Ive had to solo most of my gaming hobby life. So I like these kind of videos. Thanks. I also spend a lot of time these days making my own too, which is very fun as well!
@@AK.x Basically, for any game, you start out with either a map, or pieces. Map is better. Then the pieces. Then, you create the rules for it. You can experiment with many approaches, and it can take a lot of trial and error, but it's just as fun as playing any game, in my opinion, and you learn a lot in the process. You can also mix and match components too, which can be costly at times.
@@AK.x get board game simulator, you can import components from basically any game in existence and you can create custom ones, great software for prototyping your own game
If you don't have 35 minutes to see what the top ten are: 1) Hadrian's Wall 2) The Castles of Burgundy 3) The Isle of Cats 4) Lost Ruins of Arnak 5) Three Sisters 6) Cascadia 7) Viticulture 8) Cartographers 9) Parks 10) Tiny Towns . For the Honorable Mentions: Well, you have to have a reason to watch at least some of the video... :) Enjoy!
yeah, Final Girl is a good solo game. but then it seems you haven't played anything from CTG yet. I would say that this publisher really makes the best solo games far and wide.
Hadrian's wall is a real place, near by my hometown & the art references in the game just makes me think of school trips to the museum to find out about the history. Enjoyed the list. I tend not to look at a lot of games in-store as don't have people to play with often, never twigged you can play solo.
If you like garden themed games then I would recommend Verdant which has similar mechanisms to Cascadia but a bit crunchier. I tried the the solo version and really enjoyed the puzzle nature of it by making sure all your plants are happy!
Very true! Honestly Man vs Meeple chatted about this in a video not too long ago and a do agree for the most part. More times than often one play is enough for me to see if I like the game or not. There has been a few instances where, Obsession for example, I didn't like from the first play bit after 3 or 4 more plays I love it. It's always hard to know. As a content creator & reviewer its always so hard to play games multiple times before talking about them and sharing opinions. Thanks for watching and commenting Lorenzo! 😊
I am seveeeeeerely late to the party, and believe it or not, 2022 was when I actually got into this highly addicting board game thing. Because of my job, and introvert personality, I make a habit of gravitating to games that can be played solo. First game I got was one of the D&D Adventure System board games, Castle Ravenloft. After that, I was hooked and got the other 5. Aside from those, I played Heroquest and its expansions, Horrified, and Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid. Towards the end of 2022, I got hooked on Fantasy Flight games, and did a deep dive into LOTR: Journeys in Middle Earth, and Star Wars: Imperial Assault. I was happy to see you talk about Lost Ruins of Arnak, because Czech Games are heavily on my radar now after playing and loving, Under Falling Skies. You definitely turned me on to a few here that I want to look more into.
So it turns out I already have every game on this list except your #3 and #2, as well as Flamecraft. Glad to know our tastes align so much, I’ll definitely take a closer look at Isle of Cats and Castles of Burgundy now 😊 Thanks for the vid!
Jenna, you have opened my world to so many new games. You certainly have a much different taste in games than most RUclipsrs that I follow. Thanks again, keep up your good work....
the algorithm really blessed me with this rec. i never even considered that you can solo board games before. i'll have to look more into this potential new hobby!!
We own Flamecraft, Tiny Towns and Parks and yet I didn't even realize they had solo modes. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. Also, lefty high five!
Totally agree on Hadrian's Wall. I'm am in no way a solo player but Hadrian's had me coming back time and time again to try to beat my previous scores.
haha this is so different from watching guys' top 10 solo games as theirs are usually - GUNS, GUTS, HORROR, WAR, DARKNESS 🤣 Love seeing that boardgaming became this medium catering to everyones tastes even with something as niche as solo gaming
Under Falling Skies was hands down my favourite solo game of the year. I really like the risk/reward of placing higher dice in certain columns. Every game I have played has come down to the last turn being a nailbiter that I could have easily lost if I made the wrong move. Highly recommend! I got Final Girl for Xmas, so am looking forward to trying that out soon.
I love solo games and I was really happy to see you had Tiny Towns on your list. That is a game I almost exclusively play solo and love very very much. You had Cartographer on your list which I still have to play, but another fantastic game (solo and multi) from the same publisher is Roll Player. I'd spend hours and hours playing solo while watching TV shows, it absolutely rules! Another good solo game I play is Shifting Stones which I actually haven't played multiplayer for yet, but even if I don't it's a blast to play solo.
It’s so refreshing to see someone say they tend to stick to new games vs expansions… that’s my wavelength :) I’ve rarely bought an expansion which has felt worth it
This is great, I love group games but a group isn’t always available, so solo gaming is a great hobby that I have come upon recently, this list was exactly what I was looking for.
Thank you for the video. Really enjoyed presentation (and the fact that 'older' games are being shown). As an avid solo player and boardgame enthusiast/kickstarter backer it is quite nice to be reminded that there are excellent games that deserve to be played now and again. The frequency of newer/bigger/way more expensive games being announced (and hopefully published for real eventually) has risen so much that it has become harder and harder to keep up and I think it is time to shift down one or two gears. That being said, my Hoplomachus pledge is due to arrive next week and I can't wait to try it out 😉 I'll give Hadrian's wall a try for sure though.. Subbed your channel...look forward to more of your videos.
Dang that is an awesome game collection you have. I love that you picked Hadrian's Wall as your favorite, I just got my copy yesterday and it's fantastic!
