MAAAAANNNN, what a cool video!!! Thank you very much. I share your perspective son coop games being played solo. The one I found super engaging, immersive and fun was ELDRITCH HORROR. WHata beast of a game. It makes me forget about everything everytime I play it. I´m gonna try gloomhaven. It looks daunting, yet enticing
I really appreciate you taking the time to leave this comment and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I need to give Eldritch some time. I didn't really enjoy its predecessor and as a result I haven't given it the time it really deserves.
Life responsibilities have made it hard for my group to get together and my wife and kids don't enjoy some of the more complex games I do, so a few years ago I started solo gaming. As a bonus I found that it really helps me decompress; more so than a book, movie, or video games do. Also, I love bringing a game with me camping.
Nailed it from the start, bud, well done. Nrs 10, 4 and 2, for me is definitely it. Super happy to have found ur channel, can't wait to explore it. Cheers matey!
I only very recently realized this but I guess growing up/old make you acknowledge the fact that not everyone is always and willing to do game nights. In my place I own like 99% of the games I put on the table for every gaming session but then people are busy, tired and just not interested. I scanned through my games and luckily there are a lot that can be played solo. From this day on I sworn to myself to not only buy games very carefully but always consider it to be playable solo. It’s not just an insurance policy but just the way board gaming for me had transformed into. Ever since I had Mage Knight UE and LOTR LCG, I feel like I’ve open a new doorway. I feel bad for my Gloomhaven but I can finally do it on my own. And TOTALLY agree of #1. As long as I have free time I can put games on the table whenever I want. Who need friends? 😂
This War Of Mine is at the top of my list, but I just haven't had the stomach to buy it because it looks depressing. I solo a lot and I agree with all the reasons you mentioned about why to solo. Escape From Hades is on my table right now. I have three more Hollandspiele solo games that I love. I'm currently playing each of my solo games so I can learn them and take notes, including videos like yours to help me play and win. For Twilight Struggle, I copy and paste the transcript of each of your videos so I can study each card. Very helpful. Your channel is unique and very helpful. Keep the videos coming, please.
I haven't tried "Escape From Hades". Is it good? If you've played "Dead of Winter", you may find that "This War of Mine" is similar in terms of its subject matter, albeit one is zombies and the other real humans. For me, I'd say the subject is serious more than depressing. There's some hope amongst the ruins. We really appreciate you watching the videos and giving us feedback. It helps us know that we should continue to invest time and energy into the channel.
@@LegendaryTactics Escape From Hades is a fun space game. Hollandspiele makes the kind of games I like. Leaving Earth is another of my favorite space games. I haven't played Dead Of Winter, but I'm aware of it. I'm sure I'll get This War Of Mine. I'll just have to make sure I'm in the right frame of mind to play it. I like that Legendary Tactics is looking at games in ways that no one else is. Keep it up.
@@LegendaryTactics I don't recall if you've done any of these, but maybe a video on travel games or gateway games for children. I'm not sure of examples for both. Another subject might be fun games to help children learn about something hard, like math or geography. For us older adults, more memory type games. Thanks for asking.
Great video. For me it’s immersion into an adventure, impersonating an imperfect anti hero with flaws. Friday has it, AhLCG has it, WQACG has it. And The phantom. Another # why solo is unlockables. Palm island is a good example.
Portability is also a reason to play solo games. I always keep a small deck in my bag. Food Chain Island by Button shy games is a quick 10-15 minute game I take out during lunch or waiting for class. Helps me focus my mind on something else for a bit
Unlike most people in the hobby I'm not a big Euro fan, I much prefer heavy thematic games, but I just can't be bothered with the effort to seek out others who want to play these games at the same time as me, so solo-friendly games are my sanctuary.
My favorite Solo games are Marvel champions, marvel unite, Descent, Star Wars clone war, and my number one is Ark Nova. Love the zoo building and huge variety in cards where I have to have a new strategy every game.
Great list for solo gamers. Another incentive for solo gaming is learning history. One of the genres of games that has greatly benefited from the development of solo versions is historical wargames. It can be challenging enough to find players for the particular game you want to play, but it becomes even more difficult when you have a game with a long rulebook and in-depth play that may require (or be enhanced by) a knowledge of an historical time period. To a limited extent solo wargames such as Ambush! have been around for several years, but now historical wargamers have many more choices to solo games covering many more time periods, thanks to publishers such as DVG and GMT.
Your comment is well thought out and has helped me with a script I'm in the middle of writing for my next solo games video. I want to do a video on what makes a solo gamer, and I hadn't thought about one feature being somebody who wants to learn from or take something tangible away from the game. Thanks for taking time to articulate this.
Playing solo allows for more concentration and no time pressure ( unless I am playing ' Fuse ' or ' Proving Ground ' )and no shouting and arguments! Love Robinson Crusoe : Cursed Island , Friday, Onirim and so many more, but the past week I have been playing ' It's a Wonderful World ' and I love it ( got to become a Dictator 😄😄😄 ) and will go on to ' Isle of Cats', ' Falling Skies', ' Coffee Roaster ' and even other games that are not exclusively solo.....play as two or even four eg: Andor. My problem is this: I have hundreds of board games ( including lcg and dice games) and cannot play them all because of the buying addiction to games! Kind regards from the UK.
Thank you for your comment. It is not uncommon for us board gamers to say to each other "too many games, not enough time" and we all know exactly what we mean ...
I come from a gaming family, but our ability to get together, as often as I like to play (daily) makes me an 85% solo player. Current favorites are Ark Nova, Viticulture, Calico and Cartographer Heroes. I also like to play "long" games like Euro Rails solo by playing multiple characters, calling relatives to choose a color and leaving the game up until it's done. They find this funny because my color seldom wins. I plan to look into 4 of your 10 games to try: The Captain is Dead, Wingspan, Friday and Pandemic. Thanks for your input.
