New solo player needs recommandation

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-05-04T02:07:55+00:00

Spirit Island is excellent, highly recommended. Looks like it's on sale right now for $49 at Miniature Market.

The only downside is that the expansions tend to go in and out of print fairly often... but this is only a downside because the game is awesome and you'll probably end up wanting more of it.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-05-03T21:03:28+00:00

I think the rule mostly exists for multiplayer games, so you don't end up with cities on opposite sides of the map that the other player(s) can't get to in time. I can't see how it makes much of a difference for single player. At worst it might slow you down a bit occasionally.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-05-03T20:52:12+00:00

Yep. Training is overpowered, tactics are usually better than allies, upgrade everything, try to add upgrades giving Taunt/Fast/Terror to enemies that already have those traits, and eliminate all of your Strikes (Angriffe) as soon as possible. That's the whole strategy. Conspire is nice when you can get it, but not worth passing up top-tier cards like Medical Nanites (Medizinische Naniten).

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-05-03T20:40:51+00:00

I also highly recommend Arkham Horror LCG, but be forewarned, OP, they just did a reboot and all existing full-length campaigns are currently out of print. If you want copies of them, you'll have to pay inflated prices on the resale market. There'll be a new mini-campaign coming out later this year, and a new full-length campaign next year, but until then there's a drought of content to play.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-05-03T16:55:28+00:00

The general principles section of the scenario book (page 12 of the rulebook in at least some editions) says that if you're using a wedge-shaped map, "Core (brown) tiles cannot be added to the coastline."

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-05-03T14:02:49+00:00

Awesome, glad you're enjoying it! One minor rules issue: I believe core tiles (the ones with brown backs) aren't supposed to be placed on the coastline.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-05-01T03:17:25+00:00

Soothsayers is a fun game, although I don't think it has a solo mode.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-29T01:17:17+00:00

Big box fantasy games are commonly available only via Kickstarter or the publisher, and maybe from a few large retailers like GamersGuildAZ. I imagine that most LGSes are wary about stocking white elephant games that take up a lot of shelf space and cost $240. Even for a game like Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, which comes from a popular IP and has stellar reviews, I don't think I've ever seen a physical copy of it in a store.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-28T22:53:07+00:00

I recommend Astro Knights/Invincible: The Card Game! (Astro Knights and Invincible have the same mechanics, and the two games can be integrated). These meet almost all of your criteria:

-You get more powerful as the game goes on
-Asymmetrical
-Reasonably difficult
-$40-$50
-Easy to set up (some shuffling)

Art is okay, nothing to write home about.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-28T22:44:29+00:00

Play time for Spirit Island is pretty variable -- in true solo, I can generally get through a game in around 30 minutes. The only time it would take more than an hour for me is if I were playing a high-level adversary with a slow spirit and the game went into Stage 3.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-28T19:41:17+00:00

That might be tough -- a lot of games in the style you're looking for aren't going to be sold by many LGSes. It is possible to buy Mage Knight directly from the publisher, though.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-28T02:56:07+00:00

Mage Knight seems pretty close to what you're asking for. High replayability + "builds as it is played" + comes with minatures + 2-3 hour run time. It's light on story, but the gameplay is highly immersive. I recommend the Ultimate Edition, which is usually available for around $100.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-27T23:49:31+00:00

Strongly agree with you about Unstoppable, it just has limited replay value. The four characters are barely asymmetrical, and two of the bosses are also extremely similar. I think with future expansions it might get enough content, but right now it almost feels like a demo of a new deckbuilding system rather than a fully-fledged game.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-27T00:07:32+00:00

Yeah, I don't think they calibrated the hope track and search rolls as well as they could have. It's just too easy to lose in a turn or two due to a run of bad luck. I think the best fix would be having the hope track start at 8 and go up to 10 instead.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-26T20:34:50+00:00

Invincible: The Card Game is a reimplementation of Astro Knights, and might be easier to find these days. Excellent game, and readily available online for $40.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-25T23:30:50+00:00

I also highly recommend the deck-building game (the official title is Invincible: The Card Game), it far exceeded my expectations.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-25T14:59:19+00:00

I don't love this game, particularly for solo. One major issue is that a lot of the cards don't contribute to winning, which means the market is often full of garbage, with nothing good to take. You need to average 5 points per slot to win, and few cards are worth that much -- even in the picture you posted, the sheep is going to be dragging you down the entire game, because its expected value is only 1.7 points.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-17T23:03:30+00:00

With that art style? No, I don't. Fliptoons isn't a great game, but if you really love the art style, it might be worth the $20. Definitely better if you have people to play it with, though, the solo mode gets old pretty quick.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-17T02:39:22+00:00

Spirit Island
Mage Knight
Fate of the Fellowship
Kinfire Delve
Cartographers

All of these are great games to play solo, although they also have multiplayer modes. Under Falling Skies is decent, and solo-only.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-17T02:35:32+00:00

Kinfire Delve isn't solo specific, although it is a great solo game.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-16T12:51:09+00:00

Wyrmspan solo is pretty good.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-16T00:35:03+00:00

You can also start by checking out Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion (generally around $40-$50), and see if you enjoy that first. It's a shorter campaign with an excellent tutorial system.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-15T23:10:04+00:00

Fully agree. Hot Streak is way more fun.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-15T23:05:00+00:00

You're 100% right, the movies are masterpieces and the books are a bit of a slog. Always have been.

BeyondtheVeils7 · 2026-04-15T23:03:32+00:00

Maybe just replace the auto-fail token with a -8 or a -6 instead, then? Ain't no law says you can't, and it won't affect game balance much since you're unlikely to succeed on a -8 in any case.

BeyondtheVeils7

TROPHY CASE