If you’re looking for the best solo board games for immersive, longer gameplay experiences, you’re in the right place. Today, I’m diving into amazing single player board games that offer gameplay sessions lasting over 30 minutes. Perfect for those days when you’re ready to get lost in a world of distraction from day-to-day activities. However, if you looking for shorter single person board games, read this article.
From thrilling dungeon crawls to strategic island defense, these single player games provide deep, rich experiences that keep you engaged.
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- 14+
- 1-2 hours
- Cooperative, Deck Building, Horro
Looking for the best solo board games? This one-player card game drops you into a spooky mystery, yet it stays story-first and easy to follow once you start.
Objective of Arkham Horror (Solo Play)
First, choose one of twelve unique investigators. Each hero comes with simple abilities, starter items, and a short backstory. Then, as you explore, you’ll find tools and allies, face monsters, and work toward solving the case. In short, it’s a single-player board game with a strong story and clear goals.
A Quick Overview for Beginners
The rulebook is about 16 pages, so use it as a guide your first time. Meanwhile, this quick look shows how the solo card game flows—perfect if you’re asking, “Is Arkham Horror good for solo play?”
- You’ll build a small deck for your investigator.
- As you play, you’ll discover clues, meet enemies, and tackle obstacles.
- Use your cards to fight, evade, gather evidence, and advance the story.
How a Round Works
Each round has four easy phases. For solo play, think of them like a rhythm:
- Mythos Phase (skip the very first round).
First, the bad stuff stirs. The game adds pressure to the timeline. If it hits a limit, the story pushes forward. - Investigation Phase.
Next, it’s your turn to shine. You get three actions: move, investigate, play cards, use abilities, or handle enemies. Choose any order. - Enemy Phase.
Then, enemies act. If none are around, this part is quick. - Upkeep Phase.
Finally, reset for the next round: ready your cards, draw one card, and gain one resource.
That’s it—repeat until you solve the mystery or the threat overtakes Arkham.
Why This Single Player Board Game Rocks
- Story-driven solo experience. Great for players who love narrative solo board games.
- Pick-up-and-play campaign feel. Ideal if you search for “solo board games with story” or “campaign-based solo board games.”
- Flexible difficulty. Tweak settings to fit solo board game beginners or veterans.
- Quick setup, deep choices. Perfect for single-player card games that reward smart planning.
FAQs
- Is Arkham Horror good for solo play? Yes—its solo mode is one of the most popular among single-player board games for adults.
- How long does a solo game take? Typically 60–90 minutes, depending on the scenario and your pace.
- Best first scenario for solo? Start with the intro scenario in the core set; it teaches the basics step by step.
Bottom line: If you enjoy mystery, light horror, and immersive stories, Arkham Horror: The Card Game (solo) is a standout single-player board game. It’s approachable for solo board game beginners, yet deep enough to keep you coming back for “just one more case.”
- 14+
- 60-120 minutes
- Fantasy, Deck Building
Another popular solo board games is Mage Knight? This is where you immerse yourself in the epic adventures of Mage Knight, where every decision shapes your destiny in the thrilling world of magic and strategy.
Objective
You’ll need to complete quests, defeat powerful enemies, and explore the map while growing your hero’s strength and abilities. With various paths to victory, this will make the game replayable and unique each time.
Overview of Mage Knight
This game comes with a walkthrough manual and also a set of rules. Both are 20 pages long. Read the Mage Knight walkthrough first, as it explains how the game is played. The rules are about all the encounters and situations you are likely to encounter during the game.
Core Concept
You’re a powerful Mage Knight exploring and conquering a fantasy world. It’s a deck-building, exploration, and adventure game where you battle enemies, gain spells, recruit units, and capture cities.
How It Plays
Turn Structure: Each round represents a day or night. You draw cards from your deck and use them for movement, combat, or influence.
Deck-Building: Your starting deck is weak; you add stronger spells, skills, and artifacts over time.
Exploration: You reveal map tiles as you go, uncovering towns, dungeons, enemies, and opportunities.
Combat: Fight monsters, siege cities, and complete scenarios for fame and reputation.
The Appeal of Mage Knight as a Solo Board Game
Mage Knight is a captivating single-player board game for adults. It’s highly strategic, rich with lore, and features tons of replayability. In this game, you control a powerful mage on a journey to explore the land, conquer cities, and battle enemies in an epic fantasy setting.
- 13+
- 45-90 minutes
Objective
You need to protect the island by eliminating invaders and restoring peace to the land. You’ll need to balance your powers wisely and outsmart the invaders to win.
Overview
As a Spirit of nature, you must protect your island home from colonizing invaders who take no notice of the land and its native Dahan people.
Each turn, you’ll use your powers to try and repel the invaders and strengthen the island to support the Dahan. You start off initially weak, and as your spirits grow in power to match the rapidly expanding invaders.
These invaders, driven by automated game actions, spread across the island, building settlements and leaving Blight in their wake. Victory comes when the Spirits, aided by the Dahan, destroy the invaders and chase away any survivors.
However, defeat looms if the island is consumed by Blight, or a Spirit is completely destroyed, or the invaders become too entrenched before you can drive them away.
The Magic of Solo Board Games: Why Choose Spirit Island
Spirit Island is a cooperative strategy board game for single player board gamers where you play as powerful spirits defending an island from colonization. This solo board games version is a complex game but perfect for those who love a good challenge and strategic thinking. The game is beautifully thematic, and its depth keeps you coming back for more.