Awesome list!❤ I really want to try Three Sisters so bad but it hasn’t arrive yet. I played Fleet the Dice and love it. Hadrian’s Wall is definitely my number one Flip and Write
I've been a passionate solo gamer for a long time and wow it's amazing how tastes can differ. in the german solo community, 80 percent of us actually play the same thing and completely different titles are popular there
Onirim caught me by surprise. It was new to me in 2022. It's so simple and easy to just play whenever you feel like it. I can't wait to try some of the others in the series. As far as big box games go, and games that came out last year, Endless Winter is probably my favorite. It has a lot of what I like in a game - deck-building, worker placement, hand management, cube-pushing - A Euro! I am currently learning Clone Wars but it really just feels like another Pandemic game to me so I don't know how much I will play it. I guess it could be my favorite of all the Pandemic games I own, but it's not my go-to style of game. I am eager to try it with other Star Wars fans though. I also just discovered a game called Outnumbered, which I got to help my kid practice math operations. It is a cooperative game and found it to be a fun, simple dice manipulation game.
Endless Winter looks absolutely amazing! It's a game I have on one of my play challenges so hopeful I'll get it played this year! Ohh I will have to check out Outnumbered! Sounds fun! Thanks Scot! 😊
Wonderful list. I really did not know there where that many games that had solo variables and now I must look through my cabinet again to see what I missed. On a personal note. I find it fun to see your left eye when your thinking. Thank you.
I'll have to add some of these to my list of games to check out! I see Hadrian's Wall a lot. I would also like to say that Flamecraft is Awesome, I love it to death.
My favourite for 2022 is Zuuli. It's a card drafting game for 1-6 players where you're trying to build a zoo and score the most points. Animals can only live in certain types of enclosures, different animals can live with others, some can only live with their own species unless they're well fed, some take up more space than others, some have a score bonus etc. At first glance it looks really cute and cartoony but it's more strategic than it seems. In the solo mode you play against 'The Collector', who doesn't care about enclosures, they just want as many animals as possible and score points based on the type of animal and their habitat. Each game feels different so it's brilliant for replayability. I highly recommend it!
I absolutely love Viticulture, Tiny Towns, and Castles of Burgundy solo. Can’t wait for you to try Wingspan and Everdell solo, as those are my most frequently played solo games and I did buy expansions for both and played them solo as well. I might have to circle back to Arnak with my board game group, as we took forever learning the game, it really diminished the enjoyment. I also recommend Suburbia and Le Havre solo.
Awesome list of solo board games! Parks is a fantastic game the only expansion you need for it is the Nightfall expansion as it really opens up the game by adding more resources for your campers and adding better end year goals. 😄
Omg you have to try charterstone solo! It’s a legacy solo and it’s sooo much fun with the added mechanisms of stickers, scratch off, card chest discoveries, it’s my GOAT. :)
This is a great list. I am so happy you are enjoying solo so much. I also have been playing more and more solo. You will have probably less solo time with Francis, and your friend and play time with Daryle Andrews, but I am sure you will still get in plenty of solo. The important part is just have fun gaming.
Honestly I am hoping to have more time for soloing this year! Thankful to be able to be diving into The Board Game Garden full time this year so I'll have more time to try games and share my thoughts! 😊🤞🏻
Hadrian’s Wall is now much higher on my to buy list. If you like tech tree challenges I would suggest Gaia Project solo. Lots of fun. Great video. Cronchiest is now added to my vocabulary. 🦋
Hadrian’s Wall is awesome, it was my first roll and write game so it holds a special place in my heart. I just got Twilight Inscription and it’s pretty good.
Think you've convinced me to pick up Hadrian’s Wall, had been hesitant since it's a "and write". I'd highly recommend Gaia Project. It's a great game and has an easy to manage solo version.
Ooooh I just noticed you mentioned combining. Let me introduce you to a game called Trismegistus: the Ultimate Formula. It’s a heavy game, but it’s honestly one of the best that’s flown under the radar. Your basically fulfilling contracts and going up tracks, but then game is combo city. And the best part is that you kinda get to “choose” when you combo. It’s not going to be reprinted anymore so GET IT BEFORE IT’S GONE. Very crwaunchy indeed.
Ohhh thank you! I'll add it to the list! I've seen Trismegistis before but it always scared me a bit! It's a 4.15 on BGG. Not horrible! It looks super fun!
Final Girl is my favorite solo game, but it's not one to play when you're looking for a relaxing experience. 😅 I'm also really looking forward to the Castles of Burgundy Special Edition! I've actually never played Castles before, but knowing it's considered one of the best games ever, I went all in for the new deluxified version and I can't wait to try it!
Yeah I definitely want to experience Final Girl! And wow! The Castles Of Burgundy is fantastic! Can't wait for the Special Edition. It's going to be amazing! 😊👏🏻
Hadrian’s Wall is my favorite too right now. I’ve only played it solo and am making my way through the campaign. Some of my other favorites are Under Falling Skies, Warp’s Edge, Expedition to Newdale, Bargain Basement Bathysphere and Café.
@@TheBoardGameGarden Yes it’s a fun, light, campaign style roll and write. I am about halfway through it and I started enjoying it more after I decided to not take it too seriously. I like being able to puzzle things out to near perfection in games and a few mechanisms in it were very frustrating (the vents!) because you could kind of get stuck. But there are definitely times when dice rolls work out perfectly and it’s very satisfying. The writing is also hilarious.