I have a very early copy of Consulting Detective. It was not as colourful when it first came out. It was frustrating because it had a scoring system where you had to solve the case by visiting very few clue locations. So it would be more fun to just ditch the scoring and enjoy digging up the clues and putting together the solution. It has been about 35 years since playing, so I can probably go back and work through them again without remembering the solutions.
I’ve recently fallen in love with solo gaming, and I’m always looking for games that can be solo or multiplayer. I’m crazy for Tiny Epic Galaxies, Space Park, The Game, and Age of Galaxy. I also really like small box games so I can take more with me when I leave the hiuse
I'm actually working on a video that will be aimed specifically to you. It will help you decide what would be the best solo game for you to play. It may be a week or two because writing the script will be a challenge.
At the moment I'm solo only player and love to play Too Many Bones, Pandemic, Scythe, Jaws of the Lion (and hope Gloomhaven), Anachrony, Rolling Realms, Terraforming Mars, Newton and Cartographers. I love the challenge to solve the puzzle and beat to AI. Re-playability is also important.
@@LegendaryTactics Jaws of the Lion introduces you step by step to the gameplay. Just follow the instruction in the manual. If you should start Gloomhaven, you have to learn the rules all at once. After playing JoTL, you can smoothly step into the adventures of Gloomhaven. Have fun !
As a wargamer (mostly and passionately :D) the reason just has to be the story or the narrative the game presents. The same goes for other games I enjoy, Pax -series, High Frontier.. On the other hand, the puzzle really calls me (Uwe Rosenberg games, Consulting detect..)
I discovered modern board games in 2020 during the pandemic and only had the option to game solo. During that time my collection grew from zero to 200 games, all of which were bought for solo play. Most of my collection is able to be played with more than 1 person, but also works great solo. I have less than a dozen actual solo only games.
Great video! Playing a solo board game requires imagination on behalf of the player, which can easily appear strange to an observer because they have no visual frame of reference. Personally, I find many solo board games provide a far more visceral experience than a video game, but it is a mood thing, as I do enjoy both. I actually created a solo board game called The Drifter. It is a solo, western board game not unlike Red Dead Redemption (for the solo video game players out there). Thanks and take care.
Your game really has a classic Avalon Hill feel to it. I saw Marco WarGamer's review. Looks cool. What game was it that inspired you to create a solo game? I'm always curious what moment caused someone to think of this hobby as something that can be for personal rather than group enjoyment.
@@LegendaryTactics Thanks! The game that inspired The Drifter is Barbarian Prince(1980). As for the moment that inspired me to think of this hobby as personal instead of only a group, is the desire to experience a story/narrative that I felt a part of that wasn’t just a book or that involves staring at a screen(I’m on a computer all day at work lol). I have friends but they are not always available(work, families etc) so solo gaming checks a lot of boxes for me when they are not available. Thanks again!
@@glowingturtle9673 Brilliant. There seem to be more and more people who see that board gaming can be a much richer experience than say...passively watching tv.
@@glowingturtle9673 I love games that you can play right out of the box without a heavy ruleset prerequisite. Thanks for bringing those games to my attention.
@@LegendaryTactics You're welcome. Thank you for the content! If you are comfortable with sharing your email address I would be happy to send you a free copy of The Drifter (PDF's via drivethrurpg).
I used to solo board wargame back in the 70s and 80s after I left school and eventually ran out of FTF opponents. Mostly I would "solo" play out 2 player wargames to check out strategy and tactics, look for perfect plans, that sort of thing. Inevitably you are rooting for one side or the other, but you do your best to give optimum play to both sides. Did this a lot with Battle of the Bulge '65 and '81, VITP, Up Front, Stalingrad, and a few others. Plus made for solos like B-17 and Raid on St. Nazaire though I never got very far with the latter. But then computers arrived and EMPIRE hoo-rah! And then eventually Civilization, and so many other titles, most of which were essentially play against the computer (multiplayer becoming increasingly important over time of course). Now it feels like there really isn't a place for solo boardgaming unless you simply want to get away from the screen for a while. On almost every other aspect solo computer gaming seems superior. It doesn't seem coincidental that a number of the games you mention have apps that make gameplay at least easier. I do find the whole moving successful solo computer games to board environment interesting! It provides a way to play solo-only computer games, but in a multiplayer "mode." One of my favorite computer games has been solo survival game The Long Dark. Players number 1 request is multiplayer which the game architecture will never support, so that would be a fun one to play with others over a board. But this is kind of the opposite of what you're doing with this video :)
Haha, yes, the transition from board to computer and then back to board (when appropriate) has been interesting to watch. I think many people need to get away from their computer screens and having an analog game with tactile and intellectual pleasures is a nice alternative. I used to love playing Squad Leader solitaire as well. Up Front might be a bit challenging to play solo, but I guess if you do your best to try and forget the cards in the other side's hand?
@@LegendaryTactics FWIW I edited out a "(LOL)" after the Up Front in my OP before I posted it. :) There aren't any rules for solitaire in the rules for Up Front (one of the few games allowed to remain out of storage, though I haven't played it in forever), so I almost certainly was using a game system from The General, I rarely designed my own rule variations/scenarios. I have a weird memory that it was based on Scenario J, "Free For All." Somehow I made it work.
Lol. Unfortunately, some games just don't work. Up Front is a great game though. I have the same wish for TIME stories. I really want to play it solo, but it's just not suited. Have you tried any of the Hollandspiele games? Sounds like they might be up your alley.
@@LegendaryTactics I hadn't seen/known about Hollandspiele. Looking at their extensive catalog I'm reminded of a much simpler time, when it seemed like you were lucky if Avalon Hill would put out 2 or 3 new games in a year. The hobby went through huge flux just as I joined it, we started off with Afrika Korps and Gettysburg and Tactics II and within a year or two AH had put out Jutland and 1914 and the SPI era with game glut was upon us. Thanks for the BGG link. I'll be honest, my faculties ain't what they used to be (or perhaps patience or ability to obsess?) and my guess is my Up Front (and wargaming in general?) days are over. These days about all I'm good for are Smallworld or Carcassone, stuff like that. Plus an endless series of games of San Juan with my partner, we use a dynamic handicap system that ensures over time we each win the exact number of games while also providing challenge to both of us.
