*Discord:* bit.ly/3ylw5KE | *Facebook Group:* bit.ly/38aY3On Happy New Years!!! 🥳 As we roll into 2024 together, join me as I check out the Top 10 Most Thematic Solo Games of 2023 as voted on by the Rolling Solo community! Congrats to all individuals connected to each of these 10 games and a special congrats to the awarded Top 3. As with all list videos, I hope you find something that interests you. A big thank you to the solo community for your continued support as we keep on rolling in 2024 together! 🔥 *FYI: Survey is open for questions 3 and 4!* forms.gle/xBQ8Dg6ukyXUXHoh9 *Question: What are your picks for the most thematic solo games of 2023?* 🍿 Intro 0:00 🎥 Overview 0:13 🎲 #10 2:43 🎲 #9 3:41 🎲 #8 4:15 🎲 #7 5:10 🎲 #6 6:05 🎲 #5 6:45 🎲 #4 7:31 🎲 #3 8:11 🎲 #2 9:07 🎲 #1 9:47 👏 Conclusion 11:30 *Media Inquiries: rollingsologamer@gmail.com* *Want to support the channel? Here's how!* Rolling Solo PayPal: paypal.me/rollingsolo Rolling Solo Merch Store: bit.ly/3yftvWp *You can connect with us in all these amazing places!* Rolling Solo Community Discord: bit.ly/3ylw5KE Rolling Solo Facebook Page: bit.ly/3MVYAT7 Rolling Solo Board Game Facebook Group: bit.ly/38aY3On Twitter: bit.ly/3M4jNdi Instagram: bit.ly/3P1Fmxa BGG Guild: bit.ly/3P2n5zT BGG Microbadge: bit.ly/39JIAVZ *Keep on rolling...I mean scrolling.......if you want to spoil the list* *SPOILERS AHEAD!* *Last chance to turn back!* *Bonus Honorable Mentions:* #20. Kinfire Chronicles: Night's Fall #19. Septima #18. 51st State: Ultimate #17. Masters of the Universe: The Board Game #16. Age of Comics: The Golden Years #15. Deliverance #14. Earth #13. Dune Imperium Uprising #12. Halls of Hegra #11. Legacy of Yu *Top 10 Most Thematic Solo Games of 2023 By The Rolling Solo Community* #10. Marvel Zombies: A Zombicide Game #9. Tamashii: Chronicle of Ascend #8. Vampire: The Masquerade CHAPTERS #7. Mr. President The American Presidency 2001-2020 #6. Voidfall #5. Hoplomachus: Remastered / Hoplomachus Victorum #4. The Witcher: Old World #3. Distilled (Bronze Community Award) #2. Earthborne Rangers (Silver Community Award) #1. The Isofarian Guard (Gold Community Award)
Outstanding! I have Distilled, and I love it. Now, with Isofarian Guard topping 2 lists…. Obviously that one goes to the top of my list…..just above Vampires the Masquerade…..
Take a look at the pinned comment and scroll all the way down to see another ten listed beyond. It made the Top 20 out of 100+ solo games released in 2023.
@@RollingSolo Right on! Almost cracked the top 10. Personally think it’s more thematic than some of the top 10, but that’s what makes games awesome. It allows for lots of different opinions and diversity of thought (whether or not those opinions are accepted is another question😂)
It deserves praise for sure. Well designed game and makes you want to play multiple times. I typically take list videos regardless of their positions and look at the big picture. Here's 10-20 games that were the best of over 100+ solo games for that year. So regardless of position (as that can be argued into the ground), these should be on peoples radar!
I own Tamashii. It's gorgeous, but not just a flashy skin to get you in the door. It's a sweet spot between a handful of styles and it all comes out really fun. I think it will (or deserves) sneak up everyones list, be a sleeper hit and end up topping many people's list.
As thematic as Hoplomachus Victorum might be, I sold it after my first play of it. The fact that it was long didn't bother me at all. It was the sense of failed accomplishment that made me sell it. I hate games where everything just comes crashing down in the last 2 battles or phases, and you've been playing the game for hours. That's just not good game design, in my opinion. And you can't blame the player all the time for this. It's not always the player's fault due to poor planning or whatever. I played very well and strategized a lot, yet I still came down hard towards the end. Not good!
To me it feels that it's hard to define what theme, story, narrative etc mean and how they differ. And to me that also leads to the consequence that asking people for best "thematic" games leads to wrong results. I would argue that a game like agricola is more "thematic" than a lot of those amitrash dice-chucker game BUT agricola has no story and narrative at all except for what you imagine resp. the "own story" each game tells. That's why I would never ask for "thematic games" because a lot people mix it up with adventure games or miniature-heavy games. The issue is that ALL people exactly need to know what is being asked for, which require an exact definition and not just a term that is very vague. Also, with "thematic" a lot of people don't evaluate if you feel the theme when playing BUT if they actually like a specific theme. That is a huge difference. The latter (liking a theme) is highly/only subjective while the implementation of a theme into the gameplay and mechanisms is a lot more objective. I don't have a perfect solution (except for having separate lists for real genres like Eurogames, Adventure games, Amitrashy games etc), but this Top10 somewhow doenst help me. :-(
Thematic vs adventure vs miniatures are all different lists. Some have crossover elements but those are all very specific categories. The criteria communicated for my list was the most immersive board game experiences. The ones which explored/used their themes the best across all their elements to immerse a player. Don’t overcomplicate it 😜 Also, euro and ameritrash games all belong on the same lists unless the aim of the list is to separate them out. That’s not the case with a ‘Most Thematic’ list. There’s no exclusions. Thanks for watching my friend!
