For many board players, the biggest obstacle to getting a game to the table isn't complexity or length, it's finding the right group at the right time. Solo board games solve that problem by offering deeply engaging experiences designed to be as tense, strategic and emotionally rewarding as their multiplayer counterparts.
6 board games you can play yourself
We've selected six excellent board games that are either designed for solo play or have a single-player experience.
These five solo board games are so immersive, so rich in decision-making and atmosphere, that once you start playing everything else on your shelf fades into the background. Whether you're surviving a besieged city, shaping the fate of a fantasy world, or unraveling cosmic horrors one card at a time, these games prove that playing alone doesn't always result in a less immersive experience.
This War of Mine: The Board Game
Make difficult moral and practical decisions in a city under siege
This War of Mine: The Board Game is based on the survival game This my war from 11 bit studios. Like the video game, This War of Mine: The Board Game throws players into a brutal city under siege where players must make difficult decisions – both practical and moral – in order to survive.
To survive, the player must clear rubble, grow vegetation, build beds and workshops, defend against dangerous raiders and bandits, and perform many other tricky tasks. The game's colorful characters amidst the barren gray world, difficult choices and immersive environment is what makes it so absorbing. Like the rest of the games on this list, This War of Mine: The Board Game can also be played with friends, although learning what decisions your friends would make in life-and-death situations is one of several reasons why the game is best played alone.
Gloomhaven
A massive legacy campaign that rewards long-term commitment
While the aforementioned This War of Mine: The Board Game is an adaptation of a video game, Gloomhaven is a board game that became so popular that it was adapted into a video game.
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Gloomhaven was designed by Isaac Childres and is a campaign-based dungeon crawler with nearly 100 playable scenarios and 17 playable classes, offering an incredible amount of variety for players to get lost in. The fantasy game follows a Legacy format, meaning that each session can significantly affect those who follow, leading to memorable stories with shocking twists for players to be intrigued by. Gloomhaven also differs from other dungeon crawler games due to having modern Eurogame mechanics.
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
A challenging journey through Midgard
Board games are another medium there The Lord of the Rings has several beloved editions. The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is a live card game, which is a variant of Collectible Card Games without the gambling aspect, as players know exactly which cards they are getting when they buy The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game and its expansions.
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game tasks the player(s) to complete scenarios by sending their heroes and allies to complete missions or combat the growing power of the enemy. Those who enjoy the game do not lack additional content, as an eye-popping number of expansions have been released over the years, offering hundreds or even thousands of hours of fun.
Spirit Island
Strategic solo gameplay with escalating tension and depth
Spirit Island is a Euro-style strategy game where players must defend their island by fending off colonizing invaders. To fend off the invaders, the player must gain abilities and power cards while the invaders' deck sees them explore, build and/or ravage areas.
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The player's goal is to destroy the invaders and their settlements. Initially, victory can only be achieved by clearing out every invader and settlement, but as the game progresses, players can lower the win criterion by creating fear. Spirit Island is another game on this list with a video game counterpart, thanks to Handelabra Games' 2020 PC and mobile game of the same name.
Arkham Horror: The Card Game
A narrative-driven descent into cosmic horror
A list of compelling board games would feel incomplete without some good cosmic horror. The Lovecraftian Arkham Horror: The Card Game is a Living Card Game similar The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game and from the same publisher, Fantasy Flight Games. Arkham horror puts players in the shoes of an Arkham investigator and leans heavily on role-playing, where the player has a great deal of choice in how they proceed as they delve into the mystery.
Like many games on this list, Arkham Horror: The Card Game features a multi-scenario campaign where players will battle with their character's internal strengths and weaknesses, load their decks with allies and gear, and battle enemies that can drive them insane in classic Lovecraft fashion.
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From online multiplayer titles to local masterpieces, Steam has tons of great co-op games covering a wide range of genres.