Not sure how this showed up in my recs, because I haven’t played a board game in probably almost a decade; but I now own Hadrian’s Wall, Formula D, Warp’s Edge, and Under Falling Skies. Lol I’m sure I’ll be coming back to this video for more later.
If you have never played the story mode they have for Lost ruins of Arnak go play it now! It’s a cool integration and is run on a website. I have played all in the top 10 but tiny towns and 3 sisters, I have heard you talk it up tho, I think it was the game you chose on the one game per shelf video you did. Also I love the way you put this video together, the timestamps worked well and the screen tear between numbers was perfect. Recommend keepin it for all too 10s.
I will start it VERY soon! You got me so excited for it! WOOOO! Let's go! 😂 Anyways, yeah Tiny Towns and Three Sisters are fantastic. Definitely recommend! Thank you so much! I really enjoyed doing those little edits. 😊
My top 10 de Solo's board game. 10. Praga. 9. Great Wall 8. Cooper Island 7. Luna Maris. 6. Dune Imperium 5. Voidfall 4. Mage Knight 3. Trismegistus 2. Anachrony. 1. Barrage. 😊
Wow, I love almost every single game on your list...and the ones I don't are probably only because I haven't played them. I'm definitely going to make sure I try the ones I haven't played yet this year. Thank you for the excellent list!
I've been enjoying Creature Comforts solo a lot! Technically it's not a solo mode, basically you are just playing the game without an opponent, but it's fun even if I play it alone!
Bite the bullet comes from biting on something during a harsh medical procedure (i.e. an amputation). It means bear the pain of doing something difficult (in this case applies to paying the money for the expansions?)
I recently got my hands on Fields Of Arle and have been really enjoying that, solo! Ironically, I think that's more of a "Stardew Valley" vibe than the Stardew Valley game itslef 😆
Interesting list. I have a bunch of new board games on my list to play now. Never played a "flip and write" before so that's a whole new genre for me to try out. My favorite solo games currently are the Tiny Epic games, particularly Tiny Epic Zombies. There are so many different ones though and they all play solo just as well as multiplayer. Well worth checking out if you haven't tried them before.
just stumbled across this video and must admit, you have a really good presence and really smooth voice to listen to! :) my favourite solo games of 2022 are actually two, I cannot decide between them because they're quite different, maybe only have dice rolling in common (which I enjoy if you have ways to mitigate your bad rolls, as both games do!): Uprising - Curse of the Last Emperor & Nemo's War (Ultimate ed.) - loved both very much! sadly played less than 70 plays this last year (multiplayer and solo combined), definitely want to up these numbers in 2023! *fingerscrossed*
The comboing mechanism is "CHAINING." My favorite mechanism. Castles of Burgundy is awesome. I featured it (and Viscounts) in a video I did about chaining. Love your vids!
I really enjoy Chai as a solo game, been playing that recently. I also played Dice Theme Park solo too, but it's not as fun on your own. Next on my list is Wingspan Asia to play solo, looks really nice! Thanks for this countdown - I think I might check out The Isle Of Cats!
I'm going to be getting into solo gaming more outside of lighter weight two player games. I quite enjoyed Merchants of the Dark Road solo. Keen to try others.
I can't remember if you've tried Welcome to the Moon solo yet, but if you haven't yet, I'd highly recommend it! It was my number 1 solo game of the year, I'm onto my 3rd campaign of it! I also loved Hadrian's Wall, Ark Nova, Sunshine City, Turing Machine, TM: Ares Expedition, and Dinosaur Island Rawr n write!
@@edmundengland It was not too difficult to get into, the first map is very different from the rest and from the original game, so it can take a minute to get used to. But once you're into it, the other maps just require 5.minutes of reading before diving in. The publisher also has great videos for each map!
Welcome To The Moon is definitely one I want to get into solo in 2023. I've been a bit intimidated by it and I have no idea why. Maybe because I have to learn new rules for every map but I think it won't be too difficult. Amazing games you listed off there! 😊
I'm gonna refer back to this video a lot! I've really gotten into soloing lately and I was wanting to get Fields of Arle for my first "true' solo game, but it is sold out everywhere. I got Agricola instead so, looking forward to that arriving! I also ordered Maquis but it hasn't arrived yet. I've been really enjoying Ticket to Ride solo with a fan made variant and I need to try Obsession solo also.
@@TheBoardGameGarden There is! The one I like is called "Six Router" Then there is a more in depth one with an AI named Marvin. I tried to post the links but RUclips deleted my comment. They are both on BGG. I will definitely try Obsession solo soon!
Jenna, go for "Dorfromantik". It's based on a computer game and they did a boardgame version. A really laid back coop game, very good to solo. You will love this.
It's funny, I'm from Burgundy in France, and the coat of arms on the game board matches! ^^ curiously I don't think I've seen this game before in France...
Agree with holding off on expansions (with the exception of LCG expansions). Of course there are some exceptions, there are some truly amazing expansions that really add to the game. I also tend to like expansion that simply add content, like adding more cards to decks that don't change the mechanics of the game. For the most part, however, it's additional storage, additional setup, and additional rules that make it just harder to get a game to the table.
your list is pretty similar to my solo preferences. I haven't played isle of cats yet but it's on my shelf. The expansion to Parks (nightfall?) resolves all the complaints that I had about Parks as a game, so that one is well worth getting. I've been enjoying warp's edge recently. I have final girl and need to play that soon too.
