The best solo board games
The best solo board games
Board games are known for social interaction, getting to know other players and as a great social tool. So why would anyone in their right mind play a solo game or a single-player board game?
Some of you might be surprised that there is actually quite a large community of players who play games with only one player, and that there are many board games that are designed specifically for one player.
Our best selections for the best solo board games
Are you in a hurry? Check out our selection of the best solo board games before you head out.
Best for repetition value
The best complex strategy
Most emotionally
Best overall
Playing single-player board games isn’t as weird as you might think at first. If you are really into the game, the solo game gives you the opportunity to experience all that the box has to offer. Sometimes games will require multiple presentations to achieve the full effect, and it’s not always easy to get a group together.
Some games are very complex and a quick preview allows you to learn all the complexities of the rule set before your playgroup appears. Especially with games like Arkham Horror, it can be a lot of fun to run on your own the night before a big game session.
Sometimes I find myself alone or need a little downtime and would like to play a game. Fun is the core of board games, and stand-alone games in particular are a great way to have a little fun. A quick standalone game is a great way to relax and unwind after a full day of work.
There are many games that offer an exceptional single player experience. From this list, we have selected games that not only make the game stand-alone, but also perform well. Sometimes the option of one player per game is tackled as an afterthought. You won't find that here.
Before we dive into the main list, let’s take a quick look at what exactly a single-player board game does.
What is a single player board game?
A single-player board game is known by several names: single player, solo player, solitaire. Honestly, they all refer to the same thing.
Dedicated single-player games, as the name suggests, are designed to be played by one person. There are a few caveats, but it is essential that you get the full experience yourself.
Can I play this with just one person or can I add other players?
There are only a few games on this list that are designed specifically for one player, which means you can only play it with one player. I wrote in this article if this is the case.
Most of the games on this list either have special rules for stand-alone play or are designed to work easily with 1+ players without any changes to the set of rules.
bridge cooperative board games (players against the board) by nature can run a stand-alone game. You should simply play more than 1 character and act as a superior.
Here are the top 20 solo single player board games:
- Gloomhaven
- Mage Knight: Ultimate Edition
- scythe
- Eldritch horror
- Huge topic
- The Lord of the Rings: A card game
- Terraforming Mars
- The legacy of Dragonholt
- Friday: An Independent Adventure
- Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island
- Onirim
- Shadowrun: Crossfire
- Imperial settlers
- Viticulture: Essential Edition
- Hostage negotiator
- Tiny epic galaxies
- Sherlock Holmes: Advisory Detective
- Dungeon on one deck
- Burgle Bros.
- This war of mine: a board game
1. Gloomhaven
This giant bohemoth will hire you. Alone or in a party, I can’t give this game enough praise.
There is a huge world that players can explore and become a part of. If you don’t want to spoil the good particles and are waiting for the next gaming session, you can always run a stand-alone quick setup to get back. game.
Sometimes it's hard to put together a group and just want to roll some dice and kill some monsters. A single shot setup is a great way to scratch the itch without ruining the bigger story of the campaign. It's a random setting, but it's extremely well-adapted, and Gloomhaven's sophisticated set of rules really shines here.
- For 1-4 players
- 60-120 minutes of play
- The cooperative plays a tactical battle inspired by the euro
While customizing characters, science, detail miniatures , and super combat, it will be hard to wean Gloomhaven . If you’re totally sick of seeing him at the top of almost every online list, shut up that inner hipster (we all have him) and take a look. It will pay off.
Variations and extensions
2. Mage Knight: Ultimate Edition
Mage Knight is seriously invented. It was originally a huge board war game but has since been overthrown by HeroClix. Instead of trying to compete on this front, they explosively entered the board game scene. The current iteration ranks him at the top of many RPG and caterpillar caterpillar lists.
Mage Knight is one of the games on this list that hits almost all categories of standalone games. The rules may seem harsh at first glance and that is an understatement. Mage Knight is known as one of the most complex games on the market and is very scary.
The independent course of the game will be of great help before the night of the match. If you go blind, there will be a lot of confusion and most of the time you will be trying to figure out the game. Luckily, after the first mix of the game, it all makes sense and isn’t as bad as it seems at first glance.
- Critical award-winning board game Mage Knight ...
