Top 10 Cooperative Board Games I Prefer to Play Solo

[@paulinatolak5128]

You should’ve seen the shock on my face when Robinson Crusoe wasn’t on the list 😂 great list as always!

[@TotallyTabled]

I should have said something at the beginning of the video -- I love RC solo and multiplayer pretty equally. It's just great no matter how you play it! Thanks for watching!

[@soloflo]

@@TotallyTabledI wonder how many such comments you are gonna get 😂 at least I am just replying to your replies to them 😂

[@paulinatolak5128]

@@TotallyTabled no worries at all, it’s just funny how sure I was 😂 I completely understand, I love RC both solo and multiplayer as well

[@TotallyTabled]

Ha, I mean I do put RC on nearly every list, so I completely understand. :)

[@Table.Fables]

@@TotallyTabled I’m quite curious about this comment actually as I find RC difficult to manage multiplayer in terms of decisions over which worker goes where… it’s so hard not to quarterback and yet I sometimes feel one person needs the final say over where other players’ character actions may need to go that turn. How do you manage that so you can play “well” and also feel like every player has agency?

[@sarablackburn6967]

My 5-year-old has been pushing into some of my plays of A Gentle Rain, and I came to realize that my main gripe with this is that I very selfishly want to place all the flowers myself (and of course that's his favorite part and he totally takes it over). I'm no better than my kids, fighting over who gets to push the elevator button! But *I* want to place the pretty flowers, lol! I want to hog that tactile experience all for myself, because it's part of what makes it such a relaxing game. I also share your feelings about puzzly, pattern-type games. I like to do those types of things on my own.

[@TotallyTabled]

I can totally relate to this. My kids always want to hog the fun parts! :) It's funny how some games bring out my selfishness. Not exactly sure why. Thanks for checking out the video! And thanks for reminding me I still need to play A Gentle Rain. I'm very late to the party.

[@michaelkussy9153]

I was surprised Robinson Crusoe was not on this list.

[@TotallyTabled]

I love Robinson Crusoe both solo and multiplayer equally. I mostly play solo, but it is great fun with 2 or 3 players. Thanks for watching!

[@soloflo]

@@TotallyTabledyou are missing the point. That game has to be on your lists. It’s your own rule. 😂😂😂 just kidding hahaha maybe 😂 anyway great to see another of your fantastic videos 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@dayoltay]

Better suffer together I guess lol

[@Jaffnutter]

New subscriber here. 😊Really appreciate all of your videos as a new adopter of solo board gaming. Loving your playthroughs - they have helped me to select which games to commence my journey with and no doubt your future videos will inform my future decisions. With thanks.

[@adrenalinejunkie4788]

+ 1

[@anthonywestbrook2155]

I would add Ghost Stories to this list. It makes thematic sense to be multiplayer, but the puzzle is so hard, and so intertwined, that the only way you have a chance of beating the easiest setting is for one player to make all final decisions. But! I discovered my absolute favorite way to play board games while playing it. With an advisor. My roommate knew the rules to the solo/solo-cooperative games I would play, and he'd sit there and we'd talk about it all, and he'd point things out that I missed, but I always had final say, and that was okay, because I was the one playing. I also enjoyed being the advisor. It's a seriously fun way to play if you like talking about options with someone, but don't want to worry about balancing your desire to win with your desire to be a good teammate. It's. The best.

[@SammyHoff]

Great to see The Lost Expedition mentioned. It's such a forgotten gem of a game that I play solo, cooperatively and competitively. Like you, I've played it solo many times. I actually feel sorry the number of times I've made Vulcana die walking through piranhas for the good of the expedition 😬

[@EBHawellsGames]

I am just here to say thank you. We love co-op games. Solo is becoming very popular, and a must have for co-op imo!

[@migscrisostomo5310]

I've had 20+ plays of the Kinfire Delve series - solo and two-handed. I can see myself playing maybe 15+ more times. Most people take around 45 mins to complete a game but it takes me an hour and a half because I really enjoy getting lost in deep thought about how I'll solve the puzzle at hand, and about how far I'll push my luck.

