It's that time of year again! That beautiful season when Kevin Erskine from BoardGameGeek runs the People's Choice Top Solo Games competition. I believe this is the 6th or 7th year he's put this on and it is a blast! Anyone who wants to can submit their list of up to 20 solo games to Kevin and he'll rank them all based on how many votes they get. There's usually some minor controversy, but Kevin makes it clear that this is for fun! Well, it's not always so fun for my wallet because I want to buy ALL of the games on the list.
As I did last year for my list, I used Pub Meeple's ranking system to help me get started. Basically you upload the list of your solo games (it easily links to your BGG account so this is easy-peasy) and then it puts two games in front of you and you choose which one you like best. You do this a bunch of times depending on how many games you have and voila! You have a list! This becomes my starting point and I tweak and move a bit after I have this last, but it's usually pretty darn close!
When I look at the list I ask myself the following questions: Do I love this game? Do I love to set this game up? I try not to overthink it too much and just have fun with it. So, without further ado, here is my Top Ten Solo Games of 2020!
Yes, I am still obsessed with this game. Not including the In Space versions, I have every possible expansion for this game - Gold and Silk, Temple of the Ape Lords, Sunken Treasure, The Mummy's Curse and Adventuring Party is being shipped! I also own all of the legacy stuff including Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated, Upper Management Pack, and The "C" Team. My biggest disappointment with Clank! Legacy was that it wasn't solo-able and I hope they fix this in the future. Building your deck is a blast and there are a million different cards to see. I love zipping around the board and finding secrets and artifacts. The app is really well done (although it needs to be updated to include the newest expansions) and I just found out that someone has made an unofficial solo bot that I want to try out! Clank! is just good ol' fashioned deck-building fun. Full review here.
Maintaining it's same spot from last year is this gem of a game, which was the number one solo game on Kevin's list in 2019, dethroning the king, Mage Knight. I only have a few plays of this one in 2020 because it is a bit of a bear to set up, play, and it burns the ol' noodle. In spite of that, I just can't deny the genius that is this game. This is still, in my opinion, the best game made. The quality of the artwork and the components are stunning. The theme is so unique and so deep in this game. Gameplay, though, that's where this game really shines. Every single spirit is unique and plays differently. The combinations of cards and actions are almost overwhelming, but in the best way possible. The only other game that comes close to the complexity and yet smoothness of Spirit Island is Gloomhaven, and I think that Spirit Island is a little more novel and a little bit more polished and contained. Full review here.
The first change on my list is the arrival of Isaac Childres' newest entry in the Gloomhaven franchise. In an attempt to get more casual gamers involved, this game has been paired down from the original to make it easier to get in to. What an accomplishment. Children has managed to trim down the fat that hardcore gamers appreciate (that they can still get in the regular game and the upcoming sequel, Frosthaven) while still maintaining the soul of Gloomhaven and the beauty of the card play and character development. For solo play, this makes the game much more accessible and easier to get to the table. I've played through more than ten scenarios in the first week of having the game and I can't wait to get through the rest of the 25 scenario story. Review coming!
It might seem to strange to have two seemingly identical games in my top five, but to be honest, Gloomhaven is just that good. The simplicity (it's a relative term, in this case) of Jaws of the Lion has leapfrogged it over the original game, but Childres' first iteration is still a masterpiece. With around 100 scenarios to explore, 18-ish characters to play as, and all manner of items to collect and beasts to defeat, this game is a 22-pound giant. If you play Jaws of the Lion and feel like you are ready for me, a lot more, then this is a natural step. Full review here.
This is my first real surprise of the list. I always knew that I would love Jaws of the Lion when it came out this year - it was hyped as a simpler version of the original game which is what I always wanted. Terraforming Mars, however, took me completely by surprise this year. I'm not typically a big Euro-gamer, preferring deck-building to cube-pushing, but I had borrow this one from a friend to use the cubes for a prototype. Well, since I had the game in hand and it gets such good reviews in the solo realm, I gave it a try. Wow. I played ten games in about three days. My Jaws of the Lion preorder even sat on my table unopened for two days while I got my terraform on. The best part about this game is simply the number of choices you have. There are so many ways to win (and even more ways to lose). Everyone says that I need to try it with the Prelude expansion now, so that's the next step! Full review here.
