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The Marinated Meeple (1848 KP) created a post in Solo Gamers
May 9, 2019
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Bananagrams in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
One of the best parts of the board gaming experience is finding a fun group of people with whom to play! Sometimes, though, coordinating a game night is easier said than done. We all must occasionally forego the group experience and face the world as the Lonely Only. But fear not! The world of solo-play is a vast and exciting realm! What follows is a chronicle of my journey into the solo-playing world – notes on gameplay, mechanics, rules, difficulty, and overall experience with solo variations of commonly multiplayer games! I hope this will provide some insight as you continue to grow your collection, or explore your already owned games!
What if I told you that you could play an entire game of Scrabble in about 15 minutes? You wouldn’t believe me, would you? I wouldn’t have believed me either until I discovered Bananagrams. Ok, so it’s not technically Scrabble, but the gist is the same – place tiles and create words! The biggest difference is that there are no points and there is no board. You have a ‘hand’ of letter tiles that you must use to create your own personal crossword faster than your opponents! If anyone uses all of their tiles, all players must draw a new tile from the center of the table and adjust/add to their existing crossword to incorporate the new letter. Once all of the letter tiles are gone, the first player to complete their crossword is the winner!
As a solo game, you play Bananagrams the same way as you would in a group – use your tiles to create your crossword, and the game is over when all of the tiles are used. It’s still a race against the clock – you are just trying to beat your own best time instead of finishing before your opponents.
Some games really were not made to be played solo and, in my opinion, Bananagrams is one of those games. Most of the excitement of this game comes from racing your opponents to finish your crossword before they do. Playing solo just feels a little pointless to me – it’s not as exciting or nearly as fun. You are in complete control when playing solo because the game advances only when you allow it to. In a group game, the game is controlled by the fastest players, and that might not always be you. Yeah, you’re still supposed to be trying to beat your own best time when playing solo, but speed doesn’t feel as necessary because honestly, it isn’t.
The only positive reason I have for playing Bananagrams solo is that it just allows you to practice playing the game. It gives you time to test out different strategies that could then be used in a group game. You can practice creating new words to better utilize your current tiles, or find easy ways to modify your current crossword without losing time. Solo play is a good exercise for your brain. Using the skills you’ve practiced in solo play can help you better succeed in group play. And group play is where Bananagrams really shines.
Bananagrams is a fast and fun game that definitely requires more thought and strategy than its silly title would lead you to believe. However, this is a game I would recommend mainly for group play. Give it a shot solo if you want, but don’t be expecting it to be particularly exciting or fun. I do love to play Bananagrams, but only when I get to play with a group.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/02/21/solo-chronicles-bananagrams/
What if I told you that you could play an entire game of Scrabble in about 15 minutes? You wouldn’t believe me, would you? I wouldn’t have believed me either until I discovered Bananagrams. Ok, so it’s not technically Scrabble, but the gist is the same – place tiles and create words! The biggest difference is that there are no points and there is no board. You have a ‘hand’ of letter tiles that you must use to create your own personal crossword faster than your opponents! If anyone uses all of their tiles, all players must draw a new tile from the center of the table and adjust/add to their existing crossword to incorporate the new letter. Once all of the letter tiles are gone, the first player to complete their crossword is the winner!
As a solo game, you play Bananagrams the same way as you would in a group – use your tiles to create your crossword, and the game is over when all of the tiles are used. It’s still a race against the clock – you are just trying to beat your own best time instead of finishing before your opponents.
Some games really were not made to be played solo and, in my opinion, Bananagrams is one of those games. Most of the excitement of this game comes from racing your opponents to finish your crossword before they do. Playing solo just feels a little pointless to me – it’s not as exciting or nearly as fun. You are in complete control when playing solo because the game advances only when you allow it to. In a group game, the game is controlled by the fastest players, and that might not always be you. Yeah, you’re still supposed to be trying to beat your own best time when playing solo, but speed doesn’t feel as necessary because honestly, it isn’t.
The only positive reason I have for playing Bananagrams solo is that it just allows you to practice playing the game. It gives you time to test out different strategies that could then be used in a group game. You can practice creating new words to better utilize your current tiles, or find easy ways to modify your current crossword without losing time. Solo play is a good exercise for your brain. Using the skills you’ve practiced in solo play can help you better succeed in group play. And group play is where Bananagrams really shines.
Bananagrams is a fast and fun game that definitely requires more thought and strategy than its silly title would lead you to believe. However, this is a game I would recommend mainly for group play. Give it a shot solo if you want, but don’t be expecting it to be particularly exciting or fun. I do love to play Bananagrams, but only when I get to play with a group.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/02/21/solo-chronicles-bananagrams/
The Marinated Meeple (1848 KP) rated Carcassonne in Apps
Feb 21, 2018
graphics (2 more)
user experience
solo made
One of the classics in board games, a great gateway into the euro style games. This app is a good one.