I would like to recommend "Voyages" and "Aquamarine", published by Postmark Games. They're roll and play, cost FIVE BUCKS, your purchase gives you access to every new map they release without any additional cost and they're super fun. Usually I download the maps and play on my tablet when I'm traveling. The world need to know the existence of those games
' Caesar! Seize Rome in 20 Minutes " is a two- player game and you can play it solo. Another two-player game '7 Wonders Duel" has also a solo version. And card game Agropolis can be played solo as well.
I just found your channel and look forward to watching/listening, but wanted to my favorite solo game out there. "Bargain Quest" from Renegade Games. Most of the time when I want to play a solo game I grab this one.
Don't mean to be a party pooper but "solo board game" is yet another reminder to me that I don't really have that many friends around anymore. Getting older suuuuucks.
Many thanks for the recommendations! I currently don't have anyone to play board games with (my wife hates it, friends moved etc). One thing I've been doing is playing pinball instead :D But I think I will give Hadrian's Wall a try.
I really like Cartographers. I've only played a handful of times, and it's mostly been solo, but I very much enjoy it both ways. I've gotten some of the expansion maps, too, which I had been waiting to try with others, but maybe I'll spend an evening going through all them solo. Also, the first time I played Wingspan was solo. Maybe a year ago? This was while pet sitting for a friend. It was lots of fun solo, and I bought a copy for myself a few months ago and finally played it with others last month. I've really been digging Scythe solo too. The rules seemed intimidating at first, but I watched a video tutorial, which helped a lot, and after a couple playthroughs, it started clicking. There's definitely a learning curve, but it has gotten much easier. And now I'm playing through the Fenris campaign solo. Everdell is one of my favorite games. I've played the solo version a few times, and it was okay. It gets the job done but didn't feel as interesting as the aforementioned solo versions. Although, I recently got the big box version with all the expansions. I am glad that I can try out the expansions solo before trying to teach them to others. Also, one of the expansions - Mistwood - is geared toward solo play, so I'm curious to see how that has evolved from the basic solo version.
I've enjoyed Architects of the West Kingdom solo too. As for recommendations, Dune: Imperium is by far my favorite solo game because I think it does a great job of creating the tension that comes from playing with other people - like debating which location to place your worker because you really want to go to location B, but you'd rather go to location A first to get more stuff use in location B, but you're worried that if you don't go to location B right now, then someone else will go there before your next turn.
Ive had to solo most of my gaming hobby life. So I like these kind of videos. Thanks. I also spend a lot of time these days making my own too, which is very fun as well!
Making your own board games? That sounds interesting. Would love for you to explain it deeper!
@@AK.x would love too. Any ideas how?
@@AK.x
Basically, for any game, you start out with either a map, or pieces. Map is better. Then the pieces. Then, you create the rules for it. You can experiment with many approaches, and it can take a lot of trial and error, but it's just as fun as playing any game, in my opinion, and you learn a lot in the process. You can also mix and match components too, which can be costly at times.
@@AK.x get board game simulator, you can import components from basically any game in existence and you can create custom ones, great software for prototyping your own game
If you don't have 35 minutes to see what the top ten are:
1) Hadrian's Wall
2) The Castles of Burgundy
3) The Isle of Cats
4) Lost Ruins of Arnak
5) Three Sisters
6) Cascadia
7) Viticulture
8) Cartographers
9) Parks
10) Tiny Towns
.
For the Honorable Mentions:
Well, you have to have a reason to watch at least some of the video...
:)
Enjoy!
Thanks !!!
The best solo game I’ve ever played is Final Girl. So many expansions and endless scenarios. Incredibly fun and intense!
yeah, Final Girl is a good solo game. but then it seems you haven't played anything from CTG yet. I would say that this publisher really makes the best solo games far and wide.
Hadrian's wall is a real place, near by my hometown & the art references in the game just makes me think of school trips to the museum to find out about the history. Enjoyed the list. I tend not to look at a lot of games in-store as don't have people to play with often, never twigged you can play solo.
Great list - you’ve gained a subscriber today!
If you like garden themed games then I would recommend Verdant which has similar mechanisms to Cascadia but a bit crunchier. I tried the the solo version and really enjoyed the puzzle nature of it by making sure all your plants are happy!
Ohh yesss. I actually almost picked it up when we went board game shopping on Thursday! Looks like a good one! 🥰🌿
I think one play is enough to put it on a list. Kind of like a movie. You don’t have to watch it 5 times to say it’s a favorite.
Good video! 🎉
Very true! Honestly Man vs Meeple chatted about this in a video not too long ago and a do agree for the most part. More times than often one play is enough for me to see if I like the game or not. There has been a few instances where, Obsession for example, I didn't like from the first play bit after 3 or 4 more plays I love it. It's always hard to know. As a content creator & reviewer its always so hard to play games multiple times before talking about them and sharing opinions. Thanks for watching and commenting Lorenzo! 😊
I am seveeeeeerely late to the party, and believe it or not, 2022 was when I actually got into this highly addicting board game thing. Because of my job, and introvert personality, I make a habit of gravitating to games that can be played solo. First game I got was one of the D&D Adventure System board games, Castle Ravenloft. After that, I was hooked and got the other 5. Aside from those, I played Heroquest and its expansions, Horrified, and Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid. Towards the end of 2022, I got hooked on Fantasy Flight games, and did a deep dive into LOTR: Journeys in Middle Earth, and Star Wars: Imperial Assault. I was happy to see you talk about Lost Ruins of Arnak, because Czech Games are heavily on my radar now after playing and loving, Under Falling Skies.
