Top 10 Solo Board Games

[@ViewtifulJosh388]

I have no friends and my siblings don't want to play with me so this is perfect. Thank you!

[@c_m_b_3110]

Ok trauma dump in the youtube comment section

[@ryanbartlett672]

Pace, delivery, and visuals are great. Speaking to Pros AND cons is key. Thanks.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much 😀

[@PACEUK22]

Really appreciate the effort and time you put into this production especially the stop motion work👍

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much I appreciate that :)

[@codyschut6944]

That’s what made me finish the entire video

[@Elric54]

Great list. The number animations are the best part!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it :)

[@Table.Fables]

Great list and a good choice for #1. Mage Knight has been my favourite solo game since I got into the hobby

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks :), glad to hear you like it too it’s such a great game!

[@benja6902]

I've just begun soloing Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion, and I am liking it a lot - the hype is real, just like with Mage Knight.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Awesome glad to hear you’re enjoying it, it definitely is a great game I played that and gloomhaven with a group but never really played them solo so I didn’t include them in this list but they’re definitely great games!

[@Quincy_Morris]

Ok but how do you LOSE Gloomhaven?

[@fatherofgames9239]

@@Quincy_Morris you fail certain scenarios by running out of cards or health and can redo them if you choose when your stronger or more experienced.

[@athanasiospetsas9367]

@@fatherofgames9239 hahahha! Nice answer! Very well-thought-out...

[@dhmcarver]

I am always interested in recommendations for solo games, and I think you’ve gone and done it and convinced me to get Mage Knight. It keeps topping so many lists of solo games, even lists that don’t feature sprawling and/or campaign games as yours did. I need to pick up Spirit Island as well. You said you might do more lists of solo games in the future. I’d be interested in your take on smaller-scale solo games, if your gaming tastes run that way. Thanks for the video. It was great.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Haha that’s awesome I hope it doesn’t disappoint, it’s a fantastic game if you’re willing to take the time to learn it, spirit island is great too very unique and so many expansions adding to the replayability. I tend to lean toward the big games solo and play more smaller ones multiplayer, final girl was a smaller one that’s been recommended to me a few times which I just purchased and will hopefully be trying this week along with legacy of Yu, marvel champions is another one that I’ve really been enjoying since posting this video. That’s probably the smallest ones for me so far.

[@PACEUK22]

Mage knight is quite simply a masterpiece. Whilst I enjoy many different games, mage knight stands above them all as the overall design is a work of genius

[@fatherofgames9239]

I totally agree it really is a masterpiece for sure.

[@daveryan2148]

I really enjoy Star Trek frontiers because of theming. It’s crazy how many small rule changes can completely alter the game

[@FiretruykLOL]

Discovered quite a few games I had never heard of that are now on my list to check out and buy. Thank you for sharing outside of your atypical BGTop10.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Awesome, I hope you enjoy them, thanks for watching :)

[@WankenZeFurious]

I've solo played Mage Knight for the first time a few days ago and I can easily understand why it is your n°1. What a beast. Nice video btw! 👍

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks glad you liked the video, and glad to hear you enjoyed mage knight as well it really is a fantastic game!

[@e.vasileva5891]

Hey! Thank you so much for this clip! Due to it I decided to give Spirit Island a chance and now I am just obsessed with the game. Really amazing for solo! I really needed to have such a game in the collection, thanks!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Hey that’s awesome I’m really glad to hear you’re enjoying it :)

[@dandanita1692]

you start your solo journey with most heavy/ biggest boxes boards games you could find

[@fatherofgames9239]

Haha I’m a sucker for miniatures and big production games, I play a lot of smaller ones too just not typically solo

[@sauronguitar]

@@fatherofgames9239 it is heavily inspired in Mage Knight with an “D&D” thematic. More simple with rules, but still puzzling.

[@adam551982]

@@fatherofgames9239 I subbed just on the first few. Pretty sure we like the same games.

[@adam551982]

Just got to spirit island. I own it, played it, but my small ass brain couldn't think far enough ahead to be good at the game. I gave up on it, maybe I shouldn't have?

[@adam551982]

AT:O is my newest game I bought. Its a better KDM. A bit of a learning curve but it's soooo good. I have cycle 4 and 5 coming and will 100% back Twelve Sins next month. ItU is my new fav publisher. All in'd Kingdoms Forlorn as well. So hyped for what these guys make.

[@brettshapiro6289]

Dude, thanks for this. Been looking for a game to play with my young daughter as a solo game. Very helpful video.

[@fatherofgames9239]

No worries, glad to hear it was helpful. I hope you’re able to find one you both enjoy :)

[@brettshapiro6289]

You need to keep making videos. You do a great job. @@fatherofgames9239

[@JayJayPea1]

What? You know what the word SOLO means right?

[@brettshapiro6289]

​​@@JayJayPea1lol, I'm playing with my 9 year old. So I guess I don't.

[@zxql_]

Surprised nobody ever mentions Lord of The Rings LCG. It's an amazing solo game, though it's a card game, it has many board game elements.

[@fatherofgames9239]

I never mentioned it because I haven’t played it but I’m definitely intrigued I’ll have to look into that one for sure, thanks for the recommendation

[@yadayadayada]

Any list with Mage Knight #1 is a great one 😁

[@fatherofgames9239]

Haha thanks, such a great game eh

[@whytemeet]

Great list, we have similar tastes in games! A lot of the games you mentioned, I love playing at two player. Gloomhaven and Oathsworn are my favorites at low player counts!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks 🙏 , with the right person a lot of these are great two player as well for sure. Gloomhaven is a great game and I’ve only heard good things about oathsworn looking forward to the reprint later this year :)

[@beno5229]

I had fun guessing the game from the components making the rank numbers 😆 I got most of them great vid

[@fatherofgames9239]

Haha nicely done, glad you enjoyed the video thanks for watching :)

[@jon-athan-hall]

Fellow father. Fellow solo gamer. Thanks for the specifics on each. I ended up getting rid of Mage Knight. It's a too long right now for my schedule.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Hey thanks for watching :), it’s always hard to know when to get rid of a game eh but hopefully you were able to find a game to replace mage knight with.

