We're well into 2018 now, and there are plenty of solo-playable Kickstarter games vying for a chunk of our attention—and our hard-earned cash! I am currently only backing Aeon's End: Legacy and Donning the Purple (both featured last week), but there's a lot of other intriguing stuff out there. 1. Argonauts The second edition of Argonauts is now on Kickstarter, and if you enjoy mythology, monsters, and ancient Greek heroes, it might be of interest to you! Argonauts is a cooperative game in which your heroes must obtain the Golden Fleece and get it safely back to Iolcus without losing too many crew members—or the Argo itself. Fight monsters, manage resources (heroes gotta eat!) and hope that the whims of the gods don't mess you up too badly... This one is on my "saved projects" list. 2. Robin Hood and the Merry Men This game doesn't technically have a solo mode yet, but one is included as a stretch goal and I think it's going to happen. If the campaign hits $200,000 (it's currently around $180,000 with 23 days to go), then Robin Hood will come with a solo variant. I do not entirely trust solo modes that are added as stretch goals because I am afraid they will be tacked on and that they'll feel that way, too. But the Robin Hood theme looks fun and there is clearly a lot of enthusiasm for this project. I like that the game includes mechanics like building traps and barricading the roads to slow down the planes of evil Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham, as well as straight up combat. The game looks like fun, and I hope the solo mode will be, too. 3. Laruna: Age of Kingdoms Its name isn't terribly evocative, but Age of Kingdoms is a high fantasy 4x game for 1–6 players. (If you're into Dreamscape, Laruna probably means more to you than it does to me!) Players can choose to play different kingdoms and rulers each time, for highly variable games involving different asymmetrical powers. There are also multiple paths to victory, so you can go the economic route, choose combat instead, etc. The game also, however, advertises "heavy social interaction," and I'm not sure what consequences that would have for the solo variant of the game. The art looks good, and the plans for the minis look good, But the rulebook is clearly still a work in progress, and as of today, I did not see any solo rules in there. I would personally feel more comfortable if the game were less aesthetically developed but had a complete and polished rulebook.
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To watch an overview of Limes and see a few sample turns, click here. What is this game about? Limes is basically a less restrictive, solo-playable Carcassonne. Designed for two people (or more, if you have more copies of the game), it contains two decks of numbered cards, identical except that their backs are different colors. One player shuffles his deck, while the other does not. The player who shuffled then draws a card and calls out the number. The second player finds the matching card in her own deck (which is why her cards were kept in order instead of shuffled). Each player then places his or her card and chooses whether to move or place a meeple. The game ends when 16 cards have been placed in a 4x4 grid, and scoring is based on the placement of meeples in different types of "territories" (fields, forests, water, and watchtowers). One of the interesting aspects of the game is that each player has the exact same cards to work with, but will end up arranging them differently, so victory depends on who can make the best of the same set of resources. At the same time, there is plenty of variability to the game, because you don't which cards you will see during a game or in what order you'll see them. How does it play solo? Limes is perfect for solo play—there is no interaction between players, so it is no problem to just shuffle one of the decks and play by yourself, placing cards and arranging meeples to get the highest score you can. If you hate "beat your own score" games, then it might not be for you. But if you enjoy games like Carcassonne and Honshu, I think Limes is a good choice for solo. Overall Thoughts Limes is not a very thematic game—although limes are Roman "boundaries" or "limits," there is no Roman flavor to speak of during actual gameplay. This is purely a puzzle and score optimization experience. That said, I genuinely enjoy Limes. It satisfies me to try to come up with better card arrangements, better meeple placements, and higher scores. The game plays quickly enough that I don't ever feel like I've sunk a bunch of time into a game gone horribly wrong—and it's also very fast to set up another game, if I want to play again. And I usually do. Limes is curiously addictive. I acquired a copy when it made the People's Choice Top 100 on BGG, and now I know exactly why that is the case. Limes is perfect for a work night, a lunch break, or any other free moment when you have access to a flat surface to play on. Its footprint is very small. In fact, the box is too big for the game, and you could just put it in a Ziploc bag if you wanted to travel with it! It is definitely one of my favorite quick, not-too-heavy games. The only issue with Limes is that it's out of print, which means that you can't just walk into a game store and buy a copy. Prices may vary, so you should hunt around a little bit for the best price. I lucked out and got a new-in-shrink copy from a seller on BGG for under $30, including shipping. Do I recommend it? If you like quick puzzle games with a beat-your-high-score win