Often, the hardest part of playing board games isn’t learning complicated rules or finding enough time – it’s simply getting a group together. Solo board games fix this by providing immersive and challenging experiences that are just as exciting and satisfying as playing with others.
These five board games are incredibly captivating. They offer deep strategy and a strong sense of theme, making it easy to lose yourself in the experience and forget about everything else. From defending a city under attack to building a fantasy realm or uncovering terrifying secrets, they show that playing a board game solo can be just as engaging as playing with others.
This War of Mine: The Board Game
Make Difficult Moral and Practical Decisions in a Besieged City
Based on the popular video game This War of Mine by 11 bit studios, This War of Mine: The Board Game challenges players to survive in a war-torn city. Just like the video game, it forces you to make tough choices – weighing what’s practical against what’s right – to stay alive.
In this game, you’ll need to find resources, clear debris, grow food, and build shelter to stay alive. You’ll also have to protect yourself from attackers. What really draws players in is the game’s compelling story, memorable characters, and the stark contrast between them and the bleak world around them. While it can be played with friends, it’s often best experienced solo – discovering how your friends would react in difficult, life-or-death situations can be a bit much!
Gloomhaven
A Massive Legacy Campaign That Rewards Long-Term Commitment
While This War of Mine: The Board Game started as a translation of a video game, Gloomhaven took the opposite path – it began as a highly successful board game before being turned into a video game.
Designed by Isaac Childres, Gloomhaven is a sprawling dungeon-crawling campaign game with nearly 100 scenarios and 17 character classes, providing players with tons of options and a rich experience. Like many ‘Legacy’ games, your choices in each session permanently change the game, creating unique and surprising storylines. What really sets Gloomhaven apart from other games in the genre is its use of modern Eurogame-style mechanics.
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
A Challenging Journey Through Middle-earth
The world of board games also features several popular adaptations of The Lord of the Rings. One example is The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, a type of game called a “Living Card Game.” Unlike traditional collectible card games, it removes the element of chance; players know exactly which cards they’ll receive when purchasing the game or any expansions.
As a huge fan of immersive experiences, I’ve really gotten into The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game. Basically, you and your friends build a team of heroes and send them on missions – either completing quests or battling the forces of evil. And let me tell you, there’s so much content! They’ve released a ton of expansions over the years, giving you hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of gameplay. It’s a serious commitment, but totally worth it if you’re a Tolkien enthusiast.
Spirit Island
Strategic Solo Play With Escalating Tension and Depth
Spirit Island is a strategic board game where players take on the roles of powerful spirits defending their island home from invading colonists. Players grow their powers using cards, while the invaders explore, build, and damage the land.
In this game, you win by eliminating all invaders and their buildings. At first, that’s the only way to win, but as you play, you can make it easier by building up Fear. Like Spirit Island, there’s also a digital version of this game – a PC and mobile game released in 2020 by Handelabra Games with the same name.
Arkham Horror: The Card Game
A Narrative-Driven Descent Into Cosmic Horror
If you’re building a collection of great board games, you absolutely have to include some cosmic horror! I’m a big fan of Arkham Horror: The Card Game. It’s a ‘Living Card Game’ – meaning you expand it with packs over time – and it’s made by Fantasy Flight Games, the same folks behind The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game. What I love about Arkham Horror is that you play as an investigator in the town of Arkham, and it really feels like role-playing. You have so much freedom in how you approach the mystery and make decisions, which makes it super immersive!
GR Report
GR Report
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Similar to other games on this list, Arkham Horror: The Card Game is played as a campaign with many different scenarios. Players will manage their character’s skills and flaws, build powerful decks with allies and gear, and face terrifying enemies that can drive them to madness – all in the style of H.P. Lovecraft’s stories.
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2025-12-21 14:34