The modern world has seen our lives become inundated with screens of all shapes and sizes. From switching between smartphones, to tablets, to laptops all while binge-watching your favourite Netflix show on TV.
The curse of the ‘iPad kid’ is beginning to affect all of us, at all ages. With parents and grandparents on level 5,982 of Candy Crush and young adults in the prime of their life unable to tune-in to a three-minute video without an additional stimulus in the form of slime-making clips or subway surfer play-throughs, it’s safe to say we have a bit of a tech overload problem.
While writing this article, I’m currently fighting the urge to scroll TikTok at the same time (note to our Editor: I resisted). Thankfully, there are some wonderfully inventive creators out there looking to take the boredom out of board games once and for all.
We’re big fans of sharing a tipple with friends during a weekly game night, but sometimes we need to recharge our social batteries and spend a night or two on our own. When these cosy, self-care evenings roll around, there’s a simple solution to prevent yourself from reaching for a screen – and it’s not just running a bubble bath, sticking on a face mask and getting your Oodie on. Our newest, favourite answer is in the form of solo board games.
We know what you’re thinking, Solitaire is incredibly dull, and Scrabble only works as a multi-player game – how could there possibly be a stimulating board game that I can play on my lonesome when I have my Nintendo Switch next to my bed already?
There are a multitude of story-based strategy games designed specifically for solo players, giving you the opportunity to escape from reality momentarily without having to organise a social get-together. Gone are the days where board games result in arguments and the aggressive flinging of monopoly money and plastic houses across the room. Playing on your own will bring a newfound serenity to the age-old activity.
From semantic puzzles to fantasy and adventure stories, keep scrolling for your new favourite pastime.
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Mansions of Madness Second Edition
With over 6,000 five-star ratings on Amazon alone, it’s safe to say that Mansions of Madness is a popular game. Suitable for one to five players, this fully cooperative board game has an optional companion app to help guide you through the adventure. If you’re already a fan of the first edition, you’ll be delighted by the amusing additional tales afforded by this expansion pack.
Inspired by the works of H.P Lovecraft and created by the makers of Eldritch Horror, during this narrative board game you’ll fashion yourself as a brave and hardy investigator, confronted with a myriad of murder-mystery scenarios which need solving.
You’ll be working to guide your investigator through the harrowing town of Arkham across dozens of confounding double-sided map tiles, all the while avoiding sculpted monster minis and surprise challenges.
With hundreds of decisions to be made, you’ll never play the same game twice – no matter how hard you try. If you’ve always wanted to get into an activity which is similar to Dungeons and Dragons, but would rather not drag gameplay across weeks, even months – this is the solo game for you.
Buy now £84.37, Amazon
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Thames Murders And Other Cases
Trade in that true crime show that you have a slightly unsettling hyper-fixation with for some wonderful, literary detective escapism. You’ll be putting your deduction skills under a microscope for this brain-training, investigative game. With ten original Sherlock Holmes adventures to solve, this set of mysteries has been perfectly constructed to provide hours of entertainment.
For each case, you’ll be faced with a series of letters from informants, maps, directories, statements from the local press as well as a series of leads to follow. With this arsenal of information, your challenge is to attempt to solve the mystery before Mr Holmes. Are you smarter than the iconic, albeit fictional, private investigator?
Buy now £29.99, Amazon
Gloomhaven
Difficult to get your hands on and often quite pricey, Gloomhaven is a slippery cult favourite for very good reason. Another Lovecraftian fantasy game, Gloomhaven is a cooperative, narrative game – this time focused on tactical combat.
Assuming the role of a hardened mercenary, you’ll battle your way through a campaign of scenarios that only you have the power to change, adapt and solve. Get to know your enemies and learn how to effectively combat their attacks in this ever-changing fantasy board game. You’ll also pick up new abilities and loot while on your travels as well as discover new locations within a supernatural war-torn land.
Complex and full of moving parts, this solo board game is not for the faint-hearted and requires a fair few sessions of game play to get going on a solo campaign. However, once you’ve got the hang of it, we can assure you that it’ll be a mighty task to put down.
Buy now £111.80, Amazon
Onirim
Known for keeping even the most advanced cooperative game players on their toes, Onirim is a solo card game which takes place in a mysterious labyrinth. Embarking on this game play means becoming a lost Dreamwalker who must attempt to pass through a series of strange oneiric doors in order to escape the labyrinth. If you fail to do so before your dreamtime runs out, you’ll be trapped forever. (Well, not forever – but you get the idea).
Praised for its exquisite artwork and high-quality craftsmanship, you’ll have a whale of a time collecting as many doors as possible while playing this fantastic solo game.
Buy now £24.36, Amazon
One Deck Dungeon
Created for one to two players at the very most, this pint-sized board game is a wonderful choice for first timers. Born out of a Kickstarter campaign, One Deck Dungeon was and is a passion project, which means you’re sure to be met with fantastic storytelling, intricate game play and endless hours of fun.
You’ll get to build up your very own character from scratch and delve into the depths of a medieval dungeon, where you’ll battle against various obstacles and foes in the form of wild cards. Each monster you defeat is another experience, item or skill under your character’s belt.
Buy now £30.25, Amazon
Gibsons Pixit
Moving into the realm of puzzle games, we have Gibson’s Pixit. An action-packed and stimulating brain teaser, you’ll be racing against the clock to make the various black and white cubes match up to the photo key. With a wide range of difficulty levels and even memory rounds to choose from, Pixit is a dexterous, fast-paced activity that will have your mind whirring. Measuring just 10 x 10 x 10cm, this is also fantastic solo travel companion.
Buy now £10.99, Amazon
Friday
Unlike the games we’ve extolled thus far, this board game was designed specifically for solo play, and solo play alone. If you’ve ever read Daniel Defoe’s Robinson’s Crusoe, you’ll already be familiar with the character Friday. In this deck-building game, you’ll play as Friday – who springs into action when Robinson Crusoe crashes onto his island. You’ll work to optimise your solo deck in order to defeat the dangers and hazards that the island throws at you before confronting the final boss: two evil pirate ships attempting to invade.
Buy now £26.99, Amazon
Dune Imperium
Like Friday, this deck-building game is also inspired by a piece of literature. However, Dune: Imperium has a hidden-information twist to your usual worker-placement. As a leader of one of the Great Houses of the Landsraad, you’ll have to cleverly marshal your troops and spies with every twist and turn you face.
Unlike most deck-building solo games, you won’t be playing your whole hand in one turn. Rather, your deck will evolve as you continue to draw cards – affecting your war strategy and adding further dimension to the story.
Buy now £46.99, Amazon
Rush Hour - Traffic Jam
We’re kicking it old school with this final puzzle game option. If, like us, you remember frantically racing against an egg timer to get that little red car out of the lot during your childhood, why not relive the nostalgia and purchase the – very much still available – and ever-stimulating game?
This brain-challenging game tests your logic and special awareness. Picture cards will show you how to set up the lot in varying levels of difficulty. Simply match the board to the card and work to get that red car out as fast as you can.
Buy now £15.99, Amazon