This is a great simple game, Millions of board game lovers became board gamers from this game (along with Settlers of Catan, and Ticket to Ride) Give it a try.
Paperback Adventures
Tabletop Game
Our intrepid author Paige Turner is back! In Paperback Adventures, you get to play as the...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Dungeon Roll in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
One of the best parts of the board gaming experience is finding a fun group of people with whom to play! Sometimes, though, coordinating a game night is easier said than done. We all must occasionally forego the group experience and face the world as the Lonely Only. But fear not! The world of solo-play is a vast and exciting realm! What follows is a chronicle of my journey into the solo-playing world – notes on gameplay, mechanics, rules, difficulty, and overall experience with solo variations of commonly multiplayer games! I hope this will provide some insight as you continue to grow your collection, or explore your already owned games!
Dungeon Roll is a quick and fun dice-rolling game where Heroes delve into a dungeon to fight monsters (potentially including a dragon!), find treasure, and gain experience points based on how deep into the dungeon they go. If you are playing in a group or solo, the rules of the game are the same – the only difference is how you win! In group play, the winner is the player with the most experience points after 3 rounds of play. In solo play, you are working to get as many experience points as possible – competing against previous plays trying to best yourself!
After a few runs of Dungeon Roll, it has quickly become one of my favorite games to play solo for two main reasons. First, I like and appreciate the simplicity of the rules. It is quick and easy to learn, and the solo variation has no extra rules or stipulations. Simply put, I don’t have to worry about forgetting solo rules because there aren’t any! Don’t have any other players? Great! Just play like you normally would! Yeah, I may have to roll my own Dungeon Dice, but I don’t have to worry about controlling any ghost players or remembering whether or not I need to start the game with a solo handicap. The simplicity and uniformity of the rules, regardless of player count, means that I don’t have to spend time re-reading the rulebook to refresh my memory on solo play, and can just get down to playing instead!
The next reason why I love to play Dungeon Roll solo is due to the variability and unpredictability of the game. The base game comes with 8 Hero cards, each with unique abilities, and the expansion packs provide even more Hero choices. Different heroes/abilities lend themselves to different strategies for success – there is not one right way to play. Even if you pick to play as the same Hero every game, though, the dice rolling mechanism makes sure that no two games are ever alike. Dice rolling can be a fickle friend, and oftentimes the success (or failure) of a round depends solely on the luck of the roll. I, unfortunately, am a notoriously bad dice-roller…. BUT that helps make this game more interesting for me because it forces me to really strategize how I am going to use my Hero abilities, treasure tokens, and dice to my benefit. Sometimes it works out well and I come out with a respectable score! But then again, sometimes it’s the exact opposite and I come out wondering whether or not I should even log the play with as feeble a score as I got… Either way, dice rolling is unpredictable and that (along with different Hero abilities and treasure tokens) makes for a unique game every time.
Dungeon Roll is a fun and competitive game for both groups and the solo player. This game is deceptively simple and wildly entertaining, and I highly recommend adding it to your solo arsenal!
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2018/12/21/solo-chronicles-dungeon-roll/
Dungeon Roll is a quick and fun dice-rolling game where Heroes delve into a dungeon to fight monsters (potentially including a dragon!), find treasure, and gain experience points based on how deep into the dungeon they go. If you are playing in a group or solo, the rules of the game are the same – the only difference is how you win! In group play, the winner is the player with the most experience points after 3 rounds of play. In solo play, you are working to get as many experience points as possible – competing against previous plays trying to best yourself!
After a few runs of Dungeon Roll, it has quickly become one of my favorite games to play solo for two main reasons. First, I like and appreciate the simplicity of the rules. It is quick and easy to learn, and the solo variation has no extra rules or stipulations. Simply put, I don’t have to worry about forgetting solo rules because there aren’t any! Don’t have any other players? Great! Just play like you normally would! Yeah, I may have to roll my own Dungeon Dice, but I don’t have to worry about controlling any ghost players or remembering whether or not I need to start the game with a solo handicap. The simplicity and uniformity of the rules, regardless of player count, means that I don’t have to spend time re-reading the rulebook to refresh my memory on solo play, and can just get down to playing instead!