[@Stormlight8700]

Great list. I only ever play your number 1 one player. I can't imagine inflicting that game onto any of my friends! I have to study for a few hours each time before getting it back to the table 😄 I love the colours of the cards. They're so evocative. I really enjoy playing Rolling Realms single player. Though it plays well at higher player count as well, due to the simultaneous nature. Have you played The 7th Citadel? That one would definitely fit this list for me.

[@netcrashYT]

Epic match to my own list! With only one game standing out as one I haven't yet picked up... The Loop... maybe time to get it!

[@adrenalinejunkie4788]

I like your setup and style of doing videos. Very interesting list here too.

[@ShineOnYouCD]

In Mage Knight during combat, especially attacking castles, I LOVE spending 20 minutes perfecting the outcome. I would never want to have a quick 5 minutes turn if playing multiplayer!

[@Boardgametherapist]

Voidfall is huge in the solo community now. Debuted #24 (ish?) on the BGG solo top 200

[@CorvusQuest]

Marvel Champions LCG, Arkham Horror LCG, Too Many Bones, Spirit Island and Mage Knight are my go-to solo games. At this point, I don't think I need anymore tabletop games on top of these. I would prefer to play Sleeping Gods and Marvel Champions with my partner but she just isn't interested in those games. And we can't find time to play Arkham Horror LCG anymore, which is our best two-player couple game.

[@AeronwyD]

I've only played Sleeping Gods solo and I love it! I've only played This War of Mine video game, but really liked it. At some point I really need to try the board game version.

[@patricklavoie3939]

Man!!! you hit all my soft spot…. thank you for your input or more appreciate… guidance 😊

[@TheDreamcane]

I always play Arkham Horror Card Game solo. Usually with two investigators. That's a true puzzle to solve.

[@Kumagoro42]

I played a ton of AH:LCG solo, always regretting not having anybody else to share it with. Recently, I found a group of two other players and started a campaign, and immediately missed being in charge of everything. :)

[@bookaddict777]

Great list! Thank you so much for sharing, Shaggy.

[@PeterHansma-k4h]

The 'Forbidden' series lends itself to solo play, too.

[@ConsummateGamer]

My recent favorite in this category: Sky Team

[@Kumagoro42]

Agree. But the solo modo is unofficial and kind of goes against the creator's intent of depicting the tense relationship between pilot and co-pilot and the moment of landing.

[@hiho8084]

Thanks Shaggy! I had the lost expedition, but I stressed out way too much when I played, [I get too immersed in the theme]. I did enjoy the Loop solo. I'll have to try Dorf Romantik solo when I need a relaxing play. Thanks again👍

[@TotallyTabled]

Yeah, Dorfromantik is fun for a relaxing game, especially if you like tile laying games. The Lost Expedition is so thematic for a card game. It is incredibly stressful. Thanks for watching!

[@johndavidharding]

Waiting for the update video: "j/k, Robinson Crusoe is #1" 😅 Great video, Shaggi!

[@TotallyTabled]

I know it is weird because RC is my favorite solo game, but I like it equally well solo and multiplayer. I mostly play solo, but I would happily play a 3 player game any day. Thanks for watching!

[@mariac_campos]

After your Dorfromantik mention, I was wondering.. have you ever thought about doing a top cozy/light-weight solo games list?

