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Top 10 Solo Play Board Games – 2012 Edition
Got some time to kill? Want to play a board game but there is no one to play with? Here is a list of games for you to try out. Some of the games on this list are co-ops or variants, official and fan-made. But if the solo experience is fun and worthwhile (and I have played it), I have considered it for this list. The honorable mentions lists games I have not played or that just didn’t quite make the cut.
Here are my top ten solo play board games:
10. World of Warcraft: the Board Game – It is a long solo game, but the fun aspects of leveling up and killing monsters is there. There are official and a couple fan-made variants that are enjoyable.
9. We Must Tell the Emperor – You play the Japanese after Pearl Harbor in this challenging game.
8. U-Boat Leader – A bit complex but fun. Especially if you like naval warfare or submarines.
7. Space Hulk: Death Angel – This card game is fun, tough and you will need some luck to win it solitaire.
6. Thunderstone or Thunderstone: Advance – This game is almost as fun solo as it is with a group. The official solo rules are a good time, and help you play better against your friends.
5. Field Commander: Rommel – You must lead the Axis troops against the Allied forces. This game is challenging, tense and fun.
4. Legions of Darkness – This is a solo tower defense type game. You must survive til twilight.
3. Sentinels of the Multiverse – This co-op plays great solo. Fantastic theme and a good bit of variety.
2. Defenders of the Realm – You’ll do better if you take a few heroes, but this is another cooperative game that really is a lot of fun solo. It is difficult but enjoyable.
1. The Lord of the Rings Card Game – I wish there was more deck-building included in the base set, but the mechanics and theme boost this card game to number one.
Honorable Mentions:
Agricola, Battle Star Galactica, Castle Panic, Dawn of the Zeds, Friday, Pizza Box Football, Wrath of Ashardalon
As always feel free to tell me your Top Ten, add suggestions or berate my choices in the comments section below.
7 Responses to “Top 10 Solo Play Board Games – 2012 Edition”
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Mage Knight deserves to be on this list for sure. Even if only in the Honorable Mentions section.
You are the second person to say that so let’s consider it an Honorable Mention. My friend has it and I want to try it we just haven’t had time. Now I really want to give it a try though!
You can play BSG solo???
You can play most co-ops solo. Look at the official variant rules here: http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite_sec.asp?eidm=18&esem=4
A lot of really great solo games were missed here. Hornet Leader (Dan Verssen Games) is the airplane variant of U-Boat Leader and is arguably a more interesting, complex game that works just as well as a co-op, though it was designed for solo play. And Astra Titanus (Victory Point Games) is essentially a solo “Ogre” game in space, with a fleet of ships attempting to defend an objective (space station, planet etc) against an incoming robotic battleship. Really cool AI system.
Some other co-ops that explicitly support solo include Gears of War – a brilliant, brilliant cross between Death Angel and Doom, probably the most thematic co-op or solo game out there – and Space Alert, which is a great co-op game, but it works really well solo as well, and is a lot of fun.
Finally, Roll Through the Ages, particularly on iOS, kills time and is an absolute delight solo.
Ilan I really want to try Hornet Leader and also have Astra Titanus on my radar. Space Alert is a great co-op that I have not tried solo. As far as iOS games I didn’t list any. Thanks for your feedback.
Gears Of War! I have solo’d this numerous times and its different and fun each time.