[@marcosseven8872]

Man. I discovered solo gaming this week! Wow. I was exactly as what you said. I saw Boardgames as a social activity. But I just got Expeditions (the sequel to Scythe) and after playing it once with friends I wanted to play more, but couldn’t get people to play with. Saw a review that the Automa is good and gave it a go. And I’m blown away! I totally enjoyed it! Now I’m going around looking for this kind of videos 😀. I recommend it to you to try it out. Rococo Deluxe also has a very nice solo mode.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Glad to hear you’re enjoying solo games, it really is great that so many have them as an option, I hope you’re able to continue finding ones you enjoy. To be honest I thought expeditions looked too similar to scythe to justify owning both but I’m sure I’ll try it eventually, rococo deluxe is high on my wish list, eagle gryphon has amazing production quality, thanks for the recommendations

[@Leemundo23]

Just wanted to add my name as a subscriber, found it such a well-done video. Pro's and Con's with pictures of components us always appreciated. I'll go back and view some of your reviews now too. Big Box Adventures for the win!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much Lee I appreciate that :)

[@tigerpjm]

I nearly left when you put Tainted Snail on your list. But then you completely redeemed yourself with Mage Knight at number one. It's a fantastic game and just a really, really good recommendation which is, honestly, more often than not better solo.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Haha Tainted Grail is pretty polarizing, it definitely isn’t a perfect game but I enjoyed it a lot at least and I think the new one will improve on a lot of its imperfections. I agree though mage knight is better solo for sure I couldn’t imagine playing it with 5 players

[@BoardgamesforOne]

Glad to see Etherfields. I also think it’s an exceptionally unique game.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Glad to hear you enjoy it, it’s definitely an underrated game for sure.

[@boardgamer_with_beard]

love etherfields, got 4 Silverkeys now in the first campagne, love every minute playing this game

[@BoardgamesforOne]

@@boardgamer_with_beard oooh. I’m not to the four silver keys yet

[@robertthurman9866]

Really good list.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much :)

[@gregorys9629]

Within the last week, I've gone from not knowing what Mage Knight is to deciding that it's a game I must have in my collection! I enjoyed listening to your list, great job.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much :), awesome I hope you enjoy it 😎

[@bn5055]

Try it out somehow (TTS) before you buy it. It's always popular on solo lists but I bounced off it HARD.

[@gregorys9629]

@@bn5055 Good advice, thanks. The 4.65 complexity rating on BGG is a bit intimidating.

[@bn5055]

@@gregorys9629 tbh it could do with a second edition with a more streamlined ruleset and a better manual. It's one of those rulesets that starts out simple but then is complicated by exceptions.

[@rosalind1635]

​@@gregorys9629 Did you get it? (I adore it)

[@MyParedrus]

Great top 10!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much :)

[@masscop79]

Great list. Agreed with a lot of your comments. Subscribed. Looking forward to your new content.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much I really appreciate it :)

[@Biodelic]

I am shocked to see ISS Vanguard not having made the list. Otherwise a very reasonable and high quality list in an interesting order. Thanks for sharing.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks, and I just got Iss Vanguard I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, I will say that even though I’ve unboxed a lot of awaken realms games I was still blown away by the quality that was put into the game components, hoping to try it soon

[@Biodelic]

@@fatherofgames9239 I absolutely love ISS Vanguard. Together with Solomon Kane it is my absolute #1. Based upon your list, you will have a blast playing it. It is a very unique experience. And yes, Awaken Realm hits it out of the ballpark over and over again. I am very much looking forward to Tamashii (Awaken Realms Lite) and the just announced S.T.AL.K.E.R.

[@fatherofgames9239]

@@Biodelic that’s awesome I’m looking forward to trying it you’re definitely building up my hype for it, oh Solomon Kane is another one I wanted to try glad to hear you enjoyed it, yea awaken realms has some great games to look forward to this year for sure.

[@ronansheridan848]

Very nice list. Enjoyed listening to your choices! Cloudspire, Mage Knight, Sleeping Gods and Spirit Island are on my list too (I still struggle with burncycle a bit). You might also like 7th Continent aswell - very thematic (especially with the music app) and endless hours of exploration… And Too Many Bones is great as well. And for a quicker solo experience, that also requires card management/choices maybe check out Resist as well

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks :), I totally understand Burncycle definitely isn’t for everyone it definitely took me a while to get into it too. I’ve been debating getting 7th continent for a while and I’m hesitant to get too many bones because I know I’ll want to collect everything for it lol I definitely will get it at some point though and I’ll add Resist to the list too, thanks.

[@JayJayPea1]

@@fatherofgames9239Too Many Bones might be the greatest solo game of all time. You should definitely invest. You won’t regret it.

As a guy from Poland, I'm proud that 4 out of 10 games in your top10 were created by Poles 🙂

[@fatherofgames9239]

I’ll be honest I had to look up what the 4th game was lol I had no idea lucky duck games were located in Poland as well. Definitely some of the best games come from Poland for sure !

[@XHuntinatorX]

Hard to argue with your #1. MK killer solo experience!