Some great ideas for solo gaming here.....I am playing Root solo on Steam & finding it's a challenge to win w/ the Vagabond against even easy AI opponents. Good way to learn the game tho I doubt I will ever play the cardboard version.....way too confrontational & mean to play w/ people irl.
Final Girl is on kickstarter right now. The first kickstarter I back. I only play solo 99%. At first because I had no one to play with, but then it grew on me. Even when I do have other humans players most of the times I prefer solo. When I do play with other people I frequently find they are not as committed to the game as I am. "Casuals". That is why I prefer miniature war games with humans. If they painted an army of minis: they are committed.
@@LegendaryTactics Wish I had a family. If the family is getting the shared experience, or pieces of the whole it must be worth it. I got Cthulhu dead may die unpainted. Decided to stop buying anything until I get it painted. Have a small collection, but already feel I am hoarding things I never play.
I think that each one has its place and context. It's like book vs TV. A Game of Thrones, the book series is tedious, over-written, and full of filler whereas the TV series is richly crafted and streamlined (just forget about the ending). I say this as an English teacher who would default to book over movie most of the time. Some complex games just lend better to being run by a program rather than by the human. But in the case of say Gloomhaven, I think it's much better on cardboard. Frostpunk is one that you can't play multiplayer as a video game, so if you want to experience it in multiplayer, you'll need to play the board game.
@@LegendaryTactics I'm a solo boardgamer for 3 years, a board gamer in general for 7 or 8 years I don't really recall the exact day - and I really hate it when people just say this kind of stuff. I do understand what you said and I totally agree with you I love goth the books and can't wait for the 6th book, and I do enjoy play some PC games no online at all but man COVID19 made every boardgamer out there to play alone at least one even Tom Vassel played alone! So people who said it are just not getting us the solo boardgamers the COVID19 era changed this saying and people so how cool it is to play alone or even in TTS, tabletopia, zoom you name it - the few that are just ignorant to see the beauty of solo boardgaming are the people who makes my angry since we had like 1 and half years to do that anyway!
@@mabos555 I think what's important is that people see solo board gaming as a valid source of entertainment and fulfillment. The fact that companies are making games that are only playable by one player is fantastic. I think you're right that sometimes for solo play, it's easy to just default to the video game because it feels easier, but tabletop gaming solo can also be a really rich experience and shouldn't be overlooked.
@@LegendaryTactics Yeah but without covid people would still say those words and keep not understanding how amazing it is to play solo Don't get me wrong, playing in real life with people is amazing too but I found out more and more that this is less enjoyable to me the older I get, my own quite my own personal enjoyment and just my own taste of games is important The number 2 I think that you mentioned is that people just want to play and not be dependent on other people to just have fan - this is my number one reason beside your number one of course
So for Number 8, Competing Against Yourself, I particularly love The Networks and Terraforming Mars. There's something really satisfying about getting really good at both of those systems. The specific solo mode for Terraforming Mars is really good. The timing is actually really tight and requires you to really think through every move. Then of course, Number 3, Leveling Up is Gloomhaven. For obvious reasons. I don't think I'd particularly like playing it with other people. This is the only dungeon crawler I've ever gotten into. I don't particularly like tabletop rpgs like D+D or dungeon crawlers in general, but this one is more board game than tabletop rpg. It's a tight, not overly complicated puzzle with a hand of cards. You play two of them and use the top of one and the bottom of another. It's fairly simple to get into, but there's so much strategic depth in just that one act of picking two cards. For 8, the Challenge and 10 Imaginative Escape, I love Sentinels of the Multiverse. I would NEVER play this on the actual tabletop because rules upkeep would be a nightmare, but it's a lot of fun when you have the computer automating all of that for you and you can focus entirely on the fun superhero card combat. And my absolute favorite solo game fits Numbers 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Spirit Island is a game that I come to again and again. Not just in the digital format, but also on the table. There's a lot of games I only play on digital because automating them would be a nightmare for me. Gloomhaven, Sentinels of the Multiverse, and Through the Ages are fantastic examples of this. But Spirit Island's automation is so elegant and tight, super easy to understand and integrate other rules into when changing invaders that I don't mind doing the rules automation myself because it flows so well on the table. It's astounding to me. It's such a tight, puzzly game that's full of so many incredible and interesting choices where you get stronger as the game goes on, it's fantastic. It is, at its heart, a really strategic card game. It's why I love Gloomhaven, but in a much shorter one to two hours format. I'm really eagerly anticipating when the digital game finally incorporates Jagged Earth, probably in a year or two. That is going to be epic.
I appreciate your thorough comment. Spirit Island is a very well designed game and certainly deserves lots of recognition. It's certain to stay around for a long time.
Too many to get. Not enough money or time. I think the best reason for solo games is the theme. Getting into the narrative like you said. just like reading a novel. And not always or everyone wants to play when I want.
I'm simply more interested in board games than anyone I know so the only way to play as much as I like is to do it by myself. Me and my gaming friends do get together every now and then but it's just to far between. Then everyone has to agree on what to play so I usually don't push to hard on games I really like and I know some of them don't. If I didn't play solitaire many of the games would never be played at all (like This war of mine). I'm 50, love board games, always have and always will!
Good video. I need to try Wingspan solo, I like it with 2 and 3 but have not tried it solo. And The Captain is dead, too. What is the footage from 1:08-1:18 from? Thanks.
Wingspan solo is fun, although the automa in Stonemaier Games tend to be essentially pace cars for the player - not sophisticated, but easy to run. The footage you are referring to is from Frostpunk, I believe...
