Top 10 Hidden Gems – Solo Board Games
Tabletop For One
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In this video, I offer my Top 10 Hidden Gem Solo Board Games. Hidden gems can be any game you think doesn’t get mentioned often enough or is underappreciated. I highlight 10 games I rarely see mentioned in the social media that I frequent.
Please check out BG41 – Board Games For One, a solo board game group on Facebook here:
Feel free to ask me any questions or let me know your hidden gem games. Please like the video and subscribe to the channel. Thank you very much for watching Tabletop For One!
Music by Paul Shapera
00:00 Introduction
00:57 #10 One Deck Galaxy
02:05 #9 Shinkansen Zero Kei
03:34 #8 Cape May
05:05 #7 For What Remains
07:04 #6 Canopy
08:34 #5 Libertalia
10:07 #4 Gorinto
11:41 #3 Sierra West
13:42 #2 Eiyo
15:30 #1 Baseball Highlights 2045
17:55 Outro
#boardgames #solo #review #sologameplay #tabletopgaming #boardgaming #playingsolo #sologaming #top
10.08.2023
Such an interesting list of games – these really are games I just don’t hear about hardly at all. I know people strongly recommend your #1 game but they are mostly huge baseball fans, so I was weary (not my jam). I will have to take another look. Thanks for sharing.
I need to check a few of these out, thanks!
Great overview – THX – think i have to try out baseball highlights 😀
great picks, some new stuff for me to check out. thank you
Hello ! Hope you're doing well ! It looks like it 🙂
I'll have to check out some of those to try them out !
On my side i finally tried After Us in solo (around 15 games played so far) and i must say it is a nice little smooth and easy to play game.
Depending on the setup the game might be easier wich might be the only negative i found with the game.
And i also prefered the game in solo than multiplayer, just coz of the little twist in solo that says that you steal ressources from the IA wich add a little yet pleasant tactical layer to the game.
All in all i really like it as a comfort solo game. Wich can be, sometimes quite easy, sometimes quite balanced, and sometimes the IA might rush like crazy if you let the monkey king doing is stuff (like using and abusing gorrilla to trash his starter cards like crazy)
I also tried Monster Plants (Retail Edition) in one solo play and another at 2 players. And i can feel that the game is really good. But the multiple layers on the IA side is something to learn bit by bit coz there are a lot of little rules to remember and all the 8 tiles that act differently. Hopefully it"s going better and faster after few plays.
Cheers from belgium and take care of your self my friend !
Shinkansen was a pass as it appeared to light for my collection. Was looking for something in the medium to medium/heavy realm. In addition I believe the theme was a turn off for me. Cape May is a light economic couples game. Not complex and has many mini houses to paint. This is one we pull out everyonce in awhile. Baseball Highlights your spot on. Purchase a few of the expansions to expand the free agency. I made some game modifications to be able to plays seasons. No not 168 games. Lol. Great list and thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the rundown! Agree with you on Cape May. Really enjoyed the game. Couldn’t get past One Deck Galaxy because of the poorly written rule book. Plan to check out Sierra West. Hope you’re doing well brother. Look forward to your next video.
I think, we have very similiar taste of board games. We both for example like very much Baseball Highlights or Bullet. Apart from them my favourite game (not only solo) is Spirit Island. I'm curious do you like this game? Greetings from Poland 🙂
Great list again! Keep them coming!!! I'll be looking for Eiyo and Canopy. You're right about Base-ball Highlights. I play it a lot on my phone!!! My hidden solo gem are After the Virus (even more with the expansion) and Liberation of Reitburg. Both are quick to setup and play. I'm curious to know how is Brass Birmingham solo (if you do play it solo)? Is it fun and worth getting for solo play only? Is there an AI to manage (something I'm generally not fond of). Thanks!
Wow never heard of most of them. Some I do thanks to rahdo
Well my list is wayy different than you just like always.
In no particular order:
Super hot the card game and after the virus – my number one for sure haha both of them
Bullet star/heart – not all the people know them yet😢
Sweet spot – tennis game great for solo,
The rest of the list I own as hidden gems are:
Comic hunters, Shake up, asgard chosen, chrononauts, imperium the contention, veilwairth, ausonia, feudalia, micro city, Dunguen brawler, way of the samurai, sos titanic.
If it just choose 3 then for sure superhot, sweet spot and after the virus
With after the virus my number one game of all time anyway
Nice list. Wouldn't mind seeing a video with runner ups 🙂
Great video! Good call on Shinkansen, I’ve been digging that one quite a bit. I’m gonna need to track down Cape May, that’s been one I’ve had my eye on for a while now. I also really need to get Sierra West back to the table as well. That’s one that I’ve only played twice, and only with the apple module, but one that I will hold on to for sure and I really need to try out the other content in the box.
Appreciate this video. To be honest, the only game that has gotten any interest from me on this list for solo play is Baseball Highlights 2045. I may have to take a closer look at the other nine now.