You definitely turned me on to a few here that I want to look more into.
So it turns out I already have every game on this list except your #3 and #2, as well as Flamecraft. Glad to know our tastes align so much, I’ll definitely take a closer look at Isle of Cats and Castles of Burgundy now 😊 Thanks for the vid!
Jenna, you have opened my world to so many new games. You certainly have a much different taste in games than most RUclipsrs that I follow. Thanks again, keep up your good work....
I love the isle of cats solo too! It's much more "puzzlier" and challenging than the multiplayer game.
Such a plesant, well-produced and -presented piece. Subscribed!
Love this kind of content. I guarantee these games are worth a try. Thank you for the video.
the algorithm really blessed me with this rec. i never even considered that you can solo board games before. i'll have to look more into this potential new hobby!!
We own Flamecraft, Tiny Towns and Parks and yet I didn't even realize they had solo modes. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
Also, lefty high five!
Totally agree on Hadrian's Wall. I'm am in no way a solo player but Hadrian's had me coming back time and time again to try to beat my previous scores.
It's just SO GOOD! 🥰👏🏻
haha this is so different from watching guys' top 10 solo games as theirs are usually - GUNS, GUTS, HORROR, WAR, DARKNESS 🤣 Love seeing that boardgaming became this medium catering to everyones tastes even with something as niche as solo gaming
Under Falling Skies was hands down my favourite solo game of the year. I really like the risk/reward of placing higher dice in certain columns. Every game I have played has come down to the last turn being a nailbiter that I could have easily lost if I made the wrong move. Highly recommend! I got Final Girl for Xmas, so am looking forward to trying that out soon.
Great game. I have it setup on my table and will be revisiting it again this month.
So many people have recommended Under Falling Skies! Clearly I NEED to try it. 😊 Thanks! If it has dice placement I'm down!
I love solo games and I was really happy to see you had Tiny Towns on your list. That is a game I almost exclusively play solo and love very very much. You had Cartographer on your list which I still have to play, but another fantastic game (solo and multi) from the same publisher is Roll Player. I'd spend hours and hours playing solo while watching TV shows, it absolutely rules! Another good solo game I play is Shifting Stones which I actually haven't played multiplayer for yet, but even if I don't it's a blast to play solo.
Finally an easy on the eyes board game reviewer besides Tom Vassel
I love Final Girl….. even though I haven’t survived it once😅 It does so much with so little
Lolll I came here to say this. And the different modules are really cost efficient!
One of my favorites as well!
It’s so refreshing to see someone say they tend to stick to new games vs expansions… that’s my wavelength :) I’ve rarely bought an expansion which has felt worth it
Marching Order, Darkest Dungeon, Iron Helm, Alien, Fate of the Nostromo, and the oldie but goodie, Four Against Darkness.
This is great, I love group games but a group isn’t always available, so solo gaming is a great hobby that I have come upon recently, this list was exactly what I was looking for.
Thank you for the video. Really enjoyed presentation (and the fact that 'older' games are being shown). As an avid solo player and boardgame enthusiast/kickstarter backer it is quite nice to be reminded that there are excellent games that deserve to be played now and again. The frequency of newer/bigger/way more expensive games being announced (and hopefully published for real eventually) has risen so much that it has become harder and harder to keep up and I think it is time to shift down one or two gears.
That being said, my Hoplomachus pledge is due to arrive next week and I can't wait to try it out 😉
I'll give Hadrian's wall a try for sure though..
Subbed your channel...look forward to more of your videos.
Dang that is an awesome game collection you have. I love that you picked Hadrian's Wall as your favorite, I just got my copy yesterday and it's fantastic!
Thank you so much! 😊 Yeah it is absolutely amazing!
That was a quality top 10 - great video! I’ll throw Final Girl into the mix, currently my fave solo game and also love Escape the Dark Castle ❤
Awesome list!❤
I really want to try Three Sisters so bad but it hasn’t arrive yet. I played Fleet the Dice and love it. Hadrian’s Wall is definitely my number one Flip and Write
I've been a passionate solo gamer for a long time and wow it's amazing how tastes can differ. in the german solo community, 80 percent of us actually play the same thing and completely different titles are popular there
Onirim caught me by surprise. It was new to me in 2022. It's so simple and easy to just play whenever you feel like it. I can't wait to try some of the others in the series. As far as big box games go, and games that came out last year, Endless Winter is probably my favorite. It has a lot of what I like in a game - deck-building, worker placement, hand management, cube-pushing - A Euro! I am currently learning Clone Wars but it really just feels like another Pandemic game to me so I don't know how much I will play it. I guess it could be my favorite of all the Pandemic games I own, but it's not my go-to style of game. I am eager to try it with other Star Wars fans though.
I also just discovered a game called Outnumbered, which I got to help my kid practice math operations. It is a cooperative game and found it to be a fun, simple dice manipulation game.
Endless Winter looks absolutely amazing! It's a game I have on one of my play challenges so hopeful I'll get it played this year! Ohh I will have to check out Outnumbered! Sounds fun! Thanks Scot! 😊
Onirim also has a great mobile app (free to play without ads for the basic game).
Wonderful list. I really did not know there where that many games that had solo variables and now I must look through my cabinet again to see what I missed.