@@LegendaryTactics Its a pleasure mate If you go deep there are 6 games in this world in general, all of those games has their own modules/expansions inside the box just like you have 3 expansions in the app for example one for free, 2 to buy Onirim is the collection match to escape from the maze, it is great as the grizzled for example Urbion it equalibrium is the prequal in this game you balance a city in the clouds, with positive and negative numbers challaging Aerion is a yatzee game to build airplanes you can also fight the boss if you want, or make the game more harder or easier Castilion is a tile laying game to build a castle and defend it at the same time from the bad dreams which attacks you Sylvion is a great game that the first part is drafting your own animals and trees in a game of tower defense but this is time your are defending the forest from a fire attack, after the drafting start defending it And last but not least Nautilion which is roll and move while building and balancing your submarine and you need to reach the other side before the villan do that All of the 6 are amazing games which Onirim is the famous one that started everything Do you also know or played Friday?
Great list! Personally, Root is way higher on mine, but I totally understand the daunting nature of the ROOTbots. To hopefully help people in this issue, I’ll be re-making my Teaching the ROOTbot videos on my channel (they were my first-ever videos, so there’s a lot of room for growth) in order to pace the way to the forthcoming Clockwork 2 release!
Where can you play these games online? I'm kind of new to board gaming and I would like to test siempre out and buy phisical copies of the ones I like.
We recorded a lot of this with Tabletop Simulator. We even did a video about it, if you would like to check it out. Here is the link: ruclips.net/video/C2X6vhmHwq8/видео.html
Nice video! 👍🏻 If you already own This War Of Mine on the computer is it worth getting the boardgame as well? Obv one is computer and one cardboard, but is the game experience very different? I prefer solo games that have been designed for solo (or co-op without hidden info). Multiplayer games with a solo system tacked on to beat your previous high score I don’t usually enjoy as much - I prefer to play multiplayer then.
Nato tends to play with the cardboard. During Covid I've (Flash) been more digital. It also depends on the game. Ones like Friday and Pax Pamir are simple to set up so they do well live. Gloomhaven is so tactile that it's also better with the physical game. But if a game has a really involved setup and if I can't finish it in one sitting, I might play it on TTS so I can save the game and not have my cats or kids disturb the board. How about you?
@@LegendaryTactics I will play apps on STEAM. Just can't get into solo gaming with cardboard components. Running an ai sucks the fun out of the experience. MAybe if I had a dedicated space to leave a game up. Thanks Flash. I apologize if I have referred to you as NATO in any previous videos.
@@supark3244 No apology necessary. t's a compliment. Nato is much smarter and better looking than I am. I tend to do the more modern games and the Diplomacy content, whereas Nato does the War Games and the Retro content more.
During Covid, yes. I'm enjoying the digital ports for solo games. I'm also a little lazy when it comes to games with long setup times. Having 4 cats means I need to finish in one sitting.
i got bored of video games... now i pretty much completely just game tabletop either solo or with people it's just so much more enjoyable playing a crazy hard tabletop game solo and beating it, and having all the components out and using them if its got a great theme like the new frostpunk tabletop game, you can kill a few evenings on as a good wind down after work
@@LegendaryTactics no not yet, I have it and I'm in the process of painting the generator and been learning the rulebook you're right there is a lot of management going on, I would put it up their with gloomhaven but should be playing it in a few days, I'll try and remember to come back and give you a low down all I can confirm so far is it's a massive table hog, one of the biggest out there and the storage for the components is a little non existent
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MAAAAANNNN, what a cool video!!! Thank you very much.
I share your perspective son coop games being played solo. The one I found super engaging, immersive and fun was ELDRITCH HORROR. WHata beast of a game. It makes me forget about everything everytime I play it.
I´m gonna try gloomhaven. It looks daunting, yet enticing
I really appreciate you taking the time to leave this comment and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I need to give Eldritch some time. I didn't really enjoy its predecessor and as a result I haven't given it the time it really deserves.
Life responsibilities have made it hard for my group to get together and my wife and kids don't enjoy some of the more complex games I do, so a few years ago I started solo gaming. As a bonus I found that it really helps me decompress; more so than a book, movie, or video games do. Also, I love bringing a game with me camping.
Awesome. You are the Archetypal board gamer surrounded by people who just don't appreciate the beauty of complex games. More power to you.
This is my story exactly, also. Camping with a game has been a favorite of mine since HeroQuest back in the day.
Nailed it from the start, bud, well done. Nrs 10, 4 and 2, for me is definitely it. Super happy to have found ur channel, can't wait to explore it. Cheers matey!
Welcome aboard! Glad you enjoyed it.
I only very recently realized this but I guess growing up/old make you acknowledge the fact that not everyone is always and willing to do game nights. In my place I own like 99% of the games I put on the table for every gaming session but then people are busy, tired and just not interested. I scanned through my games and luckily there are a lot that can be played solo.
From this day on I sworn to myself to not only buy games very carefully but always consider it to be playable solo. It’s not just an insurance policy but just the way board gaming for me had transformed into.
Ever since I had Mage Knight UE and LOTR LCG, I feel like I’ve open a new doorway.
I feel bad for my Gloomhaven but I can finally do it on my own.
And TOTALLY agree of #1. As long as I have free time I can put games on the table whenever I want. Who need friends? 😂
This War Of Mine is at the top of my list, but I just haven't had the stomach to buy it because it looks depressing. I solo a lot and I agree with all the reasons you mentioned about why to solo. Escape From Hades is on my table right now. I have three more Hollandspiele solo games that I love. I'm currently playing each of my solo games so I can learn them and take notes, including videos like yours to help me play and win. For Twilight Struggle, I copy and paste the transcript of each of your videos so I can study each card. Very helpful. Your channel is unique and very helpful. Keep the videos coming, please.
I haven't tried "Escape From Hades". Is it good? If you've played "Dead of Winter", you may find that "This War of Mine" is similar in terms of its subject matter, albeit one is zombies and the other real humans. For me, I'd say the subject is serious more than depressing. There's some hope amongst the ruins. We really appreciate you watching the videos and giving us feedback. It helps us know that we should continue to invest time and energy into the channel.
