If you are a true board game fan or just want to sometimes play without waiting for a group to join, solo board games are here for you to relax, think, and have fun on your own. These titles let you explore different worlds and face lots of cool challenges you will surely enjoy! From strategy and adventure to survival and storytelling, there’s something for every kind of player.

With that in mind, I’m sure you will find your next favorite. So, here are the 11 best solo board games!

Best Solo Board Games Comparison Table

1. The Best Solo Board Games – Rescuing Robin Hood

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

Imagine this: you live in Nottingham and hear that the people’s hero has been arrested and needs saving. So, who will help Robin Hood? Well, it’s you, of course. But you’ll also need help from the villagers and must get ready to storm the castle where he’s being held. Tactical, breathtaking, and simply perfect – this is one of the best solo board games out there.

Why We Like It

To attack the Sheriff and his castle, you’ll need troops, right? In Rescuing Robin Hood, the game is split into five days (or rounds). During the first four, you’ll help villagers, add them to your crew, and learn new skills along the way. Then, on the fifth day, you’ll choose four of your strongest people (plus one leader) to free Monsieur Hood.

For solo play, there are two modes: Single Band and Multi-Band. In Single Band mode, you control a single character, making the experience more challenging. In Multi-Band mode, you control multiple characters as if you were part of a group, but you’re playing alone.

Every character has unique abilities and stories, so your strategy changes every time you play. Plus, the guards are dynamic enemies whose strengths vary – so you’ll need to prepare carefully before facing them! No matter which mode you choose, this game will keep you coming back for more.

2. The Best Solo Board Games – A Feast for Odin

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

Do you like Vikings? If you’re a fan of those super cool-looking people and their Nordic traditions, then A Feast for Odin is the board game for you. Trust me, it’ll make you feel like a true Northerner and even teach you some fun facts to share with your friends. It has it all – all you need to do is learn its simple rules and enjoy!

Why We Like It

Where do I even begin with this game? It’s huge, with so much to do that you’ll forget about everything else. You can raid, gather, and spend resources, complete daily tasks, prepare a feast, choose from 61 different actions, and much more!

Simply put, this is a worker-placement game where you can score points in many different ways and even compete against your past turns. You place your workers, and they stay there until the next round, which means you can easily block yourself unless you really think through your moves. In other words, you’re both your ally and your rival, and your goal is to beat your highest score.

You’ll also need to manage your resources, but every move can change your plans. Because of this, the game feels fresh each time and pushes you to think differently and create new strategies to outsmart yourself.

3. The Best Solo Board Games – Arkham Horror

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

The city of Arkham (not to be confused with Gotham or anything Batman-related) is dark and full of dangers you’ll have to uncover and fight against. Navigating Arkham Horror won’t be easy, but it will definitely be a lot of fun. It pulls you deep into its story and makes sure you enjoy every game you play!

Why We Like It

Full of monsters – including the scariest of them all, the Ancient One – Arkham is a city full of danger, and you, as a lone detective, must stop it. Choose one of 16 roles, upgrade your skills, items, and weapons, and close the gates to other dimensions to win. But be careful – if the Ancient One awakens and defeats you in battle, it’s game over.

What makes Arkham Horror one of the best solo board games is its gameplay mechanics. Here, you can control multiple investigators and enjoy a two-handed (or even three- or four-handed) solo game, combining their skills and actions to beat the game – unless it beats you first. How does it do that? Every time you encounter a monster, a treachery, or an event card, it isn’t just a generic “bad thing happens,” but a unique challenge you have to deal with. 

On top of that, the agenda cards can test you and change the game’s conditions, pushing you to make smart decisions. When a monster appears, you can either fight or evade it by comparing skills. Or it can attack you, dealing Horror or Damage.

But don’t expect an easy ride. The game often works against you, filling the board with portals and enemies. And, as the story unfolds, you’ll discover new things and face fresh challenges, making every playthrough feel different.

4. The Best Solo Board Games – Lost Ruins of Arnak

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

Are you the type of person who loves exploring? Well, everyone enjoys venturing into the unknown and discovering its wonders. And you know what? Lost Ruins of Arnak has so much to offer and is waiting for brave explorers like you! So, let’s set sail for this island! 