On a personal note. I find it fun to see your left eye when your thinking.
Thank you.
On my solo list: On Tour Europe/USA and NY/Paris, Creature Comforts, Overboss, Cascadia, Flamecraft.
I'll have to add some of these to my list of games to check out! I see Hadrian's Wall a lot. I would also like to say that Flamecraft is Awesome, I love it to death.
Impressed the number of games I didn’t know or had not tried solo that looked good to me in this list. 🎉
My favourite for 2022 is Zuuli. It's a card drafting game for 1-6 players where you're trying to build a zoo and score the most points. Animals can only live in certain types of enclosures, different animals can live with others, some can only live with their own species unless they're well fed, some take up more space than others, some have a score bonus etc. At first glance it looks really cute and cartoony but it's more strategic than it seems. In the solo mode you play against 'The Collector', who doesn't care about enclosures, they just want as many animals as possible and score points based on the type of animal and their habitat. Each game feels different so it's brilliant for replayability. I highly recommend it!
2:52 Those resource tokens look dangerously tasty...
I have no idea why RUclips recommended me this video since I don't play that many boardgames and none solo, but hey, seems like a good place to start.
Other favorites:
- ORCHARD (A must have to any solo players)
- K2 (and expansions)
- Suburbia
- Magic Maze
I absolutely love Viticulture, Tiny Towns, and Castles of Burgundy solo. Can’t wait for you to try Wingspan and Everdell solo, as those are my most frequently played solo games and I did buy expansions for both and played them solo as well. I might have to circle back to Arnak with my board game group, as we took forever learning the game, it really diminished the enjoyment. I also recommend Suburbia and Le Havre solo.
What Everdell expansions do you enjoy to play with solo? Suburbia and Le Havre are both ones I would love to try as well!
I like to play it with Spirecrest ❤
haven't heard of solo board game. prob my 2023 project. thank you
Awesome list of solo board games! Parks is a fantastic game the only expansion you need for it is the Nightfall expansion as it really opens up the game by adding more resources for your campers and adding better end year goals. 😄
Thank you so much Rich! 😊 Yeah I'm 100% getting the Nightfall expansion the next time I see it!
Totally agree re. Expansions. I'm always like "why get a little more of a game I already have when I get can get A WHOLE NEW GAME?!"
Omg you have to try charterstone solo! It’s a legacy solo and it’s sooo much fun with the added mechanisms of stickers, scratch off, card chest discoveries, it’s my GOAT. :)
This is a great list. I am so happy you are enjoying solo so much. I also have been playing more and more solo. You will have probably less solo time with Francis, and your friend and play time with Daryle Andrews, but I am sure you will still get in plenty of solo. The important part is just have fun gaming.
Honestly I am hoping to have more time for soloing this year! Thankful to be able to be diving into The Board Game Garden full time this year so I'll have more time to try games and share my thoughts! 😊🤞🏻
I love expansions. I have every expansions for Pandemic, Aeon's End, Too Many Bones... all games that can be played solo and cooperatively.
Hadrian’s Wall is now much higher on my to buy list. If you like tech tree challenges I would suggest Gaia Project solo. Lots of fun. Great video.
Cronchiest is now added to my vocabulary. 🦋
Same here. Always searched for excuses to NOT buy it for a whopping 60 EUR.. Not anymore.
Hadrian’s Wall is awesome, it was my first roll and write game so it holds a special place in my heart. I just got Twilight Inscription and it’s pretty good.
Paladins of the West Kingdom has to be my favourite solo game. It's got those sweet, sweet combos.
OHHH! You are getting me real excited for Paladins! 🥰👏🏻
I just started solo. I love Final Girl. I have Isle of cats and haven’t tried it yet. Thanks!
I’m a little different perhaps but I’m still high on One Deck Dungeon. So good!
Great Video, Looking forward to Playing several! Thank you
Think you've convinced me to pick up Hadrian’s Wall, had been hesitant since it's a "and write". I'd highly recommend Gaia Project. It's a great game and has an easy to manage solo version.
Ooooh I just noticed you mentioned combining. Let me introduce you to a game called Trismegistus: the Ultimate Formula. It’s a heavy game, but it’s honestly one of the best that’s flown under the radar. Your basically fulfilling contracts and going up tracks, but then game is combo city. And the best part is that you kinda get to “choose” when you combo. It’s not going to be reprinted anymore so GET IT BEFORE IT’S GONE. Very crwaunchy indeed.
Ohhh thank you! I'll add it to the list! I've seen Trismegistis before but it always scared me a bit! It's a 4.15 on BGG. Not horrible! It looks super fun!
Final Girl is my favorite solo game, but it's not one to play when you're looking for a relaxing experience. 😅 I'm also really looking forward to the Castles of Burgundy Special Edition! I've actually never played Castles before, but knowing it's considered one of the best games ever, I went all in for the new deluxified version and I can't wait to try it!
Yeah I definitely want to experience Final Girl! And wow! The Castles Of Burgundy is fantastic! Can't wait for the Special Edition. It's going to be amazing! 😊👏🏻
Hadrian’s Wall is my favorite too right now. I’ve only played it solo and am making my way through the campaign. Some of my other favorites are Under Falling Skies, Warp’s Edge, Expedition to Newdale, Bargain Basement Bathysphere and Café.
OHHH! Bargain Basement Bathysphere has caught my attention recently! It's a roll and write right? Campaign? Also LOVE Café! Just missed the list.