- Now that they have impressed solo players and groups up to 5, this ...
- Ultimate Edition includes the original basic game and all ...
The multi-player and single-player campaign mode is also simply epic and a lot of fun. You can’t go wrong if you add Mage Knight: Ultimate Edition to your collection. Before you buy, be sure to check out our in-depth guide to this truly amazing game.
Variations and extensions
3. Hair
After the Great War, no one was left untouched. Hunger and unrest threaten everyone, and hope can be found. An area of pristine land has been identified, but untouched and undisputed are two different things. Run a military tool and carve a piece before the neighbors take it for themselves.
the piece was one of the most anticipated releases of 2016 and has received several awards, including Best Golden Geek Solo Board Game.
The topic is also fascinating. This is a surrogate history of the 1920s Steampunk sort of world. World War I is over and we are fighting it with giant bellows, so the question arises, what do you do with giant war machines after the war ? You can't just use them.
- This is a time of unrest in Europe in the 1920s. Ashes from the first ...
- Lead your faction to victory, build bellows, cultivate the land, ...
- Explore the alternate history of 1920 plus Europe through Jacob ...
Players will fight for a disputed piece of precious land and learn from the mistakes of the actual Germans in World War II , they will have to win the propaganda war and public opinion. Victory comes not only militarily, but also with popularity.
How well your faction will be liked and accepted among the population will drastically affect the outcome of the game, making it not just a simple smashing and capturing war game , but a very methodical economic and engine building game as well.
Variations and extensions
4. Eldritch Thunderstorm
"Things cannot be described - there is no language for such abysses of screams and former madness, such Eldrian contradictions of all matter, force and cosmic order. The mountain walked or stumbled. «- HP Lovecraft , Call of Cthulhu
It’s always more fun to watch scary movies in the dark, but what about scary board games ?
Eldritch Horror is known for its exploratory atmosphere and dark themes. Great game for independent running if you are trying to experience all aspects of the game. There are so many stories and so many themed elements that you just won’t get everything in a few games.
When I first started playing great Cthulu games like Eldritch and Arkham Horror , I used to run a fast solo run to test the game and learn the rules. These games can be especially challenging and intimidating to learn. They both come with policy books, but once you have most of the rules down, it’s not as hard as it seems.
Players can play even more characters and it’s still a lot of fun. Every Eldritch game I’ve played and seen eventually becomes a story created by the characters. This is my favorite part of this game and it still shines with a single player game.
- SUSTAINABLE GAME OF TERROR AND ADVENTURE: Ancient evil upsets ...
- SCARY STRATEGY GAME: Defeat terrible monsters, travel to other worlds ...
- COOPERATIVE MYSTERY GAME: Brave investigators come together to ...
For a full description of Eldritch Horror, see the full review here .
Variations and extensions
5. Huge topic
Alone or in a group, Huge theme delivers goods.
Produces CMON (cool mini or not) you already know you will get a box full of cool mini .
Dark Spider Board Games go well with stand-alone play. Playing them on their own is a great way to adapt to a set of rules, and it’s also fun to try a stand-alone campaign.
How far can you get? Will your solo character become a hero or another skull adorning a dungeon?
Trying to stand-alone campaigns forces players to also change the way they build their characters. It is important to be an expert in a group, but you will need to balance specialization with self-confidence on your own.
- For 1 to 6 players
- The whole campaign: story mode There are 10 unique tasks in ...
- Amazing numbers: a huge theme comes with six detailed ...
Solo will definitely change the way you approach enemies and problems.
Before you take a copy and start running on your own, check out the full Massive Darkness review here .
Variations and extensions
6. Lord of the Rings: A card game
"The world is really full of dangers and there are a lot of dark places in it." ―JRR Tolkien, Lord of the Rings
One ring to rule them all ... and one player to complete the task.
We are huge fans of all things fantasy and Lord of the Rings . Kendra even has a Tolkien tattoo and probably knows how to recite LOTR movies from memory. Given this, we may be a bit biased, but we can say that The Lord of the Rings: The card game is pretty sweet.
Players choose from their favorite characters and fight the iconic Sauron monsters and minions.
I really like this game and I enjoy the wonderful artwork. Fantasy Flight Games definitely made an extra mile in production and used original artwork instead of just throwing cheap movie photos. I think it really adds to the atmosphere of the game and it looks fantastic on the table.
