Sometimes I can’t get anyone in the house to play a board game. It’s often that they are busy or heading out the door. Generally when that happens I’ll pull a deck of cards out and play solitaire. One day while putting away a game, I realized Sagrada had a one player option. I began looking for more board game options, and I thought I’d share with you some of what I found. 

Many games can be played solo. Playing by yourself can not only improve your skill, but it can be a great way to spend an evening by yourself if you can’t get a group together.

Sagrada

Billed as a stained glass sudoku, Sagrada is a multifaceted puzzle game. As a family, we play Sagrada often. It’s an easy game to teach, which also makes it a favorite game to pull out when family and friends visit. 

Aside from being simple to play, it’s also a visually beautiful game. The gameboard is a stained glass window outline, with removable window patterns which you’ll fill with colored dice, AKA stained glass pieces.

In a multiplayer game, depending on the difficulty of the window patterns chosen, each player can choose their level of difficulty according to their skill. This levels the playing field for all, making it enjoyable for multiple ages and experience levels. 

The goal is to fill your stained glass window and earn the most points. Dice are randomly drawn from the bag and are played by either color and number, according to the pattern in your window. Some spaces on the window board require a certain color or number die, and no 2 color or number can be placed adjacent either vertically or horizontally. 

In both the solo and multiplayer formats, the game is played in 10 rounds. In solo play, 4 dice are pulled from the dice bag; 2 used in game play, and the other 2 are placed on the score track. When all 10 rounds have been played, the total of all the dice on the score track are added together and this becomes your target score. 

Points are collected by completing the objectives on the personal and public objectives cards. For example, 2 points are given for each set of 1 and 2 numbered dice or 6 points for having a row of dice with no repeating colors. 
Sagrada is a surprisingly addictive puzzle game, and enjoyable way to play games when no one else is around. 

Tiny Towns

Pull on your work boots! It’s time to build and fill your town with cottages, wells, chapels, and taverns. In this clever game of constructing a tiny town in the forest, your job as mayor is to create the biggest tiny town, earning victory points for each building erected. 

In the solo version, your total victory points grants you specific titles. 9 or less points, consider yourself an “Aspiring Architect.” Score 38 and above, you’re at the top and are crowned “Master Architect!”

Tiny Towns is played on a 4×4 grid. To construct a building, you’ll need to collect building resources like glass, stone, wood and wheat by choosing from available resource cards. Resources must be placed in specific patterns as indicated on the building cards. Once the patterns have been completed, the resources are removed and a tiny building is erected in its place. 

Choose carefully. Some buildings are worth more victory points when placed adjacent to others. Once you’ve placed your building on the grid, you’re no longer able to move it. 

Resources are abundant, but unknown as to when they will appear. Try to leave room to adjust your gameplay if what you need isn’t available at the time. You don’t want to end up with many resources but few buildings.

Tiny Town is a quick, fun strategy game. Have your hard hat ready…What will be found in your Tiny Town?

Horrified 

If you’re a fan of the classic Universal Studio movie monsters, I’ve found the game from you. When my co-blogger introduced me to this game, I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. When played in a multi player format, it’s played as a cooperative game. Except for several cards not in use and you begin farther along on the Terror Level Track, the game plays the same in solo play. 

Welcome to Horrified. Dracula and his fellow monsters are loose in the village and you must save the village and the villagers survive attacks while trying to defeat the monsters. There are 6 different monsters to choose from. You choose the number of monsters to fight. More monsters equal greater difficulty. Overcome the monsters before they overcome you!  

Choose your hero, noting that hero’s specific special action. Each turn with your hero consists of 4 actions: pick up, trade, move, attack, special card or action. You play, moving your hero and villagers around the board, collecting items and performing actions, all the while avoiding the monsters. Once you’ve collected the necessary items, you can advance on the monster to and use the necessary items to defeat the monster. 