Why We Like It

In Lost Ruins of Arnak, you play as an explorer venturing to a mysterious island filled with things to do – from discovering to resource management. You’ll also uncover powerful artifacts, collect useful equipment cards, and use a bit of luck, all thanks to the unique board and dice mechanics.

Once you step onto the island, you may be alone, but you definitely won’t feel it. With its clever exploration system and an AI opponent that offers replayability and different difficulty levels, this game will keep you exploring and strategizing for hours.

And the puzzles? If you’re a fan of Uncharted or Indiana Jones, or just love a good brain-teasing adventure, you’ll surely enjoy solving them!

5. The Best Solo Board Games – Heat: Pedal to the Metal

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

This one’s for all the car enthusiasts and anyone who loves a good race. And why watch someone else when you can be the one in the spotlight? With Heat: Pedal to the Metal, you can experience some of the best and most unique racing out there. So, let’s see how it works!

Why We Like It

Who knew board game racing could be this awesome? With upgrades to make before each race, changing weather and road conditions, managing your car’s speed, and choosing between a single race or a full season, Heat: Pedal to the Metal has everything you need to feel like a real racer!

Plus, the solo mode is so cool, and each race tells its own story. In this mode, you race with your own car using all the game’s mechanics, while also playing the Legend cards, which determine the movements of your opponents. It’s simple yet unpredictable, since each opponent has their own deck, leading to tight races and huge replayability.

6. The Best Solo Board Games – Marvel United 

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

All superhero fans remember trying to see if they somehow got powers after watching their favorite superhero movies – remember? While you might not be able to gain powers in real life, Marvel United will make you feel like a true hero fighting powerful villains. Okay, now suit up – the city (or the board game) is waiting!

Why We Like It 

Wait, which hero are you going to suit up as? In Marvel United, you can play as your favorite Marvel heroes, use their unique superpowers, and face off against villains who might just surprise you with their tricks. The big question is: can you stop them?

In solo mode, each turn begins with you controlling the villains – drawing cards and moving them to reveal their Master Plan. It’s easy to follow, but with all of these villains who have different abilities, can attack, and even knock you out, things can get really unpredictable.

Then, you take on the role of S.H.I.E.L.D., controlling several heroes, battling thugs, completing missions, and saving civilians. All of this makes Marvel United a must-have, super-replayable solo board game for every Marvel fan!

7. The Best Solo Board Games – Frostpunk: The Board Game

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

This one’s for the board game veterans, those who love the Frostpunk video game series, and anyone ready for a real challenge. In Frostpunk: The Board Game, humanity faces an ice age, and it’s up to you to make the tough decisions that will keep your colony alive. Are you ready to handle it all?

Why We Like It

It can be tricky, but don’t worry – this is an easy-to-learn board game that anyone can enjoy. As the leader of a struggling colony, you’ll face tough decisions: how to care for your people (who each have their own needs), whether to focus on science, building, or exploring, and so much more.

Just like the video game, this is a true solo adventure where the board conditions are always changing and something is always demanding your attention. Every decision matters, and each choice has its own consequences, affecting the citizens’ mood meter, which can either help you or cost you the game.

On top of that, you not only have to maintain the heat generator, but you also need to take care of the buildings, which can quickly become uninhabitable if the weather shifts. Simply put, you need to be good at multitasking to win, which makes this a super unique board game. Play, grow as a leader, and prove you’ve got what it takes to guide your colony to victory!

8. The Best Solo Board Games – Nemo’s War

Our Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Are you familiar with the story of Captain Nemo, from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea? Well, Jules Verne’s classic has now become one of the best solo board games you can dive (pun intended) into. Here, you are the famous captain, traveling in your submarine and exploring the sea’s many secrets and dangers. You may be alone, but you’ll love it!

Why We Like It 

Get in the Nautilus, Captain – an incredible adventure awaits! In this game, you can choose from multiple difficulty levels, face enemy ships, collect Adventure Cards that tell the story and add extra challenges, manage your crew, and roll dice to keep things interesting. And your mission? You choose it at the start: Science, Exploration, Anti-Imperialism, or War.