- 14+
- 30 minutes
Objective
Your aim is to complete scenarios and quests while building your character’s strength. The game offers multiple paths and choices, giving you plenty of reasons to come back for different experiences.
If you’re looking for a family-friendly solo board game with deep strategy, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a fantastic choice. In this adventure, you step into the boots of a lone mercenary, exploring dangerous dungeons, battling monsters, and unlocking exciting new abilities as you go. Each scenario is unique and brimming with tactical challenges, giving solo players a sense of progression and discovery.
How Solo Play Works
When playing solo, you’ll typically control two characters, letting you experience teamwork and synergy on your own. Each round flows smoothly thanks to its card-driven system.
- Choosing Cards
At the start of each round, you’ll secretly select two cards per character from your hand. One of these cards sets your initiative (turn order), while the other complements it. This gives solo players the fun of planning ahead and adapting to unfolding threats. - Taking Actions
When it’s a character’s turn, you’ll play the top action from one card and the bottom action from the other in any order. This system blends tactics with creativity, letting you decide how to best use your skills each round. - Planning Initiative
Lower initiative numbers act first. Deciding whether to act before or after monsters is key to your success. Ties between characters break by the initiative value of the second card. - Executing the Round
After cards are revealed, characters and monsters act in order. Each action may include several abilities separated by lines—you can skip any that don’t suit your plan, keeping the game flexible and accessible.
Family-Friendly Accessibility
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion makes this epic system more approachable with streamlined rules and scenario books. While you’ll still consult the rulebook for special cases, the overall flow is intuitive once you’ve played a round or two.
Why Solo Players Love It
- Immersive Storytelling: Feel like the hero of your own fantasy novel.
- Tactical Depth: Perfect for fans of strategic solo board games.
- Replayability: Multiple scenarios, character combos, and evolving challenges keep things fresh.
Why I’ve added this to the Solo Board Games Recommendations
Jaws of the Lion is a more accessible version of the original Gloomhaven, but it still packs plenty of strategic depth. The solo board game mode allows you to dive into a dungeon crawl with a narrative that evolves based on your choices. If you enjoy tactical combat and character progression, this one is a must-play.
- 14+
- 60-180 minutes
- Puzzle, Adventure
Objective
In 1907, a celebrated explorer returns from the first expedition to the newly discovered and mysterious seventh continent off Antarctica—likely the world’s last uncharted territory. While recovering and reading the newspaper, they discover several expedition members have vanished without explanation. Simultaneously, the explorer has been experiencing lethargy, fever, and difficulty getting out of bed. A chilling realization sets in: something evil is taking hold from within. As night falls, a restless sleep overtakes them, unaware that this is just the beginning
How to Play The 7th Continent – Solo Adventure Overview
If you enjoy solo board games with exploration and survival, The 7th Continent is a fantastic pick. In this version, you become a lone explorer (or control several characters yourself) on a mission to lift ancient curses. As you travel, you’ll discover new terrain, overcome challenges, and slowly reveal the secrets of this mysterious land.
Exploring on Your Own
Your journey begins with a single character or a small group you control. You’ll gradually build the map by placing Exploration and Adventure cards, turning each session into a personal adventure. Every new tile opens up possibilities—hidden paths, items, or events—making the world feel alive even when playing solo.
Making Decisions
As the solo player, you decide which of your characters performs each action. Choices come from the terrain card you’re on, any permanent event cards attached to it, and the items or skills in your inventory. This gives you full control over your team’s strategy and timing.
Actions and Energy
Actions cost energy, which you spend by drawing from the Action Deck — your characters’ combined life force. Each card may show successes or failures, and you need a set number of successes to complete an action. Drawing more cards improves your odds but also drains your deck faster, creating a fun balance between risk and reward.
Tools, Skills, and Allies
Even in solo mode, you’re not entirely alone. Items, Skills, Bonus cards, and allies can help lower action costs or increase your chance of success. Managing these resources effectively is part of the challenge and fun of solo play.
Flexible Playtime
Because The 7th Continent tells an epic story, it offers a save system. You can pause your journey at any time and return later. Most solo players enjoy sessions of one or two hours, making it easy to fit into your schedule while still feeling like an ongoing adventure.
Why Solo Players Love The 7th Continent
Immersive Storytelling: Feel like the hero of your own survival epic.
Strategic Depth: Plan every action and manage every resource.
Replayability: Different curses, paths, and choices keep the game fresh.
Why It’s Great Solo Board Game
The 7th Continent is an exploration game that’s perfect for those who love open-ended adventures. The board game’s story is set on a mysterious continent full of dangers, curses, and treasures to discover. It’s a game that lets you explore at your own pace, solving puzzles and making decisions that shape the outcome of your adventure.
Why These Are The Best Solo Board Games
Each of these solo board games offers engaging, deep gameplay that immerses you in their worlds. They’re perfect for single player board gamers who love long, strategic sessions that challenge both your mind and decision-making skills.
Whether you’re building your deck in Arkham Horror or embarking on an epic journey in Mage Knight, these games provide hours of entertainment, offering high replay value and unique experiences with every playthrough. So, if you’re looking for solo board games over 45 minutes, you’ll find endless adventure in these fantastic picks. Or if you think these are a bit too long, we have quick games for one player here.
