I'm learning more and more, that as my love for tabletop gaming grows, there is even more appreciation for solo gaming.
As my passion for tabletop gaming began to skyrocket, the thought of playing a game solo seemed really cool to me. The "old school" games I played when I was young never really brought that thought into my head (and the types I played didn't really offer many good options for solo, if any). From the moment I played my first solo tabletop game I was hooked. I love it! Now I immediately am drawn to games with official solo variants, but also search for fan-made ones if there's no official version. But I'm now understanding just one more reason why it's a nice option to have.
My passion, excitement and love for the hobby is overflowing. My family enjoys games too mind you. But if it was up to me, I'd play daily. Coming home from work, there's nothing more fun and relaxing. But for my family, maybe a game here and there works; not as often as I'd like. So many of my games are played solo, exploring new games on BGA to see if I want to invest in the physical version etc... At least until I can get together to play with my sister and brother-in-law from time to time. :)
Anyone else in this boat too, where your passion is much higher than others around you, so solo is your nice safety net?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Zerbique. I like this discussion (thank you, Derek, for starting it).
I agree about the joys of playing with others. Especially now that I'm playing Pandemic Legacy, I can't help thinking how much I would like to share the suspense and surprises with someone else.
That said, there are soloable games I prefer to play on my own because they are complex, and I can concentrate better without distractions (Spirit Island comes to mind). People are overrated. 😄
(Well, not all games, I admit, as it wouldn't make sense, e.g. for Trick-Taking games, but most strategy games.)
I must be honest: I never feel the same excitement and craziness playing solo as playing with others. I love multiplayer games and they are the reason why I love games so much. If I am to play solo, a video game is usually better.
And yet. Board games have a special appeal that video games don't have. They are physical. You can look at the components, go through it. A legal universe of mechanisms and rules slowly emerges in your head while reading the rules (that's one my favorite part). The game, the world, the story, the gameflow, are all powered by you adhering to a set of rules. It makes board games especially appealing, it gives them a special quality, magical in some way. Also, I feel that you are more available to the world surrounding you while playing a board game than a video game.
Unfortunately (or perhaps it's for the better), my wife doesn't like board games. At all. And I have a young son that I love to care after. That means I can never play multiplayer board games, I can never plan gaming sessions (except small ones, at the coffee break at work). So, I have a splendid collection of games I am crazy about and can't play any. Extremely frustrating.
Solo gaming fixes that, partly, because, as I said, I find solo gaming not as fulfilling as a multiplayer game. I love being outsmarted by an opponent, not feeling dumb because I can't solve how a game works. However solo is almost the only way to me. Especially for RPGish adventure games, which take too long -they are not so good multiplayer anyway.
So, solo gaming gives a purpose back to all these beautiful, enticing boxes piling up. I'm grateful for that. But I'd definitely prefer not to have to rely so much on it.
(And I think all games could have a solo mode. When I was a child I was always trying to come up with rules to play alone to my board games, living in a secluded place. That they produce official ones feels very fitting to me as I hate house-ruling. It kills the 'magical' aspect of board games to me. See Tolkien On Fairy-Stories for a parallel of that in literature.)
It is sometimes obvious that a game is meant to be played with others, and the solo mode would be a lesser experience. And yet, it is included. I appreciate it more when creators say 'sorry, our game does not play well in solo, so we are not adding a solo mode' instead of putting it there to attract more buyers.
It seems to me that we see more and more games having 'the obligatory solo mode' because solo gaming is on the rise. Having said that, there is no objective way to define what a great solo mode is. For me e.g. Pendulum is not a game that begs for a solo mode, but I'm sure others will disagree.
I'm grateful that solo board games exist, and that there's plenty of them. My first steps into board gaming were not solo, I used to play with my ex BF. I was the buyer and games researcher, and soon realized that I liked this hobby more than he did.
The relationship eventually ended but my passion for games grew and grew. I still have a few multiplayer games which I consider excellent and can't bear the thought of parting with (Twilight Struggle, Inis, IKI), but all in all, I'm happy with my solo collection.
I sometimes frown when I see solo modes tacked on to almost every game lately, but it's not really a bad thing. More choice, and something for everyone.
Oh yes. Like you I could play any time. And even though my wife and daughter like playing games, for them once or twice a week is fine, while it's my main hobby. Also, they (or other relatives and friends I sometimes play with) don't necessarily like the same games that I enjoy. So I am very grateful I found solo gaming.