@@TheBoardGameGarden Yes it’s a fun, light, campaign style roll and write. I am about halfway through it and I started enjoying it more after I decided to not take it too seriously. I like being able to puzzle things out to near perfection in games and a few mechanisms in it were very frustrating (the vents!) because you could kind of get stuck. But there are definitely times when dice rolls work out perfectly and it’s very satisfying. The writing is also hilarious.
Not sure how this showed up in my recs, because I haven’t played a board game in probably almost a decade; but I now own Hadrian’s Wall, Formula D, Warp’s Edge, and Under Falling Skies. Lol
I’m sure I’ll be coming back to this video for more later.
If you have never played the story mode they have for Lost ruins of Arnak go play it now! It’s a cool integration and is run on a website. I have played all in the top 10 but tiny towns and 3 sisters, I have heard you talk it up tho, I think it was the game you chose on the one game per shelf video you did. Also I love the way you put this video together, the timestamps worked well and the screen tear between numbers was perfect. Recommend keepin it for all too 10s.
I will start it VERY soon! You got me so excited for it! WOOOO! Let's go! 😂 Anyways, yeah Tiny Towns and Three Sisters are fantastic. Definitely recommend! Thank you so much! I really enjoyed doing those little edits. 😊
I've been looking for more solo games and your video has given me some great ideas!
Cantaloop is the solo ‘game’ that really caught my eye this year. Not a replayable experience but a great one shot!
You HAVE to play Wingspan Solo. I love it sooo much.
Great list. Cartographers fell totally flat for me. To the point of being shocked that anyone likes it lol. Hadrian's Wall is awesome, combo madness.
My top 10 de Solo's board game. 10. Praga. 9. Great Wall 8. Cooper Island 7. Luna Maris. 6. Dune Imperium 5. Voidfall 4. Mage Knight 3. Trismegistus 2. Anachrony. 1. Barrage. 😊
Wow, I love almost every single game on your list...and the ones I don't are probably only because I haven't played them. I'm definitely going to make sure I try the ones I haven't played yet this year. Thank you for the excellent list!
YESS! 👏🏻 Great minds play alike! 😂 Thank you for watching!
I've been enjoying Creature Comforts solo a lot! Technically it's not a solo mode, basically you are just playing the game without an opponent, but it's fun even if I play it alone!
Yes! I really enjoyed Creature Comforts as well! Just missed the top 10! 😊 It's so comforting.
Thanks for the suggestions! Castles of burgundy is one of my favorites.
I love the My Little Pony Deckbuilder Solo ❤️ great list
So excited to try it! 🥰 Thank you so much!
I've recently acquired Resist! and absolutely love it.
Bite the bullet comes from biting on something during a harsh medical procedure (i.e. an amputation). It means bear the pain of doing something difficult (in this case applies to paying the money for the expansions?)
It was a crunchy list, thank you!
My goodness, I absolutely love the box art of Tiny Towns!
My top 3 solo games are Friday, Under Falling Skies and Nemo’s War.
"Meadow" with the Downstream Expansion has also a very nice solo player mode. :)
I found that most cooperative games work also really well solo. If you like trains, Switch&Signal should be a no-brainer.
This is such a great video, loved seeing all the board games!
I recently got my hands on Fields Of Arle and have been really enjoying that, solo! Ironically, I think that's more of a "Stardew Valley" vibe than the Stardew Valley game itslef 😆
I am new to the hobby like 4 months in, and I am glad to see some of my favorite picks in your list!
Interesting list. I have a bunch of new board games on my list to play now. Never played a "flip and write" before so that's a whole new genre for me to try out. My favorite solo games currently are the Tiny Epic games, particularly Tiny Epic Zombies. There are so many different ones though and they all play solo just as well as multiplayer. Well worth checking out if you haven't tried them before.
just stumbled across this video and must admit, you have a really good presence and really smooth voice to listen to! :) my favourite solo games of 2022 are actually two, I cannot decide between them because they're quite different, maybe only have dice rolling in common (which I enjoy if you have ways to mitigate your bad rolls, as both games do!): Uprising - Curse of the Last Emperor & Nemo's War (Ultimate ed.) - loved both very much! sadly played less than 70 plays this last year (multiplayer and solo combined), definitely want to up these numbers in 2023! *fingerscrossed*
AWH! Thank you! I really appreciate that. 🥰 I'll have to look into both of those games for solo play!
Horrified is a fun game! My wife and I love it. I've tried the solo variant. It's okay, but I suggest running two characters instead.
The comboing mechanism is "CHAINING." My favorite mechanism. Castles of Burgundy is awesome. I featured it (and Viscounts) in a video I did about chaining. Love your vids!
I really enjoy Chai as a solo game, been playing that recently. I also played Dice Theme Park solo too, but it's not as fun on your own. Next on my list is Wingspan Asia to play solo, looks really nice! Thanks for this countdown - I think I might check out The Isle Of Cats!
I'm going to be getting into solo gaming more outside of lighter weight two player games.
I quite enjoyed Merchants of the Dark Road solo. Keen to try others.
I can't remember if you've tried Welcome to the Moon solo yet, but if you haven't yet, I'd highly recommend it! It was my number 1 solo game of the year, I'm onto my 3rd campaign of it! I also loved Hadrian's Wall, Ark Nova, Sunshine City, Turing Machine, TM: Ares Expedition, and Dinosaur Island Rawr n write!
