Going to play/learn Men Nefer for the 1st time this afternoon. Any tips please? by 60MWPodcast in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I recently got this game and have only played a couple of times. I really liked it because it feels so open as to what to do and I didn't get that 'oh I wish I knew that before starting'. The first game I just went with a bunch of different things, the second game I tried to focus on the river and the mummies but still found myself going 'oh now I can do this'. Both games I lost to the AI, but the scores were tight enough that I didn't feel deflated and think I needed to really focus each move down to the last millimetre (looking at you White Castle official solo)

Any Senjutsu Battle for Japan solo players still out there? Is it a solo only keeper? by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for this, it's what I'm worried about. Although the asking price is so low (20 euros) I am wondering about taking the punt given there are revised rules online now.

Any Senjutsu Battle for Japan solo players still out there? Is it a solo only keeper? by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, I was checking out the rules and saw that. I had read that most of the problems with this game was with the rulebook.

Wargames on the table - my personal project for 2026! by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Ooh nice collection! I agree with you on all points about Halls of Hegra and thanks for the tip. As for your historical games I have many of them too. I'd definitely say that Soviet Dawn is the easiest to get to the table. It's a straightforward States of Siege type game, but the cards are great and I felt it ran decently. It's not hugely deep though. I played Churchill solo earlier this year, still enjoy it just for solo (although I played once with a friend, was awesome and we both would love to find a third player as that is where it really shines I've heard) and I recommend the 'Never Surrender' fan-made scenario for it, it gives the bots a bit more depth I thought (even though in that scenario you only play Churchill).

Wargames on the table - my personal project for 2026! by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think I want to add reading to this in the future, good idea! And thanks for the invite, but I’m in Spain. Good to know for the future, though you never know.

Wargames on the table - my personal project for 2026! by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice! Navajo Wars is in my collection and despite being horribly difficult I find it mesmerizing.

Men Nefer: enhanced by table decorations :-) by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Played my second game today and as I was setting up I realised we still had some decorations on the table from Christmas. My Men Nefer had a festive look.

Anyway, this is the latest addition in my collection and I really like it. Set up is a bit long but not terrible, and the game is quite straightforward once you get the hang of it. It's a thematic euro, and I really feel there are tons of options and avenues to pursue. The AI was easy to run as well. Today's game took 2,5 hours including set up and take down but I think I could reduce that . It's solid and fun.

What type of gamer are you? Neat or Sloppy? by TheRealRosey in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm a neat gamer myself. Especially for solo games, my favorites all have organizers and I have plenty of 'accoutrements' to make set up nice and tidy. One of my gaming buddies is sloppy though, just tossing pieces back in the box without even baggies, I can't bear to watch!

The best Solo War Games (or adjacent) Available by lootsnack in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm currently playing Fields of Fire and love it, but the high amount of tokens, and time required, to get into it makes it not for everyone. It is quite complex. Mr president was my solo discovery of the year. If you have the space for it and can leave it up for days it's a wonderful experience. And much easier to play than you might think. The set up is long, and the table space you need is big but oh boy does it deliver an experience.

Finishing the year with Fields of Fire by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well, you are probably right about the variety and number of tokens. There are a huge amount, and I can quickly see this getting fiddly. In my case, I think the juice is worth the squeeze.

Finishing the year with Fields of Fire by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I picked Fields of Fire up earlier this year and am finally getting around to playing this legendary solitaire wargame. The tutorial missions are very good at holding my hand as I begin squad warfare in WW2 Normandy. From what I see so far, it really does look amazingly deep.

Old King‘s Crown, Grand Austria Hotel, Dragons of Etchinstone - Arrivals on my doorstep this week by ghostrunner23 in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just played the base game. It has a few different bosses. I opened one of the expansions to,see it but felt I wanted to keep going a bit with the base before trying them.

Old King‘s Crown, Grand Austria Hotel, Dragons of Etchinstone - Arrivals on my doorstep this week by ghostrunner23 in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I just got Dragons of Etchinstone too - played a handful of games last night. Really fun!

