My Top 7 (or 10) Solo Dungeon Crawler, Sci-fi and Fantasy Adventure Games | A List of Thematic Games

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  • Опубліковано 25 чер 2024
  • Always Board Never Boring thought he would turn the spotlight on some great solo board games that offer a great experience for anyone who might not be able to get together with their gaming group for a while. There are seven titles in the list, plus three honourable mentions... so... there's 10 titles in the list. If you don't want to know spoilers, don't look at the following time stamps:
    00:00 Intro
    01:00 Selection rules
    02:50 Shadows of Brimstone
    04:18 Castle Ravenloft
    05:35 Blackstone Fortress
    07:37 Aliens
    09:03 Legends of Andor
    10:46 Horrified
    11:48 Dark Souls
    12:52 Honourable mentions
    #sologames #soloboardgames #boardgames
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 142

  • @SouthernWolf
    @SouthernWolf 6 місяців тому +5

    I just picked up No Respite for Blackstone Fortress, the last expansion I needed to complete my collection. It was stupidly expensive, but I'm still looking forward to finally playing it. And I agree, I think Blackstone Fortress is easy to manage all 4 characters once you know the rules well. Have a merry Christmas!

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      Oh well done. No Respite was available for such a short period of time, and I think it got overlooked a bit because of the recycled miniatures; but it's a really solid addition to the game. I hope you really enjoy it.

  • @marcolai9735
    @marcolai9735 6 місяців тому

    Such an amazing intro to this video... I wish you a lovely holiday period

  • @Ben_Mdws
    @Ben_Mdws 6 місяців тому +1

    Superb - I’m going to bookmark this one!

  • @davidjacovelli5986
    @davidjacovelli5986 6 місяців тому

    Great stuff, loved this video. Have a terrific Christmas, you and yours.

  • @BrewsGamesRides
    @BrewsGamesRides 6 місяців тому +1

    Happy Holidays and Cheers from Southern California. I enjoy Shadows of Brimstone solo, have most of the collection and it's fun. Going to check out some of your other choices but I also really enjoy 5 Parsecs from Home and 5 Leagues from the Borderlands. What's great about the Brimstone mini's is they are useful in other solo/skirmish games out there as bosses and another favorite of mine is Core Space (mini's are great in any sci fi setting as crew members). Happy Holidays, I've enjoyed your content for several years now. 🍻

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      Thank you so much for supporting the channel, and happy holidays to you too! I have toyed with the idea of picking up 5 Parsecs. I have plenty of sci-fi miniatures and terrain I could use with it.

  • @Oluabayo
    @Oluabayo 6 місяців тому +10

    Core Space has some of the best AI mechanics in my opinion. The AI can control the enemies, workers, scavengers, police, bounty hunters, all sorts:)

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      Core Space is still a game I haven't had a chance to play yet, but would like to at some point. I hear that the original core set is still the better one to get of the two. What are your thoughts?

    • @Drizzi88
      @Drizzi88 6 місяців тому

      I second this. i've played solo and with a friend before. i've got every release expansion released to my country, but hadnt had much of a chance to really grind it out. but the core set is extremely fun and i am happy i didnt get star-saga first. :) If you're refering to firstborn - yes. in my opinion it's better suited for solo play. Core Space itself has a great campaign Setting without the need of notorious bookkeeping. Firstborn seems a bit more like an skirmisher? Also - the timer in corespace is a lot like the timer in andor, but without the "game over" looming over your head. luming? looming? nvm.
      If you have the funds i'd recommend both, but if you want to play just the core game - core space is your choice. with all the expansion packs you'll rack up a lot of gaming time and the battle-systems terrain is beautiful.@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

    • @Oluabayo
      @Oluabayo 6 місяців тому

      @@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring The first one is the best for me as I like the setting and the idea of being chased around by robots:) I think it plays better to.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      That seems to be the general consensus. Thanks for your opinions.

  • @nickgraney2119
    @nickgraney2119 6 місяців тому

    Great selection, most i would have placed a bet on seeing them appear in your 7 (or 10), others like Shadows were nice to see make it up there.
    Look forward to hearing what joins your gaming shelves in the next week. All the best to you and yours Kevin, hope the kids have a fab Christmas 🎄

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      Shadows of Brimstone was one of the closer calls on the list, because I do have more fun with it as a group game, and it does have that potential to get quite busy later on. However, it really is such a simple game at its core, and it always makes fun stories. That, combined with the effort they went to adding true scaling for solo players, meant I had to include it.
      Thanks so much for watching, and I wish you all the best for the festive season.