Lord of the Rings: The card game is a bit more challenging than some other card games in terms of rules. Running alone will help you sort out the mechanics and experiment with some other strategies you wouldn’t normally try in a larger group.
- COOPERATIVE ADVENTURE GAME: This epic card game puts players in ...
- START YOUR JOURNEY: The core contains 226 cards that you can ...
- DESIGN YOUR WISH: Build a party from a set of 12 hero cards ...
Another interesting thing about LOTR card games is that it is a "live card game". No, that doesn’t mean you have to feed it or worry about it eating your dog at night. The live card game is constantly evolving for the “life” of the game. This means that they will be added and expanded constantly over time.
As of the current date, as you write this, he is still alive and well, and Fantasy Flight Games continues to offer more content. So, if you somehow manage to beat everything and see everything that the basic game has to offer (which in itself is a daunting task), there are tons of extensions and additions waiting for you that are ready to breathe new life into the game.
Variations and extensions
7. Terraforming Mars
If Matt Damon could do that, so can you. "You're going to have to learn the shit out of this."
Terraforming Mars solo is a great way to set the rules and strategies of this game. This is by no means an easy experience and reminds me of an attempt to be superior to the colony space .
There is a lot going on in this game and one of the special advantages of Terraforming Mars is that the experience for one player and several players feels very different. The multiplayer game focuses on smaller tasks and accumulating winning points throughout the game.
He also relies heavily on player interaction and maneuvering for the best position on Mars. A stand-alone game obviously can’t do that because it’s just you on Mars. No one is fighting for places, so the goals of the game change completely. The stand-alone player will instead focus on the overall goals to win the game.
If a certain level of terraforming is reached, the player will win instead of just reaching the final game scenario and adding up the points.
- Compete for various milestones and prizes worth many VPS
- Complete more than 200 different projects
- 1 to 5 players aged 12 or over
Multiple players and a single player play so differently that Terraforming Mars really performs a double duty on my game shelf.
Variations and extensions
8. The Legacy of Dragonholt
Playing the Legacy of Dragonholt solo is a great way to squeeze the last of social goodness out of the box. I warmly suggest that you play the entire action for full effect throughout the game, but once you do, it’s a lot of fun to try it on your own and experiment with strategies and tactics you didn’t do the first time you played.
Legacy of Dragonholt is a completely guided by fantasy game story, so finishers will want to see all that Dragonholt has to offer. Each scenario has several ways to handle each situation, and the rules change slightly to be nicely followed by individuals. Due to its completely story-oriented gameplay, it has been described as a game played similarly to D&D , but without the Prison Master.
Of course, it will be a bit more rail than the traditional Pen & Paper RPG , but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The story is superbly written and perfect for acting when there are too many problems for a D&D group to come together.
The system of rules is also completely unique. I haven’t seen anything like this in a board game yet, making it one of my favorites that has emerged in recent years.
- PREPARE FOR THE DESERT: Gather your group of heroes and go to ...
- INTRODUCING THE ORACLE GAME SYSTEM: This narrative adventure game ...
- ROLE PLAY: Play as one of six humanoid races residing ...
So we liked that we wrote a full review here . Check before you buy!
9. Friday: An Independent Adventure
Robinson Crusoe is shipwrecked and completely pointless. From his trusted companion Friday, he shapes Crusoe into the robust adventurer he has always been meant to be.
Friday is one of the few intentional single-player board games I’ve seen. Most games have special rules or allow an individual player to control multiple characters to make the game a stand-alone experience, but Friday is designed from the start for one person.
In this case the umbrella builder , the players will lead Crusoe as he wanders around the deserted island. Players will pull out of the meeting in each move and try to pass a skill test using the Crusoe cross country.
If the meeting is done, the ticket then goes to Crusoe’s deck to reinforce it.
If it fails, you can discard some Crusoe cross country cards to strengthen it, but you also lose health.
- A game with five players
- The game lasts about 30 minutes
- Unique and fun
It’s a lot of fun to clean play for one player. Many strategies are included to survive until the end of the game. In addition, I’ve always been a fan of deck builders, ever since my first Dominion game .