The next reason why I love to play Dungeon Roll solo is due to the variability and unpredictability of the game. The base game comes with 8 Hero cards, each with unique abilities, and the expansion packs provide even more Hero choices. Different heroes/abilities lend themselves to different strategies for success – there is not one right way to play. Even if you pick to play as the same Hero every game, though, the dice rolling mechanism makes sure that no two games are ever alike. Dice rolling can be a fickle friend, and oftentimes the success (or failure) of a round depends solely on the luck of the roll. I, unfortunately, am a notoriously bad dice-roller…. BUT that helps make this game more interesting for me because it forces me to really strategize how I am going to use my Hero abilities, treasure tokens, and dice to my benefit. Sometimes it works out well and I come out with a respectable score! But then again, sometimes it’s the exact opposite and I come out wondering whether or not I should even log the play with as feeble a score as I got… Either way, dice rolling is unpredictable and that (along with different Hero abilities and treasure tokens) makes for a unique game every time.
Dungeon Roll is a fun and competitive game for both groups and the solo player. This game is deceptively simple and wildly entertaining, and I highly recommend adding it to your solo arsenal!
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2018/12/21/solo-chronicles-dungeon-roll/
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Sagrada in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
One of the best parts of the board gaming experience is finding a fun group of people with whom to play! Sometimes, though, coordinating a game night is easier said than done. We all must occasionally forego the group experience and face the world as the Lonely Only. But fear not! The world of solo-play is a vast and exciting realm! What follows is a chronicle of my journey into the solo-playing world – notes on gameplay, mechanics, rules, difficulty, and overall experience with solo variations of commonly multiplayer games! I hope this will provide some insight as you continue to grow your collection, or explore your already owned games!
In Sagrada, you are an artist who has been tasked with creating a beautiful stained glass window. Working piece by piece, you build a masterpiece – the likes of which have never before been witnessed. Finding the perfect pieces can be tricky, but through careful use of your tools and with your artistic vision, you can create the best window in the town! The game is played over 10 rounds in which players draft dice and place them in their windows, following certain placement restrictions. A set number of tools are available for use, and can aid you in manipulating the dice to your benefit. Points are scored based on successful completion of private and public objectives, and the player with the highest score at the end of 10 drafting rounds is the winner!
My favorite part about playing Sagrada solo is that the game is essentially played the same way, regardless of player count. The only difference is how you win! In both group and solo play, each player will draft two dice every round. In group play, any leftover dice are discarded, while in solo play, the remaining two dice will be added towards the Target Score – the score you are trying to beat at the end of the game! To find the Target Score, you add all of the die values of your unused dice from each round. If, at the end of the 10 rounds, you have earned more points than the Target Score, you win! But if the Target Score is higher than your final score, you lose.
The game play differences are simple enough, but actually winning the game solo is a different story. I have played Sagrada solo quite a bit, and have won maybe 25% of the time. Depending on which window card and objectives are in play, and because of placement restrictions, I often have to sacrifice high-valued dice to the Target Score. And since there are no placement restrictions for the Target Score, and two dice are added to it each round, it is very easy for that score to sky-rocket. I either barely pull off a win, or I lose by a huge margin. Playing in a group is nicer in this regard because the other players have the same placement restrictions that I have – nobody is just getting points for free. Without the Target Score, there really is no way to play Sagrada solo, but it makes the game feel a little imbalanced to me.
Just because it is difficult to win solo does not mean that I do not like the game. It requires quite a bit of strategy, and that keeps me engaged for the entire game. There are dice placement restrictions based on color AND value, so there are two different ways in which you have to constantly be strategizing. You can’t just focus on either value or color – your strategy must always be changing based on which color dice are drawn and what values are subsequently rolled. Even with the amount of strategy required, Sagrada actually plays pretty quickly as a solo game, and I really like that. I like the challenge of this game, and often try to play until I can win. Since I can finish an entire solo game in probably 10-15 minutes, I am able to get multiple plays in a row!
Sagrada is a challenging game to play solo, but not in a way that feels futile. I don’t win a lot, but the strategic implications and the pretty dice colors are what keep me coming back to this game! If you haven’t tried Sagrada solo yet, I’d encourage you to give it a shot. But be warned – you might not always win.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/02/26/solo-chronicles-sagrada/
In Sagrada, you are an artist who has been tasked with creating a beautiful stained glass window. Working piece by piece, you build a masterpiece – the likes of which have never before been witnessed. Finding the perfect pieces can be tricky, but through careful use of your tools and with your artistic vision, you can create the best window in the town! The game is played over 10 rounds in which players draft dice and place them in their windows, following certain placement restrictions. A set number of tools are available for use, and can aid you in manipulating the dice to your benefit. Points are scored based on successful completion of private and public objectives, and the player with the highest score at the end of 10 drafting rounds is the winner!