@@LegendaryTactics Escape From Hades is a fun space game. Hollandspiele makes the kind of games I like. Leaving Earth is another of my favorite space games. I haven't played Dead Of Winter, but I'm aware of it. I'm sure I'll get This War Of Mine. I'll just have to make sure I'm in the right frame of mind to play it. I like that Legendary Tactics is looking at games in ways that no one else is. Keep it up.
@@kirksellman1999 If you could pick the next game or subject for us to feature on the channel, what would you want us to cover?
@@LegendaryTactics I don't recall if you've done any of these, but maybe a video on travel games or gateway games for children. I'm not sure of examples for both. Another subject might be fun games to help children learn about something hard, like math or geography. For us older adults, more memory type games. Thanks for asking.
Great video. For me it’s immersion into an adventure, impersonating an imperfect anti hero with flaws. Friday has it, AhLCG has it, WQACG has it. And The phantom.
Another # why solo is unlockables. Palm island is a good example.
Yes, it's nice when the characters in the game have flaws and limitations that one has to overcome. Much more interesting
Portability is also a reason to play solo games. I always keep a small deck in my bag. Food Chain Island by Button shy games is a quick 10-15 minute game I take out during lunch or waiting for class. Helps me focus my mind on something else for a bit
Yes, those quick little games can be perfect for that! Any others you would recommend?
Unlike most people in the hobby I'm not a big Euro fan, I much prefer heavy thematic games, but I just can't be bothered with the effort to seek out others who want to play these games at the same time as me, so solo-friendly games are my sanctuary.
That's a great word for it. It really is like a sanctuary.
My favorite Solo games are Marvel champions, marvel unite, Descent, Star Wars clone war, and my number one is Ark Nova. Love the zoo building and huge variety in cards where I have to have a new strategy every game.
I love your pick of Marvel champs!Champs!! Have you beaten the base game characters on solo mode yet? I find it a great challenge!!
Great list for solo gamers. Another incentive for solo gaming is learning history. One of the genres of games that has greatly benefited from the development of solo versions is historical wargames. It can be challenging enough to find players for the particular game you want to play, but it becomes even more difficult when you have a game with a long rulebook and in-depth play that may require (or be enhanced by) a knowledge of an historical time period. To a limited extent solo wargames such as Ambush! have been around for several years, but now historical wargamers have many more choices to solo games covering many more time periods, thanks to publishers such as DVG and GMT.
Your comment is well thought out and has helped me with a script I'm in the middle of writing for my next solo games video. I want to do a video on what makes a solo gamer, and I hadn't thought about one feature being somebody who wants to learn from or take something tangible away from the game. Thanks for taking time to articulate this.
Playing solo allows for more concentration and no time pressure ( unless I am playing ' Fuse ' or ' Proving Ground ' )and no shouting and arguments!
Love Robinson Crusoe : Cursed Island , Friday, Onirim and so many more, but the past week I have been playing ' It's a Wonderful World ' and I love it ( got to become a Dictator 😄😄😄 ) and will go on to ' Isle of Cats', ' Falling Skies', ' Coffee Roaster ' and even other games that are not exclusively solo.....play as two or even four eg: Andor.
My problem is this: I have hundreds of board games ( including lcg and dice games) and cannot play them all because of the buying addiction to games!
Kind regards from the UK.
Thank you for your comment. It is not uncommon for us board gamers to say to each other "too many games, not enough time" and we all know exactly what we mean ...
Railroad Ink Challenge is also a great puzzle game to play solo
I've heard very good things about that one! Haven't tried it yet though. What do you like best about it?
I come from a gaming family, but our ability to get together, as often as I like to play (daily) makes me an 85% solo player. Current favorites are Ark Nova, Viticulture, Calico and Cartographer Heroes. I also like to play "long" games like Euro Rails solo by playing multiple characters, calling relatives to choose a color and leaving the game up until it's done. They find this funny because my color seldom wins. I plan to look into 4 of your 10 games to try: The Captain is Dead, Wingspan, Friday and Pandemic. Thanks for your input.
Great picks. I'm trying to get Ark Nova to the table but there's never enough time.
@@LegendaryTactics Winter is coming! great "snowed-in" activity solo.
I really like that you showed digital versions of these games
Cool. It's great that we have access to these so we can do this.
I have a very early copy of Consulting Detective. It was not as colourful when it first came out. It was frustrating because it had a scoring system where you had to solve the case by visiting very few clue locations. So it would be more fun to just ditch the scoring and enjoy digging up the clues and putting together the solution. It has been about 35 years since playing, so I can probably go back and work through them again without remembering the solutions.
I have an early copy of it too and I found that the font was really bad, and it was riddled with typos.
I’ve recently fallen in love with solo gaming, and I’m always looking for games that can be solo or multiplayer. I’m crazy for Tiny Epic Galaxies, Space Park, The Game, and Age of Galaxy. I also really like small box games so I can take more with me when I leave the hiuse
I have never really got into solo gaming but a few of these games have me intrigued. Thank you.
You're welcome! Solo gaming is a different experience, for sure, but not without its rewards.
I'm actually working on a video that will be aimed specifically to you. It will help you decide what would be the best solo game for you to play. It may be a week or two because writing the script will be a challenge.
At the moment I'm solo only player and love to play Too Many Bones, Pandemic, Scythe, Jaws of the Lion (and hope Gloomhaven), Anachrony, Rolling Realms, Terraforming Mars, Newton and Cartographers. I love the challenge to solve the puzzle and beat to AI. Re-playability is also important.
I just got Jaws of the Lion last night! How does it stand up against Gloomhaven for solo play?
@@LegendaryTactics Jaws of the Lion introduces you step by step to the gameplay. Just follow the instruction in the manual. If you should start Gloomhaven, you have to learn the rules all at once. After playing JoTL, you can smoothly step into the adventures of Gloomhaven. Have fun !
@@dannyverbraeken3829 Good. I know how to play Gloomhaven, but I wanted a lighter game to play with my sons. That sounds perfect.
