Sunday morning than pulling out your favorite board game and embarking on a new adventure with a group of friends, family, or even all by yourself. Board games aren’t just for groups but can be an excellent way to challenge yourself and exercise your mind. You don’t need someone on the other side of the board to have a great time. We’ve compiled a list of the best solo board games you can play when spending a night to yourself.
11 of the Best One Player Board Games
AMEROUS’s Shut the Box Game
Also known as Canoga, Shut the Box has been traditional in pubs and homes for many years. While Shut the Box can be played by as many people as you want, it’s the perfect game to play on your own. The box in question is often carved from wood and played with wooden dice. Along each side of the box is a row of numbers from one to nine, where each number can be either covered or turned over. Players try to shut the box by rolling the dice and covering the numerical value of their role over and over again until they are out of options. The object of the game is to turn over all of your numbers and shut the box.
Hey!Play! Solitaire Board Game
This strategy-based, handcrafted game is designed for single players looking to develop their critical thinking skills and have fun at the same time. It can be played anywhere, from your bedroom to the car on a long road trip. Each set includes a small wooden game board and 33 wooden marbles. The objective is to remove every last marble from the board, save for one. That last marble must end up in the center hole. Through strategic moves and specific rules, a single player can attempt to beat their own record and challenge themselves. If you love puzzles and other mind-bending games, this version of solitaire is the perfect solo board game for you.
Fallout Board Game
Just like the wildly popular video game it’s based on, the Fallout game is set in a post-nuclear world of adventure, where survivors fend off enemies as they complete challenges. Players are dropped into an unfamiliar world and must navigate the landscape to build power. The scenarios and challenges of the game are based on the plot of the third and fourth video games, allowing single players to continue the action on their own. Players will attempt to take over factions and fight for power to win. While this game can be played with up to four people, it’s easily adapted for solo fun! With unique stories and exciting gameplay, this game offers plenty of enjoyment without needing to play the video games.
St. Noire
Alexa isn’t just for weather updates and grocery lists anymore! With this new game, she’s a storyteller. St. Noir is an Alexa assisted mystery game, where players solve a murder that occurs in the game’s namesake town. With many different storylines, high stakes, and time running against you, St. Noir is the perfect board game to challenge at-home Sherlocks. This immersive experience utilizes a familiar voice in your home (Alexa) to give clues, weave lies, and bring you headfirst into the game. With the help of talented voice actors, immersive elements, and some handy technology- this is not your average board game. You don’t even need a home speaker to play. Just download the Alexa app on your phone, and you’re ready to play!
Katamino Deluxe
For those with an aesthetic eye, consider a game that’s not just a puzzle but a piece of art to display after you’ve finished playing. This game is designed with a short explanation time so that you can jump straight into playing. The goal of the game is to arrange any number of wooden pieces into a rectangle known as “penta,” with the difficulty of the game increasing with the number of blocks you choose to play. There are more than 36,000 different possibilities of different shapes and formations to make in Katamino, so you’ll never get bored! Katamino can be played by both children and adults alike, as the game helps develop spatial skills and understanding of geometry. Not only will this game help pass the time, but it makes for a great coffee table decoration!
The Genius Square
With over 60,000 different solutions to this board game, the Genius Square sets you up for thousands of hours of potential fun. Each player rolls a collection of dice that corresponds to a square on the grid game board. The player places wooden blockers onto the board according to where the dice land. The goal is to fill your board around these blockers with nine different shaped blocks. A single player can race against the clock to solve the puzzle as fast as possible, while multiple players can try to race each other for the fastest solution. Those playing alone can either beat the clock or play as long as they want, discovering as many solutions for placement around their blockers as possible.
Unbroken
If you enjoy group role-play games like Dungeons and Dragons, you may enjoy Unbroken. This game was designed specifically for single players looking for an immersive role-playing experience. The goal of the game is to collect as many resources as possible to escape a dungeon full of monsters. For those who like dark fantasy, this game allows you to construct your own character and abilities. Choose from individual cards to build your skill sets, resources, and abilities to use as you face monsters and try to survive while on the road to your escape. Unbroken is one of the most supported campaigns on Kickstarter and has garnered fans across the country. The game is best played by those over 13, unless with parental supervision. 27 Hobbies For Introverts 17 Best Board Games for Couples 11 Of The Best RPG Board Games
One Deck Dungeon
Many board games have complicated setups with enough pieces for a few to get lost under the couch. With One Deck Dungeon, the set up is so easy that you can dive straight into gameplay. With a handy stack of cards by your side, representing potions, skills, and extra points, you will attempt to survive for as long as possible against a barrage of swarming monsters. One Deck Dungeon is a cooperative game that can be played as both a single-player game or with a partner. It’s quick and easy to learn, with very few pieces besides cards and a few dice. Beautifully designed and curated, One Deck Dungeon is full of well-written story-driven adventures.
Heropath – Dragon Roar
Heropath is another highly active fantasy gaming experience that you can play with just one player. The heroes of the game explore unknown territory and gain new skills, fighting dragons along the way. Enemies lie everywhere, providing a new obstacle at any given turn, as dragons fly to the next location for a new challenge. The game features well-designed game pieces, detailed miniatures, tokens, dice, and more. With Heropath: Dragon Roar, you can replay the game in many different ways, with new solutions and paths to follow. This game combines resource management, magic, and combat for the ultimate RPG experience. A single game can be as quick as an hour, or as long as two, but you can play as many games for as many hours as you’d like. Heropath is recommended for ages 12 and up.
Original IQ Tester Wooden Puzzle
You may remember this little wooden board and its accompanying pegs from the classrooms of your childhood. You may have played it at a bar or two as an adult. The Original IQ Tester stands the test of time, proving to be as challenging and engaging as ever. The rules of the game are simple: the game starts with a single empty hole, and you jump pegs one by one to remove them from the board, leaving only one at the moment of your victory. The game lasts as long as you have moves left, and it can be played over and over for hours of brain exercise and fun. This game can be played at any age to help build and maintain mental acuity. The portability of this game means that it can be played anywhere, at any time, to excite any dull moment. Standing in line, or waiting for a movie to start? Pull out the Original IQ Tester!
Marble Circuit
If you enjoy puzzles and brain teasers, try a round of the endlessly fun logic game for one, Marble Circuit. The multi-directional and multicolored marble game has over sixty different challenges to complete. The game comes with a card that corresponds to each challenge, as you attempt to move the colorful tiles and release marbles to hit your target. If you can’t find success on the first attempt, move the tiles until you find the solution. Perfect for teachers, students, and adults alike, Marble Circuit is adaptable to any audience. This portable game is easy to set up, and the rules are quick to learn, making it ideal for solo game players looking to increase their logic skills. Did you find the best one player board games for you? Sometimes we need a break from our phones and the hectic buzz of the world around us. We all seek a meaningful mode of disconnection so that we can better connect with ourselves or challenge our abilities. If you are looking for a productive way to spend alone time, try a solitary board game. Immerse yourself in an interactive adventure, or twist your brain with a logic game. There are many options available for terrific fun to be had alone!