  • @jameswhitehouse5706
    @jameswhitehouse5706 6 місяців тому

    Nice video. I saw Runebound in your shelf and I think that’s one with good solo potential

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      Runebound is great and I do play it solo, but I don't have the expansion that makes it a true solo game. When it comes to combat, I just flip the tokens for the monsters and make the best choices I can for them.

  • @goodjessehobbies
    @goodjessehobbies 6 місяців тому +2

    My friend, you have done it again. It is difficult for me to express the sense of glee I feel when I hear somebody chatting lovingly about something that I have such a love for yet have very few people I can share that experience with, and that is solo board gaming. I do a lot.
    First off, just the theme of this video had me shouting out with glee, appropriate parallel to Rudolph I realize. I just recently finally got a close friend to take real interest in solo gaming and now I can send them this video.
    Next, your experience with Jaws of the Lion parallels mine as well. I really did not like it as a solo game and am still struggling to give it away. It just doesn't work in my opinion.
    THEN, you say you just got into Shadows of Brimstone. I have spent a ton of the last month doing a deep dive on SoB and just finally ordered it for my birthday (In the HeroQuest tradition) and it arrives in a few days.
    You have had an uncanny sync with my taste in games and it's just been a real delight, so I want to thank you yet again for this channel and for taking the time to share your experience with us.
    Now back to the video... I will likely run back over here again during making breakfast as I just did.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      Thanks so much. I will have a lot more to say about Jaws of the Lion and Shadows of Brimstone in the new year!
      I know there are definitely a few games on this list that you like.

  • @zombiedad
    @zombiedad 6 місяців тому

    Nice! Thanks ABNB.

  • @thehighlandhobbyist
    @thehighlandhobbyist 6 місяців тому +2

    Love Dark Souls for the exact same reasons as you! My fav solo game!

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +2

      I love the puzzle that each new room presents, and trying to make the most efficient moves to clear it.

  • @joevespaziani
    @joevespaziani 6 місяців тому

    Thank you for this! And thanks to folks in the comments giving suggestions. Much appreciated 🙏

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      Thanks for watching. There are some great suggestions in the comments, including a few I would like to show on the channel.

  • @mcashed
    @mcashed 6 місяців тому

    Great picks! Blackstone Fortress is available at the Warhammer online shop as well as in many a gaming store. Some still carry expansions, as well. At least here in the EU:)

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      Yes, the base game is still available, but it's leftover from the last print run and there won't be more. I don't think I was very clear in the video when I said it was out of production. I meant they won't be making more and support is done. I am surprised you still have expansions kicking around though. They are highly sought after!

  • @carlwoods4564
    @carlwoods4564 6 місяців тому

    Great list. Thanks.

  • @JevousGaming
    @JevousGaming 6 місяців тому +1

    Love these picks. Andor doesn’t get enough mention as a good solo game for obvious reasons. But as you said, it’s really a puzzle and controlling 4 characters is extremely easy.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +2

      Andor is a lovely puzzle to while away a quiet afternoon on. It's great.

  • @walt776
    @walt776 6 місяців тому

    Suggestions from me: Arkeis, a dungeon crawler with a pulp/steampunk Egyptian theme. A campaign game with story elements but very simple mechanisms that lets you easily revisit it after setting it aside for a while.
    Saurian: Basically Jurassic Park with the IP scratched off. You are trying to get a bunch of survivors out of a dinosaur theme park while completing objectives and avoiding dinosaurs and a volcano. if you like dinosaurs, there is also a game called Escape from 100 Million B.C., where your Time Machine has crashed in the Jurassic and you are gathering parts to fix it while rescuing famous figures from history. The components for this game are not great, and it is on the long side, but I enjoy it.
    The Castle Ravenloft line of D&D games are hard to get hold of these days expect for secondhand copies. I was able to get Tomb of Annihilation, which I enjoy mainly because I find the jungle theme interesting. I was able to play four characters solo with no problem.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      The D&D games used to be very easy to get and incredibly cheap for the content. It's a shame they are getting harder to hunt down. I don't recall ever hearing about Saurian before so I might go and take a look at that.

  • @cgs7226
    @cgs7226 6 місяців тому

    Salutations and happy Holidays! Excellent list. I do have a few questions if you don’t mind answering if you have the chance: 1) Funny you should mention not having Heroquest on your list as that is related to my question. I was thinking about purchasing a copy of the game but with Hasbro in financial troubles I am wondering if it’s worth it for me getting it now? I will be playing it solo however not using the app but rather a deck of cards called Axianquest(I’ve heard very good things about it). 2) Have you heard of any rumors regarding a remake of Lost Patrol? Cheers!