I love fallen land, a multi you can play solo with the expansion. it doesn't look pretty but the narrative is so immersive.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to check it out. I care more about narrative than I do about aesthetics.
As a wargamer (mostly and passionately :D) the reason just has to be the story or the narrative the game presents. The same goes for other games I enjoy, Pax -series, High Frontier.. On the other hand, the puzzle really calls me (Uwe Rosenberg games, Consulting detect..)
Good call on high frontier
space infantry (now SI: resurgence is the newer version), onirim, space alert ( solo mode), conflict of heroes - eastern front (solo expansion)
Thanks for the suggestions. My to do list grows ever longer.
I discovered modern board games in 2020 during the pandemic and only had the option to game solo. During that time my collection grew from zero to 200 games, all of which were bought for solo play. Most of my collection is able to be played with more than 1 person, but also works great solo. I have less than a dozen actual solo only games.
So what's the verdict? What are the best 3 out of the 200?
Great video! Playing a solo board game requires imagination on behalf of the player, which can easily appear strange to an observer because they have no visual frame of reference. Personally, I find many solo board games provide a far more visceral experience than a video game, but it is a mood thing, as I do enjoy both.
I actually created a solo board game called The Drifter. It is a solo, western board game not unlike Red Dead Redemption (for the solo video game players out there). Thanks and take care.
Your game really has a classic Avalon Hill feel to it. I saw Marco WarGamer's review. Looks cool. What game was it that inspired you to create a solo game? I'm always curious what moment caused someone to think of this hobby as something that can be for personal rather than group enjoyment.
@@LegendaryTactics Thanks! The game that inspired The Drifter is Barbarian Prince(1980).
As for the moment that inspired me to think of this hobby as personal instead of only a group, is the desire to experience a story/narrative that I felt a part of that wasn’t just a book or that involves staring at a screen(I’m on a computer all day at work lol). I have friends but they are not always available(work, families etc) so solo gaming checks a lot of boxes for me when they are not available. Thanks again!
@@glowingturtle9673 Brilliant. There seem to be more and more people who see that board gaming can be a much richer experience than say...passively watching tv.
@@glowingturtle9673 I love games that you can play right out of the box without a heavy ruleset prerequisite. Thanks for bringing those games to my attention.
@@LegendaryTactics You're welcome. Thank you for the content! If you are comfortable with sharing your email address I would be happy to send you a free copy of The Drifter (PDF's via drivethrurpg).
Atlantis Rising is a co-op that can be played solo and I've loved every game of it.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to give that one a try.
I suppose that talking about 2nd edition ?
I enjoy emergent gameplay systems. Make some choices in a complex network and see what happens!
Pull a lever, push a button. Watch the magic.
Enjoy this War of mine and Robinson Crusoe, play Gloom Hsven with a friend. You have my interest in playing the captain is dead solo
All great games.
I used to solo board wargame back in the 70s and 80s after I left school and eventually ran out of FTF opponents. Mostly I would "solo" play out 2 player wargames to check out strategy and tactics, look for perfect plans, that sort of thing. Inevitably you are rooting for one side or the other, but you do your best to give optimum play to both sides. Did this a lot with Battle of the Bulge '65 and '81, VITP, Up Front, Stalingrad, and a few others. Plus made for solos like B-17 and Raid on St. Nazaire though I never got very far with the latter.
But then computers arrived and EMPIRE hoo-rah! And then eventually Civilization, and so many other titles, most of which were essentially play against the computer (multiplayer becoming increasingly important over time of course). Now it feels like there really isn't a place for solo boardgaming unless you simply want to get away from the screen for a while. On almost every other aspect solo computer gaming seems superior. It doesn't seem coincidental that a number of the games you mention have apps that make gameplay at least easier.
I do find the whole moving successful solo computer games to board environment interesting! It provides a way to play solo-only computer games, but in a multiplayer "mode." One of my favorite computer games has been solo survival game The Long Dark. Players number 1 request is multiplayer which the game architecture will never support, so that would be a fun one to play with others over a board. But this is kind of the opposite of what you're doing with this video :)
Haha, yes, the transition from board to computer and then back to board (when appropriate) has been interesting to watch. I think many people need to get away from their computer screens and having an analog game with tactile and intellectual pleasures is a nice alternative.
I used to love playing Squad Leader solitaire as well. Up Front might be a bit challenging to play solo, but I guess if you do your best to try and forget the cards in the other side's hand?
@@LegendaryTactics FWIW I edited out a "(LOL)" after the Up Front in my OP before I posted it. :)
There aren't any rules for solitaire in the rules for Up Front (one of the few games allowed to remain out of storage, though I haven't played it in forever), so I almost certainly was using a game system from The General, I rarely designed my own rule variations/scenarios. I have a weird memory that it was based on Scenario J, "Free For All." Somehow I made it work.
Lol. Unfortunately, some games just don't work. Up Front is a great game though. I have the same wish for TIME stories. I really want to play it solo, but it's just not suited. Have you tried any of the Hollandspiele games? Sounds like they might be up your alley.
@@Qossuth I take it you've seen the post on Boardgamegeek about playing Up Front Solo? boardgamegeek.com/thread/587080/solo-front
@@LegendaryTactics I hadn't seen/known about Hollandspiele. Looking at their extensive catalog I'm reminded of a much simpler time, when it seemed like you were lucky if Avalon Hill would put out 2 or 3 new games in a year. The hobby went through huge flux just as I joined it, we started off with Afrika Korps and Gettysburg and Tactics II and within a year or two AH had put out Jutland and 1914 and the SPI era with game glut was upon us.
Thanks for the BGG link. I'll be honest, my faculties ain't what they used to be (or perhaps patience or ability to obsess?) and my guess is my Up Front (and wargaming in general?) days are over. These days about all I'm good for are Smallworld or Carcassone, stuff like that. Plus an endless series of games of San Juan with my partner, we use a dynamic handicap system that ensures over time we each win the exact number of games while also providing challenge to both of us.