While playing solo, you’ll face around 30 different events, each testing your skills and strategy. With three difficulty levels that change how you play, every choice you make affects the story and your chances of success. There’s also a bit of luck that can help you or make things harder, like spawning multiple ships that make you race the game to avoid losing. 

With all this unpredictability, Nemo’s War is a customizable adventure that’s challenging, replayable, and perfect for solo adventurers.

9. The Best Solo Board Games – Bullet Star

Our Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

I’ve mentioned some highly strategic and long board games on this list, so talking about a tense and fast-paced one like Bullet Star is much needed, if I’m honest. That said, don’t think this is a small game – there’s so much happening at once, which is why it is one of the best solo board games out there. Be warned, however, because one round is never enough!

Why We Like It

Each round, bullets will fly at you, and as the Heroine of your choice, will have to do everything you can to be the last one standing. Form patterns to clear bullets while also managing zombies, fireworks, the news, or anything else your abilities let you control.

This game has two solo modes. The Score Attack mode is the classic one, where you pick a Heroine and use her abilities to get the highest score possible. But the real challenge comes with the Boss Battle mode. Here, besides dodging bullets, you’ll face multiple bosses, each offering unique puzzles and combinations that also change depending on your Heroine.

It’s a back-and-forth battle where every time you defend a boss’s pattern attack, you perform a counter, lowering their shield and health bar. With unpredictable enemies and shifting game conditions, get ready for a new kind of fast-paced chaos every time you play. Bullet Star is one of the best solo board games for a reason!

10. The Best Solo Board Games – Dawn of the Zeds

Our Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

A virus has spread, turning many people into zombie-like creatures called Zeds. The roads are blocked, resources are scarce, and it’s up to you to use what you have to fight this threat. Do what you can, get help from nearby survivors, and hold off the Zeds until the National Guard arrives. Think you can handle it? Let’s find out more!

Why We Like It 

More and more people are turning into Zeds, and finding a cure is your top priority. But you and the people in your town also need to survive by collecting ammo and supplies through dice rolls, gathering the right cards to help you win, researching, and doing whatever else it takes to survive.

Where this game really shines as a solo adventure is its fun combat mechanic. You control both one of your four characters and a Zed, rolling two dice and matching the numbers on the Player Aid to see who wins the duel. Both sides take damage, so strategically choosing your fights is super-important.

You’ll also draw event cards that tell the story and can adjust the difficulty once you’ve learned the basics. This game mixes decision-making, a bit of luck, and survival skills to help stop the Zeds, who are creepy enough to make the whole experience feel cinematic and intense every time you play.

11. The Best Solo Board Games – Fields of Arle 

Our Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

With all that land, animals, and fun things to do, imagine how peaceful farming must be. Well, if you want a taste of what it’s like to be a farmer and work your own land, this board game is a must-have. In Fields of Arle, there’s so much to do in each game, and you’ll still never get enough of everything it has! 

Why We Like It 

You are a farmer from Arle and the owner of a flax farm, which can earn you a good amount of money – if you play it right, of course. The game takes you on a four-and-a-half-year farming adventure, with each season bringing something new to do, like working the land, using your tools to trade, or traveling to meet new buyers.

This is a worker placement solo game where, like A Feast for Odin, you play to beat your own score. It works well solo because it gives you the freedom to choose your actions (and there are so many) at your own pace, all while discovering new strategies, which is very satisfying.

Each time you play, you’ll do things differently, find new ways to get a higher score, and enjoy how the board changes based on your turns. Thanks to this freedom and variability, the more you play, the more rewarding Fields of Arle becomes for solo play.

Final Thoughts on the Best Solo Board Games

Playing solo board games may not sound fun to some, but it’s an amazing way to relax, think, and enjoy a story at your own pace. Whether you like planning every move or going with the flow, this list has a game for every mood. 

So, grab your favorite drink and snack, put on some music, and set up the board. You don’t need a group to have a great time – sometimes, the best games are the ones you play alone.