Best Single Player Board Games You Should Try When Bored

by  John Uke Last update: November 6, 2024

In today’s busy world, finding time for group activities can be challenging. But that doesn’t mean you should miss out on the joy of board gaming. The best solo board games offer immersive experiences and can be a perfect antidote to boredom. Whether you’re an avid gamer looking for a challenge or someone seeking a momentary escape, these games are designed for your delight. Dive in to discover some exceptional solo adventures.

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25 Best Solo Board Games To Enjoy By Yourself

In this deep dive, we’re showcasing the top 25 board games specifically crafted for those solo gaming sessions. This compilation only features games readily available at retail or directly from the publisher as of this article’s publication date. 

Diversity is key! Our list spans various genres and gameplay mechanics. Some choices might not be our personal favorites, but their inclusion is warranted given their significance in the solo gaming world. Our aim has been to strike a balance between objectivity and a sprinkle of personal preference. Age and session length information was taken from BGG.

Let’s embark on this solo gaming journey!

Marvel Champions 

Marvel Champions made it to the last number on our list. In this LGC, you play with several heroes, and each fight against a supervillain.

The fact that this works so well here and keeps drawing us to the table is mainly due to creativity. Every heroine and hero plays differently. You have to accept that, although you still have a lot of options when building your deck (before the game). There is a lot of variety here.

But the opponents are also diverse and always bring new and creative actions and mechanics with them. You have to coordinate the abilities of the heroes and heroines very well for it to work.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – The Adventure Game

Dive into the expansive world of Skyrim, now reimagined as a board game! In the Adventure Game, set in the expansive world of Skyrim, 1-4 players unite as the Blades, legendary protectors of Tamriel. This cooperative game, that also works as a game for one player, plunges players into epic quests across Skyrim’s vast landscapes. Choosing from character miniatures like High Elf, Nord, or Khajiit players strategize with weapons and spells to overcome challenges in mines, tombs, and ancient cities, all while collecting treasures and boosting their power. As dragons, daedra, and other threats escalate across the regions, teamwork becomes crucial. The base game splits into two campaigns, each with three evolving chapters. Choices from the start dictate the story’s unfolding, providing endless replayability. Players can save progress and continue or reset, choose a new character, and experience a different path.

Under Falling Skies

Now we come to a true representative of the best single player board games. In Under Falling Skies, we defend a big city against an alien attack. A large mothership is getting closer and closer (round after round), and alien spaceships are constantly attacking the city.

Our task is to defend the city and develop a defensive weapon with which we can shoot down the mothership. The game itself brings with it modular game board pieces that ensure that there is a lot of variety. Depending on the scenario or your own ideas, you put the playing field together.

All in all a really great solo board game so far, which is set up quickly, offers a lot of variety, and works very well.

The Lord Of The Rings: Journeys In Middle Earth

Embark on an epic journey inspired by Tolkien’s legendary realm. The Lord Of The Rings: Journeys In Middle Earth is a narrative-driven game that combines app integration with traditional board gaming.

In a cooperative adventure game for 1 to 5 players, journey through the foreboding lands of Middle-Earth, confronting a rising darkness that seeks to unite all evil. Each adventure is a chapter in an epic story, guided by a specially designed Companion App. Players select heroes and roles, starting with a 15-card Skill Deck that embodies their character’s essence.

Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective

Dive into Victorian London’s mysteries with Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, a standout among the top solo board games for mystery fans. Players step into detective shoes to uncover evidence across shadowy London streets. With ten unique cases, the surprises are endless. Players become part of the Baker Street Regulars, aiding Sherlock Holmes in solving thrilling enigmas.

While it’s a cooperative game, each case has a lead investigator dictating the next steps. Featuring a detailed London map and case-specific newspapers filled with clever humor, players are kept hooked.