[@andrethannhauser6302]

To me, there are several categories that I favour to play solo. 1. The game is very complex and/or thinky Examples: Mage Knight Spirit Island 2. You can quite easily play as many characters as are optimal rather than playing true solo Examples: Arkham Horror LCG (2-handed) Eldritch Horror (4 characters) Aeons End (2-handed) Legendary Encounters Alien (3-handed) 3. The game is very story-driven so I have more fun creating the atmosphere with background ambient sound and read all the flavour text there is on cards Examples Arkham Horror LCG (again ;-) ) Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. A lost of further campaign-driven games In the end, it mostly depends on the group. If you find the number of players that is best to play the perfect number of characters AND all players know the rules AND all players are willing and/or interested to dive deep into the theme/story THEN almost every game can be better multiplayer. But finding a fix group that has the time to meet often enough to play a campaign in a rather short time period is hard to find. The biggest negative influence on finding such a group is the amount of new games being released. To me that is more a curse then a blessing, as everybody seems to just want to try out new game after game.

[@TotallyTabled]

Story driven games are great multiplayer if everyone has one character and there aren't a ton of group decisions to make. That's why Arkham Horror LCG works at 2 players for me (maaaaybe 3). Spirit Island is a rare example of a complex game where I prefer 2 players. I don't like running two spirits, and one spirit feels a bit bland to me. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching!

[@Kumagoro42]

@@TotallyTabled I fully agree about Spirit Island. It also makes zero thematic sense for a single spirit to be the only one that chooses to do something against the invaders, while it's thematically rich for multiple spirits to act together, while at times not being perfectly in sync with their actions because they're so quirky and have different philosophical approaches.

[@TotallyTabled]

Yeah, the game really shines with multiple spirits and a larger island, IMHO. It's such a great game!

[@deifallah_611hr2]

I love playing alone, I don't wait for anyone to play with me. Your channel is beautiful and photography and directing are beautiful, thank you for your effort.. I own the lost expedition game. Have you tried adding expansion, do you add a lot to the game? I liked the cyberion game, I will buy it soon. Thank you, we look forward to more

[@Ferretywrath]

Surprised I didn't see Eila and Something Shiny on here, but, it DOES imply it's a single player experience all over it. Great list!

[@Kumagoro42]

I don't think Eila and Something Shiny has a multiplayer mode, does it? On BGG it's classified as solo only.

[@Ferretywrath]

​@@Kumagoro42 The box calls it a "1+" player game, and the marketing encourages groups to experience it together. But, mechanistically, it's a one player game. So, it's all down to interpretation. Most reviewers seem to have done it as a group, but, it's like playing Sherlock Holmes Consulting as a group.

[@Kumagoro42]

@@Ferretywrath Yeah, honestly, they should have done the same for This War of Mine. The printed player count of 1-6 is nonsensical. Why 6, even? You just hand over control of the game to the next player round after round. It can be done with any number of players, and you could do the same thing with any solo-only game, it doesn't require any rule.

[@TotallyTabled]

I haven't played that one, but I guess I assumed it was solo-only. I hope the 1+ on the box doesn't catch on. As Kumagoro says below, you can share any solo game. Heck, you can play a 2-player game with two groups of two players and share that. This is definitely a game I would love to try. Looks very interesting. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@minaslinos7854]

Thanks!!!

[@bomholmm]

This should just be a list of every coop that doesn't have a secret traitor.

[@Kumagoro42]

I just realized, is that Fog of Love in the thumbnail? How do you play that one solo? :)

[@stevegeorge7773]

I’d throw in Arkham Horror both the card game and 2nd edition board game. Both are thematic and can be played solo and multiplayer.

[@MerlinsManor]

No Spirit Island? I think it shines solo... but then again 2 player is great too.

[@toddbartel6300]

Good Morning Shaggy! Nice Video. 10/17/24

[@egeozer9916]

Hi, among these I only played Sleeping Gods. I finished it once by myself, and then my partner and I went through the first third. I 100% prefer to play it solo! It has too much downtime otherwise. Other cooperative games I prefer playing solo are Spirit Island and Horrified, just because I already played these ones more than my friends that it is hard not to lead the game. I am actually really interested in The Loop for solo play, so, it's great to hear your input!

[@TotallyTabled]

The LOOP is fantastic! Highly recommend. Hopefully it is still available -- I fear it is going to disappear. I definitely prefer Spirit Island with 2 players, because I have a hard time running two spirits (but to be fair I need to play more). Horrified I enjoy both ways, but it is a great solo game. Thanks so much for checking out the video!

