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The Best Solo Board Games Worth Playing Alone in 2025

by Savannah Mar 15,2025

Enjoying board games with loved ones is a fantastic pastime, but what about those moments when you're seeking solo entertainment? Surprisingly, many modern board games are designed for, or easily adapted to, single-player enjoyment. From strategic challenges to relaxing roll-and-writes, a diverse range of options awaits the solo gamer. Below, we explore some of the best board games perfect for quiet contemplation and engaging solo play.

TL;DR: The Best Solo Board Games

**Editor's Note:** While all games listed offer solo play, most also support multiplayer (up to four players, generally). *Final Girl* is the exception, designed exclusively for solo play.

War Story: Occupied France

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 14+
**Players:** 1-6
**Play Time:** 45-60 mins
A unique blend of "choose your own adventure" and tactical wargame, *War Story: Occupied France* places you in command of secret agents during WWII. Narrative text choices drive the story, unfolding on miniature maps where strategic decisions impact tactical engagements. The branching narrative and challenging scenarios offer high replayability, especially in solo mode where the weight of command is amplified. While officially supporting up to six players, the solo experience truly shines.

Invincible: The Hero-Building Game

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 14+
**Players:** 1-4
**Play Time:** 45-90 mins
Based on the popular comic and animated series, this game offers a unique take on superheroics. Focus is on young heroes learning to control their powers, combining abilities strategically while battling villains and rescuing civilians. Scenarios link to the show's storylines, allowing reenactments and campaign play.

Legacy of Yu

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 12+
**Players:** 1-4
**Play Time:** 60 mins
Set in mythic China, you strive to save the kingdom from floods as Yu the Great. This game masterfully blends resource management, worker placement, and narrative elements. Strategic depth is combined with historical flavor and moral dilemmas, making for a compelling solo experience.

Final Girl

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 14+
**Players:** 1
**Play Time:** 20-60 mins
Horror shines in solo gaming, and *Final Girl* delivers. This modular game puts you in the role of a horror survivor, managing actions, cards, and tension. Multiple expansions cater to diverse fears, and the core game requires a Film Box for scenarios.

Dune: Imperium

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 14+
**Players:** 1-4
**Play Time:** 60-120 mins
While best with multiple players, *Dune: Imperium* includes an automated opponent, House Hagal, for a satisfying solo experience. House Hagal provides a challenging yet manageable AI, offering a more engaging alternative to simply aiming for a high score.

Hadrian’s Wall

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 12+
**Players:** 1-6
**Play Time:** 60 mins
A flip-and-write game where you manage resources to build Roman defenses against Pictish invasions. A downloadable campaign enhances the solo experience, offering strategic depth and satisfying resource management.

Imperium: Horizons

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 14+
**Players:** 1-4
**Play Time:** 40 mins/player
A civilization-building game with a deck-building mechanic. Each civilization offers unique strategies, making for a deeply replayable solo game. Complex mechanics and the threat of revolt provide a significant challenge.

Frosthaven

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 14+
**Players:** 1-4
**Play Time:** 60-120 mins
A large-scale legacy game offering a grand fantasy adventure. Card-driven tactical combat and a persistent world create a unique and deeply engaging solo experience. Consider *Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion* for a smaller, standalone alternative.

Mage Knight

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 14+
**Players:** 1-5
**Play Time:** 60+ mins
A sprawling fantasy epic known for its excellent solo play. Monster battles, character upgrades, and exploration combine for a rich, puzzle-like experience demanding strategic optimization. Expect longer playtime.

Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 14+
**Players:** 1-8
**Play Time:** 90 mins
Become Sherlock Holmes and solve mysteries using provided maps, directories, and newspapers. The game offers minimal guidance, challenging you to determine locations and suspects.

Under Falling Skies

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 12+
**Players:** 1+
**Play Time:** 20-40 mins
A solo-focused game where you defend your base from descending alien ships. Balancing resource allocation for shooting, building, and research creates tense gameplay with high replayability due to varied scenarios and campaign options.

Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 14+
**Players:** 1-4
**Play Time:** 90-180 mins
Survive a shipwreck and the perils of a hostile island. Multiple characters offer varied strengths and weaknesses. The solo variant is enhanced by controlling multiple characters.

Dinosaur Island: Rawr N’ Write

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 10+
**Players:** 1-4
**Play Time:** 30-45 mins
A roll-and-write game where you manage resources to build a dinosaur theme park. Balancing resources and security creates a deeper, more satisfying solo experience than many similar games.

Arkham Horror: the Card Game

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 14+
**Players:** 1-4
**Play Time:** 60-120 mins
Face eldritch horrors in this tense solo experience. Choose an investigator and build a deck to explore scenarios and combat cosmic threats. The game's thematic depth and card play create a robust solo experience.

Cascadia

See it at Walmart
**Age Range:** 10+
**Players:** 1-4
**Play Time:** 30-45 mins
A wildlife-themed game where you build a nature reserve. The solo mode is enhanced by a list of achievements, offering varied challenges and high replayability.

Terraforming Mars

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 12+
**Players:** 1-5
**Play Time:** 120 mins
Help make Mars habitable by managing resources and building a corporate tableau. The solo mode challenges you to optimize actions and maximize end-game parameters.

Spirit Island

See it at Amazon
**Age Range:** 14+
**Players:** 1-4
**Play Time:** 90-120 mins
A cooperative game where you protect your island from colonizers as island spirits. The solo mode allows control of multiple spirits, creating a challenging and rewarding experience.

Solo Board Game FAQs

Is it weird to play board games alone?

Not at all! Solo gaming has a long history, evidenced by historical examples like peg solitaire. The enjoyment comes from the challenge, self-improvement, and the visual and tactile aspects of the game. It's no different than enjoying a puzzle or a video game solo.

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