Thank You Legendary. Liked, and shared.
Thanks Just All in One. Do you do much solo gaming?
Some great ideas for solo gaming here.....I am playing Root solo on Steam & finding it's a challenge to win w/ the Vagabond against even easy AI opponents. Good way to learn the game tho I doubt I will ever play the cardboard version.....way too confrontational & mean to play w/ people irl.
The digital implementation is so good. It's the only way I play Root.
Final Girl is on kickstarter right now. The first kickstarter I back. I only play solo 99%. At first because I had no one to play with, but then it grew on me. Even when I do have other humans players most of the times I prefer solo.
When I do play with other people I frequently find they are not as committed to the game as I am. "Casuals". That is why I prefer miniature war games with humans. If they painted an army of minis: they are committed.
That's some serious dedication. I get my kids to paint my minis. I likely don't qualify as seriously committed then.
@@LegendaryTactics Wish I had a family. If the family is getting the shared experience, or pieces of the whole it must be worth it.
I got Cthulhu dead may die unpainted. Decided to stop buying anything until I get it painted. Have a small collection, but already feel I am hoarding things I never play.
I hate when people says just play video game instead what an ignorance
I think that each one has its place and context. It's like book vs TV. A Game of Thrones, the book series is tedious, over-written, and full of filler whereas the TV series is richly crafted and streamlined (just forget about the ending). I say this as an English teacher who would default to book over movie most of the time.
Some complex games just lend better to being run by a program rather than by the human. But in the case of say Gloomhaven, I think it's much better on cardboard. Frostpunk is one that you can't play multiplayer as a video game, so if you want to experience it in multiplayer, you'll need to play the board game.
@@LegendaryTactics
I'm a solo boardgamer for 3 years, a board gamer in general for 7 or 8 years I don't really recall the exact day - and I really hate it when people just say this kind of stuff.
I do understand what you said and I totally agree with you I love goth the books and can't wait for the 6th book, and I do enjoy play some PC games no online at all but man COVID19 made every boardgamer out there to play alone at least one even Tom Vassel played alone!
So people who said it are just not getting us the solo boardgamers the COVID19 era changed this saying and people so how cool it is to play alone or even in TTS, tabletopia, zoom you name it - the few that are just ignorant to see the beauty of solo boardgaming are the people who makes my angry since we had like 1 and half years to do that anyway!
@@mabos555 I think what's important is that people see solo board gaming as a valid source of entertainment and fulfillment. The fact that companies are making games that are only playable by one player is fantastic. I think you're right that sometimes for solo play, it's easy to just default to the video game because it feels easier, but tabletop gaming solo can also be a really rich experience and shouldn't be overlooked.
@@LegendaryTactics
Yeah but without covid people would still say those words and keep not understanding how amazing it is to play solo
Don't get me wrong, playing in real life with people is amazing too but I found out more and more that this is less enjoyable to me the older I get, my own quite my own personal enjoyment and just my own taste of games is important
The number 2 I think that you mentioned is that people just want to play and not be dependent on other people to just have fan - this is my number one reason beside your number one of course
@@mabos555 Awesome. It sounds like you're a true solo gamer. What's your favourite solo game? I'd like to try more.
So for Number 8, Competing Against Yourself, I particularly love The Networks and Terraforming Mars. There's something really satisfying about getting really good at both of those systems. The specific solo mode for Terraforming Mars is really good. The timing is actually really tight and requires you to really think through every move.
Then of course, Number 3, Leveling Up is Gloomhaven. For obvious reasons. I don't think I'd particularly like playing it with other people. This is the only dungeon crawler I've ever gotten into. I don't particularly like tabletop rpgs like D+D or dungeon crawlers in general, but this one is more board game than tabletop rpg. It's a tight, not overly complicated puzzle with a hand of cards. You play two of them and use the top of one and the bottom of another. It's fairly simple to get into, but there's so much strategic depth in just that one act of picking two cards.
For 8, the Challenge and 10 Imaginative Escape, I love Sentinels of the Multiverse. I would NEVER play this on the actual tabletop because rules upkeep would be a nightmare, but it's a lot of fun when you have the computer automating all of that for you and you can focus entirely on the fun superhero card combat.
And my absolute favorite solo game fits Numbers 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Spirit Island is a game that I come to again and again. Not just in the digital format, but also on the table. There's a lot of games I only play on digital because automating them would be a nightmare for me. Gloomhaven, Sentinels of the Multiverse, and Through the Ages are fantastic examples of this. But Spirit Island's automation is so elegant and tight, super easy to understand and integrate other rules into when changing invaders that I don't mind doing the rules automation myself because it flows so well on the table. It's astounding to me. It's such a tight, puzzly game that's full of so many incredible and interesting choices where you get stronger as the game goes on, it's fantastic. It is, at its heart, a really strategic card game. It's why I love Gloomhaven, but in a much shorter one to two hours format. I'm really eagerly anticipating when the digital game finally incorporates Jagged Earth, probably in a year or two. That is going to be epic.
I appreciate your thorough comment. Spirit Island is a very well designed game and certainly deserves lots of recognition. It's certain to stay around for a long time.
dude i might be a bit older than you but back in the 80's i always played board games solo as a kid
Were you a fan of the Avalon Hill games? They had some dandies.
Too many to get. Not enough money or time.
I think the best reason for solo games is the theme. Getting into the narrative like you said. just like reading a novel. And not always or everyone wants to play when I want.
It's always the way. I'm really looking forward to getting more into Oath. It's got some interesting solo play possibility.
I just checked, It's $151 !!! it had better be good!?
Nope ... hate playing solo. ... and yes, they are meant to be played with others.
And I especially couldn't imagine ever playing Pax Pamir 2 solo.
There is some fun in solving the puzzle, but I agree that pamir is better with human opponents
nice video, ofc subscribed
Appreciated
I'm simply more interested in board games than anyone I know so the only way to play as much as I like is to do it by myself. Me and my gaming friends do get together every now and then but it's just to far between. Then everyone has to agree on what to play so I usually don't push to hard on games I really like and I know some of them don't. If I didn't play solitaire many of the games would never be played at all (like This war of mine). I'm 50, love board games, always have and always will!