My favorite part about playing Sagrada solo is that the game is essentially played the same way, regardless of player count. The only difference is how you win! In both group and solo play, each player will draft two dice every round. In group play, any leftover dice are discarded, while in solo play, the remaining two dice will be added towards the Target Score – the score you are trying to beat at the end of the game! To find the Target Score, you add all of the die values of your unused dice from each round. If, at the end of the 10 rounds, you have earned more points than the Target Score, you win! But if the Target Score is higher than your final score, you lose.
The game play differences are simple enough, but actually winning the game solo is a different story. I have played Sagrada solo quite a bit, and have won maybe 25% of the time. Depending on which window card and objectives are in play, and because of placement restrictions, I often have to sacrifice high-valued dice to the Target Score. And since there are no placement restrictions for the Target Score, and two dice are added to it each round, it is very easy for that score to sky-rocket. I either barely pull off a win, or I lose by a huge margin. Playing in a group is nicer in this regard because the other players have the same placement restrictions that I have – nobody is just getting points for free. Without the Target Score, there really is no way to play Sagrada solo, but it makes the game feel a little imbalanced to me.
Just because it is difficult to win solo does not mean that I do not like the game. It requires quite a bit of strategy, and that keeps me engaged for the entire game. There are dice placement restrictions based on color AND value, so there are two different ways in which you have to constantly be strategizing. You can’t just focus on either value or color – your strategy must always be changing based on which color dice are drawn and what values are subsequently rolled. Even with the amount of strategy required, Sagrada actually plays pretty quickly as a solo game, and I really like that. I like the challenge of this game, and often try to play until I can win. Since I can finish an entire solo game in probably 10-15 minutes, I am able to get multiple plays in a row!
Sagrada is a challenging game to play solo, but not in a way that feels futile. I don’t win a lot, but the strategic implications and the pretty dice colors are what keep me coming back to this game! If you haven’t tried Sagrada solo yet, I’d encourage you to give it a shot. But be warned – you might not always win.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/02/26/solo-chronicles-sagrada/
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated FUSE in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
One of the best parts of the board gaming experience is finding a fun group of people with whom to play! Sometimes, though, coordinating a game night is easier said than done. We all must occasionally forego the group experience and face the world as the Lonely Only. But fear not! The world of solo-play is a vast and exciting realm! What follows is a chronicle of my journey into the solo-playing world – notes on gameplay, mechanics, rules, difficulty, and overall experience with solo variations of commonly multiplayer games! I hope this will provide some insight as you continue to grow your collection, or explore your already owned games!
FUSE is a fast-paced game where a bomb squad is working against the clock to diffuse a number of bombs discovered on their ship! The goal is simple: diffuse all of the bombs before they explode. The gameplay, however, is a little bit more complicated. While there are a few minor differences between group- and solo-play, the basics of the game are unchanged – players roll and place dice in unique combinations to ‘diffuse’ each card. If all cards are diffused in the 10-minute time limit, then the game is won! And if not…then I think you know what that means. BOOOOOOOOOM!
Having played and enjoyed FUSE in both a group and solo setting, I think I can honestly say that I miiiight like it a little more as a solo game. My main reason is purely selfish – playing alone means that I don’t have to share dice. In a group game, the dice are rolled and divvied up between all of the players. Playing solo means that I can keep all of the dice for myself! And, theoretically, that means that I should be able to diffuse my bomb cards more quickly since I have more dice with which to work! Gone is the agony associated with sacrificing dice to other players – they’re all mine! Yeah, I have to deal with all of the bombs by myself too, but not having to share my materials makes the job seem easier even though it might not necessarily be any easier.
For me, one of the most challenging parts of playing FUSE solo is the real-time countdown. I know, I know, the timer is one of the most integral parts of this entire game. However, the pressure of a time limit is stressful and it makes me a sloppy player – dropping dice, knocking over towers, etc. Some lucky people have been blessed with the ability to remain calm under pressure, but unfortunately I am not one of them. I hope you don’t misunderstand my grievance with the timer for disliking the overall game, though. Having a timer adds an element of excitement that creates such a high-energy atmosphere, even when playing solo. I’m literally just rolling and placing dice, but with a ticking clock, I’m on the edge of my seat with adrenaline pumping as I try to complete my cards as quickly as possible! With every play, I’d like to think that I have gotten better at managing the pressure of the timer, even though that may not necessarily be true…
I do thoroughly enjoy playing FUSE as a solo game. Since time is of the essence, the game forces me to be creative with my dice placement and I must constantly be changing my strategy based on which dice I draw and what cards I have before me at any given time. If you are looking for a high-energy game, even when playing solo, look no further than FUSE. It will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat and will keep you engaged in the action until the game ends – either in celebration of success or a fiery explosion!
