Solo Suggestions

Hi,

As many of you now know, our second baby daughter turned up six weeks early! She's home and doing well but obviously playing havoc with both my sleep and my schedule for playing the review copies I had lined up for that six week space.

So, it'd be useful to get a solo game or two. My usual drug of choice is Arkham Horror, but the setup is really too time-consuming and it takes up too much space. I also have Return of the Heroes and Hell of Stalingrad which suffer from the same problem. Dungeonquest would work, but I'm keen to know what else is out there.

On the whole I've found solo P&P efforts to be disappointing and not worth the effort of construction for the few sessions-worth of play they offer. Zombie in My Pocket, Island of D 2 and D-Day dice all fall into that category. But if anyone has any better suggestions, I'd like to hear them.

I was thinking of investing in Tales of the Arabian Nights for this purpose, and because I can imagine the storytelling variant would make a fun family game. Has anyone tried the storytelling version? And how does the game play solo? And what about the play time, setup and space footprint when playing solo? I also note that the "merchant" variant from the original has yet to appear for the new edition ... has anyone tried this and is it any good?

Also under consideration is Conflict of Heroes: Storms of Steel. I love the system and was planning to wait for the Airborne iteration before investing. But that has been delayed and I understand that SoS has solo missions. Anyone know how many, whether they're any good, and how the game squares up in terms of play time, setup and space taken as a solo effort?

Cheers,
Matt

Matt:

My wife has decided that she does, indeed, want a kid and that the time is now (impatience follows the end of indecision like night following day...) In response, I went on a solo game buying binge as I can guess as to what the early years, anyway, are going to do to my life. Here are the purpose-designed solitaire games I've picked up:

Struggles for the Galactic Empire (Decision Games [DG])

D-Day @ Omaha Beach (DG)

RAF (DG reprint of WEG classic)

Coral Sea Solitaire (World at War magazine #10 or 11; it's the most recent issue on the stands)

Phantom Leader (Dan Verssen Games [DVG])

Frontline D-Day (DVG)

Field Commander Rommel (DVG) (There are 2 other FC games--Napoleon and Alexander, I believe)

Against the Odds magazine #4 [it's a Napoleonic game, but it hasn't arrived yet and I can't remember what it's called to save my life]

Plus there's a nice selection of existing Victory Games and Avalon Hill titles like B-17, Raid on St. Nazaire, the Ambush/Battle Hymn series, Peloponnesian War, Tokyo Express, Carrier, and Moseby's Raiders. Most of these, save Moseby's Raiders, can be @#$@#$ expensive and be chit-heavy

I've only tried about 1/4 of that list thus far, but I seem to recall reviews of the Decision Games titles are scattered around F:AT.

Phantom Leader seems to be quick and I don't consider the set-up to be that onerous once you get the counters punched and sorted.

Most of the other aircraft games are a bit chit-heavy, though we're talking a few dozen, not a few hundred.

Moseby's Raiders uses the old Ambush system, has few (if any; been a while since I've dug into that box) counters and plays fast. It's also one of the few old VG/TAHGC solitaire titles that's fairly cheap and plentiful in the resale market.

I get my solo game on with ARHHAM HORROR by and large. I use the little scenarios to provide something new game to game. The setup isn't so bad once you're organized. I am up in 20 minutes, playing for ~3 hours, and then teardown for 30 minutes.

Other solo gaming I do:

BLACKBEARD (if anything, this game works better solo than with others)

FIELDS OF FIRE is now officially expensive and the setup can be a cluster fuck, but it's a lot of fun. I get a little ill playing this game--I do not like sending my boys into ambushes--it's very nerve-wracking! Word on the street is that this is better in VASSAL than in real life. I've yet to try that out though.

Playing COLOSSUS (né TITAN) is a lot of fun, if not really the spirit of what you're after.

Timely topic as we are expecting our first in May. Like you, I am anticipating that my gaming time will be taking a hit for awhile. I went through my collection and traded/sold any 3+ player games that I don't absolutely love. 2 player games are fine as my wife will play with me periodically. Then...solo games. I have bought several on your list in anticipation as well. I actually like Descent as a solo (play both sides) game. Thunderstone was pretty 'meh' as a solo game. I got Frontline and I want to get Phantom Leader as well. I will be looking for Arkham again as a solo game. Life is grand, aint it!

I also really like Memoir '44 solo. And "Where There is Discord" is the best solo wargame ever. Too bad it is really hard to find.

Definitely get Tales of the Arabian Nights.

Dogmatix wrote:

Against the Odds magazine #4 [it's a Napoleonic game, but it hasn't arrived yet and I can't remember what it's called to save my life]

Napoleon at the Berezina

Moseby's Raiders uses the old Ambush system, has few (if any; been a while since I've dug into that box) counters and plays fast. It's also one of the few old VG/TAHGC solitaire titles that's fairly cheap and plentiful in the resale market.

Mosby's Raiders uses an entirely different system than Ambush. Its pretty good actually, I enjoyed it even though at the time I played it I wasn't into the ACW at all. But I like Ambush better.

Ambush is the pinnacle of solitaire game design. RAF is regarded as the second best and it has recently been reprinted. B-17 is pretty good as well, but doesn't give the player much to decide; it's more of a narrative game. It's quite addictive though and I managed to get a bomber and three of its original crew members through 25 missions.

Of the newer games I looking forward to playing Fields of Fire and D-Day at Omaha Beach.