This is definitely a common experience that solo gamers share.
Good video. I need to try Wingspan solo, I like it with 2 and 3 but have not tried it solo. And The Captain is dead, too. What is the footage from 1:08-1:18 from? Thanks.
Wingspan solo is fun, although the automa in Stonemaier Games tend to be essentially pace cars for the player - not sophisticated, but easy to run. The footage you are referring to is from Frostpunk, I believe...
What is it about solo board games that you enjoy most?
Ha there are a lot buy thee two games that started everything for me were Friday and Onirim
@@mabos555 I keep hearing about Onirim from a lot of different gamers.
@@LegendaryTactics
Try it for free the app is great 😁
@@mabos555 Thanks for the suggestion. Fun game. I just played it and made short introductory video on it thanks to you. It will come out on Wednesday.
@@LegendaryTactics
Its a pleasure mate
If you go deep there are 6 games in this world in general, all of those games has their own modules/expansions inside the box just like you have 3 expansions in the app for example one for free, 2 to buy
Onirim is the collection match to escape from the maze, it is great as the grizzled for example
Urbion it equalibrium is the prequal in this game you balance a city in the clouds, with positive and negative numbers challaging
Aerion is a yatzee game to build airplanes you can also fight the boss if you want, or make the game more harder or easier
Castilion is a tile laying game to build a castle and defend it at the same time from the bad dreams which attacks you
Sylvion is a great game that the first part is drafting your own animals and trees in a game of tower defense but this is time your are defending the forest from a fire attack, after the drafting start defending it
And last but not least Nautilion which is roll and move while building and balancing your submarine and you need to reach the other side before the villan do that
All of the 6 are amazing games which Onirim is the famous one that started everything
Do you also know or played Friday?
Great list! Personally, Root is way higher on mine, but I totally understand the daunting nature of the ROOTbots. To hopefully help people in this issue, I’ll be re-making my Teaching the ROOTbot videos on my channel (they were my first-ever videos, so there’s a lot of room for growth) in order to pace the way to the forthcoming Clockwork 2 release!
Awesome. Thanks for weighing in. It sounds like your channel's purpose is to teach these bots. Definitely something I need.
Where can you play these games online? I'm kind of new to board gaming and I would like to test siempre out and buy phisical copies of the ones I like.
I made a video to show you how to do it via Tabletop Simulator. ruclips.net/video/C2X6vhmHwq8/видео.html&ab_channel=LegendaryTactics
@@LegendaryTactics thanks
Anyone knows what the game on the thumbnail is? It looks so pretty and I don't think it was even mentioned...
That's Pax Pamir 2nd Edition. It's a beautiful board.
@@LegendaryTactics thank you so much!
what is this software/game you're using? how are you playing all these board games digitally?
We recorded a lot of this with Tabletop Simulator. We even did a video about it, if you would like to check it out. Here is the link: ruclips.net/video/C2X6vhmHwq8/видео.html
Nice video! 👍🏻
If you already own This War Of Mine on the computer is it worth getting the boardgame as well? Obv one is computer and one cardboard, but is the game experience very different?
I prefer solo games that have been designed for solo (or co-op without hidden info). Multiplayer games with a solo system tacked on to beat your previous high score I don’t usually enjoy as much - I prefer to play multiplayer then.
I have the IOS version and cardboard. I enjoy cardboard more, as it is more of a thinking game. However, the IOS version is way easier to set up
where did you find Legends of Andor online?
This is on tabletop simulator on steam. We made a video on how to get this : ruclips.net/video/C2X6vhmHwq8/видео.html
Does anyone have the links to games that where shown using TableTop Simulator? Haven´t been able to find those versions on my own
Play most of your solo games on a computer or with cardboard?
Nato tends to play with the cardboard. During Covid I've (Flash) been more digital. It also depends on the game. Ones like Friday and Pax Pamir are simple to set up so they do well live. Gloomhaven is so tactile that it's also better with the physical game. But if a game has a really involved setup and if I can't finish it in one sitting, I might play it on TTS so I can save the game and not have my cats or kids disturb the board. How about you?
@@LegendaryTactics I will play apps on STEAM. Just can't get into solo gaming with cardboard components. Running an ai sucks the fun out of the experience. MAybe if I had a dedicated space to leave a game up. Thanks Flash. I apologize if I have referred to you as NATO in any previous videos.
@@supark3244 No apology necessary. t's a compliment. Nato is much smarter and better looking than I am. I tend to do the more modern games and the Diplomacy content, whereas Nato does the War Games and the Retro content more.
do u actually play the board game or just table top? right now my top is Euthia and tainted Grail.
We have both, but over the last couple of years we have mainly played online.
Do u play most of your games solo on the pc???
During Covid, yes. I'm enjoying the digital ports for solo games. I'm also a little lazy when it comes to games with long setup times. Having 4 cats means I need to finish in one sitting.
i got bored of video games... now i pretty much completely just game tabletop either solo or with people
it's just so much more enjoyable playing a crazy hard tabletop game solo and beating it, and having all the components out and using them
if its got a great theme like the new frostpunk tabletop game, you can kill a few evenings on as a good wind down after work
Have you played Frostpunk yet? That's one that I'd be tempted to just go digital since there's so much management.
@@LegendaryTactics no not yet, I have it and I'm in the process of painting the generator and been learning the rulebook
you're right there is a lot of management going on, I would put it up their with gloomhaven
but should be playing it in a few days, I'll try and remember to come back and give you a low down
all I can confirm so far is it's a massive table hog, one of the biggest out there
and the storage for the components is a little non existent
Reason one, I have no friends 😊
Well, you are welcome here! :)
Need the names baby for the video to be useful for the acquisition of toys!
Will do. I'll be sure to add them in videos going forward.