Another point in favor of Friday is that it is probably the cheapest game on this list. For a great round of board games that won’t break the burden, Click Here .
10. Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island
"Thus, the fear of danger is ten thousand times more terrifying than the danger itself." NiDaniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe
Speaking of Robinson Crusoe ...
If you haven’t gotten Daniel Defoe’s iconic novel enough, or if you’ve wanted a little more action on the island, you may want to check out Adventures on Cursed Island.
Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island has many moving parts and a stand-alone mission is a great way to learn the game. I didn’t win my first game and those of you who have tried it know that Murphy’s Law really applies when playing this game.
One of the best parts about running alone on a co-op game is that you always have the option to play two characters. If it’s a co-op board game, you can basically always play it on your own.
While Adventure on the Cursed Island contains alternate rules for stand-alone play, there is a consensus that playing the usual rules with one player controlling two characters offers a much better experience.
Anyway, it works fine, but I think playing two characters in stand-alone mode is the way to go.
- Complex cooperative board game for 1 - 4 players aged 14 and over, with ...
- Great to play with family or enjoy as a solo strategy game.
- Seven different scenarios offer exciting and very thematic ...
This game really has it all. Not only does it work wonderfully as a single player game, but it also has our list of the best board games for 3 players as well.
Variations and extensions
11. Onirim
Trapped in a maze of dreams ... How can someone escape? Through the door, of course.
Onirim is a 1- Two-player card game set in an abstract dream world. Onirim is a great game for several reasons. It’s very small and portable, super fast to play (about 15 minutes), amazing as a standalone game, and the base game now has 7 extensions that add a ton of variation and difficulty.
It’s basically a card game where players try to combine 3 colors in a row and find the keys to open enough doors to escape the dream maze. However, the maze is not without its own dangers.
There are many nightmares hidden on board that will require players to discard cards or close doors. If you remove too many cards from the game, there will not be enough cards on board to open all the doors and they will be trapped forever.
After the first print, the developers decided to just pack a ton of extensions with the base game, so it was the right time to pick it up, given all the increased value.
I have always been fascinated by dreams and I really enjoyed the works of art of Onirim. It has rough edges and a surreal cartoon feel that is perfect for conveying a dream maze.
- This new version of Onirim includes a total of seven extensions
- 1 to 2 players
- 15 minutes of play
Z-Man Games also makes some smaller games set in the same universe called Oniverse and Castellion & Nautilion. Both are interesting in themselves with completely different themes, but they all maintain the same surrealist artistic style and are all light and fast.
12. Shadowrun: Crossfire
"Hey, shit head! Are you tired of living the life of a paid slave? Step into the shadows. For a runner with his skills, there's no limit to the amount of nuyen you're going to roll into."
The Shadowrun cyberpunk setting has fascinated me ever since I first came across the Super Nintendo version of the game. It was originally a cyberpunk (ish) RPG in which Awakening Happens in 2011 (a bit outdated, I know). Awakening is a global event where magical and mythical creatures return to the modern and ruthless world.
Given all this, you don’t need to know anything about the sheer amount of knowledge of Shadowrun to enjoy Crossfire. You will be able to jump and play relatively fast. Although the rules can be intimidating, they are not as difficult and complicated as they seem at first glance.
- Innovative, challenging game offers many different ...
- It provides fast action and team play in the center ...
- Builds mechanics to advance characters, so players have ...
Playing alone is a great way to adjust before a great Crossfire game or create your own story of standalone runners. The game has multiple sheets of characters and TON of skills and skills in the form of stickers that will keep you entertained for years to come.
13. Imperial settlers
There is nothing like the smell of imperialism in the morning.
Imperial Settlers is a worker deployment game in which players build a civilization and burn others, all in the name of imperialist wealth. The goal of the game is simply to gain more winning points than any other player and as always this is a very simplified version of the rules.
At Imperial Settlers, I really like the different factions. Portal Games managed to include four factions in the same game with the same rules. But everyone plays completely differently and really feels like a completely separate faction. Some games have a bunch of factions and the only difference is in the name and the artwork. Not here.
Each faction has its own deck of cards, which includes separate and different abilities and works of art. The Egyptians have many pyramids and camels. The Romans have days of columns. All Japanese buildings have distinctive Edo architecture. The Games portal did an amazing job of making everyone feel separate.