[@modlitwaSERCA]

a moja Top Gier Solo 2023’: 1. Etherfields 2. Pax Pamir 3. Bonfire 4. Mage Knight 5. Diuna: Imperium z dodatkiem 6. Anachrony 7. Scythe 8. This War of Mine 9. 51 Stan - ale wersję solo sobie zmodyfikowałem :D 10. To Many Bones 10. Uśpieni bogowie 10. Frostpunk 10. Nemesis

[@fatherofgames9239]

Solid list we definitely have some crossovers!

[@kurohonhon]

Great video! It's clear how much work you put into making it. I hope your channel grows fast. I like the list as well, I have my eyes on a few of those games so I might give them a try later this year. Edit: I forgot to add that I really enjoyed Gloomhaven as a solo game - especially the PC version since some time ago, it was available for free. The reason I liked the PC version a bit more was basically that I could save a lot of time with setting everything up AND it's a bit easier to get into if anyone is scared of its size. Basically, whenever I had ~30 minutes of time, I launched the game, played one scenario and turned it off which was fantastic. That said, Jaws of the Lion can be set up pretty quickly if you want both, the great board game experience + spend less time on preparations. I imagine you've already played it quite some time ago but it's just a general recommendation for others.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much I really appreciate that :). Glad you liked the list and I hope you enjoy the games you get from it if you end up getting some of them later this year. Gloomhaven is a great recommendation I did play it quite a bit with a group but never played it solo that’s why I didn’t include it in this list, but the PC version sounds awesome I’ll have to try that since the set up time definitely made it a game that was hard to get to the table after a while. Jaws is good too I’m going through that with a group currently :)

[@mygirlfriendismean]

Loved this video. Just getting into solo play and this was such a fun list!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the list. Enjoy your solo board gaming, there’s so many great solo games out there

[@jugvara]

Awesome animation between games.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much :)

[@raffaeledimarino3388]

MK is my favorite solo game too! I totally agree with your comments about it! Since I love MK, I was looking for another game similar to MK, how is luck in burncycle? I don’t like too much luck and dices in boardgames

[@fatherofgames9239]

Although I don’t find them super similar a lot of people compare Euthia to mage knight either way Euthia is another good game as well. Burncycle has a bit of luck but a lot of choices for mitigation in it as well, there is a bit of randomness on what keypad cards you draw and there is dice rolling but there’s a lot of strategy around how many dice to use and what upgrades to give yourself I found Burncycle to have a great balance.

[@ginovilleneuve6557]

Thanks for the great list! I really liked that you explained very well why this or that from a game make it worthy of his spot on the list. keep it up on content , suscribed!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it :)

[@flash21de34]

Great List! I like Mage Knight, Tainted Grail, Sleeping Gods and would add Too Many Bones, Lord of the Rings LCG, Marvel Champions and ISS Vanguard.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks, and good suggestions I’ve really been enjoying Marvel Champions lately and I’m hoping to learn tmb soon. Iss Vanguard I was a little disappointed with unfortunately but I’m gonna keep trying it. Thanks for watching :).

[@tracekatral]

Interesting and expensive list. Destinies looks interesting and I agree MK is an awesome game but that is as complex as I'm willing to get right now.

[@AwesomesMan]

Great editing in this video! I haven't played any of these games, I'm just getting into board games. I like Burncycle and Mage Knight (although I'd rather try Star Trek Frontier). One game I would recommend is Legendary Marvel. It's not too complicated, you can buy whatever expansions you want if you'd like, and there is an online community for playing different variations of it. I'm looking for the perfect story/scenario game that's not too complicated to learn or keep track of while playing.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much :), oh Star Trek Frontier I haven’t tried that I’ll have to look that up. I’ve heard great things about Marvel Legendary and Marvel Champions but to be honest I’ve been trying to avoid getting another trading card game I’m a bit of a collector and went a little nuts with magic the gathering I promised myself/wife I wouldn’t get into another card game for a while lol. If you’re looking for an easier story game the easiest one on this list is sleeping gods the rulebook is fairly big but it’s pretty easy to get into.

[@s.l.r.9407]

It's very discouraging that most games are incredibly expensive. Really cool-looking list! It's really nice getting to hear about games no other reviewer talks about!

[@fatherofgames9239]

I totally agree they’re getting really expensive for sure, thanks glad you liked the list :)

[@SL1M73]

Good video. As a solo player you must consider time spent housekeeping components and modifiers vs time spent decision space (the fun part). Sometimes less is more. I would highly recommend you check out: - Space Cadets Away Missions - Dawn Of The Zeds - D-day At Omaha Beach - Carnival Zombie - Machina Arcana - Too Many Bones

[@fatherofgames9239]

I agree sometimes the upkeep and setup on some games can be overwhelming there has to be a great story or great gameplay to justify it. I’ve been recommended dawn of the zeds a few times I’ll definitely have to try that soon. I’ve wanted to play too many bones for a while but keep putting it off because of all the expansions I know I’ll want to collect them all lol I’ll add the other games to the wish list too thanks :)

[@realdealastrology9]

I would also strongly recommend Hoplomachus Victorum.

[@vickh183]

Great list! Many similarities. I would add the Arkham LCG and Dawn of the Zeds. You should definitely check out these two, really great games and work great in solo mode. Also did you try KDM, any thoughts compared to Aeons Tresspass?

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks, to be honest I don’t think I could get into another card game since MtG lol my wallets still recovering from that 😆. I’ll add dawn of the Zeds to the wish list though thanks. I had money set aside to buy KdM this year and ended up using it to back Anastyr instead, I’ll hopefully get KdM later this year and compare it to aeon Trespass.