condition, then Limes is a good choice. The random card draw makes each game a bit different from the last, but there is plenty of strategy involved, too. Overall Rating: 4 stars Rating Scale: 5 stars — I love it! 4 stars — I really like it! 3 stars — I like it. 2 stars — It's okay. 1 star — Meh. Well, it's happened—I finally backed some Kickstarter projects in 2018. I suppose it was inevitable. Here are three awesome projects that have appeared on Kickstarter this week, complete with solo modes: 1. Aeon's End: Legacy I already have and enjoy both Aeon's End and War Eternal, so this was a guaranteed buy for me. Aeon's End: Legacy promises campaign play in which you begin as a young breach mage and help him or her grow into a powerful defender of Gravehold. Not only will you get to build your custom character from scratch, but you'll be able to use her in conflicts against previous enemies from Aeon's End, and you'll still be able to pit yourself against many of the new nemeses that you'll meet in Legacy. I'm very excited about this one. 2. Donning the Purple In Donning the Purple, 1–3 players vie for power, influence, and ultimately the imperial throne. All players will be dealing with barbarian invasions, famine, natural disasters, and other challenges to the stability of the empire. All players are in pursuit of victory points, and will both vie for imperial power (and the VP bonuses it provides) and attempt to achieve secret objectives. This game captures some of the semi-cooperative nature of Republic of Rome, in that it's possible for everyone to lose if things in the Empire get too out of hand. But while Romans must cooperate for the sake of Rome... it's always good to be the one in charge! I am a sucker for ancient Rome, and excited to try this game out. 3. The Big Score The newest offering from Van Ryder Games is here! Although The Big Score has a well-developed multiplayer mode, Van Ryder has a long history of supporting solo play (Hostage Negotiator!) and will include a solo mode in The Big Score. The goal of the game is to assemble a team of criminals, complete a number of preliminary jobs, and get ready for the big score—a bank heist that offers huge profits for everyone, unless they stay too long and the cops show up to bust them. It sounds like a good time. What is this game about? Friday is the first game I talked about on this blog back in 2016. In it, you are Friday, and Robinson Crusoe has washed up on your island. Also, he is a complete idiot. To get him into fighting shape—and back home—you need to train him. Robinson's training is a brutal trial by fire in the heart of the jungle, after which he must battle two vicious pirates before he can leave the island. Friday offers a fun (if nasty) twist on the deck building mechanic, because it's almost impossible to get rid of all of your bad cards, and even one can completely scupper your plans. Robinson starts with a pathetic deck of cards that often lead to his defeat. His tendency to get his butt kicked causes him to lose life points, but also allows him to burn bad cards. Enemy cards, if defeated, become cards in Robinson's deck that represent the experience he has gained under your tutelage. His first successful fights allow Robinson to acquire beneficial cards with special abilities that help him as the difficulty level rises. But don't trust Robinson to end up in perfect fighting shape—every time you cycle through your deck, Robinson ages and acquires another really terrible card. How does it play solo? Friday is a solitaire game and made explicitly with the solo player in mind. In fact, it is one of the solo games first recommended to players who become interested in our branch of the hobby. And you know what? Despite the incredible array of games available to solo players these days, I still think Friday is a great place to start. Overall Thoughts Friday can be a frustrating game. Even on "easier" difficulty levels, the game is punishing, and the addition or subtraction of even one aging card can make a huge difference. That level of fine tuning is impressive in a game, and I still appreciate it. I wouldn't necessarily say that Friday is one of my all-time favorite games at this point—I tend to prefer fantasy themes, and there are a lot of deck builders out there that excite me. But it's a classic, and I still pull it out from time to time. It has a permanent place in my collection. Do I recommend it? Yes. Friday remains one of those games that every solo gamer should at least try. Its small size, low price point, and easy-to-learn rules make it a small investment with a potentially large payoff. Overall Rating: 4 stars Rating Scale: 5 stars — I love it! 4 stars — I really like it. 3 stars — I like it. 2 stars — It's okay. 1 star — Meh. What is this game about? Charterstone is a legacy worker placement game from Stonemaier Games. In it, you and your fellow players (or automas, if you're playing solo) each get an empty charter that you build up over the course of a twelve-game campaign. The goal of each individual game is to win the most victory points, and there is also an overall winner at the end of the campaign. You can keep using your fully-developed board after the 12th game, or you can flip it over and start fresh after purchasing a recharge pack. Charterstone starts out as an almost ludicrously simple worker placement game, but it gets more complicated by the end. You will uncover new buildings and mechanics as you play. The rulebook is initially very bare, but ultimately ends up filled with stickers that you acquire