Did you think the rules were clear to welcome to the moon?
@@edmundengland It was not too difficult to get into, the first map is very different from the rest and from the original game, so it can take a minute to get used to. But once you're into it, the other maps just require 5.minutes of reading before diving in. The publisher also has great videos for each map!
@@andrewwagner3462 Why I asked was that I saw a few review that were very critical to the rulebook which made me shy away from the game.
Welcome To The Moon is definitely one I want to get into solo in 2023. I've been a bit intimidated by it and I have no idea why. Maybe because I have to learn new rules for every map but I think it won't be too difficult. Amazing games you listed off there! 😊
I'm gonna refer back to this video a lot! I've really gotten into soloing lately and I was wanting to get Fields of Arle for my first "true' solo game, but it is sold out everywhere. I got Agricola instead so, looking forward to that arriving! I also ordered Maquis but it hasn't arrived yet. I've been really enjoying Ticket to Ride solo with a fan made variant and I need to try Obsession solo also.
HOLD UP! There is a Ticket To Ride fan made solo variant!! 😱 Obsession is great solo!
@@TheBoardGameGarden There is!
The one I like is called "Six Router"
Then there is a more in depth one with an AI named Marvin.
I tried to post the links but RUclips deleted my comment. They are both on BGG.
I will definitely try Obsession solo soon!
How are you enjoying Agricola?
Jenna, go for "Dorfromantik". It's based on a computer game and they did a boardgame version. A really laid back coop game, very good to solo. You will love this.
It's funny, I'm from Burgundy in France, and the coat of arms on the game board matches! ^^ curiously I don't think I've seen this game before in France...
Agree with holding off on expansions (with the exception of LCG expansions).
Of course there are some exceptions, there are some truly amazing expansions that really add to the game. I also tend to like expansion that simply add content, like adding more cards to decks that don't change the mechanics of the game.
For the most part, however, it's additional storage, additional setup, and additional rules that make it just harder to get a game to the table.
your list is pretty similar to my solo preferences. I haven't played isle of cats yet but it's on my shelf. The expansion to Parks (nightfall?) resolves all the complaints that I had about Parks as a game, so that one is well worth getting. I've been enjoying warp's edge recently. I have final girl and need to play that soon too.
I would like to recommend "Voyages" and "Aquamarine", published by Postmark Games.
They're roll and play, cost FIVE BUCKS, your purchase gives you access to every new map they release without any additional cost and they're super fun.
Usually I download the maps and play on my tablet when I'm traveling.
The world need to know the existence of those games
Great choice with The Isle of Cats. I do love it as well!
' Caesar! Seize Rome in 20 Minutes " is a two- player game and you can play it solo. Another two-player game '7 Wonders Duel" has also a solo version. And card game Agropolis can be played solo as well.
Awesome video! You’re my new favorite channel!
Thank you so much Jason!!! 🥰
I just found your channel and look forward to watching/listening, but wanted to my favorite solo game out there. "Bargain Quest" from Renegade Games. Most of the time when I want to play a solo game I grab this one.
One of the most pleasant people on the internet. ❤
Great list. I also love Three Sisters, I hope you enjoy Fleet Dice game when you play it.
Good choices may you try Dune Imperium, imperium Legends /classic and Too many bones solo
Don't mean to be a party pooper but "solo board game" is yet another reminder to me that I don't really have that many friends around anymore. Getting older suuuuucks.
I’m 42, living with my wife and my two young kids. I wish I had solo time. Enjoy it while you can.
@@fastica Same
I hear you , 59 here , hang in there !
My problem is different, I have many friends but the problem is that just a few (a really few) like you play board games 🙃
Many thanks for the recommendations! I currently don't have anyone to play board games with (my wife hates it, friends moved etc). One thing I've been doing is playing pinball instead :D But I think I will give Hadrian's Wall a try.
Sounds like you'll love Paladins and Viscounts solo. They're fantastic.
I really like Cartographers. I've only played a handful of times, and it's mostly been solo, but I very much enjoy it both ways. I've gotten some of the expansion maps, too, which I had been waiting to try with others, but maybe I'll spend an evening going through all them solo.
Also, the first time I played Wingspan was solo. Maybe a year ago? This was while pet sitting for a friend. It was lots of fun solo, and I bought a copy for myself a few months ago and finally played it with others last month.
I've really been digging Scythe solo too. The rules seemed intimidating at first, but I watched a video tutorial, which helped a lot, and after a couple playthroughs, it started clicking. There's definitely a learning curve, but it has gotten much easier. And now I'm playing through the Fenris campaign solo.
Everdell is one of my favorite games. I've played the solo version a few times, and it was okay. It gets the job done but didn't feel as interesting as the aforementioned solo versions. Although, I recently got the big box version with all the expansions. I am glad that I can try out the expansions solo before trying to teach them to others. Also, one of the expansions - Mistwood - is geared toward solo play, so I'm curious to see how that has evolved from the basic solo version.
I've enjoyed Architects of the West Kingdom solo too. As for recommendations, Dune: Imperium is by far my favorite solo game because I think it does a great job of creating the tension that comes from playing with other people - like debating which location to place your worker because you really want to go to location B, but you'd rather go to location A first to get more stuff use in location B, but you're worried that if you don't go to location B right now, then someone else will go there before your next turn.
I adore Hadrian's Wall. So satisfying!
I KNOOOOOWWW! Ugh! So frickin good! 🥰👏🏻