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/02/18/solo-chronicles-fuse/
FUSE is a fast-paced game where a bomb squad is working against the clock to diffuse a number of bombs discovered on their ship! The goal is simple: diffuse all of the bombs before they explode. The gameplay, however, is a little bit more complicated. While there are a few minor differences between group- and solo-play, the basics of the game are unchanged – players roll and place dice in unique combinations to ‘diffuse’ each card. If all cards are diffused in the 10-minute time limit, then the game is won! And if not…then I think you know what that means. BOOOOOOOOOM!
Having played and enjoyed FUSE in both a group and solo setting, I think I can honestly say that I miiiight like it a little more as a solo game. My main reason is purely selfish – playing alone means that I don’t have to share dice. In a group game, the dice are rolled and divvied up between all of the players. Playing solo means that I can keep all of the dice for myself! And, theoretically, that means that I should be able to diffuse my bomb cards more quickly since I have more dice with which to work! Gone is the agony associated with sacrificing dice to other players – they’re all mine! Yeah, I have to deal with all of the bombs by myself too, but not having to share my materials makes the job seem easier even though it might not necessarily be any easier.
For me, one of the most challenging parts of playing FUSE solo is the real-time countdown. I know, I know, the timer is one of the most integral parts of this entire game. However, the pressure of a time limit is stressful and it makes me a sloppy player – dropping dice, knocking over towers, etc. Some lucky people have been blessed with the ability to remain calm under pressure, but unfortunately I am not one of them. I hope you don’t misunderstand my grievance with the timer for disliking the overall game, though. Having a timer adds an element of excitement that creates such a high-energy atmosphere, even when playing solo. I’m literally just rolling and placing dice, but with a ticking clock, I’m on the edge of my seat with adrenaline pumping as I try to complete my cards as quickly as possible! With every play, I’d like to think that I have gotten better at managing the pressure of the timer, even though that may not necessarily be true…
I do thoroughly enjoy playing FUSE as a solo game. Since time is of the essence, the game forces me to be creative with my dice placement and I must constantly be changing my strategy based on which dice I draw and what cards I have before me at any given time. If you are looking for a high-energy game, even when playing solo, look no further than FUSE. It will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat and will keep you engaged in the action until the game ends – either in celebration of success or a fiery explosion!
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/02/18/solo-chronicles-fuse/
Spaceman300 (13 KP) rated Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) in Movies
Jun 7, 2019
A Star Wars movie made be the numbers
If you use solo as a drinking game, you would be unconscious or even dead before the end of the movie.
Hal Solo gets.....
His Jacket takes a drink.
The Millennium Falcon take a drink.
And so on
So basically it's full of plot points we already know for the original trilogy and making feel like movie just made by the number.
Hal Solo gets.....
His Jacket takes a drink.
The Millennium Falcon take a drink.
And so on
So basically it's full of plot points we already know for the original trilogy and making feel like movie just made by the number.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Villagers in Tabletop Games
Jan 16, 2020
The saying is, “It takes a village…” but that village didn’t just magically appear overnight. Creating a prosperous and thriving community takes not only time, but hard work, ingenuity, and a little bit of luck! Villagers is a game that takes you through that process, as you strive to create a village of renown.
Disclaimer: I do not intent to rehash the entire rulebook in this review, but rather provide an overview of the gameplay, and how it differs between multiplayer and solo play. -L
Villagers is a game of card drafting and tableau building in which players are competing to build the most prosperous village in the land. The game is played over a series of rounds, each broken up into the Draft Phase and the Build Phase. During the Draft Phase, players take turns drafting villagers from the available card stacks into their hands. During the Build Phase, players can add villagers from their hand to their tableau. Certain cards can be chained together, and provide more powers and/or end-game points – but they must be added to the village in chain order. At two points throughout the game, the First and Second Market Phases, all players will collect money depending on which cards they have in their villages. The game ends immediately after the Second Market Phase is completed, and the player with the most money is the winner!
As a solo game, Villagers plays very similarly to group play, with only a couple of differences. First, the solo player is battling against The Countess, an AI character, to create the best village. The Countess is incorporated into the game in a unique way. During the Draft Phase, whenever you draft a villager to your hand, you also select an available villager to go straight into the village of the Countess. The Build Phase is carried out as normal. At the end of every round, you blindly draw a face-down card from the Reserve (draw deck), and it automatically goes into the Countess’ village as well. The other twist to a solo game of Villagers is that there are Event cards in play each round. Events are resolved after the Build Phase, before beginning the next round, and are often detrimental to the player – like making you pay extra gold to unlock padlocks, for example. The First and Second Market Phases work the same as they do in a multiplayer game, and the game ends immediately after the Second Market Phase. If you have managed to accrue more money than the Countess, then you have won!