over time and that add newer and more complicated mechanics. You also interact with the Forever King, a distant monarch who has sent you and your companions into the world to build very successful settlements. His level of happiness or unhappiness with you can impact the direction the game takes. How does it play solo? Charterstone is playable solo thanks to an automa deck. I played my campaign with two automa players, and it was very manageable. The game even comes with a small separate rule sheet specifically for play with the automa deck. If you go for solo play against automa players, I highly recommend that you start your automa on level one for game one (the rules suggested level two). I went with the rulebook for my first game, and I got spanked. I only found out later on BGG that other people had the same problem! Overall Thoughts My thoughts about Charterstone are conflicted. On the one hand, I respect this game tremendously. It's beautifully put together. The components feel downright luxurious. I love the thought put into the rulebook and into the stickers that add rules and story elements. Opening new boxes with fresh surprises in them added a nice sense of discovery to the game. Charterstone was an ambitious undertaking, and I believe that aspects of it—perhaps especially the recharge packs and options for post-campaign replayability—will have a tremendous impact on legacy games to come. Charterstone also represents the continued development of automa players, because for Charterstone they created a small yet functional automa deck that actually scaled its difficulty up and down from game to game, depending on how I was doing. That was really cool. But while I appreciated Charterstone, I can't honestly say that I enjoyed it. My first 3–4 games were a total slog because not enough new options had opened up yet, leading to repetitive gameplay. And by the time interesting new game mechanics did appear, I wasn't feeling too committed to the game or to what story there is to it. Charterstone is very much a Euro game, and you aren't going to get a very deep or exciting story—just a frame upon which the game can hang new mechanics. I was determined to finish the campaign no matter what, but Charterstone never really sang for me, and sometimes it felt like a chore. Some of my issues may have sprung from the fact that I played the game solo. The automa system generates victory points so quickly that it negatively impacts the way you play. While a game with other humans might have been more focused on opening new charter chests, admiring new buildings, and generally exploring, I immediately had to race automa characters who were not interested in such things. Playing with other humans would also have added more fun to the part of the game where you name parts of your new settlement and the assistants you interact with as you play. Do I recommend this game? For solo play, I do not recommend Charterstone. I appreciate it. I respect it. But I didn't enjoy playing it. Overall Rating: 2 stars (for solo—I can't comment on multiplayer) Rating Scale: 5 stars — I love it! 4 stars — I really like it. 3 stars — I like it. 2 stars — It's okay. 1 star — Meh. Once again, there are some alluring options on Kickstarter this week if you're a solo gamer. I have not yet committed to any Kickstarter campaigns in 2018, but Pulp Detective is really tempting me. Without further ado, here are the solo playable Kickstarters that caught my eye this week: 1. Pulp Detective Pulp Detective is a solo game with 2-player variants—music to my ears, since I would love to see more games that cater to solo players. The game includes several "cases" for you to play through, and that play out a little differently each time to allow replayability. To solve a case, you'll draw cards, spend investigation points to hunt for clues, and roll dice at crucial junctures. The real charm of the game is its art, which uses real pulp novel covers from the 1930s. There is also an expansion already available to backers that adds extra cases, fun sidekicks, and more "double cross" cards. If you want to try Pulp Detective for yourself, it's on Tabletopia. 2. Rambo: The Board Game I really couldn't care less about Rambo, but the board game is for 1–4 players and allows you to play through several different military operations. Some of them you'll remember from the movies, and others are new. There are a lot of miniatures at higher tier levels, so if you want to play at being Rambo, this game seems to offer an immersive experience. Although the theme isn't for me (I never could get past the title of First Blood: Part 2), I am happy this game exists because it shows just how much more mainstream board games are getting these days. It's interesting to see games that aren't about fantasy environments or pirates, games that are about war but that aren't "war games." To me, it's a sign that the market is able to support a wider variety of games, and I like that. 3. Viceroy: Times of Darkness This is an expansion for Viceroy, a game that was previously successful on Kickstarter. If it interests you, there is a pledge level that includes both the base game and the expansion. The goal of the game is to win "power points," and you can do so by recruiting powerful allies to build your own "pyramid of power" tableau. I haven't played the original, but Viceroy looks like a quick, puzzly strategy game that has excellent artwork. This past weekend, I made a couple of aesthetically displeasing but entirely functional box inserts. One was for Dragonfire (all the cards