If you’re craving single player games that are quick, engaging, and offer a satisfying challenge, you’ve come to the right place. These quick (under 30 minutes) single player games will keep you entertained and coming back for more. I’ve rounded up some of the best solo games to play that are perfect for a fast-paced individual gaming experience.
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- 13+
- 10-15 minutes
- Puzzle, Fantasy
Objective
Your mission: unlock all 8 oneiric doors to win the game. To do that, you’ll explore a magical labyrinth made up of mystical locations. The Location cards are your tools—they’re the cards you hold in your hand. Play them strategically, discard them wisely, and use their powers to uncover the elusive Door cards. Master the maze, and the Doors will be yours.
How to Play Onirim
Unlock the Doors and Outsmart the Nightmares
Looking for quick single player games with a magical twist? This dreamlike adventure challenges you to escape a mysterious labyrinth by unlocking all eight oneiric Doors before time runs out.
How to Unlock Door Cards
There are two ways to add a Door card to your collection:
Play three Location cards of the same color in a row.
Discard a powerful Key card (the rarest type of Location card) when you draw a Door card of the same color.
Beware the Nightmares
You’re not alone in the labyrinth—ten Nightmare cards are hidden in the deck, and drawing one forces you to choose a penalty that could derail your journey. Each decision counts, and the pressure builds with every turn.
To win, collect all eight Door cards before the deck is depleted. Fail to do so, and the dream fades—taking your victory with it.
Why I Picked it as a Quick Single Player Games
This game is perfect for players who love strategic challenges and want a fast-paced, immersive experience.
I find single player games are a great way to have time out and some relaxation and good old self-care. This is one of the best quick single player games for anyone who enjoys fantasy, mystery, and a race against time.
Each session is a new challenge, and the game’s beautiful art and surreal theme keep it immersive. Perfect for a quick break at work or home to fill in some time and challenge yourself.
- 12+
- 15-20 minutes
- Deck Building, Survival, Adventure
Objective
You are Friday, enjoying a quiet life on your deserted island—until Robinson Crusoe shipwrecks on your shore and disrupts your peace. Now, it’s up to you to train him. In this solo board game, you must help Robinson survive the island’s many hazards and grow stronger with each challenge.
As you guide him through danger and teach him new skills, he becomes better equipped to face the island—and ultimately battle the two Pirates who stand between him and escape. If he defeats them, Robinson leaves the island, and you finally reclaim your beloved solitude.
Perfect for players who enjoy clever and immersive single player games, Friday combines strategic deck-building with a fun narrative twist. It’s you vs. the island—can you train Robinson in time?
Step Into the Role of Friday in This Strategic Solo Adventure
In Friday, you take on the role of Friday, guiding Robinson Crusoe through a challenging survival journey in this clever single player game. Your mission: help Robinson survive the dangers of the island and defeat two ruthless pirates so he can finally escape.
At the start, Robinson isn’t particularly clever—his fighting card deck reflects his weak survival skills. On the upside, he begins with plenty of life points, representing his physical health. Your job is to shape him into a stronger, smarter survivor by carefully managing both his cards and his energy.
You have two strategic options:
Win battles against island hazards to earn new, stronger cards that boost Robinson’s abilities.
Or intentionally lose certain battles, sacrificing life points to eliminate weak or harmful cards from his deck.
Each decision improves the quality of Robinson’s deck, helping him handle tougher challenges ahead. But be careful—life on the island wears him down. As the game progresses, you must add Aging cards to Robinson’s deck. These cards are clumsy and disruptive, making strategic planning even more important as you prepare for the final showdown against the pirates.
This single player survival game offers four difficulty levels. You start with Level 1 to learn the mechanics, then progress through the increasingly tough challenges. Do you then challenge yourself to guide Robinson to victory in Level 4 and finally win back your peaceful island life?
- 10+
- 15-20 minutes
- Puzzle, City-Building
Objective
Build the best city possible by connecting different urban areas and scoring the highest points.
How to Play
Sprawlopolis is a solo card tabletop game where you’ll draw cards that represent different city districts, and you must place them in such a way that your city grows and scores points. Each card has certain rules on where it can be placed, making it one of the best solo strategy game puzzles as you try to complete the best city layout.
Why It’s One of the Best Single Player Games
Sprawlopolis is easy to learn but offers deep strategy. You’ll need to think several steps ahead to maximize your score, and with a game time of around 15 minutes, it’s a top single player game that’s both fun and mentally stimulating.
- 14+
- 15-20 minutes
- Resource Management, Strategy
Objective
Build your island by managing resources, constructing buildings, and completing objectives.
How to Play Palm Island
Palm Island is a deck-building one player game that’s designed to be played entirely in your hands. You’ll rotate, flip, and manipulate the cards in your hand to build your island’s infrastructure, gather resources, and complete missions. Every action you take is part of the card game’s puzzle, and you’ll need to strategize to make the best use of your limited resources.
Why This Belongs on Your List of Great Single Player Games
The compact design of Palm Island makes it ideal for a solo strategy game on the go. It’s quick, fun, and deeply satisfying when you figure out the best way to balance your resources. Plus, it’s stimulating so you keep engaged without taking too much time.
- 14+
- 15-30 minutes
- Puzzle, Mystery, Deduction
This is a new version of the award-winning MicroMacro Crime City which is also suitable for as a one player game. In this version you’ll get a new map, with a new district of Crime City to explore, plus 16 fresh cases for you to solve.
Objective
Solve a series of interconnected crimes by carefully examining a large, detailed map of Crime City.
How to Play
In MicroMacro: Crime City All In, you’re a detective trying to solve a range of mysteries set in a sprawling city. The twist? You don’t use cards or tokens—you use an incredibly detailed map that shows the entire city, its inhabitants, and the events leading up to the crimes. The goal is to follow the clues, trace characters’ movements, and piece together the timeline of each crime
The game includes a series of case cards, each with a crime scenario. You start by reading the case’s description and then using the map to find clues. The key is to connect the dots: follow the characters, observe their actions, and finally solve the puzzle.The more you delve into the map, the more you’ll uncover—until you finally piece together the crime’s solution.
A Hidden Gem in the World of Single Player Games
MicroMacro: Crime City All In is a perfect solo card game for a quick yet deeply immersive experience. It’s great for anyone who loves deductive reasoning and problem-solving. The map is highly interactive, which means you can spend more time thinking critically and less time on setup or complex rules. Plus, each case is unique, offering the ultimate replayability as you challenge yourself with new mysteries.
Why I Chose These as The Best Quick Single Player Games
These games offer some of the best quick solo player games. They’re perfect for anyone who is looking for a single player tabletop game and short on time and doesn’t want to commit to long, drawn-out play sessions.
These easy and quick solo games are designed to keep you thinking strategically while offering a fast, refreshing experience. They’re easy to set up, don’t require much space, and are incredibly replayable. And the best part? You don’t need a group to have a great time—just grab the deck, sit back, and relax. Whether you’re looking for a mental challenge, a puzzle, or a strategy game, these options will leave you wanting to come back for more. Let me know which one you tried and loved. Or if you are looking for something with longer playtime, check out Solo Board Games or the Everdell Solo Version Game.
Or if you’re looking for tiny games for travel, check out these gems from ButtonShy.