I want to start off by saying that I love Villagers. Card drafting and set collection are my JAM, and this is a game that highlights those really well without making it too complicated. Even when playing solo, those mechanics still feel balanced, and that makes the overall game enjoyable. From my previous Solo Chronicles, I have stated how much I dislike “Beat your own high score” solo modes, so I was extremely happy when I saw that Villagers pitted the solo player against an AI character – the Countess. For the most part, I think that the Countess works really well in this game. When you draft a card, the Countess gets a card as well. But the best part about that is that you get to choose which card goes to the Countess. That means that you are able to keep some semblance of strategy in your game, because you have the power to decide what cards go where, for the most part.
The other neat thing about solo play is the inclusion of Event cards in the game – which are not present in group play. The Events add an extra element that you have to take into account for the given round. Depending on the Event, it could compromise your strategy quite a bit, but that’s what keeps it interesting. You can’t just get into a groove and grind through the rounds, drafting everything you want, when you want. You have to adapt your strategy based upon the Event(s) in play, and the Countess’ village.
The only downside for me is that at the end of every round, the Countess gets the top face-down card from the Reserve, and depending on what card that is, it could throw a wrench into the strategy you’ve been working hard to set up. I guess that mimics a multiplayer game in a sense, though, because you can’t always control what your opponents will do. The biggest downside about solo play for me has nothing to do with actual gameplay, but rather table space. Every card that goes into the Countess’ village is a stand-alone, meaning that they do not chain together like cards in your village will. So depending on how long the game goes, the Countess’ village will get to be pretty large, and hog lots of the table. I think that just means I need a bigger table though…
All that being said – is Villagers a good game for solo play? I would say mostly yes. Strategy is still required for success, but adaptability of that strategy is what keeps the game engaging and entertaining. Nothing can quite replace the multiplayer experience, but playing against the AI character keeps the competitiveness alive in the game. As someone who does a lot of solo playing these days, I am glad that I have added Villagers to my collection. If you haven’t gotten a chance to play Villagers yet, I would highly recommend checking it out. Solo or multiplayer, it’s a great time!
Disclaimer: I do not intent to rehash the entire rulebook in this review, but rather provide an overview of the gameplay, and how it differs between multiplayer and solo play. -L
Villagers is a game of card drafting and tableau building in which players are competing to build the most prosperous village in the land. The game is played over a series of rounds, each broken up into the Draft Phase and the Build Phase. During the Draft Phase, players take turns drafting villagers from the available card stacks into their hands. During the Build Phase, players can add villagers from their hand to their tableau. Certain cards can be chained together, and provide more powers and/or end-game points – but they must be added to the village in chain order. At two points throughout the game, the First and Second Market Phases, all players will collect money depending on which cards they have in their villages. The game ends immediately after the Second Market Phase is completed, and the player with the most money is the winner!
As a solo game, Villagers plays very similarly to group play, with only a couple of differences. First, the solo player is battling against The Countess, an AI character, to create the best village. The Countess is incorporated into the game in a unique way. During the Draft Phase, whenever you draft a villager to your hand, you also select an available villager to go straight into the village of the Countess. The Build Phase is carried out as normal. At the end of every round, you blindly draw a face-down card from the Reserve (draw deck), and it automatically goes into the Countess’ village as well. The other twist to a solo game of Villagers is that there are Event cards in play each round. Events are resolved after the Build Phase, before beginning the next round, and are often detrimental to the player – like making you pay extra gold to unlock padlocks, for example. The First and Second Market Phases work the same as they do in a multiplayer game, and the game ends immediately after the Second Market Phase. If you have managed to accrue more money than the Countess, then you have won!
I want to start off by saying that I love Villagers. Card drafting and set collection are my JAM, and this is a game that highlights those really well without making it too complicated. Even when playing solo, those mechanics still feel balanced, and that makes the overall game enjoyable. From my previous Solo Chronicles, I have stated how much I dislike “Beat your own high score” solo modes, so I was extremely happy when I saw that Villagers pitted the solo player against an AI character – the Countess. For the most part, I think that the Countess works really well in this game. When you draft a card, the Countess gets a card as well. But the best part about that is that you get to choose which card goes to the Countess. That means that you are able to keep some semblance of strategy in your game, because you have the power to decide what cards go where, for the most part.