fit now!) and one was for Spirit Island (both the main game and Branch and Claw now fit into the main box). The first step in this process was watching this very helpful video series from the League of Esoteric Gamers. This series is a classic for a reason. Check it out. Then, I went to Michael's and used my mad couponing skills to acquire supplies. Here is what I bought: 1) A self-healing cutting mat (this one) 2) A cheap utility knife (this one) 3) Elmer's glue 4) Sewing pins (these ones) 5) Foam board (Elmer's brand, since that is what they had) 6) A metal ruler I started with Dragonfire, since all I wanted was a better way to organize my cards. I started by cutting one piece of foam core to fit the bottom of the box. Then I cut and attached walls so that the insert would basically be a box inside a box. To keep everything secure, I used regular Elmer's glue, which seemed to work okay if I let it sit long enough. But my edges were pretty jagged (an expert craftswoman I am not), so I also stuck sewing pins it at key points, using them as tiny nails to hold everything in place. After creating my main insert "box," I cut dividers out of the foam core. Then I put sleeved cards down in the bottom of the box to help me gauge how far apart I should place the dividers. (Leave a little room for your fingers so you can pull things out.) After that, it was just a bit more gluing and pinning and I had a working insert! Spirit Island was a little bit tougher. The original box insert fits all of the main game components very nicely, but I needed it to do more than it was built for. First, I wanted to sleeve my cards. I have been playing the game so much that they were already starting to show signs of wear. Second, I wanted to fit the components from the Branch and Claw expansion into the main game box, which meant I needed room for more spirits, more cards, and more tokens. I went for a pretty bare bones insert design. First, I built a "box in a box" just like I had for Dragonfire, but with one exception: This basic insert box was a lot shorter, so I would have room for another layer of insert on top of it. On one side, I stored my spirit boards. On the other, I stored my sleeved cards (which are tall enough to take up most of the box), as well as some token bags. Then I made a smaller top layer that held more tokens, but didn't interfere with the cards. I made sure to leave enough room for rulebooks and player boards, and I was in business. My inserts aren't the most beautiful in the world (especially if you look at them too closely), but I still feel so proud! Making something is always satisfying, and it's especially nice to get my games stored just the way I like them. I also like interacting with my games in new ways. Nothing says "I care" like taking the time not only to play your games, but to store them just so. Even if your first attempts at inserts aren't great, I highly recommend that you try making some. It's a lot of fun! Check out the slide show below to see the evolution of my Spirit Island insert. As you can see, I am no expert craftswoman. But I'll get better, and the inserts are doing their job. Success! To watch an overview of this game and see a few sample turns, click here. What is this game about? Escape the Dark Castle is the debut title from Themeborne, a publisher that apparently lives up to its name. It is a retro fantasy game in which players work together to... well... escape a dark castle. Along the way, you will be confronted with interesting choices, gruesome monsters (all illustrated in a really cool black-and-white style), and tons of very well done flavor text. Mechanically, Escape the Dark Castle is incredibly simple. To set up the game, players create a deck of castle cards that begins with the introductory card and ends with one of several boss cards. Each game will play differently, depending on which cards made it into the castle deck. Each turn, players flip over new cards, make any required decisions/resolve any surprise die rolls, and enter combat if they have encountered an enemy. Each character has a custom die with its own configuration of three traits: might, cunning, and wisdom. Players fight enemies by rolling their dice and taking damage until they have rolled the necessary symbols, after which an enemy is defeated and players draw helpful item cards. One warning, though: The player who first entered the room/turned over the card may have to deal with extra danger or damage, so it is important for players to be clear about who will turn over the next card. Players either all escape the castle together, or lose together if even one player dies. But really, the point of this game is to enjoy the adventure for however long you survive. How does it play solo? To play a solo game of Escape the Dark Castle, players need to control two characters to ensure more balanced odds when rolling dice. The game works as normal during solo play, except that the solo player needs to decide which of her two characters is the one overturning each card in order to correctly resolve any special effects. Overall Thoughts Escape the Dark Castle is really something special. The production values are top notch: When you open the box, you are treated to chunky custom dice and luxurious, oversized cards that are surely a sleever's nightmare (do they even make card sleeves this big?). The flavor text is excellent, and the art is distinctive and creepily appealing. It's clear that a lot of love went into this game. Another important contribution that Escape the Dark Castle makes to