[@danielolsson5244]

Agree 100%!! Worth checking out 👍

[@bobbybrad5154]

Awesome list!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks 🙏

[@Mark-jagger]

Great list. Some VERY BIG games on there! I was sure that Vanguard would be your No.1 as it was so proudly displayed behind you! I own it too but have yet to play it. You have to play Dawn of the Zeds, 3rd edition if you can. Brilliant solo game. Nemo’s War is another really good solo game and one of the latest solo only mega hits is Final Girl. It’s actually really good and highly recommended especially if you like the 80’s horror movie genre at all. It knocks it out of the park. You’ve got yourself another subscriber. I’m a fellow Canadian too, albeit a Brit by birth but I’ve lived in Alberta and BC for over thirty years now. Cheers, Mark

[@fatherofgames9239]

Haha I do tend to lean towards the bigger games when it comes to solo games but I play more smaller ones multiplayer. Lol Vanguard was displayed behind me because it was my most recent purchase at the time of filming this, I’ve since played it a bit but haven’t really gotten into it much yet. Dawn of the zeds has been recommended to me a few times now I definitely need to try that, I did just buy final girl from a recommendation as well, I’ll be added Nemos war to my wish list too thanks. That’s awesome Alberta and BC are beautiful, I spent 6 years in Calgary but now since moved back to Ontario, thanks for the sub mark I really appreciate it :).

[@qazojn]

When I saw the name of the video I thought of one particular game. And then I had to watch the whole video to see it in the first place. Of all the games I played on this list, I totally agree!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Haha sorry you had to watch the whole thing 😂 glad to hear you agree with the list :).

[@deanogorman6335]

Great video! Honestly, as soon as I saw ISS Vanguard in the background I thought that would be your number 1 but it didn’t even make the list??!!😮 I must admit, I’ve become a bit of an Awaken Realms fanboy - their story driven campaigns are absolutely amazing. Just curious, did you use the v2.0 system for Etherfields of did you stick with the original?

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks :), I haven’t had a chance to play ISS Vanguard yet I think I’ll really enjoy it I just keep putting off learning it, I wanna finish some other campaigns first. But yea I agree their story driven games are fantastic, always so unique and epic. I used the 2.0 rulebook to learn the game but just used the normal rules for the slumbers and everything.

[@mike9139]

YOU ARE AWESOME! ❤❤❤

[@fatherofgames9239]

No Mike, you are awesome 😎

[@mike9139]

@@fatherofgames9239 ☺️

[@SanderPastoor]

What a great video. I love the pace and what you had to say about every game, and the B-roll is great as well. Subbed!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much I really appreciate that 🙏

[@topgundk]

I really enjoy ISS Vanguard Solo, can see it in your background. It is some big games you enjoy to play solo....

[@fatherofgames9239]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it, I’ve had a hard time getting into that one to be honest but I’m gonna keep trying and hope I enjoy it more

[@RaiderVicent]

VeTotally agree with you, MK is for me the best solo board game. Interesting a lot your top solo board games.

[@TheJaseku]

Thank you, great reviews!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks :)

[@kylemoore7746]

Honestly, if someone decides to make an abbreviated version of the Bardsung campaign, it would probably be one of my top 10 games. I know I posted my opinions on it in another one of your videos, about how I think you cap out on abilities and treasure items too early, but I think it'd be possible to shorten the campaign in half and add a couple more challenges to balance it out (additional boss fights or mix up enemy types a little more often). That way you wouldn't cap too quickly and lose the lure of leveling up, or feel like a slog to get to the next boss fight. The Fables box is also the best stretch goal box I've received from any game I've crowdfunded, the experience wouldn't be the same without it.

[@kylemoore7746]

All that said about Bardsung, I do own half of your list and it is a great list! Cloudspire is probably my favorite on here at the moment, but MK still is my reigning champion. I need to get more games in of Spirit Island and your opinion on Etherfields is spot on... I'm more motivated to dive into ISS Vanguard than finish the Etherfields campaign, but hopefully it doesn't fall too far down my queue. I pledged the new sleeping gods and kings of ruin so hopefully those are even better than their predecessors!

[@fatherofgames9239]

@@kylemoore7746 It is a shame that Bardsung wasn’t more challenging for sure and I do agree too there should have been less nodes in each chapter especially less standard crawls. Glad you liked the list, I have the same problem with Iss Vanguard I really want to try it but it keeps getting pushed down the list because of other games I’m playing. Hope you’re able to try it soon 😀

[@Wonderflonium]

Enjoyed the video! I recently started delving into Mage Knight and can see why you have it so highly rated. What's your preferred scenario?

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much, I haven’t had a chance to try all of them yet I have very little free time these days lol, I usually just end up playing the solo conquest scenario most often.

[@osamamemon3608]

What a surprising list, since the solo space now is so dominated by euros. And makes sense why spirit island is no 6 on your list…it’s not as theme heavy as the other games. If you were more of a euro / mechanics first kind of a gamer, perhaps SI would have been higher and we may have seen some pure euros on the list. Not that this list is a bad thing. It’s an amazing list, especially for solo gamers who love theme heavy games.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks and yea there definitely was a lack of euros on the list for sure I do tend to gravitate to more campaign style games when playing solo. I enjoy many euros I just don’t typically play them solo. Thanks for watching!

[@donnakeferlis1649]

OMG, just came across your channel, this vid was awesome, your list blew my mind. The way you presented each game makes me want to run out and buy all of em! All I need to do is win the lottery 🤞😜

[@fatherofgames9239]

Hey thanks so much Donna I really appreciate that, haha oh no 😆 well I couldn’t think of a better thing to spend lottery winnings on, good luck 🤞

[@yogavindaloo]

How do you shade your minis. I’m mostly a solo gamer too and not a big painter. Love your content!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks 🙏, I use the slap chop method as I’m not a big painter either and it’s an easy way to make it look like I can’t paint half decent even though I can’t. Basically you prime the mini in black and use a dry brush with gray dry paint followed by white to bring out the details of the mini. That adds the shading and after you can use a contrast paint over top to add colors while still keeping the shading present underneath. Hope that makes sense.

