Enjoying board games with friends and family is a fantastic way to spend free time. But what if you crave that same engaging experience when you're alone? Many modern board games are designed for solo play, or at least offer a compelling single-player mode. From strategic challenges to the satisfying roll-and-write mechanics, there's a solo board game for every taste. Below, we highlight some of the best, offering engaging gameplay that lets you relax and unwind while still sharpening your mind.
TL;DR: The Best Solo Board Games
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War Story: Occupied France
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Invincible: The Hero-Building Game
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Legacy of Yu
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Final Girl
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Dune Imperium
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Hadrian's Wall
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Imperium: Horizons
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Frosthaven
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Mage Knight: Ultimate Edition
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Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective
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Under Falling Skies
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Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island
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Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write
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Arkham Horror: The Card Game
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Cascadia
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Terraforming Mars
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Spirit Island
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**Editor's Note**: While every game listed offers solo play, most also support multiplayer (up to four players, generally). The exception is Final Girl, designed exclusively for solo play.
War Story: Occupied France
Age Range: 14+
Players: 1-6
Play Time: 45-60 mins
Blending choose-your-own-adventure storytelling with tactical wargame mechanics, War Story: Occupied France places you in command of secret agents during WWII. Navigate branching narratives, making crucial decisions that impact your miniature-map tactical engagements. The game offers significant replayability, with scenarios that can be linked into a campaign for an ultimate solo challenge. While officially supporting up to six cooperative players, the solo experience truly magnifies the weight of command.
Invincible: The Hero-Building Game
Age Range: 14+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 45-90 mins
Based on the popular comic and animated series, this game offers a unique take on superheroism. Guide young heroes, mastering their powers and facing genuine peril. Combine powers strategically, balancing upgrades with the need to defeat villains and save civilians. Each scenario links to a major storyline from the show, and a full campaign mode is also available.
Legacy of Yu
Age Range: 12+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 60 mins
Journey to mythical China as Yu the Great, battling barbarian tribes and preventing catastrophic floods. This game expertly blends resource management and worker placement with narrative elements and military strategy. The combination creates a compelling experience filled with strategic challenges, historical flavor, and moral dilemmas.
Final Girl
Age Range: 14+
Players: 1
Play Time: 20-60 mins
Horror shines in solo gaming, and Final Girl delivers a thrilling, unsettling experience. As the sole survivor, manage actions, cards, and resource allocation to outwit the relentless horror. Multiple expansion sets offer diverse scenarios, ensuring replayability and a consistently thrilling ride.
Dune: Imperium
Age Range: 14+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 60-120 mins
While ideally played with multiple players, Dune: Imperium includes an automated opponent, House Hagal, making for a satisfying solo experience. This automated opponent provides a challenging and engaging alternative to human players, allowing you to enjoy the game's strategic depth without needing others.
Hadrian’s Wall
Age Range: 12+
Players: 1-6
Play Time: 60 mins
A flip-and-write game where you manage resources to construct Roman defenses against Pictish invasions. The downloadable campaign adds significant replayability and a dynamic, engaging experience.
Imperium: Horizons
Age Range: 14+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 40 mins/player
A unique civilization-building game incorporating deck-building mechanics. Each civilization offers a distinct strategic approach, ensuring high replay value and a challenging solo experience.
Frosthaven
Age Range: 14+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 60-120 mins
A sprawling legacy-style fantasy adventure with card-driven combat. The persistent world and potential for permanent card loss add significant weight to each decision, creating a deeply personal and rewarding experience.
Mage Knight: Ultimate Edition
Age Range: 14+
Players: 1-5
Play Time: 60+ mins
A classic solo game known for its sprawling fantasy world, monster battles, character upgrades, and strategic depth. Prepare for a lengthy, puzzle-like experience requiring careful optimization.
Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective
Age Range: 14+
Players: 1-8
Play Time: 90 mins
Become the world's greatest detective, solving challenging mysteries using included maps, directories, and newspapers. This game offers a truly immersive experience, demanding careful investigation and deduction.
Under Falling Skies
Age Range: 12+
Players: 1+
Play Time: 20-40 mins
A solo-focused game where you defend your base against descending alien ships. Balance resource allocation carefully to shoot down invaders, build defenses, and research a solution to the alien threat.
Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island
Age Range: 14+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 90-180 mins
Survive a shipwreck and the perils of a hostile island. Scavenge for resources, build shelter, and explore dangerous locations. The solo variant is highly recommended, allowing for a more manageable yet deeply engaging experience.
Dinosaur Island: Rawr N’ Write
Age Range: 10+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 30-45 mins
A roll-and-write game where you manage resources to build and operate a dinosaur theme park. The longer playtime and strategic depth make this an excellent solo experience.
Arkham Horror: The Card Game
Age Range: 14+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 60-120 mins
Face eldritch horrors in a tense, thematic solo adventure. Choose an investigator, build a deck, and unravel cosmic mysteries while managing resources and battling the Mythos deck.
Cascadia
Age Range: 10+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 30-45 mins
Build a nature reserve by strategically placing animal tokens and terrain tiles. The included achievements provide numerous challenges and replayability for solo players.
Terraforming Mars
Age Range: 12+
Players: 1-5
Play Time: 120 mins
A heavy Euro-style game where you race against the clock to terraform Mars. Manage resources, build corporations, and optimize your actions for maximum efficiency in this challenging solo experience.
Spirit Island
Age Range: 14+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 90-120 mins
A cooperative game where you protect your island from colonizers. Control powerful island spirits, using their unique abilities to thwart the invaders in a satisfying solo challenge.
Solo Board Game FAQs
Is it weird to play board games alone?
Absolutely not! Solitaire gaming has a long history, offering a unique blend of challenge, strategic thinking, and tactile enjoyment. It’s no different than enjoying a puzzle or a solo video game.
