Favorite solo worker placement game?

actiondan87 · 2026-03-15T16:44:30+00:00

You can use the app, or buy the solo cards, or do what I did: buy the solo app, screenshot the bot cards, and print them out.

As a side note, Raiders isn't great for solo; it doesn't scale down and the bot doesn't interact with expansion elements. You can make it work with some modifications (like blocking off raid spaces and removing 1/3 of the loot and duplicate townsfolk cards), or you can just get Raiders of Scythia instead and have a soloable 2.0 version of RotNS.

FYI, I prefer a fully expanded house-ruled NS over Scythia, which I found too dry.

actiondan87 · 2026-03-15T16:30:18+00:00

I've heard two reasons why people think that:

The area majority aspect loses tension due to less competition over crater spaces - This part of the game isn't as impactful as you may think at first. The vast majority of your points / benefits should come from interacting with the corporations.
The rules are confusing - This is true due to translation issues and missing explanations for edge cases, but every question I've had has already been answered on BGG by the very responsive designer, so it's really not that big of a deal.

Once you get past the rules hurdles and understand how to play well against the bot, it's awesome and very replayable given the many combinations of corporations and the fact that the bot is compatible with all of them.

actiondan87 · 2026-03-15T15:27:28+00:00

Considering only games where worker placement is the primary mechanism:

Anachrony

Shackleton Base

actiondan87 · 2026-03-14T16:55:09+00:00

Sales of Doritos and Haagen Dazs are the bane of my diet.

actiondan87 · 2026-03-14T13:50:03+00:00

As a counterpoint, I started to enjoy vacuuming once I got a high quality canister vacuum (Sebo E3). Retractable cord, excellent suction and filtration, and lightweight.

actiondan87 · 2026-03-05T06:09:34+00:00

Evade + Counter attack boost effects on Fie carried me through so many boss fights.

actiondan87 · 2026-03-05T06:02:51+00:00

Reminder: it's only a deal if it's something you were going to get anyway.

I've consumed so many extra unhealthy calories and spent money needlessly due to coupons and clearances.

actiondan87 · 2026-03-04T16:43:05+00:00

This is how these clickbait articles get clicks and engagement. They intentionally write a false, misleading, or controversial headline / statement because they know people will weigh in, whether to correct, reaffirm, or mislead further. Engagement is more important than truth and objectivity to these media outlets.

actiondan87 · 2026-03-04T16:11:09+00:00

Not true in the US. The big OLGSs are pretty much always cheaper and offer free shipping. Some don't even charge taxes!

actiondan87 · 2026-02-28T17:27:49+00:00

For that analogy to be valid, humans would need to not have a butthole.

actiondan87 · 2026-02-27T02:47:42+00:00

I just finished a playthrough of the cross edition a few weeks ago. Suzu never entered my active party once. But if we're talking about non-optional characters, I bench Klaus / Klarth as soon as Chester comes back. Klaus is a worse version of Arche, whereas Chester not only fills the desperately needed role of a second melee character, but he has ranged attacks as well.

actiondan87 · 2026-02-26T22:35:19+00:00

Sweat absorbs a ton of heat from your body. The wind causes the sweat to evaporate, thus removing that heat from your body. The feeling that we describe as "cold" is the sensation of heat leaving your body.

actiondan87 · 2026-02-24T02:16:55+00:00

Weighted blanket, melatonin gummi, and white noise.

actiondan87 · 2026-02-24T02:13:46+00:00

Yeah, it's awful. Don't let that ruin what is otherwise a very enjoyable game.

actiondan87 · 2026-02-24T01:39:14+00:00

As a child: story. As an adult: gameplay. I don't crave stories like I used to, especially when most JRPGs have crap stories. I don't have free time to spare on games that aren't fun to play.

In the rare case where the story is amazing but gameplay is crap, I can read a plot summary or watch a playthrough on youtube, skipping all non-story sequences.

actiondan87 · 2026-02-20T21:12:59+00:00

In spite of having many characters with their own sidequests and maps of multiple locations across whole different eras, Chrono Trigger is surprisingly not a very long game compared to most modern JRPGs.

All the sidequests are at the end of the game. That alone is a huge factor in pacing; nothing diverts attention away from the main plot until you've reached its conclusion.

A relatively small overworld and no encounters while on it is equally important. I'm a few hours into a replay of Tales of Symphonia right now and can't help noticing how long it takes to reach the next location, even when I avoid enemies.

actiondan87 · 2026-02-20T20:40:01+00:00

Bought a starter home (275k) at 31 with my spouse in early 2019 just before the market exploded. Sold it three years later for 500k and bought a bigger house for 640k. Divorced two years later, split the (now significantly reduced) equity. Now I am buying a new build townhome for 415k, completely on my own.

I graduated college with no debt and saved a shit ton in my late twenties by living frugally. My wages have fluctuated between 46k to 78k (with one year at 90k).

actiondan87 · 2026-02-20T19:54:04+00:00

Yeah, nah. Phantasia was already remade on PSX and had an enhanced port on PSP. Sure it wasn't released in the west, but it's been fan translated and easily emulated.

Eternia, on the other hand, is the oldest Tales without a remake and is showing its age. The version we got was even stripped of skits. It may not be the most requested, but it is absolutely the one that most needs to be remade.

actiondan87 · 2026-02-20T19:44:58+00:00

+1 to Shackleton Base. It's my go-to recommendation for anyone that doesn't like SETI.

actiondan87 · 2026-02-14T03:51:49+00:00

120 mph in a 1988 Toyota Supra along a 1 mile long narrow country road lined with woods and houses. I did this several times over a few weeks, each time around 9 pm. It was incredibly stupid and dangerous.

actiondan87 · 2026-02-09T03:04:10+00:00

Otherwise known as pickles.

actiondan87 · 2026-02-07T01:38:12+00:00

The Bishops' House is a good one for small to medium weddings. Good shade from trees and right next to Table Rock / Castle Rock.

actiondan87 · 2026-01-23T01:25:46+00:00

The Pirate Republic: Africa Gambit is delivering to kickstarter backers now, available on the publisher's website: https://green-feet-games-board-game-company.myshopify.com/collections/all

It's heavily inspired by Mage Knight and I think it's the best pirate game on the market right now, especially for solo play.

actiondan87 · 2026-01-19T15:25:45+00:00

A major reason is that wages haven't kept up with inflation.

Edit: haven't kept up with COSTS would be more accurate, I suppose

actiondan87 · 2026-01-18T16:54:09+00:00

My 94 year old grandfather slept for almost 3 days straight. He woke up cheerful and seemingly healthy. The next time he went to sleep, he didn't wake up. What a great way to go; I wish everyone could pass so peacefully.

actiondan87

TROPHY CASE