[@domme4218]

Yes, Burncycle is the 2nd! I think this game is often underestimated. I love this game (and Mage Knight also).

[@fatherofgames9239]

Glad to hear you like Burncycle as well, it really was a massively underrated game for sure and one I found just gets better with more plays.

[@laurenmendes9087]

I would love to see you review the new Sleeping Gods! I like the way you review things!

[@FPMarcel]

Thank you for the video! I also love Mage Knight. If you are looking for a much quicker solo experience take a look at Under Falling Skies. Plays quick and is a good brain burner, has a lot of variability and different difficulties and also a campaign which adds more and is told through a comic. Also i recently discovered The Warp. Fantastic strategy game that plays rather quick and without real downtime. Kind of a 4x game playable in 2-3 hours. Works with all player numbers with almost no downtime. Solo mode has 11 missions/enemy alien races in two difficulties. They all work different and in the end feel like a fun puzzle (understanding the enemy and find out how to best play against it).

[@fatherofgames9239]

Awesome thanks so much for the recommendations I actually haven’t heard of either of those I’ll definitely add them to my wish list :)

[@shanefarnum5097]

Got Grail last year and agree it’s really grindy but i do enjoy the combat system since it’s different. Totally lost my first solo game of it. I know this video is old but have you tried Skyrim the Adventure game? It plays really well solo also.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Glad to hear you enjoyed the combat in Tainted Grail it definitely is unique. I was on the fence with the Skyrim adventure game and ended up not buying it part of me still wants to but I did back the new elder scrolls game from chip theory and feel I wouldn’t need two games in the same universe. Glad to hear it plays well solo though I’ll have to keep it on my radar :)

[@Razma666]

Anyone who’s number 1 is mageknight, I know our likes will align. We have a very similar list, Burncycle I just broke down off of my table, I walked away not enjoying it too much, I will have to try it again though. Thanks for the vid!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Haha awesome 😎, mage knight really is a fantastic game eh, sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy Burncycle, I personally didn’t love it at first it wasn’t until I played a scenario that had you start on the third floor that I got to see how good this game was, it was also the session where the rules started to make sense and I could plan ahead because I knew how the guards would move, from then on I loved the game but it definitely is not for everyone. I hope you end up enjoying it more :)

[@kanadrishiraj]

This is precisely the kind of video I have been looking for. Solo campaign games! Liked, Subscribed, and am looking ahead to more videos! PS. I love all the games in your collection. Would love to play some of them with you.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much I’m glad you enjoyed it :). Haha sounds good you can never have enough board game groups 😀.

[@hugsncuddles]

Excellent video! I appreciate the hard work you put into this videos editing and structure; and I enjoyed your fair and objective insights. I've just subbed! 🙂

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much I really appreciate that :)

[@heleti0000]

Watching this, I was thinking of getting Mage Knight to play solo, them remembered I had collected Mage Knight figures many years ago (click bases for combat stats - like WizKids Hero Clix)). Digging in the garage I finally found them and have started playing the original Mage Knight again. Great solo game with virtually no set-up other than some terrain pieces, measuring tape and a couple of D6’s. Still thinking about the new Mage Knight though - must look for a Playthrough / Battle Report video. Thanks for this video.

[@fatherofgames9239]

You really can’t go wrong with Mage Knight lol and I agree there’s definitely less set up than a lot of games. Hope you’re able to find the videos you need :).

[@Julleppi]

Top ten big box miniature games 😅

[@g4340]

As someone on disability and lots of time and little money, I'd love to get all of these games, but sadly, they are too expensive for me. Great video tho! Thank you for making me aware of these solo games.

[@fatherofgames9239]

I’m sorry to hear that, and it is a shame that board games are becoming so expensive for sure. If you’re looking for some cheaper options for solo games final girl and legacy of yu are cheaper. Thanks glad you liked the video.

[@homegamerdad]

Awesome list! I’ve only played a few games on it, others have been on my radar, and the rest are brand new to me. Thank you for showing them off! From one dad to another, I’m very glad your channel got recommended to me. Subbed and will be checking out your backlog while looking forward to new videos! 😁

[@fatherofgames9239]

Hey thanks so much glad you enjoyed it :). Thanks I really appreciate that 😀

[@thorsfew64]

Id like to see what you think of "Return to dark tower" and where that would be on your solo list.

[@fatherofgames9239]

I haven’t had a chance to play that one yet I’ve been wanting to get it for a while but haven’t yet. Looks awesome though.

[@lothlorienbgd]

Love your videos! Completely agree with the list, I just wish Mage Knight wasn't such a table hog. :D

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much :), and yea I agree mage knight does a lot of things well but leaving you room on the table isn’t one of them!

[@sauronguitar]

I would put Dungeon Alliance amongst the top 3. It is a milestone for solo gaming!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Sounds awesome I’ll look into that one thanks.

[@williamskogen9895]

Sleeping Gods, Etherfields, Tainted Grail, and Burncycle all on order. Mage Knight is difficult, but well worth the time to learn.

