does have alot going on, but it all just sinks in after a few plays. I play it alot, and I'd say the only upsaide and downside (based on personal taste) is that deckbuilding is required, which I know not everyone enjoys.



As someone who loves solo board gaming and just began in the past year, the only things I can add are:

pic3339655.jpg


pic3048690.jpg
Click to expand...

Also, where's a good place to buy the SuperHot cardgame other than the publisher? I can't find it online anywhere :(
 
P

padlock

Member
Aeon's End is a co-op deck builder that plays well solo (either as a true solo, or better yet, with one person playing 2 mages).
 
F

Fancolors

Member
pic730580.jpg


Onirim is a solitaire style card game that can be either played solo or with a friend. It's also free on both mobile and Steam (but single-player only on these versions), with expansions being paid. It's a nice way of keeping yourself busy when there's nothing else going on.
 
P

PushTheButtonMax

Banned
RelentlessRolento said:
An additional note that I feel is important:

The Lord of the Rings LCG is not out of print or going out of print any time soon. There's been confusion but the only thing ending is the Saga Campaign which is just a playthrough of the LOTR books.

Additionally, yes, LotR does have alot going on, but it all just sinks in after a few plays. I play it alot, and I'd say the only upsaide and downside (based on personal taste) is that deckbuilding is required, which I know not everyone enjoys.



As someone who loves solo board gaming and just began in the past year, the only things I can add are:



Also, where's a good place to buy the SuperHot cardgame other than the publisher? I can't find it online anywhere :(
Click to expand...

I think what people mean is the base set for LOTR seems to be out of print. Isn't that the case? If so, how does one get in to that game? (I've been interested in that one)
 
J

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
RelentlessRolento said:
An additional note that I feel is important:

The Lord of the Rings LCG is not out of print or going out of print any time soon. There's been confusion but the only thing ending is the Saga Campaign which is just a playthrough of the LOTR books.

Additionally, yes, LotR does have alot going on, but it all just sinks in after a few plays. I play it alot, and I'd say the only upsaide and downside (based on personal taste) is that deckbuilding is required, which I know not everyone enjoys.



As someone who loves solo board gaming and just began in the past year, the only things I can add are:



Also, where's a good place to buy the SuperHot cardgame other than the publisher? I can't find it online anywhere :(
Click to expand...

wow that first one really reminds me of Tintin which I love - def gonna check that out
 
R

RelentlessRolento

Member
PushTheButtonMax said:
I think what people mean is the base set for LOTR seems to be out of print. Isn't that the case? If so, how does one get in to that game? (I've been interested in that one)
Click to expand...

It does look sold out everywhere mostly, but yes, you will need the core set to start.

The publisher says it is on the boat which means I'd keep an eye out for it within the next month:

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/upcoming/


I want to say I love LotR LCG so much. It's so good it scratches my TCG itch without ever having to wait on someone else to play. Additionally, each expansion has a nice long narrative you playthrough each time.

If anyone wants to check out the cards available, look at Hall of Beorn

http://hallofbeorn.com/LotR/Browse

jon bones said:
wow that first one really reminds me of Tintin which I love - def gonna check that out
Click to expand...

I forget but I think the designers state Tintin was an inspiration.



I'm currently working on (when time permits) creating a soloable (as well as coop) Monster Hunter style card game complete with upgrading and gathering.
 
M

Modest Mauser

Member
The Arkham Horror Card Game and Space Hulk: Death Angel are the only two tabletop games I’ve ever really had fun playing solo.

AHLCG might be something you’re looking for as it’s super thematic and has an RPG feeling with a campaign, earning XP, and choices with consequences.
 
M

mfiuza

Member
Scythe and Robinson Crusoe

Scythe is really amazing, I like it a lot. Robinson I havent played yet, but I bought just for the solo experience
 
P

PushTheButtonMax

Banned
RelentlessRolento said:
It does look sold out everywhere mostly, but yes, you will need the core set to start.

The publisher says it is on the boat which means I'd keep an eye out for it within the next month:

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/upcoming/


I want to say I love LotR LCG so much. It's so good it scratches my TCG itch without ever having to wait on someone else to play. Additionally, each expansion has a nice long narrative you playthrough each time.

If anyone wants to check out the cards available, look at Hall of Beorn

http://hallofbeorn.com/LotR/Browse



I forget but I think the designers state Tintin was an inspiration.



I'm currently working on (when time permits) creating a soloable (as well as coop) Monster Hunter style card game complete with upgrading and gathering.
Click to expand...

Oh that's great news, thanks.
 
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