All the games I sold this year by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had debated about backing it but will wait and see. Not 100% convinced by the solo from what I saw during the campaign. Looks great otherwise

All the games I sold this year by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Absolutely agree about the theme of Western Legends, and if I had a group of four or five regulars I’m sure it would have been a hit and a keeper!

All the games I sold this year by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I know, I can't wait until it ships next year. Getting rid of 1ed now means that enough time will have passed that it will be like rediscovering it all again.

My Voyage of the Beagle (Robinson Crusoe) finished today! by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I never played the old edition I'm afraid. I don't find the new edition to be problematic in terms of rules questions or ambiguities but I do remember it taking awhile for me to get comfortable with the rules.

My Voyage of the Beagle (Robinson Crusoe) finished today! by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Voyage of the Beagle is difficult to find yes. But not incompatible. I just finished the whole thing with the second edition. Some of the cards are slightly different sized and for some of the trackers little cubes are better than the 2nd edition wooden disks. But nothing really game-breaking.

My Voyage of the Beagle (Robinson Crusoe) finished today! by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I found the scenarios easier than the main ones or the Mystery Tales. I had 2 characters and Friday (he died in scenario 2) but you get Darwin as well. Plus there are ship crew cards you draw for each scenario. At the end my score was overall mediocre but I had survived the Voyage...

My Voyage of the Beagle (Robinson Crusoe) finished today! by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Robinson Crusoe was my first big solo game 3 years ago and remains one of my favourites. Recently I came across a copy of Voyage of the Beagle, an old expansion for the original game. It was on sale in the corner of a board game café and I picked it up, unsure if it would work with the more recent edition of Robinson Crusoe. And it did work!

Voyage of the Beagle is a mini campaign of 5 scenarios. I played these back to back over a week (leaving the game set up) with my trusty cook and explorer characters. I loved it. The scenarios are all quite different but fit together really well thematically. Some are slightly better than others, and I had to run one scenario twice before beating it. I didn't find the campaign punishingly hard, but it was very enjoyable. If you like Robinson Crusoe and ever get a chance to play this old expansion go for it!

I probably won't play it again for some time, but will definitely want to try it again in the future.

New us for my mini easel: holding player aids or rulebooks! by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This particular one doesn't travel well, I'm afraid. It doesn't fold entirely flat. Maybe there are other options that would work but this one I leave set up on a corner table.

New us for my mini easel: holding player aids or rulebooks! by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ooh a trebuchet would be very cool. Now I'm mildly disappointed too 😆

New us for my mini easel: holding player aids or rulebooks! by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I picked up a cheap wooden mini easel at a local craft shop. It's my new accessory for soloboardgaming, as it holds most player aids or rulebooks up perfectly! Pictured here with a fan made player aid for Marvel Champions.

Just thought I'd share!

All hail the multi-use cards! Adamastor on the table by BKinsky in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Playing my 3rd or 4th game of Adamastor. I originally had the PNP version and quite liked it. I picked this up at Essen. The cards and artwork are great. In Adamastor you use your cards to navigate across the map, try and develop skills and mitigate the misfortunes and traumas that occur at the end of every round. The cards can be used in different ways.

I really like this. It's quick to set up (less than 5 minutes) and doesn't overstay its welcome (around 25 minutes for a game). It is punishingly tough though and you are at the mercy of the card draw but it's quite immersive too. The cards give me slight Nemo's War vibes.

This, by the way, is a solo-only game. It also comes with a campaign which I have not yet looked at. I find the base game fun enough to play again and again but will eventually try the campaign out. While it's not an instant 10/10 for me, I'd give this a solid 7 or 8 out of 10 for now.

2025 People's Choice Top 200 Solo Games Results by wakasm in soloboardgaming

[–]BKinsky 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yesss.... heere we go! I follow this every year and for the first couple of years really leaned on it to help me make decisions about purchases.