The other neat thing about solo play is the inclusion of Event cards in the game – which are not present in group play. The Events add an extra element that you have to take into account for the given round. Depending on the Event, it could compromise your strategy quite a bit, but that’s what keeps it interesting. You can’t just get into a groove and grind through the rounds, drafting everything you want, when you want. You have to adapt your strategy based upon the Event(s) in play, and the Countess’ village.
The only downside for me is that at the end of every round, the Countess gets the top face-down card from the Reserve, and depending on what card that is, it could throw a wrench into the strategy you’ve been working hard to set up. I guess that mimics a multiplayer game in a sense, though, because you can’t always control what your opponents will do. The biggest downside about solo play for me has nothing to do with actual gameplay, but rather table space. Every card that goes into the Countess’ village is a stand-alone, meaning that they do not chain together like cards in your village will. So depending on how long the game goes, the Countess’ village will get to be pretty large, and hog lots of the table. I think that just means I need a bigger table though…
All that being said – is Villagers a good game for solo play? I would say mostly yes. Strategy is still required for success, but adaptability of that strategy is what keeps the game engaging and entertaining. Nothing can quite replace the multiplayer experience, but playing against the AI character keeps the competitiveness alive in the game. As someone who does a lot of solo playing these days, I am glad that I have added Villagers to my collection. If you haven’t gotten a chance to play Villagers yet, I would highly recommend checking it out. Solo or multiplayer, it’s a great time!
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Dinosaur Island in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
One of the best parts of the board gaming experience is finding a fun group of people with whom to play! Sometimes, though, coordinating a game night is easier said than done. We all must occasionally forego the group experience and face the world as the Lonely Only. But fear not! The world of solo-play is a vast and exciting realm! What follows is a chronicle of my journey into the solo-playing world – notes on gameplay, mechanics, rules, difficulty, and overall experience with solo variations of commonly multiplayer games! I hope this will provide some insight as you continue to grow your collection, or explore your already owned games!
In Dinosaur Island, you have successfully created a theme park of the Jurassic variety (see what I did there?), and are now tasked with managing and supervising the day-to-day operations. Think “Zoo Tycoon” on steroids. You have to collect new DNA, upgrade your facilities, build new attractions, hire specialists, oversee your workers, and create new dinosaurs to populate your park! Make sure you manage your resources wisely for maximum benefit, and keep a close eye on the security of your park to ensure the safety of your guests! The goal is to create and maintain the most successful dinosaur park!
DISCLAIMER: An expansion exists for Dinosaur Island, and I do own it, but I have yet to incorporate it into my games. Once I get some experience with the expansion, I will either amend this review or address it in a separate post! -L
Let me first begin this review by saying that there is A LOT going on in this game. Seriously, a lot. And it can be pretty overwhelming at first. But one thing I cannot praise enough about Dinosaur Island is its rulebook. It’s kind of hefty, but it is so detailed and clear (with numerous examples) that I understood how to play the game on my first read-through. And sometimes with games that have so many moving elements, total understanding from the get-go can be rare, for me especially. The excellent rulebook makes a seemingly daunting game not so scary. I always keep the rulebook on hand when I play (just to be safe!), but once I got the hang of all of the steps, I don’t really need to refer back to it anymore!
As a solo game, Dinosaur Island plays very similarly as it does in group play with a few minor differences. For one, no regular Objective cards are used – instead you use a set of specified Solo Objective cards. Next, to simulate player interaction during the Research and Market Phases, the solo player draws a card from an AI deck and eliminates the options/discards the resources listed on the card – this mimics group play in the sense that turn order changes every round and you do not always get your first pick during these phases. The remaining 2 Phases (Worker and Park) occur simultaneously and involve no player interaction, so those are played as normal. One final difference between group and solo play is that the solo player can choose to play without Plot Twist cards. A solo game is played over the course of 7 total rounds, and the overall goal of the game remains the same – amass the most Victory Points.
The trickiest part of playing Dinosaur Island solo, for me, has to do with the Solo Objectives. You have 7 Solo Objectives to be completed throughout the game, and they reward Victory Points based on the round in which they were completed – finishing objectives in earlier rounds yields a higher number of points. If you are unable to complete any objective in a given round, you must discard one (of your choice) at the end of that round. The hard thing is that depending on which objectives are currently in play, it can be difficult to complete one each round to earn those points. Some things take time (and a couple of rounds) to be able to complete – like “Reach a threat level of 15.” If you have multiple long-term objectives in play, they can really limit the number of points you can earn from them. A nice mix of objectives (both short-term and long-term) can help balance out the game a little more, but it’s ultimately a luck of the draw.