I don’t any of these – in fact the only one I’d heard of is For What Remains so I’d say definitely a good hidden gems list. One I would add is Rogue State…. definitely worth checking out. Someone you know may have done a playthrough too 😉
Love seeing Gorinto mentioned! Truly is a hidden gem that got lost in the shuffle for Kickstarter games when it was released.
You mentioned a few I hadn't heard of, which is impressive for someone like me who scours YouTube and eBay for solo board games and vids.. actually got Shinkansen to the table today!! to learn it, it seems okay. Couldn't believe you said bb highlights as your No1. Couldn't agree more. Also sierra been on my radar for weeks, for £20 over here in the UK I cannot think why I haven't pulled the trigger yet.. best solo for me though is the old Raiders of Scythia, just wow against the hardest opponent, just brilliant. It does beat out North sea even with its expansions. AI deck just can't compete with Scythia imho.. great vid!!❤❤❤
Thanks for great content! Please buy a good mic or ajust the levels. It is clippping and really annoying.
Great video, great new games on my radar. Kudos!
so many of your hidden gems are my hidden gems – bought shinkansen thanks to your suggestion and it is truly an amazing solo euro!
Thanks – I've added a handful of new games to my "Thinking about It" BGG list.
So glad you mentioned One Deck Galaxy! And thankfully I watched your video- it IS a great game!
My EIYO box is on my desk ready for a quick match. It was about $40 from dealer but $17 from the company web site. I get kind of a one character One Deck Dungeon vibe with different decisions. A great game.
Baseball Highlights is a hell of a fun game.
Thanks for putting some games I'd never heard of on my radar.
Really wish the artwork for Libertalia was better as I'd like to have the solo mode but not going to re-buy the game for that since we love the original so much. Also glad to hear Eiyo is good as that's one I've not tried yet. Still waiting on the updated rulebooks for that series of games.
I am ashamed I have only played one of these. I need to be better.
I love Sierra West, and I was just considering both Shinkansen Zero-Kei and Cape May. We either have similar taste in solo games, or you are also thrifty.
Thanks for including Canopy on this list! Glad the solo is enjoyed!
Fun list! I've played Eiyo, Libertalia, Gorinto, and Sierra West from your list.
Great presentation! I enjoy hidden gem lists. I agree that your #3 is under appreciated. It gets criticized for too much down time with three or four players, so folks should just realize it shines as a solo or two player game and leave it at that. And kudos for your #1 choice on the list, also.
So many of these hidden gems are super popular and on major reviewers top 10 lists. Why didn't gloomhaven make the list?
I've been on the fence about Cape May. This is the second recent appearance I've seen of this game on other "hidden gems" videos. I think I'm going to give it a shot. Thanks…and subscribed!
I agree with most of these especially Sierra West. Need to try Gorinto though. Have you tried Blackout: Hong Kong solo?
I hate these videos…..as they always seem to cost me money. My problem is more around not having space to store any more games!
Not really aware of most of those games. The only one I own is Baseball Highlights, which I got off Kickstarter when they were doing Football Highlights.
Thanks Daniel! Excellent selection, at least 3 inspire me a lot.
Thank god for a list without the same old same old games !!! Good effort and thanks!!
I like the table getting increasingly crowded with boxes.
Baseball is a game that rewards you proportionately to the time and effort you spend in understanding it. I'm not sure how I feel about the recent rules changes at the major League level, but prior to this season, baseball has always been my favorite game of all time.
That is an interesting list. Didn't even know some of those games existed, and I'm always on the lookout for solo games. You gave good insight into each one, so I have added some to my watch list. Thanks for the video!
I have baseball highlights 2045 and many of the expansion card packs. I also found one of those fan made season modes and it's cool. I may buy a few more team packs, (game comes with 4 teams) I want to do a kinda multi season but haven't had time.
I am really enjoying your video's! I had some on the list but you made me curious about For What Remains – I may have to pick that up. Also Gorinto which I've totally seen at B&N and ignored (not a big abstract person so your thoughts here were even more intriguing to me!). GREAT list and I agree – don't see these games on lists very frequently so this is a great list to watch. Echo someone below – please do more lists like this!
‘Baseball’ could have been a great game. But for me, I am completely turned off by the silly futuristic setting. I have never seen robots play baseball. A contemporary or historical baseball game would have been awesome.
Oh, well. To each his own, I guess.
Thanks again for such words on Eiyo❤
Hello Daniel. I have seen Baseball Highlights being praised in different solo groups. I live in Europe so I don't have any knowledge of the sport. I tried over the years to see different reviews and play throughs but they always think that baseball rules and terms are in common knowledge. I even tried to see video rules of the actual game but it didn't click with the board game to understand it. So imagine me looking at your top solo to be that one. I am afraid that I have to let it pass because I can't seem to get the fundamentals of the sport to start getting into the game.
ONCE AGAIN.
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Thanks for bringing up the One Deck Galaxy …. so amazed i've never heard of it ( big fan or Race for the Galaxy ) . It's solo, it's complex, it's amazing.. and just in deck of cards. Absolutely right down my alley. Loving this.