[@fatherofgames9239]

That’s exciting hopefully you get those soon, and I totally agree about mage knight

[@Skol999]

Nice list - sub'd.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it :)

[@davidt4233]

Hi. Question about Chip Theory Games. I see Too many Bones is not on your list. I want to buy one of their games, but not sure what to get for solo play. have you tried Too Many bones? as it's widely considered their best game. If you have, why do you prefer the two on your list? Thanks again

[@fatherofgames9239]

Hey there, I own too many bones but haven’t tried it as of yet. But from my limited knowledge of both they are quite different, Cloudspire is a moba style tower defense game and too many bones is an adventure game where you try to defeat enemy monsters. It would just be a matter of which one sounds more appealing to you, too many bones is considered easier but from what I’ve heard it works better at 2 or 3 players. Hoplomachus victorum is another chip theory game to check out and it’s a solo only game I personally didnt love it but it generally recieved high ratings overall. Anyways hope that helps.

[@BS-bv9rg]

Great!!! I love Mage Knight! 😍

[@fatherofgames9239]

Such a good game for sure :)

[@nunt2]

Let me go on a limb here and guess: you like big box games :'D Nice list, although I did keep wondering how many rooms you have dedicated to gaming.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Haha how’d you guess 😂 hahah just one….. for now 😆

[@jamessherman7797]

I’m just entering the solo board game experience, as I too, like so many always considered board games to be a very social experience. Many of the games you list are not familiar to me, however, the exploration and discovery themes seem very very interesting, thematically. The games you list are probably a bit pricey…would there be one exploration or discovery game that you would recommend to start with at an affordable price point? Also, I see there is a Star Trek version of Mage Knight that would interest me, but Mage Knight sounds fairly complex to learn. I guess as a solo player, I could take my time learning it. 😅. Thanks for your review!!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Awesome there’s definitely a ton to choose from for solo games and it seems to becoming more and more popular, sadly I do gravitate to the pricier games, from my top 10 here the cheapest would be destinies followed by spirit island. Mage knight is pretty complex for sure but they have a list of help cards and thematically the rules make sense, I highly recommend the ultimate edition if you’re planning on mage knight.

[@leosalcedo3384]

Good content! and good choices. I would add Marvel Champions to the list.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much, and I’ve tried to stay away from another card collecting game since spending so much money on MtG but Marvel Champions has been recommended to me so many times recently I think ill definitely have to check it out :).

[@AdamHennebeck]

​@@fatherofgames9239 it's not collectible like MtG. There's no randomness. You can play the main campaign over and over just differing heroes or villains. And if you want a specific hero, you just buy that expansion pack. What I find awesome is each hero plays so different, and they completely feel like that super should feel.

[@leosalcedo3384]

@@fatherofgames9239 tbh champions is not the kind of game you feel like you HAVE to keep spending money. There's no FOMO with not buying new content like there is with other LCG/CCG. I've purchased core set, sinister motives campaign expansion, and 2 other heroes. But I've yet to try any of my expansions and 2 extra heroes because I keep replaying the core set. It comes with 5 different characters and 3 villains, and they all play sooooo different from each other which extends the replayability considerably. And that's WITHOUT customizing decks (I just use pre-constructed for now), which will extend the replayabilty even more. I sound like a commercial I know lol. But damn MC is fkn amazing solo! (and at 2 players)

[@fatherofgames9239]

@@AdamHennebeck that does sound really awesome actually I’ll definitely be buying that one in the next few weeks.

[@fatherofgames9239]

@@leosalcedo3384 haha that sounds fantastic actually, you and some others have definitely sold it for me I’m gonna be picking up a copy in the next few weeks :)

[@chrisc1625]

Great list! So tempted to get Etherfields. I think Awaken Realms makes such great games and I have several others (Tainted Grail, Nemesis, ISS Vanguard, This War of Mine). Just can't seem to pull the trigger. So, Bardsung is your favorite dungeon crawler? Have you tried Massive Darkness 2?

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks 🙏, Etherfields definitely isn’t for everyone while I really enjoy it it’s hard to recommend because it’s so unique it’s kind of polarizing, people usually love it or hate it. But I agree Awaken Realms makes such great games for sure. I have played massive Darkness 2 I enjoyed it, it was in my top 10 of 2022, bardsung was my favourite dungeon crawler solo, to be honest my enjoyment for it has gone down a fair bit since posting this video though. My favourite dungeon crawlers are gloomhaven and Descent 2nd Ed but just haven’t played them solo. I also think CoD has potential to be one of my favourites from what I’ve seen of it I’m just still waiting for my kickstarter pledge and haven’t had a chance to play it yet.

[@SlapShotRegatta22]

Hey! Great list here. Thanks so much for the video. Off hand, do you know of any solo board games that are similar to Risk? Thanks :)

[@fatherofgames9239]

Hey thanks so much, as far as solo games go most games similar to risk are typically multiplayer but a few with solo options that I can think of are Lords of Hellas, Lords of Ragnarok and scythe.

[@flipz101]

I was thinking that Nemesis or ISS Vangurd could have been on the list but they weren’t. Am wandering how you found them solo?

[@fatherofgames9239]

I just got ISS Vanguard last week I haven’t had a chance to get it to the table yet I tend to post first impressions and more reviews on my instagram if you’re interested I’ll post my impressions of it once I’ve played it, and with Nemesis I haven’t played it solo but I think a lot of the fun on not knowing who to trust and what your opponents are doing would be removed solo so I personally don’t see it being as good.

[@colejolley6031]

Fun list! Thank you for sharing. Spirit Island is definitely my favorite solo game. The base game is good, the Branch & Claw expansion make it better, but the Jagged Earth expansion makes it amazing. I would highly recommend those expansions if you can get your hands on them. Also noticed ISS Vanguard and Frostpunk in the background. I absolutely love ISS Vanguard. Frostpunk is ridiculously hard. Played it again last night for my fourth time and still haven't beaten it. Have you gotten the chance to play it?