Probably not much of a surprise here, but Goblivion stays high on my list. I'm very picky about the games I Kickstart and this was one of my few must backs. It checked off a whole bunch of boxes for me: deckbuilder, fantasy themed, built in solo mode, and castle defense. The cherry on top is that the game is designed by the wonderful Canadian (Canadien, even) designer Jean-François Gauthier. I encourage, nay, implore you to support this wonderful man by picking up this game that has combined and replaced Friday and Castle Panic for me. Full review here.
While I've really been enjoying the roll 'n' write/flip 'n' fill craze (Silver and Gold, Harvest Dice, Welcome To, etc.), I've been waiting for a fantasy version to grab my attention. Then, along came Cartographers! I didn't anticipate that I'd be map-making in this dream game of mine, but I'm really glad that I am! Not quite as action packed as I had hoped (although maybe the new Heroes expansion coming to Kickstarter next month will help), this game is definitely packed with strategy. This game sets up and plays really quickly and is just as fun solo as multiplayer. Full review here.
The second game from Goblivion Games' Gauthier (I simply love alliteration) takes the mechanics of the first game and tweaks and adds to them. Dinoblivion brings in some resource management to go alongside the deckbuilding. Instead of defending against a goblin horde, you're trying to build up a strong clan of cavemen, all the while watching out for hungry dinosaurs. While I really enjoyed the new elements, this game didn't quite catch up to its predecessor for two main reasons: (1) I prefer the fantasy theme to the dinosaurs and (2) the solo mode is not challenging enough. That's ok, though, because I have room for both of these wonderful deckbuilders on my shelf! Full review here.
This game was almost The Lord of the Rings game I've always been waiting for. A cooperative adventure game with a beautiful, sprawling board, occupied with detailed and sturdy minis, utilizing strategic card play, looting, and leveling up...that's a recipe for success right there, isn't it? While I appreciate all of those aspects of the game, there are a couple of negatives that drag it down the list for me. That darkness meter/timer is frustrating rather than tension creating. Twice now I've played through the base game campaign and came to the last mission and lost. Playing through ten plus games and then losing at the end without the option of redoing it really sucks the fun out of the game. That being said, this game is still mostly enjoyable and has some really great innovations. I hope they can tweak some of those frustrating points and make this game even better. Full review here and the re-review here.
As the oldest game in my top ten (the base game came out in 2011), this game has shown tremendous staying power. I'm not usually in the mood for a non-fantasy/sci-fi game, but when I am, this is the one I pull out. There are so many ways to tweak the difficulty based on the mood you're in. The minis are awesome (I have the individualized ones from the Extreme Danger expansion) and the fire deck (Tragic Events expansion) adds a whole new dimension to the spreading fire. Each firefighter plays differently with their special abilities and you really feel like a team working together. I've played this solo controlling up to five different characters to really get that feeling of teamwork (although I usually play two or three). A great option for solo or cooperative play. Full review here.
Since I don't have the time or patience to write about all twenty games that I'll be submitting to Kevin (and you probably don't have the time or patience to read all about them), here is the list of the games 11-20. You can click on the link for the full reviews to read more about them.
11. Zombicide: Black Plague (full review here)
12. Dragonfire
13. Gears of War: The Board Game
14. Baseball Highlights: 2045 (full review here)
15. Heroes of Tenefyr (full review here)
16. Dungeon Bounty
17. Friday (full review here)
18. Star Realms: Frontiers (base game review here)
19. Burgle Bros (full review here)
20. Star Trek: Frontiers
There you have it! Even though 2020 has been a challenging year in so many ways, it has had some shining moments in terms of solo board games. I hope that you and your family are staying safe and healthy and my prayers go out to those of you who are struggling financially or with health issues. Hopefully gaming can be a refuge for you during these times.
Why Frontiers over MK?
ReplyDeleteGreat question! For me it all came down to the artwork. I do my best to avoid games with art that sexualizes women and those dang MK cards have some skin on the back of every card! So, not everyone's choice, but for me it is.
DeleteFair enough. I certainly urge away from misogynist art in my games when possible. Brings up another list you may consider: Top 10 designs by women. Do I hear Nikki Valens anyone? :)
DeleteI am so late to responding to this, but I love this idea. Now I need to look through my collection and find out how many games are designed by women!
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