Victory Point Games Solitaire Titles in Review Hot

The link goes to a .jpg not the article.

http://www.gameshark.com/features/745/Cracked-LCD-162--Solo-Boardgaming-with- VPG.htm

So many cool ideas that would only be playable if it had 2 more players. I only do one thing alone, and that involves midget goth porn and usually ends in a feeling of disgust.

Yeah, but I don't know how you'd really modify any of these systems to work with more than one player...they're pretty much tied to solo play systematically. That being said, I'd love to see a NEMO'S WAR that plays with at least two.

As for your other predelictions, there were some (ahem) suspicions about Steve Avery raised a while back due to a questionable avatar choice, perhaps you two could find some common ground.

Looks like a really neat game, as do many of VPs games. Thanks a bunch for turning me onto them, Michael!

Yea. This one is good fun. The most recent one to land on my desk is the comparably massive Barbarossa Campaign. I'm looking forward to giving it a whirl once I get the map laminated.

Since GMT has published Jena 20 (and have 1 more coming I believe) as a bonus in C3i, what I wouldn't give to have them do up a full glossy edition of this solo monster.

(And by "this one, I meant "Nemo's War")

Looks like I picked the right two to pick up (Zulus and Nemo). Haven't had a chance to play either yet as the last 3 weekends I have been sick (I think I am am going for some sort of record as I have developed another cold today).

James Mason is one of those actors that I can't stand for some undefinable reason (can't stand Nicholas Cage or Jude Law too), so it pisses me off to see him play one of my all time favourite characters. I love Kirk Douglas as Ned Land though.

I agree that Nemo's War is great. The theme is unique and totally suited for a solo game, and I like that you have different motivations, which might change during the game. I also think the mechanic for straining the hull or the crew to increase your odds is clever and original.

I have Zulus on the Ramparts but haven't had a chance to play it yet. Looks like a good one, though.

So many cool ideas that would only be playable if it had 2 more players. I only do one thing alone, and that involves midget goth porn and usually ends in a feeling of disgust.

If only Bridget hadn't gone mainstream...

I've been looking for good solitaire games too, ever since our game group broke up due to work related scheduling issues. Looking to get Nemo's War and the Rooskies game, but man oh man, how I wish they had prettier bits. Yes, it's pretty shallow, but I gotta into boardgaming recently and I'm spoiled on FFG, Days of Wonder and all that.

I'm pretty sure Nemo's War is a 2009 title, Barnes.

Anyway, I like the game a lot. Not so much for how it plays, that is, but (as is usually the case with me) for what it represents. We've needed a good solo board game to come out for a while, and I don't mean some convoluted, pain-in-the-ass historical consim designed to mollify the frustrations of lonely grognards, or some co-op nonsense that happens to play well solo for the simple reason that it makes all the other players at the table a nuisance, but an honest-to-goodness, single player-only Ameritrash game.

For me, Nemo's War reasserted that rolling dice at cardboard squares can be fun all by itself, not just as an ancillary component of a social gathering, or a low-tech substitute for a proper computer game.

I don't want to get on the price warpath again, but I think it should be pointed out that Toe-to-Toe is a perfect example of the fact that a game need not cost $70 or more to not look like shit. As far as I'm concerned, the game looks as good as, or better than, anything I've played from FFG or Asmodee in the last few years. The quality of the material is another story, but the visual appeal is as strong for me in Toe-to-Toe as in, say, Chaos in the Old World.

And VPG has more solitaire games on the horizon: DISASTER ON EVEREST! (http://victorypointgames.com/details.php?prodId=129); OTTOMAN SUNSET (the Turks in WW1); and WE MUST TELL THE EMPEROR (Japan in WW2).

And there are a lot more in the hopper. John Welch is the master of our STATES OF SIEGE(tm) game line, and he's got a lot of titles queued up.

Alan Emrich

I like the idea of the Everest game in particular... a different kind of theme than the usual wargame thing, which is what I liked about Nemo's War.

Barbarossa is significantly more expensive than the other solitaire options. Is it worth it?

That Toe to Toe one sounds interesting to me.

Can you guys believe I never read 20000 LUtS? My kindle app is about to remedy that.

Is it just me, or has there been a glut of quality solo titles from various sources in recent years? Is this the harbinger of some new gaming trend?

MMM...Clowns.
So funny.
So Sexy.