They did a good job with it, I'd say. I like that you can addd modules in and out to spice it up. There's certain adds you'll want to always have included and others when you feel like it. Think they did the IP justice and made a solid game vs just milking the IP as they could have with poor gameplay.
Here's the next ten from the Most Thematic list! As you can see, Masters of the Universe was in the running! I'll add as Honorable Mentions. It was within the Top 20 out of over 100+ solo games released in 2023 which is impressive! 🤩 #11. Legacy of Yu #12. Halls of Hegra #13. Dune Imperium Uprising #14. Earth #15. Deliverance #16. Age of Comics: The Golden Years #17. Masters of the Universe: The Board Game #18. 51st State: Ultimate #19. Septima #20. Kinfire Chronicles: Night's Fall
Thanks for watching and letting me know your interest in my personal list. I've got plans to do something at some point. Working on a few things! Cheers
IMO Mr President should have been a computer game the endless die rolling gets tedious after a while. Saying that Its definately a game a lot of people would like.
*Discord:* bit.ly/3ylw5KE | *Facebook Group:* bit.ly/38aY3On
Happy New Years!!! 🥳 As we roll into 2024 together, join me as I check out the Top 10 Most Thematic Solo Games of 2023 as voted on by the Rolling Solo community! Congrats to all individuals connected to each of these 10 games and a special congrats to the awarded Top 3. As with all list videos, I hope you find something that interests you. A big thank you to the solo community for your continued support as we keep on rolling in 2024 together! 🔥
*FYI: Survey is open for questions 3 and 4!* forms.gle/xBQ8Dg6ukyXUXHoh9
*Question: What are your picks for the most thematic solo games of 2023?*
🍿 Intro 0:00
🎥 Overview 0:13
🎲 #10 2:43
🎲 #9 3:41
🎲 #8 4:15
🎲 #7 5:10
🎲 #6 6:05
🎲 #5 6:45
🎲 #4 7:31
🎲 #3 8:11
🎲 #2 9:07
🎲 #1 9:47
👏 Conclusion 11:30
*Media Inquiries: rollingsologamer@gmail.com*
*Want to support the channel? Here's how!*
Rolling Solo PayPal: paypal.me/rollingsolo
Rolling Solo Merch Store: bit.ly/3yftvWp
*You can connect with us in all these amazing places!*
Rolling Solo Community Discord: bit.ly/3ylw5KE
Rolling Solo Facebook Page: bit.ly/3MVYAT7
Rolling Solo Board Game Facebook Group: bit.ly/38aY3On
Twitter: bit.ly/3M4jNdi
Instagram: bit.ly/3P1Fmxa
BGG Guild: bit.ly/3P2n5zT
BGG Microbadge: bit.ly/39JIAVZ
*Keep on rolling...I mean scrolling.......if you want to spoil the list*
*SPOILERS AHEAD!*
*Last chance to turn back!*
*Bonus Honorable Mentions:*
#20. Kinfire Chronicles: Night's Fall
#19. Septima
#18. 51st State: Ultimate
#17. Masters of the Universe: The Board Game
#16. Age of Comics: The Golden Years
#15. Deliverance
#14. Earth
#13. Dune Imperium Uprising
#12. Halls of Hegra
#11. Legacy of Yu
*Top 10 Most Thematic Solo Games of 2023 By The Rolling Solo Community*
#10. Marvel Zombies: A Zombicide Game
#9. Tamashii: Chronicle of Ascend
#8. Vampire: The Masquerade CHAPTERS
#7. Mr. President The American Presidency 2001-2020
#6. Voidfall
#5. Hoplomachus: Remastered / Hoplomachus Victorum
#4. The Witcher: Old World
#3. Distilled (Bronze Community Award)
#2. Earthborne Rangers (Silver Community Award)
#1. The Isofarian Guard (Gold Community Award)
Outstanding! I have Distilled, and I love it. Now, with Isofarian Guard topping 2 lists…. Obviously that one goes to the top of my list…..just above Vampires the Masquerade…..
I was super happy with Distilled. It's never leaving my collection. Excited for what's to come in the future too with expansions.
Surprised not to see Halls of Hegra on the list! For me, it’s one of the most thematic games I’ve played to date.
Take a look at the pinned comment and scroll all the way down to see another ten listed beyond. It made the Top 20 out of 100+ solo games released in 2023.
