Top 10 Solo Board Games for New Gamers (with different game mechanics)

Below find my top 10 Solo Board Games for new gamers (with different game mechanics) or watch the Video on the AAFAG YouTube Channel.

Solo board gaming has surged in popularity – and for good reason – more and more solo board games are being created either just for playing solo or with solo modes – and they are awesome! These games are providing a challenging and entertaining experience….

However, if you are just getting started into the board game hobby- and want to start with solo games, you might not want to jump into games that are overly complex – with rule booklets that are like novels or games that might last the whole weekend!

So let’s take a look at 10 solo board games that are quick to get to the table – in both set up and in understanding….but offer a taste of how fun solo gaming can be!

My list includes games utilizing different mechanics …. introducing these mechanics in a simple manner….might you like deckbuilding or worker placement?

Let’s take a look at the games!

1) That’s Pretty Clever Solo Board Game

That’s Pretty Clever is a Roll and Write game – The goal of the game is to generate the most points possible – at the end of six rounds.

In the game you have a scorepad, pen, and dice. On your turn you roll the dice, and according to your dice rolls you fill in spots on the different colored sections of the scorepad – in efforts to gain the most points. Taking advantage of bonus spaces is key to the game – as you can take additional dice actions and rack up the points. Each game offers lots of choices – and where you land on the point scale at the end the game will determine if you’re ‘so Clever’, Impressive, or just not bad.

Published in 2018 by stronghold games (Available on Amazon $20))

2) Welcome To Board Game

Welcome To is a flip and write – in the game you have an unfinished city sheet – during your turn you flip over cards and use them to plan the best city following some simple guidelines. You’re striving to beat your previous score in each game – and there are lots of options – where do you place a fence? Should you build a pool, a park, maybe go on to finish a development plan instead, and more? Always a different game and lots of fun!

Published in 2022 for 1-6 players – Available on Amazon ($30)

3) Valley of the Kings Board Game

Valley of the Kings is a deckbuilding game. In the game you take the role of an Egyptian ruler – gathering treasures for your tomb – to gain the most points – because in this game YOU CAN take it with you.

You start with less powerful cards in the beginning of the game, and work to collect stronger, more valuable cards, as you play. The twist is It is a balance between building your deck, while at the same time, entombing the best treasures (which are often the stronger cards to play). Challenging and utilizes the deckbuilding mechanic in a creative way.

4) For Northwood Card Game

For Northwood is a solo trick taking game – in it you have to decide how many tricks you will take before start of play – and take that exact amount. You do have allies which can help during your turn – but even then it is ‘tricky’ to do! The ‘automa’ flips a card from the deck – and from your hand of cards you have to decide how best to handle it to meet your ‘goal’ – are you forced to take the trick when you might not want it, can you play an ally, trump it, or what?

Such a great little trick taking solo game!

5) Leaf Board Game

Leaf is a tile placement game – in form of Leaves – how fun! In the game you are the wind guiding leaves to the forest floor – in efforts to gain the most points – by connecting the tips of leaves with others – gaining those leaf tip actions. You’ll help squirrels climb, mushrooms grow, attract animals, enjoy the sun and change of seasons.

The different choices you have and actions to then take in order to gain points – while placing the various types and color of leaves – makes every turn a lot of fun. Very nice game!

Published in 2023 – Available on Amazon ($35)

6) Adventure Games: Discover the Story – The Dungeon

The Dungeon is a storytelling puzzle like game – it introduces you to the more complex story campaign games that could take a whole weekend or more to play. In The Dungeon you have to work your way through the story, choosing things to explore, following clues, and deciding places to go, in order to eventually, hopefully, find your way out. It’s like a point and click PC game or CYOA book – Items in a room are numbered, and each corresponds to a numbered item in a book – of which after choosing what to do, you read to discover more of the story, to decide your next action. Will you find your way out? And Discover the complete story?

Published in 2019 – Available to buy on Amazon ($18)

7) Dorf Romantik

Dorf Romantik is a campaign game with hidden components that can only be opened once you advance. It’s simple, albeit challenging, to play, and doesn’t need played all at once. The goal is to place down tiles, in the best way to complete tasks – you’ll be creating a landscape of railways, rivers, fields, and towns. All of which you try and place in way to gain the most points and move to the next hidden box of components!

Published in 2023 – Available on Amazon ($40)

8) Honey Buzz

Honey Buzz is a great solo game for introducing worker placement. In the game you are bees – or ‘Beeples’ – striving to gain the most points by building your hive to gather nectar, create honey, and sell products. At first you only start with 1 worker bee– but during the game you can gain more bees to then have more workers to send out for doing more actions – to ultimately build the most successful and profitable hive full of honey– Excellent fun!

Published in 2023 – Available to buy on Amazon ($30)

9) Tiny Towns

Tiny Towns is about grid coverage and end game bonuses. In tiny towns you are trying to build a town which provides the most points – A player’s town is represented by a 4 x 4 grid. Each type of building requires certain resources to build. As you collect and place resources – on your card – of the shape needed to build that structure you gain points. In the solo game you are graded upon a chart for how well you did.

Published in 2019 – Available on Amazon ($38)

10) Mists Over Carcassonne

Mists over Carcassonne mixes tile placement with Threat Management. In the game you must reach your scoring goal before running out of your supply of tiles to place – AND GHOSTS -which appear in the lands when placing tiles.

The ghosts are adorable – even if they can get overwhelming – I love that each time you pick a tile there is the question of where best to place it (and meeples) – in efforts to gain the most points – by completing cities, roads, AND MISTS…. which can send some ghosts back off the board….. always fun to play – and a different game each time!