Frostpunk: The Board Game

Venture into a frostbitten world in Frostpunk: The Board Game, an adaptation of the acclaimed video game. Frostpunk: The Board Game, designed by the creators of Nemesis and This War of Mine: TBG, is a survival game set in a 19th-century ice apocalypse. After a global freeze disrupts all communication, England evacuates to the British Science Expeditions’ outposts with Heat Generator Towers, hoping to sustain some civilization. Players, as leaders of a colony of survivors, must navigate this icy post-apocalyptic world, managing both infrastructure and citizens. The game is intricate and challenging yet easy to grasp. Importantly, the citizens are responsive; they have demands and will react based on the colony’s mood, making every decision consequential.

Dinosaur Island

Step into the thrilling world of Dinosaur Island, a place where prehistoric animals come to life and adventure beckons at every turn. Players become park managers striving to create the ultimate Dinosaur Island Theme Park. The game challenges players to collect and research dinosaur DNA to resurrect prehistoric species.

Players vie to create the most exciting park each season while ensuring they attract and safeguard visitors. Opting for Velociraptors might draw crowds, but they demand secure enclosures and ample security to prevent deadly breakouts. While herbivores are safer, they might not make your park the top attraction. WIth it’s low entry age this becomes a good example of a kid-oriented board games for one player.

Cascadia

Cascadia tasks players with crafting a harmonious ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest. It combines different game mechanics into a great family game. It is important to piece together the largest possible land areas of the same species and also to settle certain animals. The animals must be arranged in certain formations. While buzzards circle alone, salmon feel most comfortable in a chain.

What we particularly like about Cascadia is that it is equally suitable for beginners and advanced users. With the “easy score” children can also play along without any problems.

Nemesis

Nemesis is a semi-cooperative Sci-Fi horror board game for 1-5 players designed by Adam Kwapiński and produced by Awaken Realms and Rebel. Nemesis thrusts players into the chilling corridors of an infested spaceship.

Alone in the void of space, you must navigate the ship, manage resources, and fend off lurking alien threats. Each game presents objectives that shift and evolve, demanding adaptive strategy. Trust nothing, as the alien menace is relentless and unpredictable.

With deep mechanics, atmospheric components, and games lasting around 90-150 minutes, Nemesis stands tall among the best solo player board games for those seeking a heart-pounding experience. By the way, if you’re a fan of horror game, you must also check our article on the best horror games to play with friends.

Arkham Horror: The Card Game

Arkham Horror is a solo or cooperative board game inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, set in the 1920s city of Arkham. The players become investigators confronting eldritch horrors and unraveling dark mysteries. Designed for one to two players, it can also accommodate four players in pairs.

At the start, players choose from sixteen investigator cards, each with unique abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Success hinges on upgrading the investigator through acquiring skills, allies, items, and more.

Too Many Bones 

Too Many Bones is a strategic dice-building adventure and a gem among board games you can play by yourself. As a solo player, you play so-called Gearlocs, who explore the world in various scenarios and repeatedly face tactical skirmish battles. A special feature is the extensive abilities of the Gearlocs. Everyone has their own skills that are gradually developed and unlocked. In addition, the production is extremely high quality. With game durations varying from 1-2 hours, Too Many Bones delivers a fulfilling and intricate single-player board game escapade.

Pandemic

Pandemic is a cooperative board game where players team up to halt the outbreak of four lethal diseases worldwide. The game thrusts players into a world grappling with outbreaks of deadly diseases. Players strategize to manage resources and collaborate on actions to discover cures before time runs out. The game board, representing a global map, becomes a battleground where strategy meets urgency. With its ever-changing scenarios and challenge levels, each game, lasting around 45 minutes, feels like a race against time.

Robinson Crusoe: Adventures On The Cursed Island

Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island is a board game by Ignacy Trzewiczek. The game is perfectly suited for both cooperative team play and solo adventures. Players find themselves stranded on a remote island, battling unpredictable weather and dwindling resources. Suitable for one to four players aged 14 and up, each game spans 60 to 120 minutes, thrusting players into a gripping quest for survival.