Matt, since you got time and space constraints I would recommend B-17 to you. One mission only takes about an hour to play. It's a bit hard to find though.

flim_flam wrote:

And "Where There is Discord" is the best solo wargame ever. Too bad it is really hard to find.

This page says the next print run is expected for April: www.fifthcolumngames.com/Order.html

Victory Point Games makes a lot of nice solo efforts if you don't care so much about quality of components, which are passable but not beyond. Pick the one that interests you. I recommend Soviet Dawn for a quick set up and play and Zulus at the Ramparts and Nemo's War for a little longer more intense game (although still 90 min max). Empires of America is good as well but I don't think quite up to Zulus and the new one, The Lost Cause, I haven't splurged for yet since I really don't care for Civil War games. Their Napolean line (Waterloo 20 etc) play well solo as well but don't have the staying power to me that way for some reason.

Dogmatix, love to hear about Struggles for the Galactic Empire if you've played it. The BGG entry didn't make it sound appealing. One of these days I'll get a Field Commander. Alexander looks pretty cool.

D-Day at Omaha looks really involved and just more than I want to deal with at the end of a baby-filled day. Sadly my copy of Fields of Fire has fallen to that disease as well. I've printed out some Last Night on Earth and Doom solo rules but haven't gotten around to them yet for the same reason.

Runebound 2nd edition + 8 zillion expansions is fun solo if you like Runebound.

I would not recommend Tales of Arabian Nights solo...I think you'd just run out of interest in the game. Personally I'd just get a gamebook or an online gamebook player and go that route. But YMMV.

Doh. Yea, what simon said about Moseby's Raiders. Totally different system from Ambush (though this compelled me to go dig my box to see why I thought it was the same...and the only reason I can see for thinking that is because I'm a moron).

I have played the new RAF reprint and quite like some of the changes (it now allows you to play as either side and as a 2-player game). Check the Geek for some clarification posts from the designer as some of the rules are are little vague as written.

I forgot about Where There is Discord. I will say that it's about the most well-produced solitaire title on the market today--and, since you're in the UK, it won't cost you nearly $140 to import a copy. (Possibly the most money I've shelled out for a single in-print new game in years...) It's a real beauty. I believe Wulf Corbett did a review/AAR on Der Geek if you're looking for insight into the gameplay.

And, if you don't like set-up for Arkham Horror, Blackbeard will likely send you 'round the bend....


Edit: I was just starting to put together a list of VPG solo titles, but I see IguanaD has put a good one together. The components blow, but I've actually been talking to Alan Emrich about using ArtsCow or something similar for card production for some of their games.

I recommend video games for solo play. Or PC games. Or iphone games.

metalface13 wrote:

I recommend video games for solo play. Or PC games. Or iphone games.

Yeah, but sometimes I just want to push some chits around. Some hidden urge.

I forgot to mention that C&C:Ancients has a pretty decent solo variant I found on BGG. And I really want to figure out one for Twilight Struggle.

ArtsCow would be awesome for VPGames. The games are great, just not the components.

I wouldn't play Tales solo, but it's a good family game. About the merchant variant, I always use it and I find it adds to the game nicely as it gives you a reason to go to certain places. It turns the game into kind of a pick-n-deliver with a small puzzle element (you place these small chits with arrows on a special board to determine your destination and the better you place them the more money you earn when you get there). If I were to play solo, I'll wouldn't play any other way...

For long sessions I'd recommend Struggle for the Galactic Empire and Fields of Fire. Frontline D-Day seems great for shorter ones but I've yet to try it solo. I read that it's very good and quite challenging.

I also like the Leader series. Phantom Leader seems to be in the vein of the modern ones like Hornet Leader II and Corsair Leader which are quite streamlined (as compared to the older Hornet Leader or T/A Leader). I've got Corsair Leader and each mission was pretty short (about 30m). It's nice because you can fit short missions when you have a little free time, and play a campaign in a few days.

About the p'n'p games, do give Free Trader a try. It's quite good if you like the old Elite games, and if you like those, of course, Merchant of Venus is another good option, but it's longer and the solo rules included with the game are VERY hard. I still haven't beaten it...

Definitely Runebound, with Skeletor's rules.

TotAN sucks solo. Pointless. I haven't tried the merchant variant; it didn't come with the new version.

Add another big vote for the Leader series of games. I have the VASSAL version of Hornet Leader 2 and expansions and Corsair Leader and they're a lot of fun. Also, like maka says, individual missions are short enough to fit in if you don't have huge amounts of time.

If you can't find B-17, B-29 from Khyber Pass is in print and is essentially the same game, but over Japan.

Silverton's a pretty good game solo. So is American Megafauna.

Descent and Doom do work solo, and now there's that Descent Quest variant out. Setup's a pain in the ass if you can't leave the game out, though.

If you can find a copy, Source of the Nile is awesome. Fantastic narrative. There's a Cyberboard version, but you need the actual game for the game cards.

Nemo's War from Victory Point game is a cool solo game. It's hard and you can choose several different goals (exploring, science, war, and anti-imperialism depending on which part of the game you focus on). I'll probably blog a bit more about it in the near future (once I get the time to play it again), but it's definitely recommended.

I'd like to hear more about Struggle for the Galactic Empire. Is the game too easy/hard? How long does it take to setup/play?

At the risk of losing my AT cred, how does Agricola play solo? I had the chance to pick it up for half price at my FLGS and decided to give it a try.