After you’ve played through the hero’s actions, it’s time to draw a monster card. This card will give instructions on how the monster moves and possibly attacks the hero or villagers.

Defeat all the monsters and the hero’s triumph. Run out of time or if the terror level reaches its maximum, the hero is defeated and you leave the villagers in the hands of the monsters. 

The game uses considerable strategy; not too much it will deter a novice, but complicated and enjoyable enough for the seasoned gamer. Mechanics are simple and well designed. 

Won’t you be a hero and save the villagers from TV’s classic monsters?

Herbaceous

Herbaceous is a visually pleasing game in which you as the gardener are potting your plants. Low key play, without an extreme amount of stress, this one player game offers beauty and a pleasant experience for both the eyes and mind. 

Your goal is to earn points by collecting and potting herbs both in both the community and your private garden. To become a True Green Thumb Harvester, the highest level of gardener, you’ll need to collect more than 57 victory points gained by potting plants in their containers.

This plays in quick 5-10 minute increments. It takes just a moment to set up the board, and each round consists of 1 mandatory and 1 optional step, making this game very easy to learn. 

Begin by placing the container cards and biscuit card face up in front of you. A garden marker will divide the community garden from your private garden. The herb cards are placed as your draw pile. 

To plant, you’ll choose between 4 different containers. In each of these containers you’ll be collecting different sets of pots, pairs or large groups of the same type of plant according to the diagram listed on each container card. 

Draw 3 cards from the draw pile. These cards are placed in any order of play. One card is discarded, one added to the public garden and the final card is placed in the private garden. 

Game play continues until the draw pile is exhausted. Tally up your points and gain your new gardener title!

Robinson Crusoe 

Unlike the quick game of Herbaceous, you’ll need an hour or more to play this seemingly complex survivor of the island game. 

While cruising around the island, an intense storm rises up, destroying the ship and you thought you were a goner. But fortune (perhaps!) finds you washed up on a sandy beach.  Now a shipwrecked survivor, you, your buddy and your dog, must locate resources on the island to build a shelter to protect yourself from the wild animals and storms, construct tools from available materials and complete your missions. Will you find the treasure or an abandoned village? 

With 7 scenarios to choose from, the game varies greatly. You’ll need to come up with a plan and take calculated risks to keep yourself alive. The game is played in multiple rounds, with each round broken down into 6 phases.

Don’t let the plethora of rules deter you. It’s an ambitious game, but once you’ve overcome the learning curve, it’s an enjoyable, albeit challenging game of survival. That being said, be prepared to lose. Often!

 If you don’t enjoy a challenge, don’t order this game. But for the brave or foolhardy, a great adventure awaits. Will you discover the secret of the island? 

Solo Monopoly

You know the classic game. Chances are you’ve spent many an hour buying, renting and auctioning properties.

But did you know you can play Monopoly solo? I know of 4 variants to play.

1. Shuffling Between Chairs: The game plays as it says. You choose how many players you’d like to play, and then make each play as an individual player. Choose a day you’ve got some time on your hands- it might take awhile!
2. One Token Game – 20 Minute Version: Don’t have that much time to play? Choose the one token version. You’ll start with just a $100 in your pocket, and play as much as you can within the time frame. Pick a dollar amount to try to beat. Total up your cash at the end of the time. Got time to play again? Try to beat your first score.
3. Steve’s Version: This version is designed by a guy on Board Game Geek. He was given the challenge by a friend to create a solo version. He’s provided both hard and optional rules to give each game exciting for solo play. Check out his rules here: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1232636/monopoly-solitaire
4. Monopoly on your Phone: Want to play on the go? Grab your smartphone, download the app, and you can pass go anytime with Monopoly Online. The single player pits you against the A.I opponent. All rules are in play.

Conclusion

This is just a small sampling of games to play by yourself. What games do you enjoy playing solo? Have you made any game rules to play your favorite game when you are home alone? Drop a note below!