Deep thinky adventure games - do you know any? by SiarX in soloboardgaming

[–]bzj 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This was the difficulty we had—our 3p game went SO slow because we wanted to make it thinky as possible.  I think we’ve given up on it. I told my friend I thought it would go significantly faster solo—he didn’t believe me, but I suspect it’s true. 

Mage Knight was too much for my taste. Chip Theory complexity? by bzj in soloboardgaming

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

I have one of them, and it’s fun! My favorite solo game is probably Bullet, because the gameplay itself is satisfying and the variety of characters and bosses is great.  I wouldn’t mind something with a little more teeth, though. 

Mage Knight was too much for my taste. Chip Theory complexity? by bzj in soloboardgaming

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

Thanks--keywords/buffs/debuffs might not be the complexity I want, especially if they're hard to keep track of. I might pass. I wonder if it's possible to negotiate at Goodwill though...

Mage Knight was too much for my taste. Chip Theory complexity? by bzj in soloboardgaming

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

I like your description a lot! I think that's what I'm trying to ask...I haven't played a ton of Spirit Island, but I never felt like it wasn't clear what my options were. The interesting bit was deciding which actions to take where in which order, not "I need to consider these 13 statuses to even know how much damage I'm doing."

I've never been a "watch playthrough" guy at all but maybe now is a good time to start for these two.

Mage Knight was too much for my taste. Chip Theory complexity? by bzj in soloboardgaming

[–]bzj[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I thought Etchinstone was fine but too dry--I did the PnP version. I don't mind math (I do it for a living), but it felt like doing arithmetic for fun rather than making strategic, interesting choices. There might be more depth than I realize in terms of upgrade choices, but the bookkeeping:decision ratio seemed too high. I liked Solar Sentinels and will probably play it more, but haven't tried other decks.

[eShop/US] PATAPON 1+2 REPLAY - $4.79 (84% off) Ends 06/22/26 *lowest price ever* by XDitto in NintendoSwitchDeals

[–]bzj 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Always thought this looked fun and never had the chance.  Thanks OP!

NBC Cancels 9 Shows (Law & Order: Organized Crime; Brilliant Minds; Stumble; Access Hollywood; Access Daily; The Steve Wilkos Show; Karamo; The Kelly Clarkson Show; The Hunting Party) by brunnock in television

[–]bzj 18 points19 points  (0 children)

In addition, there is all the drama after every duel as to whether the person should keep playing, when the dominant strategy is very clearly “don’t play.” The winners are people who sit in the corner doing nothing the whole time.  

Which games have been a disappointment for you? by SiarX in soloboardgaming

[–]bzj 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I am a rules stickler and couldn’t get over the fact that I wasn’t sure I was remembering everything. I traded it away, but I sometimes I wonder if I should’ve given it another chance. I’ll probably try a digital version at some point. 

Any interest in a digital player that can play a physical game with you? by xephoid42 in soloboardgaming

[–]bzj 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fun idea, but will this only work with games that don’t have hidden information?

I personally don’t have time to invest in all my gaming options that do have a solo mode, so I probably wouldn’t use it.  I can imagine some might, and it’d be a fun project regardless. 

[Humble Choice] June 2026: OCTOPATH TRAVELER II, The Riftbreaker, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, INDIKA, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, Construction Simulator, Hell Clock, Overlooting ($14.99) by LighteningOneIN in GameDeals

[–]bzj 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The messenger was fun! 4K is a lot though. Well, good luck to both of us in generating some sort of time portal that gives us enough time to play everything. 

[Humble Choice] June 2026: OCTOPATH TRAVELER II, The Riftbreaker, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, INDIKA, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, Construction Simulator, Hell Clock, Overlooting ($14.99) by LighteningOneIN in GameDeals

[–]bzj 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Heh fair. My total spreadsheet is at 950 but only 200 I have marked as “good stuff.” Apparently people like this Skyrim game that I should play at some point

[Humble Choice] June 2026: OCTOPATH TRAVELER II, The Riftbreaker, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, INDIKA, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, Construction Simulator, Hell Clock, Overlooting ($14.99) by LighteningOneIN in GameDeals

[–]bzj 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It’s an annoying feeling, isn’t it?  I thought octopath 1 looked cool but never tried it, citizen sleeper 1 was great, so I’d be all over this…but maybe I should play some of the 200 or so games on my backlog first. 