[@egeozer9916]

@@TotallyTabled Then I should pick it up if I see one available! I don't have expansions for Spirit Island, so, it wasn't that hard to learn the selected few spirits and then combine them together. But I own about 30 games, so I am able to concentrate on some of them and be comfortable playing two or even three handed. Thank you for your content, it is always enjoyable to watch your videos!

[@Kumagoro42]

@@TotallyTabled Unfortunately, The Loop has already disappeared into a price-inflating anomaly. :/

[@TotallyTabled]

Yeah, this is what I need to do with Spirit Island. One day I'll focus on getting better at it so I can run two spirits comfortably.

[@TotallyTabled]

I'm sad to hear The LOOP is disappearing. This game deserves to be an evergreen like Pandemic.

[@Pestilents]

What about Nemo's war?

[@darquehope]

Thumbnail: Features Fog of Love style imagery. Video: Does not include Fog of Love. Good video, bummed it doesn’t include a game I can’t seem to get to the table otherwise.

[@danthiell5332]

Set a Watch seems like it could go on this list. I've only played it solo, but it seems like it would just get worse the more players you add.

[@snake_plant]

I agree best solo but think it works at 2 and 3 (with the fourth "flex adventurer" for the person at camp). Wouldn't want to play at 4 though.

[@TotallyTabled]

Set a Watch is one I've never played but I've seen a bit about it and feels like a good solo experience. Thanks for watching!

[@snake_plant]

​@@TotallyTabled that's a surprise, one to check out then if looking for new solos! Out of the main three its definitely best to start with the 2nd (Swords of the Coin) as that refined things by adding the merchant/items (1st is the "prototype" but still worth buying for extra characters/cards, and 3rd has added complexity plus a quick-game mode). All 3 are standalone but mixable which is cool. I've not tried the Doomed Run campaign box though as it's pricey and looks too much effort! 😂

[@davidt4233]

Totally agree with Mage Knight. Would add Too Many bones and Marvel Champions to the list.

[@lovelycairo]

What are your thoughts on Carnival Zombie? I just can't enjoy playing it multiplayer. It feels like there is not much room for wrong decisions wich makes it hard to play it with new players and not tell them what they should do all the time 😅 (wich i dont like at all)

[@TotallyTabled]

I've had fun both solo and multiplayer, but I could totally see preferring Carnival Zombie solo. Thanks for watching!

[@Sherlock-Sky]

Make top Co-op solo low price board game pls

[@TotallyTabled]

I tend to avoid focusing on price, since this shifts and changes and can depend on where you live, etc. But a lot of this list is low cost -- Dorfromantik, Lost Expedition, The LOOP, Oniverse and Sprawl series, and Mini Rogue. I also have many playthroughs on the channel that feature low price games. Thank you for checking out the video!

[@Sherlock-Sky]

@@TotallyTabled well if this video Co-op prefer alone,make another top Co-op with enjoy for another player but still can play solo mode

[@Kumagoro42]

@@Sherlock-Sky It's exactly what he said he's planning to do at the end of the video.

[@TotallyTabled]

Yep, this one is next as a follow up video!

[@writerian]

Shaggy, you rock!

[@emmaavelar2325]

Obsession is one I love solo! And yes Sleeping Gods is way better solo! 😅

[@TotallyTabled]

Obsession is great solo, but I've also played it two player and enjoyed that as well. I definitely wouldn't want to play with more than two. Thanks for watching!

[@emmaavelar2325]

@@TotallyTabled ooo playing with two players would make it really like two rival families!😅

[@PACEUK22]

Do you suggest solo playing earthborne rangers with just one character or multi handed with two?

[@TotallyTabled]

I play with one character and it works great. I don't see any reason to play two handed. Thanks for watching!