@@RollingSolo Right on! Almost cracked the top 10. Personally think it’s more thematic than some of the top 10, but that’s what makes games awesome. It allows for lots of different opinions and diversity of thought (whether or not those opinions are accepted is another question😂)
It deserves praise for sure. Well designed game and makes you want to play multiple times. I typically take list videos regardless of their positions and look at the big picture. Here's 10-20 games that were the best of over 100+ solo games for that year. So regardless of position (as that can be argued into the ground), these should be on peoples radar!
I own Tamashii. It's gorgeous, but not just a flashy skin to get you in the door.
It's a sweet spot between a handful of styles and it all comes out really fun.
I think it will (or deserves) sneak up everyones list, be a sleeper hit and end up topping many people's list.
It’s under the radar for sure. As it came from AR Lite it hasn’t gotten as much buzz as the others. They nailed Cyberpunk vibe for sure. 🤣
Great explanation of the games; playing time & complexity are critical factors of investment factors ( plus price). Bill S., the common gamer. 12:49
They certainly are! See you around 😄
As thematic as Hoplomachus Victorum might be, I sold it after my first play of it. The fact that it was long didn't bother me at all. It was the sense of failed accomplishment that made me sell it. I hate games where everything just comes crashing down in the last 2 battles or phases, and you've been playing the game for hours. That's just not good game design, in my opinion. And you can't blame the player all the time for this. It's not always the player's fault due to poor planning or whatever. I played very well and strategized a lot, yet I still came down hard towards the end. Not good!
I’ve heard this from others too. This list is for Most Thematic, so it got the nod from the community.
What was your top game?
❤ 12:49
😄👍🏼
To me it feels that it's hard to define what theme, story, narrative etc mean and how they differ.
And to me that also leads to the consequence that asking people for best "thematic" games leads to wrong results.
I would argue that a game like agricola is more "thematic" than a lot of those amitrash dice-chucker game BUT agricola has no story and narrative at all except for what you imagine resp. the "own story" each game tells.
That's why I would never ask for "thematic games" because a lot people mix it up with adventure games or miniature-heavy games.
The issue is that ALL people exactly need to know what is being asked for, which require an exact definition and not just a term that is very vague.
Also, with "thematic" a lot of people don't evaluate if you feel the theme when playing BUT if they actually like a specific theme. That is a huge difference. The latter (liking a theme) is highly/only subjective while the implementation of a theme into the gameplay and mechanisms is a lot more objective.
I don't have a perfect solution (except for having separate lists for real genres like Eurogames, Adventure games, Amitrashy games etc), but this Top10 somewhow doenst help me. :-(
Thematic vs adventure vs miniatures are all different lists. Some have crossover elements but those are all very specific categories.
The criteria communicated for my list was the most immersive board game experiences. The ones which explored/used their themes the best across all their elements to immerse a player.
Don’t overcomplicate it 😜
Also, euro and ameritrash games all belong on the same lists unless the aim of the list is to separate them out. That’s not the case with a ‘Most Thematic’ list. There’s no exclusions.
Thanks for watching my friend!
I backed the witcher old world and haven't even played it yet! I neeeeed to get it to the table.
Time to make it happen!! 🤩
Also, let me know how it goes when you do!
Is the solo mode actually good? I've heard very mixed reviews about it.
They did a good job with it, I'd say. I like that you can addd modules in and out to spice it up. There's certain adds you'll want to always have included and others when you feel like it. Think they did the IP justice and made a solid game vs just milking the IP as they could have with poor gameplay.
Masters of the universe didn’t make the list?!?!? That whole game just bleeds out the 80s.
Sad to see it not in the top 10.
Here's the next ten from the Most Thematic list! As you can see, Masters of the Universe was in the running! I'll add as Honorable Mentions.
It was within the Top 20 out of over 100+ solo games released in 2023 which is impressive! 🤩
#11. Legacy of Yu
#12. Halls of Hegra
#13. Dune Imperium Uprising
#14. Earth
#15. Deliverance
#16. Age of Comics: The Golden Years
#17. Masters of the Universe: The Board Game
#18. 51st State: Ultimate
#19. Septima
#20. Kinfire Chronicles: Night's Fall
MotU is also coming back to crowdfunding in 2024 which is great for those that missed it!
Great list !! Do will you do a personal list?
Thanks for watching and letting me know your interest in my personal list. I've got plans to do something at some point. Working on a few things! Cheers
IMO Mr President should have been a computer game the endless die rolling gets tedious after a while. Saying that Its definately a game a lot of people would like.
It’s a beast for sure. Very cool looking experience I need to try at some point.
@@RollingSolo One thing I would nominate it for is its best in class rulebooks even if there are a lot of them.
Good to know!
Funny, I passed on Distilled because I found the theme lacking 😁
Would have been better with milkshakes.
@@buddhawasright ..well now you just put me in the mood for a milkshake.
Hope you found something worth looking into for yourself and got that milkshake.
@@RollingSoloActually, I just had some ice dream instead.🙂
🤣
I don’t understand The Witcher Old World I found it so incredibly boring and shallow.