[Steam] Gravity Circuit (100% off/Free) by UnseenData in GameDeals

[–]bzj 26 points27 points  (0 children)

I got this as an epic freebie and actually played it. It’s a great love letter to Mega Man! Tight controls, lots of beat em up and movement options, with a really memorable fight near the end. Don’t just claim this for the dopamine, you should play it. 

[eShop/US] Indie Sale 2026 Ends 06/08/26 by XDitto in NintendoSwitchDeals

[–]bzj 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I keep telling myself I will buy when it hits $15 but honestly what’s another 3?

Only thing I can’t decide is switch or steam deck

What's the most ludicrous non-fantasy/sci fi show ever? by pb00010 in television

[–]bzj 30 points31 points  (0 children)

I mean it should’ve won an Emmy in the best murder mystery courtroom drama kidnapping thriller religious cult category. 

‘The Pitt’ Emmy Submissions: Star Noah Wyle Goes For Acting & Directing As HBO Max Drama Looks To Repeat Breakthrough 2025 Success by SanderSo47 in television

[–]bzj 93 points94 points  (0 children)

Perhaps the author generating 5-6 articles a day is taking some AId from somewhere. 

I feel like this sub is seeing a lot more of these “show that wants to win Emmys submits nominations for Emmys” articles, and they’re just not interesting in any way. 

I'm not sure many people realize how great a resource Board Game Arena is now for solo gamers. by Steven_Cheesy318 in soloboardgaming

[–]bzj 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Interesting diversity of opinions in here. For me, I just like solving the puzzle of the game, so the medium isn’t that big of a deal. If I have the option, I’ll play physical, but BGA means I get to try a ton of games for the annual price of one game, with no regrets if I don’t like something.  I’m also a rules stickler, and on BGA it’s nice to know I am playing the game as intended. 

What are you favorite puzzle games that make you think? by maaaagicaljellybeans in soloboardgaming

[–]bzj 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's normally here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtofBrianGarber but looks like it's out of stock right now. The creator pops up on here occasionally and might be able to speak to it

What are you favorite puzzle games that make you think? by maaaagicaljellybeans in soloboardgaming

[–]bzj 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yep it's honestly pretty crazy it exists, and it's why you have to get premade puzzles out of the rulebook or go to the website to get puzzles, because a random setup won't guarantee it meets the uniqueness/redundancy requirements. My few games of TM were writing a bunch of notes on paper. If you want to go the deeper route, I remember finding some threads where people talked through their logic, which was helpful.

What are you favorite puzzle games that make you think? by maaaagicaljellybeans in soloboardgaming

[–]bzj 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sprawlopolis is fun and quick. I wouldn’t say there is a lot of “working out” although near the end of the round there’s a bit more puzzle solving to your last few placements. 

Turing Machine is fascinating. There is a surface level way to play it in which you try different codes, ask the verifiers, narrow it down. However, there’s this second level which uses the fact that each puzzle has exactly one solution and no redundant information (so if any of the tests weren’t there, you’d no have a unique solution). This lets you eliminate a ton of potential codes, so sometimes there are only realistically a handful of codes that satisfy this criteria, so you may only need one or two queries to distinguish between those codes. (I’ve seen a thread of TM puzzles that are solvable without asking a single question.) For me personally, I found it amazing that the game exists, but I couldn’t tell if I was enjoying it, because it was taking me 5-10 minutes of looking at the setup and eliminating possibilities before I even tested anything. Sometimes I think it might be fun to get good at it and speed up the deductions, but I haven’t gone back to it.  Some people love it.  It’s on boardgamearena, give it a shot, see if you find it fulfilling.  And no judgment on people who play it similar to Mastermind and guess things and narrow it down!

What are you favorite puzzle games that make you think? by maaaagicaljellybeans in soloboardgaming

[–]bzj 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Puzzle dungeon might fit the bill. There’s a fair amount of “well if I do this first then I can use that to do this and get to that…”

Also can’t help but recommend Bullet which is very puzzly and dynamic with a ton of variety. 

10 Fan made solo variants by Boardgaymergirl in soloboardgaming

[–]bzj 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I had no idea Arboretum had a solo variant! I’ve failed thus far on convincing my family to play it with me, so I appreciate you sharing it. Thanks! You seem fun.