One positive thing I can say about the objectives, though, is that they really force you to come up with a multi-faceted strategy. Depending on which objectives are in play, you have to decide on a logical strategy and order in which to complete them for maximum points. You can’t just focus on one objective – you also need to be setting yourself up to complete future objectives. I never feel like I’m just going through the motions because I always need to be thinking ahead to my future rounds.
The thing I really like about Dinosaur Island as a solo game is that it is still extremely engaging. I’m not a huge fan of “Beat your own personal best” solo games, but this one keeps me so involved that I don’t mind the fact that there’s no real ‘winner.’ Since a group game doesn’t involve that much player interaction anyway, Dinosaur Island doesn’t really even necessarily feel like a solo game. Every play requires a different strategy, and that makes it feel like a new game every time. If you enjoy Dinosaur Island in a group setting, give it a try as a solo game. There’s really not much of a gameplay difference, and I think you’ll enjoy it just as much!
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/05/21/solo-chronicles-dinosaur-island/
In Dinosaur Island, you have successfully created a theme park of the Jurassic variety (see what I did there?), and are now tasked with managing and supervising the day-to-day operations. Think “Zoo Tycoon” on steroids. You have to collect new DNA, upgrade your facilities, build new attractions, hire specialists, oversee your workers, and create new dinosaurs to populate your park! Make sure you manage your resources wisely for maximum benefit, and keep a close eye on the security of your park to ensure the safety of your guests! The goal is to create and maintain the most successful dinosaur park!
DISCLAIMER: An expansion exists for Dinosaur Island, and I do own it, but I have yet to incorporate it into my games. Once I get some experience with the expansion, I will either amend this review or address it in a separate post! -L
Let me first begin this review by saying that there is A LOT going on in this game. Seriously, a lot. And it can be pretty overwhelming at first. But one thing I cannot praise enough about Dinosaur Island is its rulebook. It’s kind of hefty, but it is so detailed and clear (with numerous examples) that I understood how to play the game on my first read-through. And sometimes with games that have so many moving elements, total understanding from the get-go can be rare, for me especially. The excellent rulebook makes a seemingly daunting game not so scary. I always keep the rulebook on hand when I play (just to be safe!), but once I got the hang of all of the steps, I don’t really need to refer back to it anymore!
As a solo game, Dinosaur Island plays very similarly as it does in group play with a few minor differences. For one, no regular Objective cards are used – instead you use a set of specified Solo Objective cards. Next, to simulate player interaction during the Research and Market Phases, the solo player draws a card from an AI deck and eliminates the options/discards the resources listed on the card – this mimics group play in the sense that turn order changes every round and you do not always get your first pick during these phases. The remaining 2 Phases (Worker and Park) occur simultaneously and involve no player interaction, so those are played as normal. One final difference between group and solo play is that the solo player can choose to play without Plot Twist cards. A solo game is played over the course of 7 total rounds, and the overall goal of the game remains the same – amass the most Victory Points.
The trickiest part of playing Dinosaur Island solo, for me, has to do with the Solo Objectives. You have 7 Solo Objectives to be completed throughout the game, and they reward Victory Points based on the round in which they were completed – finishing objectives in earlier rounds yields a higher number of points. If you are unable to complete any objective in a given round, you must discard one (of your choice) at the end of that round. The hard thing is that depending on which objectives are currently in play, it can be difficult to complete one each round to earn those points. Some things take time (and a couple of rounds) to be able to complete – like “Reach a threat level of 15.” If you have multiple long-term objectives in play, they can really limit the number of points you can earn from them. A nice mix of objectives (both short-term and long-term) can help balance out the game a little more, but it’s ultimately a luck of the draw.
One positive thing I can say about the objectives, though, is that they really force you to come up with a multi-faceted strategy. Depending on which objectives are in play, you have to decide on a logical strategy and order in which to complete them for maximum points. You can’t just focus on one objective – you also need to be setting yourself up to complete future objectives. I never feel like I’m just going through the motions because I always need to be thinking ahead to my future rounds.
The thing I really like about Dinosaur Island as a solo game is that it is still extremely engaging. I’m not a huge fan of “Beat your own personal best” solo games, but this one keeps me so involved that I don’t mind the fact that there’s no real ‘winner.’ Since a group game doesn’t involve that much player interaction anyway, Dinosaur Island doesn’t really even necessarily feel like a solo game. Every play requires a different strategy, and that makes it feel like a new game every time. If you enjoy Dinosaur Island in a group setting, give it a try as a solo game. There’s really not much of a gameplay difference, and I think you’ll enjoy it just as much!
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/05/21/solo-chronicles-dinosaur-island/
Paul Kellett (118 KP) May 10, 2019