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FUSE
FUSE
2015 | Action, Dice Game, Real-time
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/
  
    Marvel Dice Throne

    Marvel Dice Throne

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    Tabletop Game

    In Marvel Dice Throne , you become one of eight of Marvel's most famous heroes, including Black...

Loony Quest
Loony Quest
2015 | Action, Fantasy, Real-time
Looney Quest is an odd game. You, and the other players, look at a game level, hen have a timed period to scribble a possible route onto a piece of acetate hitting trying to hit good things and miss traps/bombs/enemies. After he timed period you put your acetate over the level map and tot up your score.

Now the ideal market for this is younger kids, who want to participate and like scribbling on acetate, but the sheer quantity of token types and variety of effects is staggering and the kid young enough to like the scribbling is less keen on understanding what all these status effects mean.

Those of us old enough to click with all the token types, aree also going to find trying to draw what you remember to be a safe route achieving your targets dull.

Meanwhile the components are...ok, the tokens are nice thick card, but the acetate is a pain and (like most acetate screens) doesn't clean as easily as would be ideal, but the level maps are quite flimsy. If you try and replay it more than a couple of times they're going to get worn out fast.