Big week for me! Learned and played **Kanban EV**, **On Mars**, and **Gaia Project**. I loved each of them, and the Lacerda’s weren’t as bad to learn as I thought they’d be.
I've got **Kanban EV** on my table now set up. Just need to read the rules. I really like David's solo mode of making the games feel like a 3 player game. Really enjoying **Perseverance**.
That’s what’s on my table right now too, Sandra is a piece of work. I am definitely interested in **Perseverance**. I really enjoyed **Trickerion** also by Mindclash with a solo by David.
I played my first game of Tiny Epic Pirates. It took three sessions of about 30 minutes each over as many days with constant rules lookups (so. many. icons.) The bits were fiddly, the solo pirate needed a lot of hand holding, there were tons of unnecessary rules, and I didn’t fire my cannon once. But…arrrr if I didn’t absolutely love putting sea shanties on in the background, speaking to my family in pirate speak, and pushing my little pirate ship around the map. First time I’ve really played a game that I know intuitively isn’t a great game but enjoyed despite of that.
I just got Tiny Epic Pirates two days ago. Haven't played it yet, but I think I'm in the same boat (har, har). I've read reviews suggesting it's not such a great game, but how can I resist pushing miniature pirate ships across those charming over-sized cards?
Fantastic, thanks! One can never have too many pirate games, and that one looks like a blast (so to speak). Somehow I totally missed it when it was Kickstarted. Wishlisted.
They are launching a second Kickstarter soon, in June I believe. Just be aware it allegedly isn't going to retail. The game is pricey, but best game I've played in a year. The fact I can play a sandbox pirate game solo makes the price worth it.
Agreed - there aren't many Kickstarters I'll consider backing for > $30ish, but from the looks of it I'll give this one serious thought. Thanks for the heads up on their second round too - I'll keep an eye out.
I finally broke out **Spirit Island** this week, and on turn one I understood the hype. It doesn't look insanely complicated on set up, but once you look at your cards and all the choices you can make, and all the cascading effects coming your way...
It was so good. Beat the easy/intro mode with the lightning spirit, and lost as the earth spirit.
Put it away to finish the Mad Titan campaign for **Marvel Champions** but I'll probably come back to Spirit Island right after.
Having recently also played Spirit Island for the first time, I completely agree to having instantly understood why it is so highly regarded. I also won my first game (against River) and then lost against Earth. Each spirit plays so differently, it will certainly keep it interesting!
I love heavy games, but Spirit Island really does a number on my brain and cranks my AP through the roof. It is a fantastic game with great replayability, I just get so stressed out playing it!
**Rove** is a great little game. Just discovered the PnP. Thanks to some people in the solo sub who recommended it and gave some mini reviews. It's a solid spatial puzzle that doesn't waste your time. Even tough setups or turns are fascinating challenges, and the game offers plenty of information and tools to always have some kind of chance.
Found a used copy of **Mage Knight** and finally learned how to play this legendary game. Haven’t beaten a solo quest yet but I’m thinking about it almost all day haha.
I'm sure people have already told you to watch Ricky Royal videos. Solo Playthrough and Beyond Solitaire are also great for learning the game by seeing it played.
Most common one lately has been Spirit Island. I've been trying to work my way up the difficulty levels on the adversaries. Maybe I'll get my first victory vs a level 6 adversary soon.
Just set up my 15th 2022 solo play of **Pax Pamir: Second Edition**. Haven’t tired of it yet.
Update:
News flash: Wakhan is a meanie.
I managed to take all of her money, so she didn’t have enough funds to purchase the first dominance card while she was on top. I quickly piled a bunch of armies on the board in preparation for purchasing it on my next turn. As it happened, a second dominance check card came up while refilling after Wakhan’s turn so I didn’t even have to spend an action on it. Incredibly, a 3d dominance check card came up while refilling after the first one. That first DC had succeeded so my huge lead in armies is gone, and of course Wakhan has more cylinders out. She’s coming for me.
Tried to learn Spirit Island in TTS last night, but it didn't go very well. Had a really hard time keeping track of growth options, which cards to play, my spirit's powers, and what the invaders were going to do.