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks glad you liked it, I don’t have the Branch and Claw expansion but I do have the Jagged Earth and the Feather and Flame ones, I haven’t had a chance to play them much yet but I was really impressed with how much was included in the box for the jagged earth one at least. I just got those both recently, I was blown away by the quality of Vanguard but want to beat the first cycle for Aeon Trespass before I play it. And Frostpunk I think I finally have a handle on the rules, planning to play it this weekend I think I’ll really enjoy that one :).

[@colejolley6031]

@@fatherofgames9239 Ah! Feather and Flame has one of the best spirits (Downpour)! I hope you end up enjoying the content from Jagged Earth because it adds so much quality content to the game. Totally fair about waiting on beating the first cycle of Aeon Trespass. One you break it out, I'm curious to hear your thoughts. If you're getting a handle on Frostpunk's rules then that's impressive. Definitely a beast of a game but if you like challenging games, it'll be right up your alley.

[@fatherofgames9239]

@@colejolley6031 oh awesome I’ll be sure to try that sprit next thanks :) I’ll do my best to post a review video of it soon 😀 Frostpunk definitely isn’t easy to learn at all but from what I can tell so far it seems like it will be well worth the effort!

[@TheTrendz24]

Awesome list. Would love to throw you a plug on a couple games you may like since you have Frost Punk back there: This War of Mine and Robinson Crusoe. RC is my all time #1, especially with all expansion content. This war of mine is legit tied as a super close second since it almost de-throned RC. Frost Punk is the love baby that was born of these two games. Give them a go, but be warned: they are both brutal and unforgiving

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks, and i appreciate the recommendations those are both on my ever growing wish list. I’ve had RC I’m my cart so many times and ended up buying other things instead each time lol I’ll have to get it soon though and anything by awaken realms is good too. As for frostpunk i hadn’t played it yet when I made this list which is why it wasn’t on there, I really like it though apart from the setup, I’ll hopefully be putting out a review of it soon :).

[@TheTrendz24]

Robinson Crusoe has a collectors edition coming out. Should be pretty close to being done manufacturing since it’s been over two years since Gamefound campaign. If you want it sooner, definitely get mystery tales to go along with it. The scenarios in it are soooooooooooo good 👍

[@FiretruykLOL]

Wanted to add, will you be trying out Middara or Oathsworn? I backed Oathsworn and Tainted Grail (yay!), but hesitant on Middara - I haven't seen much solo play on it, and most people I know play it with higher player counts

[@fatherofgames9239]

I backed the reprint of Oathsworn I couldn’t afford both it and Aeon Trespass during the original campaign. I hope you like Tainted Grail the new one looks awesome. Middara I’ve been hesitant on it’s so expensive for shipping and I don’t think it is really made for playing solo from what I’ve seen. I ended up backing Harakiri instead I’ll probably hold off on Middara.

[@kyliad]

Have you tried Final Girl? One of the best I've played. Im going to have to buy a couple on your list that I do not have!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Awesome I hope you like them. Final Girl is one I definitely need to look into more I know a lot of people really like it, I’ll definitely have to add it to my wish list.

[@pnutbutrncrackers]

Just stumbled upon your channel (today) and am very happy to have done so! Very good video! Your opinions already have credibility with me and I am interested in exploring more of your content on YT. I wondered if MK would be your #1. I am recently feeling more of a desire to find & play good solo games. I might start a little lighter than these games, though.🙂 BTW, a new game whose theme interests me as something different and creative, which I would like to see your review of, is Unconscious Mind. (I'm not aware of it having a solo mode, though.) Again, great job on this video; I even liked the transitions! Subbed.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks so much I really appreciate that. I hadn’t actually heard of unconscious mind, I just looked into it and added it to my wish list I’ll try to late pledge it soon so I can do a review when it’s released. I really enjoyed endless winter my Fantasia games so I’m definitely optimistic about unconscious mind too :)

[@pnutbutrncrackers]

@@fatherofgames9239 Thanks. Sounds good. BTW, just found through my own poking around that UM will indeed come with a "finely-crafted" solo mode, which I was happy to learn.

[@fatherofgames9239]

@@pnutbutrncrackers that’s awesome I want it even more now 😃

[@pnutbutrncrackers]

@@fatherofgames9239 May I throw out one more title whose theme intrigues me? Solomon Kane. Played it, by any chance? Would certainly value your opinion.

[@fatherofgames9239]

@@pnutbutrncrackers I’ve wanted to try that one I haven’t had a chance yet but it looks cool for sure. Mythic games hasn’t had the greatest reputation lately and the fact that they sold the IP for this recently makes me hopeful that we’ll see a reprint of this in the near future.

[@WoodenFilms]

I am very interested in Sleeping Gods. How well do you think it would work with 2 players?

[@fatherofgames9239]

I’ve only played it solo personally but I think with the right person 2 players could definitely be the best way to play.

[@jamesman9208]

Great video

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks James :)

[@berserkley]

Spirit Island is the only one on the list that I've played. Time to try another one (hopefully Burncycle!)

[@fatherofgames9239]

Good choice, I hope you enjoy it :)

[@MB-ht9lx]

Really like the list. Looking forward to try some of those. Some feedback, you used the phrase “the reason this is lower on my list” for almost every game. For me personally that felt too repetitive and negative. Looking forward to next years list

[@fatherofgames9239]

thanks 🙏 And yea that’s understandable, rest assured I enjoyed all of these considerably these are my 10 favourites after all I was just saying reasons why each one wasn’t my number one game I didn’t mean for it to come across negative, but I see what you’re saying.