- A simple strategy board game for 1 to 4 players, 10 years old, ...
- Great for family play or solo play.
- Choose your empire - Roman, Japanese, barbarian or Egyptian, each ...
That being said, playing Imperial Settlers is a great group play, but it works very well solo. Players go head to head with an AI-powered character. You can find even more additional rules online that can turn a game into a campaign. The stand-alone game is fun in itself, but at the same time it allows players to truly experience what each faction can do, and delve into all that the Imperial Settlers has to offer.
Variations and extensions
14. Viticulture: Essential Edition
Pour yourself a glass of wine and settle for fun for a job.
I always thought owning a basement and making your own label would be fun. After seeing all the effort (and money) that Kendra’s cousin made to make his first series, I decided to stick to the board game version. It is much less messy (and cheaper).
After inheriting a cellar in poor condition, players will have to manage all aspects of the cellar, including overseeing repairs, growing grapes and, of course, wine production.
Viticulture is a game to deploy workers because of this you will get mixed up to do everything. This is one of those games that has many options, so you will always have more actions than you have workers.
- For 1-6 players
- 45-90 minutes of play
- The essential edition includes the second edition of viticulture ...
If you are new to viticulture, be sure to get the Essential Edition. The rules have been updated and the production value of Essential Edition is much better than the first print.
Of course, it’s self-evident, but if you don’t pour a bottle of wine while playing, you’re doing it wrong.
Variations and extensions
15. Hostage Negotiator
Hostage Negotiator is another single player game on this list.
A few of them have deck building elements added to it, but mostly it’s a gambling game . Players play cards, roll a few dice, and adjust followers to see where they are in negotiations. The game has multiple hostages, allowing for a bit of repeatability.
Players manage the hostage’s aggression and communication. The thematic elements associated with the gameplay are quite impressive. Most of the game is based on cards, but the resolutions of the cards are determined by the dice, so there is also an element of randomness in the game.
Players have the option to try to talk to the hostage, they can send an infiltration team to take the hostages, and they can even just arrange with the guy to try to take the hostage out. There will always be consequences for every action and the dice in the game add a lot of tension.
A player is considered to have won the game when at least half of the hostages are rescued. It seems like a hollow win, so you can always try to pick the perfect game. The developers did a great job adding themed tension to the game, and although the hostages are impersonal people, innocent are impersonal people you can’t help but marvel at whenever one of them dies.
Expelling the Hostage Negotiator is a great way to spend a lazy afternoon, jump over a bowl of popcorn, and throw the Negotiator on TV. Who doesn’t want to pretend to be a hostage negotiator while Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey put him on display? Nobody, that's who.
Variations and extensions
16. Tiny Epic Galaxies
Who says a galaxy must be a huge part of an ever-expanding universe? Well, physics knows, but who cares?
Tiny Epic Galaxies is a small, large-scale board game. Players will embark on an intergalactic conquest mission by searching for habitable planets for an epic galactic colonization project.
In a standalone version of the Tiny Epic Galaxy , it puts you against the race under AI control. Their actions will be predictable, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. The player can choose between several difficulty levels.
Tiny Epic is a bit mixed up between installing workers and playing with dice . In each move, players roll a handful of dice. The dice actually determine which actions are available, and then the players will assign them different actions. In a multiplayer game, this is done in secret and then revealed as a group. The one-time player is a little different. No need for hidden dice, AI will always work predictably.
- Tiny Epic Galaxies is a fun strategy game of space exploration ...
- Award-winning standalone game of 2015 by BoardGameGeek Play ...
- Tiny Epic Series is one of the best small board games ...
Tiny Epic Galaxies is an incredibly fun group game and is just as great as a solo run. Personally, I’m a fan of science fiction board games and space themes, so it seems to me that I never see enough of them.
Interesting? Check out our Full Review of Tiny Epic Galaxies before you buy!
Variations and extensions
17. Sherlock Holmes: Counselor Detective
"The world is full of obvious things that no one happens to notice." - Sherlock Holmes, Baskerville Dog
Counseling Detective Sherlock Holmes is a unique game, as there really isn’t much of it. Still, you’ll be brainwashing all the time you play.
There are a lot of mixed signals in this game, depending on which viewer you’re watching, so let’s try to clear up some of the confusion.
