15 Best Solo Board Games (Review) in 2021

Our best choice when it comes to solo board games is Gloomhaven. This 1 player board game takes you into a medieval town called Gloomhaven (which doesn’t sound like a place that will get many tourists), that requires you take on quests and side quests to help you progress through the game.

After each quest, whether you fail or succeed, you return to Gloomhaven to level up your character. In this aspect, it is almost like a sandbox video game with the sheer amount of features that come within the game and proves itself time and time again as a board game that is well worth the price (it retails, normally, at around $140).

Set in the 25th century, Terraforming Mars tasks you with, well, terraforming Mars. like many sci-fi movies that have focused on the prospect of moving away from our little blue dot and making a new life on the Red Planet, this is one of the best solo games available as you take control of one of the many large corporations that are at the forefront of developing the new New World.

The game comes with heaps of choice that, combined with an great engine building mechanics, helps bring Mars to life. This is further achieved through the use of cards that transform the drab scenery of our new home into a lush and flourishing landscape.

Set in an alternate history, the world is battling unrest and disarray in the midst of a war funded by an entity known only as The Factory, Scythe gives the player the opportunity to return your state to its former glories.

The game is very much an Area Control board game which tasks you with taking over territory, enlisting new recruits, and reaping whatever resources are left after a war that devastated the nation. You will also need to gain the trust of downtrodden villagers in hopes of emerging victorious in a world that is constantly trying to pulverise you.

Through Mage Knight, you battle to conquer cities as you battle through throngs of enemies to emerge victorious, all in the name of the Void Council. Its combination of exploration and conquest make it a highly unique gaming experience that stands out as one of the best solo board games and is perfect for lovers of adventure and epic stories.

Unlike other board games that, that might have a great story but suffer from poor quality components, Mage Knight provides top quality parts constructed to the highest quality, which guarantees years of effective and enjoyable game time.

Legacy of Dragonholt has been likened to a Dungeon and Dragons RPG combined with a table top game but eliminating the issue of the Dungeon Master, allowing you to play all by yourself at home, on the plane, or even on the beach.

It has been developed with an immersive story that begins with a character creation feature well-loved among the fantasy games community. However this does not mean it is any old fantasy board game. Fantasy Flight have included a sense of realism and diversity that might often be overlooked as important game aspects in other board games to make it as inclusive as possible.

Put your detective skills to the test with the Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective solo board game. Here, you aid the World’s Greatest Detective in solving one of ten crimes using your ingenuity, sleuth skills, and attention to detail to get to the bottom of these brand new cases.

Contained in the game, there are four cases related to the infamous Jack the Ripper and an additional 6 regarding West End Adventures, so there is plenty to choose from that will keep you on your toes and guessing throughout.

A game that is short and sweet as well as massively simple to master in just twenty or so minutes, the Tiny Epic Galaxies is perhaps top of the list for best solo board games in terms of value.

Throughout the game you will explore space in a fun and enjoyable way that require you to pay attention and combine a number of different tactics in order to emerge victorious. Its compact size makes it easy to transport from place to place and is a great little time killer during downtime. Regarding gameplay, it has marvellous core mechanics and is designed to prevent any immediate advantages or disadvantages depending on game-start choices, which is very useful for newbies.

Based on the works of Master of Horror, HP Lovecraft, this unsettling board game takes you into the world of the unusual and macabre that you might just lose your sanity trying to win.

Designed so that no two adventures are alike, you have the choice of battling a variety of Ancient Ones intent on casting the world in endless shadow, trapping you in alternate dimensions, or just general worldwide destruction. You will uncover clues, attempt to solve puzzles and see the world as you fight against the mysterious cosmic entity that lurks just around the corner.

If running through dank and dingy dungeons collecting loot is your thing, then look no further than CMON’s Massive Darkness. Here, you pick from 10 unique campaigns that will take you on a journey that is both exhilarating and challenging throughout.

A great game for solo gamers, Massive Darkness allows you to pick your chosen adventurer and step in to dangers and possibilities that await. The miniatures themselves are expertly crafted and are a joy to pain to give them your own special design.

Indulge in your love of swashbuckling adventures and try your hand at the challenging (really, really challenging) but also immersive and satisfying Robinson Crusoe Adventures which puts strands players on the Cursed Island and fight for survival.

You will battle against tropical storms and hurricanes, you will fight to keep the fire alight, you will find yourself losing hope as quickly as you lose strength and for many this might be too much. As a Game of the Year winner, the feeling of success will be more than worth it, but that success is often a long way away.

Considered one of the best solitaire board games that you can get your hands on, The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game will take you into the depths of Middle Earth on a number of different quests.

As a solo-game, it is great for experimenting with deck building to find the right combination of characters and cards for the best results, but also serves perfectly well as a solo board game to just play. However, it is considered by some that only the first three quests make for the best solo experience, so keep that in mind.

Trying to survive in a horrific world is bad enough in real life, so why would you want to live out a similar experience in a card game? Well, because it’s fun. Really fun. That’s why.

Arkham Horror offers tremendous freedom with deck building and exploring different avenues for success. When these scenarios are all exhausted, you can buy additional packs. But let’s focus on the original game before worrying about that.

At just 15 minutes of playtime, Onirim is a fast-paced and enjoyable game that offers great replayability even for experienced pros.

Throughout, you battle against the game through a labyrinth before running out of cards and getting trapped forever (okay, until next time). The game combines aspects of deduction and luck depending on what you choose to do, so be sure to be confident in your decisions.

You might remember One Deck Dungeon as a video game of your youth, but if you are on the younger side of our readership, then this could be your first exposure to the game. This is a tabletop version that is designed with beautiful artwork and masterful mechanics that you will understand, eventually, following a few playthroughs.

Each character class comes with their own advantages and disadvantages to offer a balanced experience. In solo play, this is especially important to give you as immersive a game as it can. For such a short game, it comes with remarkable depth that is unseen in even longer, more comprehensive titles.

If you’ve plated 51st State, the first title by Imperial Settlers mastermind Ignacy Trzewiczek, then you already know how this game works. If not, then know that you can choose between four factions famous throughout history of expanding empires. Over the course of 5 turns, you are tasked with growing your area to generate resources and expand your economy.

This can be done through discovering mines, planting produce in fields and training soldiers to protect your precious land. By obtaining VPs, you can progress and potentially destroy opponents structures, unless you are playing alone.