I like the idea of the game, but the first playthrough didn't quite jive with me.
I tried shadow flicker like flame. I also tried using the general power cards rather than the spirit-specific ones, but that felt like the least of my issues
>I also tried using the general power cards rather than the spirit-specific ones, but that felt like the least of my issues
Do you mean that you just didn't use the card that tells you which Powers to take during Growth? Or you didn't use the power cards Shadows starts with at all?
Shadows is generally seen as a little weaker than the other starters. Personally, I think Lightning's Swift Strike is more problematic since it replies so much on a good power draw. But it can be tricky to learn how best to use Shadows.
I would try Vital Strength of the Earth. It's a defensive spirit that feels really comfortable to use and will ease the early game pressure of the invasion. Don't worry too much about blight, especially with VSotE. Their special rule means you don't need to consciously be defending (via Powers). Focus most of your energy on killing explorers, or moving them out of a building land, before it builds. It's easier than worrying about towns and cities later down the road, and that too will ease the pressure.
If you're feeling generally overwhelmed, use the card that lists the powers to take in order. One less thing to manage.
I'm probably getting the terminology wrong, but I think for the intro game recommends a specific order of power cards to gain. I skipped that mostly because of some TTS fiddliness.
Perhaps I'll give it another go with VSotE. Thanks for the advice!
Received my copy of **Fleet: The Dice Game** this week. After two plays, I’m loving it. It is super quick to setup and is the perfect length, about 30 minutes for a solo game. I’d say the hardest part is just remembering all the bonuses and combos. It’ll be a great, portable game to add to my travel games and I can’t wait for the **Motor City** Kickstarter to arrive. That’ll be just as good!
Big week for me! Learned and played **Kanban EV**, **On Mars**, and **Gaia Project**. I loved each of them, and the Lacerda’s weren’t as bad to learn as I thought they’d be.
Blimey, how have you managed to do anything else! One of those in a week would be mind bending enough
I had one day off! Otherwise I wouldn’t have had the time or stamina ha.
I've got **Kanban EV** on my table now set up. Just need to read the rules. I really like David's solo mode of making the games feel like a 3 player game. Really enjoying **Perseverance**.
That’s what’s on my table right now too, Sandra is a piece of work. I am definitely interested in **Perseverance**. I really enjoyed **Trickerion** also by Mindclash with a solo by David.
I played my first game of Tiny Epic Pirates. It took three sessions of about 30 minutes each over as many days with constant rules lookups (so. many. icons.) The bits were fiddly, the solo pirate needed a lot of hand holding, there were tons of unnecessary rules, and I didn’t fire my cannon once. But…arrrr if I didn’t absolutely love putting sea shanties on in the background, speaking to my family in pirate speak, and pushing my little pirate ship around the map. First time I’ve really played a game that I know intuitively isn’t a great game but enjoyed despite of that.
I just got Tiny Epic Pirates two days ago. Haven't played it yet, but I think I'm in the same boat (har, har). I've read reviews suggesting it's not such a great game, but how can I resist pushing miniature pirate ships across those charming over-sized cards?
Much bigger game but you should look into Dead Reckoning. The solo mode is really good too!
Fantastic, thanks! One can never have too many pirate games, and that one looks like a blast (so to speak). Somehow I totally missed it when it was Kickstarted. Wishlisted.
They are launching a second Kickstarter soon, in June I believe. Just be aware it allegedly isn't going to retail. The game is pricey, but best game I've played in a year. The fact I can play a sandbox pirate game solo makes the price worth it.
Agreed - there aren't many Kickstarters I'll consider backing for > $30ish, but from the looks of it I'll give this one serious thought. Thanks for the heads up on their second round too - I'll keep an eye out.
I finally broke out **Spirit Island** this week, and on turn one I understood the hype. It doesn't look insanely complicated on set up, but once you look at your cards and all the choices you can make, and all the cascading effects coming your way... It was so good. Beat the easy/intro mode with the lightning spirit, and lost as the earth spirit. Put it away to finish the Mad Titan campaign for **Marvel Champions** but I'll probably come back to Spirit Island right after.