I will break down into one simple question: Do you like puzzles ?
If yes, try this game. You will not be disappointed.
The components of the game are amazing and unique, so it doesn’t look like a game at all. In the box is a map of London, case books and newspaper pages (my favorites) where you will gather most of your information.
The game is tough and while playing you will question your intelligence (and sanity). One of the more interesting things about the game is that you don’t have to play it or complete it all at once. You can play it while drinking your morning coffee before work, and then keep thinking about tips all day.
At its core, Counseling Detective Sherlock Holmes is an incredible puzzle. It ’s a mystery game to be able to play with other players, of course, but I prefer that to stand-alone play.
- NEW STANDALONS IN THE SERIES: As members of Baker Street ...
- MYSTERY COMMITTEE GAME: Solve mysterious cases with an interview ...
- COOPERATIVE GAME: The actors participate as a team of detectives ...
The game has a limited duration, as it has only 10 cases, but the value of playing time is worth it. Players will be pleasantly surprised to see that all 10 examples are completely original. That way, die-hard Sherlock fans will still be able to enjoy the game without already knowing the complication. When you’re done with the box, you can hand it over to your friends and watch them cope while smugly watching.
Now to that. The game begins!
Variations and extensions
18. Dungeon on one deck
Get dressed and get ready to go to jail.
Dunge One Deck, as the name suggests, is a small box of caterpillar tracks that uses a deck of cards to simulate dungeon events. Players can choose from five classes, each with its own stats and skills.
Scientific skills are directly related to the number of dice players they can roll for each skill test. If they have a power of 4, they will receive 4 dice during the check.
Games designed for a smaller group of players, such as 1-2, seem to be great stand-alone games. The deck mechanic, who simulates the events in the dungeon, works very well and throws away quite a few fun (and ugly) surprises.
Dunge One Deck is designed as a "Roguelike" game. Roguelike is a type of game that is generated procedurally and randomly with each new game. They are usually very random, difficult to control, and intermediate (no re-ascent). It’s usually a term for video games, but it’s interesting to see that developers are exchanging the mechanics of video and board games.
- Dunge One Deck is a game for 1-2 players
- 30-45 minutes of play
- With multiple sets, you can add more players
One of the things I like about this game is that it’s so portable. You can easily ruin it while you are waiting somewhere or even during a lunch break.
Variations and extensions
19. Burgle Bros.
Who doesn't love good prey? Safe breaking, security alarms, stealing and a daring helicopter escape? Sounds good to us.
Burgle Bros. is a co-op game where players take on special roles to steal from multiple safes in a multi-storey building. The themed components in Burgle Bros are amazing. They even have a separate three-stage construction stand (sold separately) to really add something more to the game.
Although it is a collaborative game, it also works very well as a stand-alone experience. Instead of feeling like a heister, you feel like a shadowy figure behind the scenes pulling all the strings.
Players will have to sneak across the floor of each building and avoid the patrol guards while slowly making their way to the roof.
The only real complaint I’ve heard about the game is the box. It looks really cool. It is designed to look like a mini skyscraper and looks great on a shelf. However, there is a lot of pain in the back to return everything to the box after the procedure.
20. My War: A Board Game
Are you ready for war?
EXPLOSIONS! DESTRUCTION! OLD CHILDREN!
SWITCH OFF MEDICINES FOR THE SICK AND THE ELDERLY ...?
Wait a minute. It was getting dark really fast. In most war games we play the invincible respawning Master Ghost Sergeant. This war of mine has a much stronger approach to war. You are not invincible.
You are just some poor juice whose country is being destroyed by war and who is trying to survive.
I first played the original This War of Mine Computer Game on Steam when it first came out. After seeing the board game release, I had to give it a try. Just as gloomy and horrible as his colleague.
- This War Of Mine: The board game is a board game ...
- TWOM: The board game has multiplayer experience up to ...
- Experience a simulation of the struggle for survival as a group ...
The only problem you will have when playing this solo is that the story can be so deep and heartwarming that you will want someone to be there and share it with you.
Variations and extensions
- Emira is the 13th character with a personal background; ...
- Desperate Measures cards give you strength when you lose someone ...
- The agricultural module contains a market where your choices affect ...
No comments