Steve"just plain wrong"Avery

One way to play these games is as group think. So for example I play Soviet Dawn with my family. Each turn one player is the 'executive' who gets to make the final decision .. but he/she must listen to the advise of each advisor at the table before making the final call.
It works out quite well. In fact I've come to think of solitaire games as almost by definition group cooperative games. I think of them as essentially more intellectual "outward bounds" where the group must work things out to succeed against the environment (game).

The bits in this game look sharp. I'm an old school chit guy so when I see colorful and well presented bits I'm impressed. I don't need plastic or wood - although I like both.

I've always been a fan of the small package that looks great and playing solo is a big plus. It's high time I find a solo game.

Thanks for the update Alan- the Everest game looks/sounds awesome! That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about when I say that designers need to look past worn-out fantasy and sci-fi themes and toward representing other kinds of conflict and adventure. Very, very rare for me to say "autobuy", but that's one right there.

Pat, I think you'll find that the VPG across the board _look_ great even if the actual component quality is DTP. They do some really nice work in terms of matching up appropriate artwork and graphics with the subject matter. The SOVIET DAWN chits look as good (or better) than anything you'll see in a GMT game, for example.

Lhughes- don't think I've seen you around here before, but welcome and thanks for the great suggstion...that's a good point about the interchange between co-op and solitaire games.

That may be one of the reasons we're seeing a lot of one player options and pure solo games showing up...it follows on from the co-op trend.

I don't want to get on the price warpath again, but I think it should be pointed out that Toe-to-Toe is a perfect example of the fact that a game need not cost $70 or more to not look like shit. As far as I'm concerned, the game looks as good as, or better than, anything I've played from FFG or Asmodee in the last few years. The quality of the material is another story, but the visual appeal is as strong for me in Toe-to-Toe as in, say, Chaos in the Old World.

You're wrong about NEMO'S WAR (my copy says 2010), but you're dead on about this. For all the bitching, moaning, and carrying on we hear about how it's expensive to make a good-looking game, TOE TO TOE really shows that you just have to have some fucking artistic sense and good taste to make ANY game look good, even if it's an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper with 25 or so counters. It's a great looking game and it totally sells its setting as well as its satirical tone. Nobody at VPG whined about it being too expensive to do good artwork, nobody hired their neice or girlfriend's mom to do the art on the cheap, and it's not overblown and overdone.

I think the "majors" could learn an awful lot from some of the things that VPG is doing.

Soviet Dawn looks like a game that would be great as a slightly more complex and longer 2-player, especially with the political mix in it. AndyinKuwait mentioned Triumph of Chaos in a thread recently as a good Whites-vs-Reds Russian revoultion game but after a quick look up it seems way to complex for me to even contemplate.

Unfortunately these games don't seem to be available in the UK so I'll have to see what the postage is like. And a quick nod to good customer service there, I sent in a simple question and I was replied to within the day.

SM, If Kingput is heading your way why not order the games and have them shipped to him. (Sorry KP for volunteering you, but my hard AT heart breaks for poor game deprived SM)

"Unfortunately these games don't seem to be available in the UK so I'll have to see what the postage is like. And a quick nod to good customer service there, I sent in a simple question and I was replied to within the day. "

It seems VPG are going to start to sell to retailers and they're asking people (especially us living outside the US) for information on game shops (see their front page). Hopefully that means soon we'll see their games at our local game shops :D

I really want to try Nemo's War and a few others like Loot&Scoop and Final Frontier...

Dr. Mabuse said:

I have to save that cunning plan for a extremely hard-to-get game, plus he needs room to bring some of his games I want to play over.

It is great to read these kind of comments about VPG titles. I agree that it is refreshing to see such a variety of games that are well designed, well developed, and well produced. If you like Nemo's War, then just wait until you get a look at Chris Taylor's War of the Worlds - another truly inspired design and even his playtest components are stunning!
I feel very fortunate to work with such a varied and talented group of gamers. Alan Emrich and VPG have given me and many others the chance to make the games we want to play and then share them with our fellow gamers.
If I can answer any questions about upcoming States of Siege games, please let me know - we certainly welcome your feedback.

Whoa! A Chris Taylor WAR OF THE WORLDS game?! SOLD!

Thanks for your comments John- I'll be doing some more coverage of VPG very soon- I'm hooked.

Wow... a WotW boardgame... I never saw that comming... I like you guys at VPG: Brains and Balls hard at work for my gaming pleasure!

Luckily, the VPG and Phil E. games are light. I was afraid Southernman wanted me to carry a bunch of FFG games in my suitcase.

Weird. Mine says '09.

Chris Taylor "War of the Worlds"...that's not the Chris Taylor from the old Wing Commander PC games, is it?

My bad...that's Chris Roberts.