[@coyotemoon722]

Ahh Voidfall. The best game that I'll never play

[@sapien01010]

So basically you like being a dictator ;)

[@TotallyTabled]

I prefer benevolent monarch. :) But, yeah, some games I want total control and some games I prefer to split the responsibility. The why is kind of interesting and sometimes difficult to pin down. Thanks for watching!

[@svenbudde7530]

I would change Mage Knight with Spirit Island... Cos it's shorter. 😅

[@TotallyTabled]

They are very different games, but yes, much shorter. Thanks for watching!

[@snake_plant]

Ah The Loop again! 😂 It looks sooo good but can't justify the $140-150 I've seen it selling for second hand for the one game. I'd hope for a reprint but given it's not even on the publisher's website it seems unlikely.

[@kylekemp7933]

The publisher did say it won’t get reprinted unfortunately, but it is a fantastic game. I have seen some copies go for$25 on fb, just got to keep your eye out for it

[@snake_plant]

​@@kylekemp7933difficulty is in Europe it seems it was never published direct so shipping is what bumps it. I'm tempted to buy the french version which is slightly cheaper and hopefully learn the translations!

[@Kumagoro42]

@@snake_plant I just looked at the Geekmarket on BGG (it's where I buy most of my games now, if you set currency to euros, you filter out all the expensive shipping options), there are several reasonably priced used German and French copies. The only current English one is shipped from Croatia for €100, though. :/

[@TotallyTabled]

This is so depressing to hear. I've been beating the drum for the LOOP for years now, and the fact it got expansions made me hopeful it would stick around.

[@kylekemp7933]

@@TotallyTabled that is what I was hoping as well, maybe even another expansion too, but no more I am afraid

[@jonsparks3152]

Marvel Champions! 196 plays and only 2 mulit player.

[@TotallyTabled]

Marvel Champions is a game I would rather have 2 players so we can have 2 heroes but I only need to control one. That seems ideal to me, even though it is a great solo as well. Thanks for watching!

[@Kumagoro42]

@@TotallyTabled Can't you play it two-handed? I think the argument applies to most LCG games of that kind. You had Earthborne Rangers as honorable mention, I guess you could add Arkham Horror LCG as well. The narrative component of those games (and Sleeping Gods, which you mentioned) feels like reading a book, and when you do it with multiple players, it's like a collective reading of a book, which is not something everyone enjoys.

[@TotallyTabled]

Yes, you can play Marvel Champions 2-handed, but like Spirit Island, I don't enjoy running 2 heroes. Now, strangely, running two characters in Arkham Horror LCG doesn't bother me. For Earthborne Rangers, one character works great. I would never run two.

[@MindsetTabletop]

Robinson Crusoe?

[@TotallyTabled]

It's not on this list because I like it both solo and multiplayer equally, even though I mostly play solo. But I can understand the argument that it is mostly a solo puzzle at heart. But each player gets their own character, can make their own decisions for actions and when on an adventure. Lots of group discussion. It works as a multiplayer experience better than the others on this list, I feel. Thanks for watching!

[@soloflo]

By the way, I keep thinking you ought to love Arborea

[@TotallyTabled]

Yeah, I should try that one. It slipped through the cracks, which is happening more and more these days with so many games coming out each year. Thanks!

[@soloflo]

@@TotallyTabled men-nefer probably will be another one you will really enjoy! Let’s see if I am right on both counts 😆

[@onegin041]

Ghost stories

[@tzgardner]

My top game would be Pandemic.

[@terencemccormick8178]

@tzgardner Thunderbirds is the Pandemic design perfected.

[@DouTha34]

What?? No Robinson Crusoe in this top? Seriously? 😂

[@TotallyTabled]

RC is equally great solo and multiplayer. But don't worry, I'm sure it will be on another list very soon. 😃

[@richardmullens4707]

First time watching your channel. What's with all the little laughs throughout the video? Was someone tickling your feet when you were recording? Is the laughing something you do on purpose? Nerves maybe? Just curious.