As you step into the shoes of a shipwrecked soul, your mission is clear: construct a refuge, stave off lurking threats, and stay alive. Choose among seven richly crafted scenarios, immersing yourself in a narrative that remains captivating regardless of the path you select. And with four distinct roles— soldier, explorer, carpenter, and cook—strategic gameplay is redefined with each choice.

This War Of Mine: The Board Game 

This War of Mine is a cooperative board game inspired by the renowned video game of the same name. Here, players collaboratively guide a group of civilians navigating the perils of a city ravaged by war.

Structured around a distinctive day/night cycle, the game has you tending to your shelter by day and venturing out for crucial supplies under the cover of darkness.

Whether you’re collecting medicine to fend off illness or food to stave off hunger, your primary aim remains – survival. Offering a gameplay duration of 45 to 120 minutes, it’s recommended for mature players aged 18 and up.

Tiny Epic Dungeons 

In the world of dungeon crawlers, Tiny Epic Dungeons shines as one of the premier single-player board games. It is a cooperative game for 1-4 players, set in the mystical Aughmoore. Players guide Heroes through a dangerous dungeon to confront a formidable Dungeon Boss.

Gameplay consists of two acts: navigating the dungeon and battling the Dungeon Boss. The ever-diminishing torchlight adds to the challenge. To defeat the Boss, players must use Ritual Rooms to weaken its magical bond.

Each game provides a distinct dungeon layout, ensuring varied challenges and surprises. A typical adventure lasts 30-50 minutes, making Tiny Epic Dungeons a perfect pick for those searching for fast-paced, thrilling experiences.

Scythe

Scythe is set in an alternate-history 1920s Europe where five countries want to take control of Eastern Europe. Scythe stands tall with its rich strategy and intricate design. Players take on the role of a fallen leader aiming to restore their faction to prominence. Players navigate a beautifully illustrated board to achieve various objectives through resource management, area control, and combat. The game’s automated system offers a challenging AI opponent, ensuring a gripping solo experience.

Dune: Imperium 

Dune: Imperium is a deck-building and worker-placement board game. Each player has her own faction with special abilities that dictate the style of play a bit. At least it is worth using your own advantages.

As usual in a deck-building game, you improve your deck over the course of a game with better cards, but you mustn’t clog it up either, and in the end, it’s worth buying victory point cards. The first player to reach 10 victory points wins, but the game lasts a maximum of 10 rounds.

During these rounds, you gain influence with 4 different factions, which offer you victory points and bonuses. In addition, the resources Solari (money), water, and spice are important for buying new cards, being able to use powerful actions, and winning conflicts.

Mage Knight

Mage Knight stands as a monumental achievement among top solo board games. It offers an epic blend of role-playing, deck-building, and exploration. As a Mage Knight, there are three choices: you can become a benevolent leader, a brutal dictator, or try to walk the fine line in between. To do this, it is important to influence your own reputation, gain fame and experience and thus acquire powerful spells and abilities. Then more units can be added to their own ranks. Mage Knight offers a variety of campaigns and allows players to play both with and against each other.

Aeon’s End

Aeon’s End sets itself as one of the best games for those who love deck-building and fantasy. The game takes place in an apocalyptic world immersing players in a gripping battle for survival. The visuals and storytelling make it all the more intense creating a sense of urgency and tension.

The core mechanic of Aeons End is its deck-building system, which distinguishes it from games in the genre. It introduces unique mechanisms like a fluctuating turn order reflecting the unpredictability of battles and a strategic discard system. Players collaboratively defend Gravehold from adversaries called The Nameless, using distinctive abilities, potent spells, and shared strategy. For those seeking a challenging experience Aeons End delivers on that front as well.

Parks

Parks is beautiful. Be sure to check it out! The packaging is high quality, the game components are perfectly organized, and the illustrations are stunning.

In parks, you visit national parks in the USA. You collect impressions and photos that earn you points in the end. In terms of complexity, we place the game somewhere between a family game and a connoisseur game. If you play as a lone wolf, additional rangers and events come into play, which messes up the otherwise linear gameplay a bit.

