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Who Needs Friends When You’ve Got These Five Great Solo Board Games?

3 Minute Read
Jun 11 2024
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With these solo board games, you’ll never wont for companionship again.

Friends are overrated. Having friends just means needing to share the Twizzlers.

Mage Knight

I know what I like and what I like is Mage Knight. It’s a beast of a game, I’ll admit. But if you’ve got the chutzpah to get through learning this game, you’ll be treated with a rewarded solo RPG board game experience that’ll push your tactical skills to their limit.

Read more about why I think Mage Knight is great right here. There’s also a new expansion coming out soon!

Spirit Island

Spirit Island is great no matter the number of players. But while some games require the single person to play two characters or some such, Spirit Island has no such requirement. The game is perfectly balanced for solo, if not a bit harder. But that’s why you’re playing it in the first place, right? No victory come easy is worth having. Or something like that.

As a powerful spirit controlling as aspect of nature itself, protect your island from nasty colonizers through power, cunning, and fear. Each of the spirits (of which there are many), have their own unique playstyle and strategy. It’s a game you can play over and over and won’t ever play the same game twice.

Tales From the Red Dragon Inn

Yet another solo board game I won’t shut up about. Tales From The Red Dragon Inn is essentially Gloomhaven if you cut out all the chaff. But, Tales still has the depth and variety to keep even the most hardcore strategist engaged. Plus, there’s so many sensible quality of life improvements that just make it a more enjoyable campaign over all.

Read more about why I love Tales From The Red Dragon Inn right here.

Friday

When a game is specifically designed to be only a solo board game, it’s obviously worth looking at for this list. And no good list of solo board games is complete without Friday. Even if you had friends, they can only watch with misery in their hearts that you don’t need them anymore. But Friday plays quick, so it’ll only be about a half hour of torment for them.

You play as Friday, companion to the stranded Robinson Crusoe on a deserted island. By successfully navigating hazards you’ll improve your deck and gain new abilities. But failure can mean losing precious life points. Survive long enough to ensure Crusoe’s escape and get back to whatever you were doing before he washed ashore.

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Tiny Epic Tactics

I love the Tiny Epic series from Gamelyn Games. In fact, Tiny Epic Tactics and Tiny Epic Dungeons, are easily my favorite in the Tiny Epic series. Listen, I like dungeon crawlers, okay? Sue me. (plz don’t). And if you’re like me, you might enjoy reading about five other great dungeon crawling board games.

Play through multiple different game modes, including multiple player (gross) or play solo. Using a grid-based movement, run across fields, over mountains and through towns to find the caves containing the crystals. Shatter them all before time runs out using powerful abilities and careful planning. It’s much easier said than done!

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Author: Matt Sall
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