[@Ariranhaa]

I'm a simple man, I like simple games: Fallout (with both expansions), Hellboy (with all expansions), Outer Rim (with expansion) and Mage Knight (not that simple, I know) are my favorite solo games. Imo, Sleeping Gods lacks major antagonists (be it a creature or nature or whatever), Spirit Island lacks theme, Tainted Grail has a theme that I can't relate with and the other ones I didn't play. Anyway, nice video!

[@fatherofgames9239]

Good choices I’ve been wanting to try outer rim and fallout, I’ll have to look into Hellboy too I don’t necessarily agree with spirit island lacking theme but I know it definitely isn’t for everyone, Thanks for watching :)

[@Caiddenn]

Lots of fantasy/sci-fi adventure games on this list. Does Frostpunk make your cut at all? It's practically built for only solo.

[@fatherofgames9239]

To be honest frostpunk and Iss Vanguard were very recent purchases so I hadn’t played them yet, I just finally got Frostpunk to the table last night, the learning curve and set up is rough but I really enjoyed it it definitely has potential to make the list but I’ll have to play it more before I could say for sure.

[@papareece]

Did you back Tainted Grail: Kings of Ruin? It still has late pledge with the 2.0 upgrade for Fall of Avalon but a lot of your dislikes of Fall of Avalon are addressed in the new one. Also if you haven't played the solo for Viscounts of West Kingdom, it's a pretty good AI.

[@fatherofgames9239]

I did back it yes, I’m really looking forward to it, it does seem like they improved a lot from what was already a great game. I haven’t tried the solo version of viscounts I’ll have to check that out thanks.

[@buickchaser]

Thanks so much for doing this! It would be super helpful if there was some text on the video for the game name just for when I couldn't hear you clearly. Do you know if any of these have good digital versions??

[@fatherofgames9239]

No problem :) yea that’s a good idea I could definitely try to implement that in next time, I don’t know to be honest I think Tainted Grail does but I can’t say for sure.

[@buickchaser]

@@fatherofgames9239 appreciate you giving me some options to check out I've been out of the board game meta for too long! 🙌🙌

[@fatherofgames9239]

@@buickchaser haha no worries it’s a hard hobby to keep up with for sure

[@davidt4233]

Great video. Thank you. You should give Warhammer Quest Blackstone Fortress a try. I think it's one of the best Dungeon Crawlers. I've tried Zombicide, Imperial Assault, Gloomhave JOTL, and a few others. I prefer Warhammer quest. Does not get the love I think becuase you need to assemble the mini's and it's looked on as a war game. BTW, The mini's are fantastic.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks 🙏, oh I haven’t heard much about that one I’ll definitely check that out, thanks, it’s hard to turn down a game with good minis!

[@tebald]

Nice big box solo games, for small box games Infection: Humanity's Last Gasp is a fantastic game, one that I like, while simple it's challenging.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks :), I haven’t actually heard of that one I’ll be sure to check that out thanks.

[@nugget3687]

This was the wrong video to watch for affordable solo game recommendations lol. Though destinies is supper affordable so i got something out of it

[@Bostich]

Top 10 Solo Adventure/Exploration Games

[@fatherofgames9239]

Haha thats a bit of a mouthful though 😂

[@jonathanw3199]

Im trying to dig into BardSung right now, and am pretty torn on whether its good for me or not. Love how you used the pieces from the games to form the numbers

[@fatherofgames9239]

It definitely isn’t for everyone I had some big negatives with it too but it can be really fun as well, I hope you enjoy it more as you keep playing and if not I hope you can find one you like better. Haha thanks 😊

[@jonathanw3199]

@@fatherofgames9239 Thanks we will see how it goes, playing Oathsworn with one group and Midarra with another and loving those, just trying to find a good one for solo play when I have the time , I do agree it is easier than most to get ready to play

[@fatherofgames9239]

@@jonathanw3199 glad to hear you’re enjoying Oathsworn, I’m really looking forward to the reprint of that later this year.

[@Saylor28]

I don't think Ive won a single game of Mage Knight. I love the game, but it's hard as hell.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Haha it definitely is challenging eh but worth the effort for sure!

[@notacontentprovider]

I love your list, and have all the games except Bardsong ( already have several good dungeon crawlers) and Aeon Tresspass (too expensive for a board game). Spirit Island and Mage Knight were one of the first games I ever purchased and are ageless classics, highly recommended. I have a few suggestions to add for diversity; Isle of Cats (great for solo, polyomino & card game), Aeons End ( Deck building), City of Kings (exploring/puzzle/tactics), This War of Mine (atmospheric survival), Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion (more suited to solo play than the larger game) , Dune Imperium ( solid euro/worker placement game), Wingspan ( rewarding card driven euro) and if you have the time to play it...Frost Punk (Atmospheric, survival, story telling game). For portable/short play solos games I recommend DeepSpace D6 and Warps Edge. And If you want to put all those board game miniatures to good use , then check out the miniature agnostic skirmish games like 5 Parsecs from Home ( sci-fi themed) or 5 leagues from the Borderlands( fantasy). If you like RPGs, but can't find a group, then take a look at Ranger of Shadow Deep, its great fun and was made for solo play.

[@fatherofgames9239]

Thanks, glad to hear you enjoyed it, wow 8 out of 10 that’s pretty crazy, Aeon Trespass was very affordable if you backed it early it’s definitely gone up quite a bit in price but the amount of content is staggering I’m just over 50 hours in and in a lot of ways I feel I’ve just scratched the surface of what the game has to offer. Isle of cats and aeons end are definitely on my radar I have wanted to try them for a while. Dune Imperium is one of my favourite games just not for solo and jaws and gloomhaven are great too, but again ones I don’t really play solo though. I’ll add the other ones to the wish list thanks for the recommendations :).