With a playtime of 30-70 minutes, Parks offers a refreshing, contemplative journey for every solo board game fan.

Spirit Island 

In a twist on the classic colonization theme, Spirit Island emerges as a powerhouse in the best single player board games category. In Spirit Island, team up as mighty spirits to protect your home from incoming settlers!

Each player wields special elemental powers to guide the island’s natives and fend off the invaders. The solo mode provides an intricate dance of strategy and adaptation, challenging players in every playthrough. Whether you play solo or with friends, the game always feels fresh, thanks to varied spirit choices and customizable challenge levels.

Gloomhaven 

Gloomhaven is a behemoth in the world of board gaming and unquestionably ranks among the best board games to play solo. It is a captivating game blending “choose your own adventure” elements with Euro-inspired tactical combat. Suitable for one to four players, it thrusts adventurers into the enigmatic world of Gloomhaven.

Each turn involves selecting two cards; their powers and sequence dictate strategies and initiative. With its evolving world, the game remains fresh during multiple plays. Team up or venture solo, but remember: strategic acumen is paramount to conquer challenges and emerge victorious.

Newton

In Newton, players journey through the transformative 17th century, a time illuminated by luminaries like Galileo and Newton himself. Players embody budding scientists, navigating Europe’s intellectual hubs, delving into research, and forging tools, all while balancing economic pursuits. Spanning six rounds, players strategically deploy five action cards from their hand, each eliciting varied board effects. As rounds conclude, players must forsake one card, limiting that action but intensifying its impact.

With a myriad of success pathways embedded within its expansive board, and a delightful blend of challenges, from point-to-point navigation and tile positioning to deck-building and astute hand management, Newton is an enthralling odyssey of solo strategy and discovery.

Terraforming Mars 

In Terraforming Mars, you have to colonize Mars. To do this, players must develop technologies to increase the oxygen content of the air, increase the temperature and ensure that there are enough oceans on Mars. Terraforming Mars does come with a nice game board, but it’s basically a solo card game. We draw cards and try to pay the necessary costs and, if necessary, meet the requirements. But then we benefit from it.

The 7th Continent

The 7th Continent tops the charts of best solo board games of all time. It whisks players off to an enigmatic land reminiscent of early 20th-century exploration tales. The game consists exclusively of square cards, from which the eponymous continent is gradually created. And as a player, you are there alone or cooperatively with up to 3 other players. There are tasks to be completed and battles to be fought. It is an adventure game in the truest sense of the word. The mechanics themselves are kept very simple so that you can get used to them quickly.

Each session can range from a few minutes to several hours and offers fresh challenges and discoveries. An immersive narrative and intricate mechanics make The 7th Continent an unparalleled solo gaming odyssey.

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Look, we love board games at GameTree. Nothing beats an evening spent around a table with a good board game on it, whether you are alone or in a group. If you are looking for people to expand your party with, or with whom to share stories of your solo adventures, then GameTree is here to help. Discover like-minded gamers, discuss strategies, or plan game nights effortlessly. Don’t explore the vast world of board gaming solo, let GameTree.Me be your compass. Download now and elevate your gaming circle!

Final Thoughts

Embracing solitude and diving into a solo board game can be a therapeutic and enlightening experience. While the social aspects of group games have their charm, there’s a unique pleasure in navigating a game’s world by yourself. It offers a moment of introspection, strategy, and personal challenge. The games listed above provide a diverse palette of adventures, each crafted to deliver a captivating solo experience. However, if you are looking for something easier that you can start playing right away, we have an article about some fun card games to play by yourself.

So, fellow board game aficionados, which of these games have you ventured into? Which tales of triumph or woe do you have from your solo quests? We’re eager to hear about your solo gaming journeys. Drop your stories, recommendations, or even tips for fellow solo gamers in the comments below. Let’s celebrate the joy of solo gaming together!