gaming is its accessibility. Pretty much anyone could learn to play this game in five minutes or less, and just about any group of friends could have a good time progressing through the variable "story" that the game creates. This is the kind of game that I want to show other people so that we can all have a good laugh and a great time. In addition to solo play, I really enjoyed playing it with my boyfriend, and he has asked to play it again soon—definitely a good sign. That said, Escape the Dark Castle loses a little something when I play it alone. Mechanically it works, but the gameplay is so simple that there aren't too many interesting choices to make. The dice rolling itself quickly becomes repetitive. So do the cards—eventually, you'll have seen them all. (Although fortunately there is an expansion to add variety.) And while I devour the text on each new castle card with gusto, Escape the Dark Castle also makes me want to find someone else to show it to. It's just not as much fun without friends to ask, "Hey, remember the time we were almost thrown into the evil cook's soup pot?" Do I recommend it? For solo play, maybe. If there is space in your life for a light filler game that takes you through a story without too much thought, then give this a try. For group play, however, I definitely recommend it. Overall Rating: 3 stars (3.5–4 stars if playing with others) Rating Scale: 5 stars — I love it! 4 stars — I really like it. 3 stars — I like it. 2 stars — It's okay. 1 star — Meh. Last night during the Super Bowl, Eli Manning was featured in an ad that depicts solo board games in a rather depressing light: So, playing board games by yourself is as sad as ladling soup to pass the time? I beg to differ, sir! And I demand an apology!
To that end, I have written a letter to Eli Manning, asking him to make this terrible insult up to me—and by extension, all of us solo gamers—by sending me an autographed photo. One that says, "I <3 Solo Board Games." This letter is going in the mail, but I ask you all to help me in my quest! You can do that by sharing this post. I want my apology! Here is the letter I wrote: Dear Mr. Manning, I was intrigued by your Super Bowl ad last night—the one where you speculated about how you could spend your time if you weren’t playing in the Super Bowl. Your first idea, ladling soup, could definitely use some work. But playing board games by yourself? That is a fantastic plan. I would know: I run a blog and YouTube channel dedicated specifically to solitaire board gaming. Playing solo board games can create adventure and excitement as intense as any Super Bowl. From the comfort of your living room, you can cast magical spells, escape an island full of hungry cannibals, command vast armies... the possibilities are endless. Sadly, I suspect that you were not seriously suggesting that you play board games by yourself. But perhaps you could make up for this insult. Would you please send me an autographed photo that says “I <3 Solo Board Games”? If you send me that photo, I swear to cheer for the Giants for as long as you remain on the team, even though I have been a Dallas Cowboys fan since the days of Emmitt Smith. Also, if you come to your senses and are looking for solo board games to play, feel free to pay me a visit at www.beyondsolitaire.net. Good luck next season! Liz Davidson beyondsolitaire@gmail.com After a sluggish start this year, Kickstarter campaigns are really starting to pick up! I'm still waiting on some specific projects to appear, so I am trying not to make pledges right now. But a few games have definitely caught my attention! 1. Isles of Terror This is a bright, colorful game that is available with or without miniatures. It's playable in either competitive or cooperative mode, which means that solo will be possible. Each game can be treated as part of an overarching campaign that will allow you to play through a broader story, but you will need victory points to win—victory points earned through in-game progress and completion of objectives. If you dig pirates, exploration, and miniatures, Isles of Terror looks like a possible game of interest for you. 2. Xia: Embers of a Forsaken Star and Xia: Missions and Powers Xia is a sandbox space exploration game with an expansion that allows players to enjoy it solo. There is an all-in pledge available for those who do not have the game but are thinking about jumping on board now. The ultimate goal in Xia is to come out with the most victory points, but a lot can happen along the way. You have considerable flexibility: some players will choose to build a vast empire as space merchants, while others might become space pirates. I have not yet played Xia myself, but it gets a lot of love in the solo community. If it sounds like your sort of thing, you should look into it further. 3. Fields of Green: Grand Fair Fields of Green is a farming game in which players draft cards, then use those cards to build the most satisfying farming engines possible. Grand Fair is an expansion that allows farmers to enter into events at the state fair and grow their agribusinesses in new ways. It also adds solo rules, which were not included in the base game. If you like card drafting, engine building, and farming games, you can add Fields of Green to the list of games with official solo rules. You can pledge for both the base game and the expansion during the current Kickstarter campaign. |
AuthorMy name is Liz Davidson, and I play solo board games. A lot of solo board games... Archives
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