Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Tabletop Wargames for 1 player?

  • Thread starter Lilliput McHammersmith
  • Start date

Lilliput McHammersmith

Guest
I am a singleplayer by default. I love singleplayer cRPGs and I am currently running through M&M III and I'm having a blast. I have become somewhat interested in wargaming, but I have a small issue. None of my friends live close to me (like within the same region, let alone state), not to mention that I doubt any of them would be interested in wargaming. I am married, but my wife would absolutely never get into miniatures wargaming haha. It's funny to even imagine it lol. (I tried to get her to play D:OS1 with me and she did, but she didn't really want to. In fact, the only games that she has enjoyed playing are Mario games and Wargroove).

Anyways, all that to say: Any Tabletop Wargames for 1 player? In my various Google searches I came across Fallout: Wasteland Warfare but it didn't seem to have many good reviews. Not to mention it's based on the Bethesda aesthetic.

I'm obviously most interested in WH40K but I am fairly certain you can't play that alone. (If only Chaos Gate worked on Windows 10 :argh::argh::argh:).

Thoughts?
 

udm

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Aug 14, 2008
Messages
2,752
Make the Codex Great Again!
Star Breach recently released the demo of their solo expansion, Star Breach Hunters. Star Breach is basically 40K Kill Team with better rules and customisation.

Rangers of Shadow Deep is a good idea, as mentioned by Snorkack. Frostgrave also has solo scenarios.

Finally, there's Deadzone's Nexus Psi expansion. I really like Deadzone 2e's rules (though I had a love-hate relationship with Mantic but that phase is over now).
 

Angelo85

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Apr 4, 2010
Messages
1,569
Location
Deutschland
1 Player Boardgames might be a better suit for you than Tabletop Wargames since those are usually not really designed with Solo play in mind. Plus Solo scenarios are more often than not just tacked on, dumbed down or meant as introduction/Tutorial to the game in order to prepare you for the "real" game against other humans.

That being said there's a few possibilities for playing solo which could be of interest to you. Since you expressed interest in Warhammer, there are solo scenarios and campaigns both homebrew and official for the current fantasy iteration Age of Sigmar. Here's a gameplay example on Youtube for one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojq1YoDK8RE
Campaign Rules:
https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/~F5y~2bBG5-bJ~e2.pdf
https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/-jW22-Nj~Am44oF~.pdf

The Fallout wargame kinda blows IMHO, but the same company released an Elder Scrolls wargame based on the same but improved core mechanics. It's just personal taste but I still don't enjoy the systems. Might be worth looking into for you though since the Solo mode is featured somewhat prominently from what I understand:
https://www.modiphius.com/elder-scrolls.html

Something I would rather recommend to get started in Solo wargaming than those two games though is Frostgrave. It is a kinda lightweight but very fun wargame where you play a Wizard and his posse trying to get treasure essentially. It has a Rulebook explicitly for solo/coop play.
Core Rules:
https://ospreypublishing.com/frostgrave-second-edition
Solo/Coop expansion:
https://ospreypublishing.com/frostgrave-perilous-dark

Since Rangers of Shadow Deep was mentioned, a pulp spin in a similar vain is Perilous Tales:
http://planetsmashergames.com/perilous-tales/

A comparable Sci-Fi variant if you stretch it a bit would be Core Space:
https://shop.battlesystems.co.uk/core-space-starter-set-132-p.asp


Aside from this I would also strongly recommend you to look into Solo Boardgames. Since there are games specifically designed for Solo/Coop play I think you will enjoy them much more. There are even Solo boardgames that resemble wargames in the sense that they have miniature tactical combat/decisions. You can also save a ton of money if you don't care about the assembly and painting part by purchasing https://store.steampowered.com/app/286160/Tabletop_Simulator/ many, many board games and some Tabletop Wargames (including your favorite Warhammer) are playable there (even Online, which might also help with the friends out of state/no friends issue). Rules for the games are usually downloadable legally and free from the games/publishers Websites.

Some solo boardgames worth looking into:
Zombicide, players against Zombies. Mostly get from A to B while killing/dodging zombies and looting gear along the way in either modern times (the first game), Fantasy (Zombicide: Black Plague) or Sci-Fi (Zombicide: Invader) setting. Personally I had most fun with Black Plague. Coincidentally you can also get that for free in the Tabletop Simulator Workshop.

If you like the video games you might also like the Fallout and Dark Souls boardgames (again both available for Tabletop Simulator). The Fallout one has story elements with choice and consequences but not a deep combat system. Dark Souls is kinda grindy.

For something completely different there's the Arkham Horror Deckbuilding card game (again Tabletop Simulator... I think you see a pattern emerging :D). You have 1 to 4 investigators built from class decks and must solve cosmic horror mysteries. Don't be discouraged by the label card game and give it a shot. It's really good.

Many people enjoy Gloomhaven, it's pretty deterministic though. There's a Steam version that supposedly will be faithful to the Boardgame.
There's also a Hellboy tactical boardgame haven't played that one yet though.

Other popular Solo Boardgames you could look into, albeit a little less what you are looking for yet popular for a reason are (and again many, if not all are available at the Tabletop Simulator Workshop):
https://tastybeansprout.github.io/SoloQuester/


/e: totally forgot to mention that Wargamers are usually a friendly bunch and you could always pay a visit to your local Hobby Shop if you are looking to play some Wargames with others. If you want to play Warhammer, the Games Workshop stores are your destination (just don't get talked into buying their super expensive paints ^^). A unaffiliated hobby store will offer a more diverse experience though since there are many, many interesting games other than Games Workshop products to be discovered and usually different hobby stores will have certain niche games on specific days aside from the currently universally popular Wargames (depending on their customer base's interests and local heroes who might organize and lure other regulars into "their" game).
 