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      Hasbro is slashing jobs like nobody's business at the moment, and Avalon Hill (the subsidiary responsible for HeroQuest) have been impacted by that. However, I think HeroQuest is pretty safe. It's been doing incredibly well, and they had a road map of new content for 2024 and I believe even if they decided to pull the plug on the system right now, all that content would still come out due to the lead times involved in production. Even if nothing else was ever made for the game, at this very moment you already have a core set, seven quest expansions, and two character packs to play through, which is a ridiculous amount of gameplay.
      At this point, Lost Patrol has been remade once and used as a foundation for two other games. The remake was back in 2016, but it was fouled up because they replaced the enemy tokens with miniatures which lead to some serious issues with gameplay. Since then the core gameplay has been adapted for Crypt Hunters and then again for Doomsday Countdown. In the case of the reskins there were quite a few rules changes, but the heart of the game was still tucked away inside, so there's every chance Games Workshop will use the system again, either for another game or for a more direct reprint of the original Lost Patrol.

  • @nickellingham1764
    @nickellingham1764 4 місяці тому

    Solo games have mass appeal to me! I played Space Hulk on Xmas day solo - and loved it.......I never knew the Alian board game existed.
    Ive still not attempted my AHQ solo yet but will do one ive had time to get to grips with the rules. My Oldhammer Skaven collection has grown slightly. Would love to see how your colletion is getting on.
    I take it AHQ solo play isn't too great as iys not on the list - or even an honourable mention?
    These are the only 2 solo games I know so very informative video - Thanks!

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  4 місяці тому

      I absolutely love Advanced Heroquest solo. I discounted it from the top 10 for a couple of reasons. Firstly, although it includes solo rules, they are not fully fleshed out, and the real intent is to play the game with a dungeonmaster. Although I love it, I think it takes a certain mindset, and the desire to "make it work" by thinking outside the box, compartmentalising your brain, and doing as much as possible to ruin the heroes. The other main reason is I always end up talking about the same games - HeroQuest, Space Crusade, Advanced Heroquest - and as much as I love them all, it's nice to shine a light on some other titles sometimes.
      My vintage collection grows very slowly - probably less than one mini a month - but there is a video on the way where I will be showing my latest batch.

    • @nickellingham1764
      @nickellingham1764 4 місяці тому

      I look forward to it! Greater Daemon of Tzeentch is one particular model Id love to find. Was fairly common to see back in the day. Im dedicating about a 10er per month to my project.
      jugsjapansunitedgamingsociety is a small but very cool channel I found dedicated to AHQ. You probably know it? @@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring

  • @cgs7226
    @cgs7226 6 місяців тому

    Thanks!

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      Thank you so much for the generous contribution. I really appreciate the support.

  • @ctorus
    @ctorus 6 місяців тому

    Castle Ravelnloft and the other D&D games my definite favourite. Couple of other scifi options: Gears of War and Terminator: Genysys are excellent fast-paced and easy to play games.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      I used to have Gears of War but I got rid of it because I just never played it, and because I had never played the video games I always felt I wasn't quite in the loop enough to understand a lot of the flavour text for the missions. Terminator Genisys looked good. I wonder if it suffered by association with the film.

  • @jayandreas1131
    @jayandreas1131 6 місяців тому

    1:20 GREAT hair on that mini 😍

  • @rudyjansen4242
    @rudyjansen4242 6 місяців тому

    Great list, wonder what you think of Warhammer quest Lost relics (a B&N exclusive bookshelf game, solo to 4 pl) If you ever going to play it. Love to see you do a review of that one. Cheers.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      I downloaded and read the Lost Relics rules to see whether I thought it would be worth jumping through hoops and paying international shipping fees and import duties. I decided I couldn't justify the cost for what the game was doing.

    • @rudyjansen4242
      @rudyjansen4242 6 місяців тому

      @@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring I did and no regret.

  • @Modge17
    @Modge17 6 місяців тому +1

    I know Space Marine Adventures got a special mention but SMA Doomsday Countdown is really good fun solo!

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      Unfortunately I never got a chance to pick it up. I would have liked it to add to the other SMA games I have.

  • @ObsidianKnight90
    @ObsidianKnight90 18 днів тому

    If you like Dark Souls the Board Game I think you'd really enjoy Dark Souls the Card Game. It has that push-your-luck combat with a huge variety of enemies, items, and bosses when you combine both expansions into the core box. The game's also much cheaper and much more compact thanks to being entirely card-based with a few tokens and no miniatures. The combat also uses no dice or output randomness, with randomness instead coming from which cards you draw from your deck and which enemies you'll face, plus every boss having its own unique behavior deck that changes what kinds of damage it's vulnerable to each round. In fact, most enemies have armor that reduces all damage they take except from one particular type of damage (with 4 types in the game), so part of building a good party composition is having a variety of types of attacks to bypass enemy armor.
    I use a pretty simple homebrew with Dark Souls the Card Game that enhances the game even further, with cardplay that's a mix of Gloomhaven's discard and burn systems and Slay the Spire's energy pool. It requires zero extra components, just what's already in the box, but really enhances the impact of getting new, better equipment while keeping the game's high difficulty.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  18 днів тому +1

      It's definitely on my list of games I would like to try. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it.

  • @Sammo212
    @Sammo212 6 місяців тому

    I love Horrified. Such a great game. Have you looked into mini agnostic games like Rangers of Shadow Deep? I'd also suggest Mansions of Madness or Lord of the Rings: journeys in middle-earth. I know you said you weren't crazy about apps but I think you'd dig them.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      I talk about Rangers of Shadow Deep in this video. I had the first edition of Mansions of Madness and don’t have any interest in app-driven games.

  • @christophergough5366
    @christophergough5366 Місяць тому

    I’d recommend trying Raptor Claw Island by the Drowned Earth. It’s a “jungle crawler” and I am enjoying it so much I’ve replaced the poster map with homemade board and all the standees with miniatures.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  Місяць тому

      Dinosaurs were my thing growing up, so I do have a soft spot for them. I have glanced at Raptor Claw Island but will need to take a closer look. I thought it was more of a skirmish game than a crawler!

    • @christophergough5366
      @christophergough5366 Місяць тому

      @@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring it is definitely strongly influenced by its parent skirmish game and uses many of the same mechanics but it is a fully cooperative game with enemies controlled by their unique AI decks. It consists solely of a scenario based campaign that tells a story of pirates, treasure and dinosaurs, has multiple different endings, includes levelling and equipment for the heroes and, although I’m only two scenarios in, I’m thoroughly enjoying it. It’s not cheap at £55 but it is packed full of stuff.

  • @harveydents
    @harveydents 6 місяців тому

    dungeonquest is such a brutal game but fun! Very hard too! I would LOVE to see an Expansion for HORRIFIED using the HAMMER FILMS Characters and graphics and miniatures!

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      DungeonQuest is such amazing fun. Horrified with a Hammer theme would be fun, but they would have to do something different mechanically with the monsters as there would be a lot of crossover. I would appreciate the reskin for the art, though!

  • @the250mikec
    @the250mikec 4 місяці тому

    Cool👍

  • @johnmiddleton4291
    @johnmiddleton4291 6 місяців тому +2

    Best solo game is Space Hulk 1st ed.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      I do like Space Hulk solo. I did rule it out based on my selection criteria though. Even if I hadn't, I don't think it would have made the cut.

  • @nick_hansolo
    @nick_hansolo 6 місяців тому

    Would have been good to include a brief synopsis of the games. Like the Brimstone one looks cool - and is maybe Wild West meets eldritch horror maybe? Based on artwork filmed. Otherwise great vid as always

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      Most of the games in this list have been discussed on the channel extensively. Shadows of Brimstone is relatively new to my collection, but has already popped up several times in other conversations and there will be more about it on the channel in the new year. Wild West meets eldritch horror is only the tip of it really - it's a game about portals to other realms, and depending on which core set you start from, you could be playing as cowboys, samurai, conquistadors, or vikings. I only have one of the original Wild West sets at the moment.

    • @nick_hansolo
      @nick_hansolo 6 місяців тому

      I’m going to check it out! Thanks for the suggestion

  • @Siygess
    @Siygess 6 місяців тому

    I find that the 2016 Buffy game from Jasco to be one I frequently find myself playing solo. You can play a single character and the difficulty scales reasonably well, with bad stuff happening each time a character uses all their actions; thus with more characters on the board, there is more bad stuff to deal with.
    Another one that sort of straddles the line between board game and miniatures game that I often play solo is Star Trek Alliance : Dominion War. The core box includes everything you need to play and the designers get a lot of mileage out of the limited number of components in the box (though that only becomes apparent when you buy parts 2 and 3 of the campaign). The only downside is that this game is from Wizkids. When it comes to distribution, these guys couldn't organise a **** up in a brewery so it can be a pain to get a copy, even though it is technically an in-print game.

  • @SlabBulkhead
    @SlabBulkhead 6 місяців тому

    Mage Knight Board Game (they couldn't fit a "the" in there?) is my favorite solo game, especially with the Lost Legion expansion. It's definitely more toward the puzzly/resource management end of the spectrum than the dice chucker end. Nothing like romping around the countryside, raiding dungeons, torching monasteries, and hiring powerful underlings to help you sack cities or defeat General Volkare. Great card-driven adventure game.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      Mage Knight is another game I really enjoy, and I have the Lost Legion expansion. I actually put it number 11 on my list of top games ever, but I have only ever played it solo. I left it off the list here because in recent years I have found myself less inclined to get it to the table because it is such a deep puzzle that requires so much effort and concentration. Additionally, I wanted to keep this list a little lighter. It's another really good choice, though!

  • @steelman774
    @steelman774 5 місяців тому

    Horrified is great! I wan to get the Greek monsters next, but one missed mention is Alien:Fate or the Nostromo. It is published by Ravensburger (also), with a selection of crew with and individual power to with one or two villains (the Xenomorph with a randomizable end game requirement and the android that’s similar to the InvisibleMan from the Universal Monsters) trying to get the players while they collect items on the board to cash in for things to beat the villain with. It’s basically Horrified in the setting of the first Alien movie.
    If you like Alien and you like Horrified, this is a home run.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  5 місяців тому

      Hi. I have Fate of the Nostromo, and you can find my review and playthroughs on the channel. In my top 50 games list I positioned it at number 33. The reason it didn't make it onto this list is simply because it's very similar to Horrified in a lot of ways and Horrified was already on the list, so I wanted to offer up suggestions for different solo experiences.

  • @ralfbrechtel8803
    @ralfbrechtel8803 4 місяці тому

    I know it is not really a dungeon crawler. But my favorite is CHAINSAW WARRIOR. If you know movies like "The Raid" or "Dredd" you got the feeling. You are a warrior, who fights his way through a building full of monsters and traps. And that against the clock.
    I revised the rules from 1987 and made a coop modus. Be warned ! This game is brutal, merciless and nearly unwinable....but fun, fun fun..........

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  4 місяці тому

      Chainsaw Warrior is another great GW title. I still don't have a copy in my own collection, but one day I will get one so I can sit it next to DungeonQuest and Curse of the Mummy's Tomb.

  • @thedalewardens9106
    @thedalewardens9106 5 місяців тому

    Hey old man! Have you tried the fan made hex crawl supplement for Brimstone? If puts the game over the top for me.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  5 місяців тому

      I only have one core box of the game at the moment, and I don't ever use fan made content so it's not that likely I will ever try it.

    • @thedalewardens9106
      @thedalewardens9106 5 місяців тому

      ​@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoringI am going to make my case:
      The Hex Crawl adds a Legacy element to the game. Ex: We failed a mission and a town got consumed by a deluge of evil. There are traveling outdoor encounters.
      There are a lot of new adventure hooks In the supplement. It really adds to the verisimilitude of the game.
      My friend had the fan made content printed out and perfect bound. I could not tell that the books were fan made....it's not just some black and white Pdfs with charts.
      For me it passes the look test as well as the game play test. After playing Hex Crawl Brimstone I would not want to go back to core box.

  • @elijahherstal776
    @elijahherstal776 6 місяців тому

    I have always loved Blackstone Fortress- to a point where now I've got a "Bring your own Miniature" rule for people to encourage kitbashes/creative modeling- and I'll either let them proxy the model or use some of the blank cards to make them a character.
    I've got an aversion towards 'cardboard miniatures', simply because they're not as fun to a manchild like me, and plus- I like to have a lot of things to paint.
    Got a recommendation for you: Nemesis. It's a lot of fun, and you can play it co-op or "Co-Op" (think 'Alien' where people have their own hidden agenda). And the miniatures aren't bad at all.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      I've been recommended Nemesis a number of times. For some reason, it just hasn't appealed to me when I've read reviews and watched playthroughs. Maybe part of the reason is I have a bunch of official Alien/Aliens games in my collection already so it hasn't fired me up. Maybe I will get a chance to demo it one day.

    • @elijahherstal776
      @elijahherstal776 6 місяців тому +1

      @@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring the first time you get your "friend" to go into a room to activate a computer and then throw a thermite charge in there and lock the door on him, you'll see the appeal.

  • @jandukanocraft6897
    @jandukanocraft6897 6 місяців тому +1

    ROSD is a masterpiece. I agree with you. It is a great game for crafters but not so much for normal people, who just want to play a game in a box.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      Rangers is great, but even with loads of terrain and miniatures it always used to throw something at me that I didn't have!

    • @jandukanocraft6897
      @jandukanocraft6897 6 місяців тому

      @@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring true. You have to compromise or be happy to be crafting forever! My only “complain” about ROSD and Frostgrave is that it needs too much specific terrain and too many different enemies and in large quantities.

  • @goodjessehobbies
    @goodjessehobbies 6 місяців тому

    Itching for more fellow Solo Players? I feel that Kevin and I have extremely similar tastes so here is a list of additional games I'd recommend looking into if you simply can't get enough.
    Assassinorum Execution Force (thanks Kevin, Games Workshop.), Resident Evil 2 or 3 (Steamforged Games, 3 is waaay cheaper. 2 is better but so many parts are illusive.), Mini Rogue (Nuts!), Tin Helm (Jason Glover games), Space Hulk Death Angel (GW), Warhammer Quest adventure card game (Fantasy Flight), Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition (Fantasy Flight), Mice and Mystics (Plaid Hat), Warhammer Quest 1995 (GW, Lifestyle Game, huge investment required).
    Oh, and Dark Darker Darkest! Which can be found brand new for as low as $15.
    Enjoy!

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      Assassinorum is a great game, and another one that I think works really well solo. I keep meaning to do a playthrough of it. Unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy the Warhammer Quest card game. I thought it was very clever, but it left my collection pretty quickly as I just couldn't connect with it.
      I used to have the first edition of Mansions of Madness, but eventually got rid of it, and Space Hulk Death Angel I enjoyed. Other than Warhammer Quest, the rest I haven't tried, although Resident Evil has been on my "maybe" list for a while.

  • @mikkexh
    @mikkexh 5 місяців тому

    Thanks! What happend to Fireteam Zero? 😊

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  5 місяців тому +1

      Nothing happened to it. It sits on my shelf. I struggle to get it to the table these days, but it's still a great game. It didn't make it into the list on the grounds that I don't like it as a solo game. Controlling multiple characters with their own decks of cards that interact with each other in every character's turn meant it failed one of the selection criteria I discussed at the start of the video.

    • @mikkexh
      @mikkexh 5 місяців тому

      @@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Thanks! I was only asking since it was prominent on the thumbnail. 😀
      I would love to play Blackstone Fortress. Unfortunate it is so difficult to get a hold of the expansions.

  • @danielbuday1895
    @danielbuday1895 28 днів тому

    What is he game to the left of Camel Up? The art is fantastic.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  27 днів тому

      That is Fireteam Zero. I really great game about a military team fighting Eldritch horrors.

    • @danielbuday1895
      @danielbuday1895 27 днів тому

      I’ll have to check it out. I like that theme.

  • @the1stoldman
    @the1stoldman 5 місяців тому

    While I love SoB and have nearly everything for it, I have so much stuff that can be a bother of a bother to pull stuff out for a sole game. I also have cthulhu death may die, I suggest you also have a look at it a very good solo game that is also very contained

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  5 місяців тому

      My biggest complaint with Shadows is that it's such a big game. There are so many decks of cards, so many tokens and miniatures and reference sheets. It doesn't take long for it to become quite unwieldy.
      Thanks for the suggestion. I followed Death May Day through the Kickstarter and have watched quite a few playthroughs, and it doesn't appeal to me at all.

    • @the1stoldman
      @the1stoldman 5 місяців тому

      @@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring oh yes SoB doesn't leave my house, when a game is to big to transport there may be a problem, but still I love it.
      No problems about not liking cthulhu death may die, we all have things we do and don't like, I am the same about Gloomhaven, I just see it as an inferior SoB

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  5 місяців тому

      I wouldn’t say no to a game if I ever got the chance at some point - there have been games that I was not enthusiastic about which I liked a lot more when I played them myself - but it isn’t something I’ve been tempted to buy into.

  • @tiredguy2753
    @tiredguy2753 6 місяців тому

    For dark souls will you be getting the new sunless city starter set ?

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      No. I have the Painted World of Ariamis, but because I have the original core set, the character expansion, and the explorers expansion, the Sunless City doesn't really have enough value in it. All I would need is the deck of campaign cards, which I could download and print if I need to.

    • @tiredguy2753
      @tiredguy2753 6 місяців тому

      @@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring would you say the r sunless city is a good starting point for someone wanting to jump into DS for the first time or should one go with painted world / tomb of giants instead ?

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +2

      It's tricky really. I have said before (and I still maintain) that the original core set is still the best way to get into the game. It really is the best value, giving you four heroes, and a good variety of enemies, mini-bosses, and bosses. The old core set is also compatible with all content up to the release of the three new core sets. The biggest downside is you aren't getting any of the new campaign content, and you are losing compatibility with any new content. However, you can download the revised rules and the campaign cards for Sunless City.
      If you go for one of the three new starter sets, you are getting a smaller range of enemies and only three playable characters in each box, but you are getting the revised content with the new campaign system. If you go for one of those, they are all pretty much the same format and offer the same kind of introduction to the game, so your decision comes down to which setting (which enemies) you prefer the most.

    • @tiredguy2753
      @tiredguy2753 6 місяців тому

      @@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Interesting, that being said I think I will go for the Sunless city as that appears to be SFG newest "jumping off point" for someone looking to get started with the DS board game.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      Sunless City is the newest core set, but it's pretty much the same format as Ariamis and Tomb of Giants. Sunless City reuses content from the original core system so it feels closer to that set and they may have had a chance to fold in any feedback from players who picked up the other cores sets. Double check the characters in each set as well to see if they are the ones you are most interested in playing.

  • @jasonnewell7036
    @jasonnewell7036 6 місяців тому

    My fav solo games... hmmmm....
    If I'm in the mood for something chunky, I'll play Townsfolk Tussle. It's a boss battler in the same vein as Kingdom Death Monster, but more charming and less arbitrarily cruel. Nothing like old timey cartoon style characters being unreasonably violent to one another. What other games are there when an enemy tries to bite you, but you end up biting them back with your deceased husband's dentures?
    I also fully endorse Final Girl. Being a completely solo game in the first place means it is an easy choice, but the 1980's home video horror aesthetic is great, and it is a real brain-burner of a game. Managing dice, cards, energy and resources, all while the killer getting stronger and stronger. It's a good, tense experience.
    But, my fabourite game to play solo is Tiny Epic Zombies. Of all the Tiny Epic games, it is still my favourite. It is the best zombie survival game out there, in my opinion. Not a zombie brawler like the numerous Zombicides, but a cunning puzzle to solve. There are multiple combinations of goals to achieve, while the zombies are getting more numerous and whittling down youelr defences. On top of this, you are running out of time until the deck runs out and you get overwhelmed. Plus, all the weapons you find can be held by the meeples you use to represent your characters. Combat is simple, with melee being dangerous but with the chance of extra attacks against zombies, while range is safe but uses valuable resources. Each character available has a zombie side which gives a unique power to the zombies, and every survivor that dies gives the zombies another power. It really balances well between tension and fun, and I highly recommend it.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      All games I haven't tried. I thought Final Girl looked interesting, but I had my eye on Don't Look Back for a solo game in that theme. Maybe next year I will get around to picking it up. I used to have Kingdom Death Monster but that left my collection last year sometime.

    • @jasonnewell7036
      @jasonnewell7036 6 місяців тому

      ​@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoringit always seemed waaaaaay too pricey for me. And unavailable. And pretty dumb in parts.

  • @ogremark5
    @ogremark5 6 місяців тому

    Ummm. Blackstone Fortress base game is still available from GW in Canada. But yes - the expansions were very hard to get and long out of circulation.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      Yes you can still get the Blackstone Fortress base game but it’s residual stock at this point. It’s not a live game system so you have to get into it understanding that you aren’t going to be getting support, new expansions, or easy access to previous content.

  • @carlosbarreto4695
    @carlosbarreto4695 6 місяців тому

    I would still add HeroQuest to the list of solo games. I agree that HeroQuest is best played with a human Zargon, but when that's not possible (which is my experience so far), it's still a good game.
    I would love to have the three D&D boardgames, but they are so expensive right now.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      I just can't bring myself to recommend HeroQuest for the purpose of solo play. Having the app is a huge plus point for the game, and definitely a selling point, but I still consider it to be quite inferior to the "original" format of the game, and if you are looking for something specifically to play solo I think there are way better options out there. Plus, there are still places where you can't access the app, and I don't ever like to rely on an app for a board game experience anyway. For those reasons, it just didn't make the cut.

    • @carlosbarreto4695
      @carlosbarreto4695 6 місяців тому

      @@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Sure, I got these points from the video and I understand your reasoning. HeroQuest is my only boardgame so far and I don't have anyone nearby willing to play it with me, so perhaps Perhaps I may overestimate it as a solo game, but I still have fun playing it, nonetheless.
      I also remember someone saying in the Facebook group that he was unable to download the app in his country. That came as a surprise to me.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      It's definitely still fun, and I am sure there are plenty of people who would still assign it a spot on their solo list. I do hope they continue to make the app available in other territories that don't have it yet.

  • @kajkun1384
    @kajkun1384 6 місяців тому

    Good call on hero quest not all region has the app

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      I'm hoping they will continue to roll it out in the other territories.

  • @HivisoftheScale
    @HivisoftheScale 6 місяців тому

    Hmm... I'm already alone (romantically speaking) I don't think I could handle playing a game solo... But I am intrigued by the prospect of designing a game that can be played with little or no outside input.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      I do a lot of solo gaming. It isn't for everyone, but I will tend to lean towards a solo board game over doing something else alone like watching a movie or playing a video game.

    • @HivisoftheScale
      @HivisoftheScale 6 місяців тому

      @@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring To each their own. Still I respect the skill it takes to design such games! 😊

  • @Flayne009
    @Flayne009 6 місяців тому

    No love for ALIENS: Another Glorious Day in the Corps? It's a great game and has a solo component built in, Give it a shot if you haven't.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +2

      It’s on my Christmas list, actually. Hoping Santa got it for me, but I won’t know until next week!

    • @PACEUK22
      @PACEUK22 6 місяців тому

      @@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring if Santa brings you some aliens joy, please do a painting tutorial

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      @@PACEUK22 If you look up my AvP playlist I already have painting guides for aliens (two types), alien eggs, powerloaders and colonial marines. I may redo some of those videos to update them, but I would most likely use those same techniques for the GF9 stuff.

    • @PACEUK22
      @PACEUK22 6 місяців тому

      @@AlwaysBoardNeverBoringof course… sorry, I had forgotten about those. Still… I’d watch some more if you make them. As a partially colourblind painter who tends to use CitadelColour paints, your painting guides are essential viewing.
      Merry Xmas dude

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому +1

      @@PACEUK22 I will see what I can do! Merry Christmas

  • @jasonnewell7036
    @jasonnewell7036 6 місяців тому

    And remember, every single co-operative game is a solo game!

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      True, but as I said in my intro, I think there are exceptions (for me, personally). For example, Goomhaven is co-op but I think it's too fiddly to play multiple characters alone. Another example is Fireteam Zero, which is an excellent game, but the card system requires you to play at least two characters and it's really not easy to manage that way.

  • @user-ub1oy8xg7v
    @user-ub1oy8xg7v 3 місяці тому

    Am sorry you should of added them lol 😆

  • @rodento3220
    @rodento3220 6 місяців тому

    How the Grinch stole Christmas game?!?!? Please do a video on this game!!! please.....

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      I actually already did. It was my Christmas special video 4 years ago.

    • @rodento3220
      @rodento3220 6 місяців тому

      @@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Saw that right after I posted the question, and in a typically impatient move I watched it thinking I would have time to come back remove the question before you saw it. Thank you for sharing it. I hope you and the elf helper have many a Merry Christmas and keep up the tradition!

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      @@rodento3220 I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.

  • @jasonnewell7036
    @jasonnewell7036 6 місяців тому

    Must... see... rest of... collection! So far, we have 4 games in common (Jim Henson's Labyrinth, Thud!, Flamecraft and Legends of Andor. Also Winter Tales, but I'm trying to move that on as I did not like it as a game at all.)
    I also used to have Cadwallon: City of Thieves, but I moved it on as I found the gameplay lackuster and repetitive. More like City of Muggers than actual thieves.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      I try to keep my collection modest. The need to cycle in new games for review means a lot of games only stay in my collection if I love them, and eventually the games that don't see table top fall out of the collection. Even so, there are still a lot of games spanning a considerable space in my home.
      Flamecraft was a gift for my birthday, and I've only had a chance to play it a few times so far. My wife got it for me because she fell in love with the art!

    • @jasonnewell7036
      @jasonnewell7036 6 місяців тому

      ​​@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoringmy wife wanted it because dragons. It fine as games go. It's not a fantastic game, but it is fun. I just have a bunch of games I'd much rather play than that one. It is very pretty, and I do appreciate the puns.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      My daughter and wife both really liked it, so it go bonus points for that. I don't have a massive number of worker placement games in my collection, so Flamecraft does earn its place.

  • @pez5767
    @pez5767 6 місяців тому

    City of Thieves... say more.

    • @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring
      @AlwaysBoardNeverBoring  6 місяців тому

      City of Thieves is a really good game, and I have the expansion for it too. I did loads of coverage for it back in my blogging days. Perhaps I need to spruce up the written review and do a Stick to the Script video with it.