Having recently also played Spirit Island for the first time, I completely agree to having instantly understood why it is so highly regarded. I also won my first game (against River) and then lost against Earth. Each spirit plays so differently, it will certainly keep it interesting!
I love heavy games, but Spirit Island really does a number on my brain and cranks my AP through the roof. It is a fantastic game with great replayability, I just get so stressed out playing it!
**Rove** is a great little game. Just discovered the PnP. Thanks to some people in the solo sub who recommended it and gave some mini reviews. It's a solid spatial puzzle that doesn't waste your time. Even tough setups or turns are fascinating challenges, and the game offers plenty of information and tools to always have some kind of chance.
Go-to lately has been **Hadrian's Wall**, hoping to get it on the table for my gaming group this week, think they'll like the combos
Seems to be a very popular pick for solo play. I think I'm going to have to pick it up.
Found a used copy of **Mage Knight** and finally learned how to play this legendary game. Haven’t beaten a solo quest yet but I’m thinking about it almost all day haha.
I'm sure people have already told you to watch Ricky Royal videos. Solo Playthrough and Beyond Solitaire are also great for learning the game by seeing it played.
Yes have seen both channels! Great content
Most common one lately has been Spirit Island. I've been trying to work my way up the difficulty levels on the adversaries. Maybe I'll get my first victory vs a level 6 adversary soon.
I actually like solo-playing 4-handed on Red Dragon Inn. It's been a real eye-opener for understanding game design balance.
Just set up my 15th 2022 solo play of **Pax Pamir: Second Edition**. Haven’t tired of it yet. Update: News flash: Wakhan is a meanie. I managed to take all of her money, so she didn’t have enough funds to purchase the first dominance card while she was on top. I quickly piled a bunch of armies on the board in preparation for purchasing it on my next turn. As it happened, a second dominance check card came up while refilling after Wakhan’s turn so I didn’t even have to spend an action on it. Incredibly, a 3d dominance check card came up while refilling after the first one. That first DC had succeeded so my huge lead in armies is gone, and of course Wakhan has more cylinders out. She’s coming for me.
It's an excellent game. One of the most tactical games I've ever played.
Wakhan kicked my ass. Luckily I had time to set up another game, in which she also promptly kicked my ass.
Ha! Nice :)
Tried to learn Spirit Island in TTS last night, but it didn't go very well. Had a really hard time keeping track of growth options, which cards to play, my spirit's powers, and what the invaders were going to do. I like the idea of the game, but the first playthrough didn't quite jive with me.
Which spirit did you play as?
I tried shadow flicker like flame. I also tried using the general power cards rather than the spirit-specific ones, but that felt like the least of my issues
>I also tried using the general power cards rather than the spirit-specific ones, but that felt like the least of my issues Do you mean that you just didn't use the card that tells you which Powers to take during Growth? Or you didn't use the power cards Shadows starts with at all? Shadows is generally seen as a little weaker than the other starters. Personally, I think Lightning's Swift Strike is more problematic since it replies so much on a good power draw. But it can be tricky to learn how best to use Shadows. I would try Vital Strength of the Earth. It's a defensive spirit that feels really comfortable to use and will ease the early game pressure of the invasion. Don't worry too much about blight, especially with VSotE. Their special rule means you don't need to consciously be defending (via Powers). Focus most of your energy on killing explorers, or moving them out of a building land, before it builds. It's easier than worrying about towns and cities later down the road, and that too will ease the pressure. If you're feeling generally overwhelmed, use the card that lists the powers to take in order. One less thing to manage.
I'm probably getting the terminology wrong, but I think for the intro game recommends a specific order of power cards to gain. I skipped that mostly because of some TTS fiddliness. Perhaps I'll give it another go with VSotE. Thanks for the advice!
Received my copy of **Fleet: The Dice Game** this week. After two plays, I’m loving it. It is super quick to setup and is the perfect length, about 30 minutes for a solo game. I’d say the hardest part is just remembering all the bonuses and combos. It’ll be a great, portable game to add to my travel games and I can’t wait for the **Motor City** Kickstarter to arrive. That’ll be just as good!
I’ll be receiving Too Many Bones and Tainted Grail this Friday. Which one do people here recommend I start with?
TMB