Last edited:

Frood

Barely Literate
Joined
Jul 17, 2020
Messages
1
Location
Poorburg, Europe
Star Breach recently released the demo of their solo expansion, Star Breach Hunters. Star Breach is basically 40K Kill Team with better rules and customisation.

Rangers of Shadow Deep is a good idea, as mentioned by Snorkack. Frostgrave also has solo scenarios.

Finally, there's Deadzone's Nexus Psi expansion. I really like Deadzone 2e's rules (though I had a love-hate relationship with Mantic but that phase is over now).

Surprising these even exist, I'd appreciate if the real KillTeam had rules like that since it's still superior to everything else in the "can I find people who play this?" category but I'm still waiting for them to un-errata the orks choppa costs.
 

Ali Assa Seen

Arbiter
Joined
Jul 3, 2016
Messages
388
I am a singleplayer by default. I love singleplayer cRPGs and I am currently running through M&M III and I'm having a blast. I have become somewhat interested in wargaming, but I have a small issue. None of my friends live close to me (like within the same region, let alone state), not to mention that I doubt any of them would be interested in wargaming. I am married, but my wife would absolutely never get into miniatures wargaming haha. It's funny to even imagine it lol. (I tried to get her to play D:OS1 with me and she did, but she didn't really want to. In fact, the only games that she has enjoyed playing are Mario games and Wargroove).

Anyways, all that to say: Any Tabletop Wargames for 1 player? In my various Google searches I came across Fallout: Wasteland Warfare but it didn't seem to have many good reviews. Not to mention it's based on the Bethesda aesthetic.

I'm obviously most interested in WH40K but I am fairly certain you can't play that alone. (If only Chaos Gate worked on Windows 10 :argh::argh::argh:).

Thoughts?

Check out the 5 Leagues/Parsecs/Klicks series from Nordic Weasel. They're low model count (your warband might reach up to 10 models), can be done on small tables (even smaller if you go to 15mm miniatures), and have pretty good solo rules with a RPG-lite campaign system driving it all. The settings are generic so you can fit almost anything in using the provided profiles, and the campaign system does throw up reasons to get new models, like in Leagues if you get certain events.
5 Parsecs is the sci-fi version, it won't feel like a full blown game of 40k but it fits the rogue trader and inquisitor style perfectly.
 

Casual Hero

Augur
Joined
Mar 24, 2015
Messages
489
Location
USA
I just picked up Fields of Fire and Silent Victory from GMT games; both of these are solo tabletop wargames. Haven't played them yet, but I'm excited to try!
 

Galdred

Studio Draconis
Patron
Developer
Joined
May 6, 2011
Messages
4,346
Location
Middle Empire
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
I know many player play Space Empires 4X solo (like 50% of the playerbase). It has extensive "AI rules".
I cannot really comment its solitary suitability, but it certainly seems to work for them.

For games that are closer to RPG:

Mage Knight is no wargame (more like a puzzle adventure RPG if it makes sense!), but it worked well in solo for me. I guess its ancestor (magic realms?) would work even better.

Descent V2 and Imperial Assault both have an app "mastermind" mode that let you play solo or coop (the opponent moves and setup is handled by the app).
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jul 21, 2020
Messages
98
Location
-
My recommendations from wargames and related genres are: Dawn of Zeds 3-rd edition or 2-nd edition (sort of zombie themed part survival tabletop game - part wargame; game is fairly good); RAF Battle for Britain (wargame made specifically for one player - you must defend Britain from enemy air-forces); Gears of War: Board Game (cooperative tactical game - can be played solo, just as many cooperative games). Extremly good idea is also to look into GMT series named States of Siege (i played only Soviet Dawn - but here many more similar games); made specifically for one player.
Warhammer Quest line is pretty good adventure-wargame hybrid that recently got new edition; it is particulary interesting for solo - you have all mechanics of fantasy themed wargame without real need of other human being present.

From non-wargames: most cooperative tabletop games can be played solo and just as many "ameritrash" games lead to interesting decision and non-the less interesting outcomes (Eldritch Horror, Fortune and Glory, newest Arkham Horror). Card game have Living Card Game lineage produced by Fantasy Flight Games and couple of them (Lord of The Rings LCG, along with Arkham Horror LCG) are cooperative; both games can played online (OCTGN platform / Lucky CCG and similar simulators for card games).

Also.... I can recommend pretty good YouTube channel with long history of solitaire runs (Callasmar), maybe he can give you some clues: https://www.youtube.com/user/callasmar/playlists
 

Lord Rocket

Erudite
Joined
Feb 6, 2008
Messages
1,089
this is a whole thing dude, although you'll be playing hex and chit games like a goddamn man rather than little sissy baby games with miniatures. Google 'solitaire wargames'; here's a few links more-or-less randomly selected from the first page of results:

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/271232/solitaire-wargames-updated-list-2020
https://theboardgameschronicle.com/2020/05/03/solitaire-wargames-my-3-favorite/
https://www.wargamer.com/articles/solitaire-war-games-print-and-play/
https://www.meeplemountain.com/top-six/top-6-solitaire-wargames-for-novices/

I've personally played Phantom Leader and Cruel Necessity; they're both tough resource management games and quite enjoyable for masochists/people who like making tough decisions, but given the setup and takedown time it's hard to recommend this sort of thing over vidya. Sad but true.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom