Solo board games
Last checked 27 October 2026
Quick answer: Rush Hour is a one-player puzzle and the easiest start. MicroMacro: Crime City turns a giant city map into 16 cases you can solve alone, and Cartographers and Harmonies are relaxed puzzles that work just as well solo. For a meatier evening, Heat, Everdell, Lost Ruins of Arnak and Wingspan all play from one player. They're in order of our teaching rating, easiest first.
Plenty of hobby games say 1 player on the box, and for some of us a solo game with a cup of tea is the best bit of the week. It's also a good way to learn a big game before teaching it to friends. Every pick here says it plays from one player on the publisher's own page, and we've put them in order of our teaching rating, easiest first. The first few suit someone new to games, and the last few are for a quiet evening with a proper rulebook. Buying one as a present? Any of these works for the person who'd rather play than wait for a games night.
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1. Rush Hour
A one-player sliding puzzle. Set up a traffic jam from a challenge card, then slide the cars and lorries back and forth until the red car can drive out. Challenges run from beginner to expert.
- Players
- 1 players
- Age
- 8+
- Play time
- about 10 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Very easy to teach
Why it suits this: ThinkFun's traffic jam puzzle is one player only, and it's a classic for a reason. Set up the cars and lorries from a challenge card, then slide them back and forth until the red car can drive out. There are 40 challenges from beginner to expert, so it lasts. It's 8 and up, and a puzzle takes about 10 minutes.
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Details last checked 2 November 2026.
2. MicroMacro: Crime City
One huge black-and-white city map, a magnifying glass and 16 cases. You follow suspects across the drawing to work out who did it and why. It won the Spiel des Jahres in 2021.
- Players
- 1 to 4 players
- Age
- 12+
- Play time
- 15 to 45 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Very easy to teach
Why it suits this: Johannes Sich's MicroMacro won the 2021 Spiel des Jahres (Germany's game of the year). It's one huge black-and-white city map, 75 by 110 cm, with a magnifying glass and 16 cases. You follow suspects across the drawing to work out who did it and why. It's 1 to 4 players and co-op with a group, but it's just as good alone at the kitchen table. 12 and up, 15 to 45 minutes.
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Details last checked 22 October 2026.
3. Cartographers
Draw shapes onto your own fantasy map as each card comes up, chasing scoring goals that change every game. Plays solo or with a whole room.
- Players
- 1 to 100 players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- 30 to 45 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: Jordy Adan's Cartographers is a flip-and-write (a card is turned over and you draw on your own sheet). You draw shapes onto your own fantasy map over four seasons, chasing scoring goals that change every game. Thunderworks says it plays 1 to 100, 10 and up, 30 to 45 minutes.
Details last checked 19 October 2026.
4. Harmonies
Stack coloured wooden tokens into mountains, trees and rivers on your board, then build the habitats your animal cards ask for. Has a solo mode.
- Players
- 1 to 4 players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 30 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: Johan Benvenuto's Harmonies has a solo mode in the box. You stack coloured wooden tokens into mountains, trees and rivers on your board, then build the habitats your animal cards ask for. It's calm, it looks lovely on the table, and a game takes about 30 minutes. It's 1 to 4 players, 10 and up.
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Details last checked 19 October 2026.
5. Cascadia
Each turn you take a habitat tile and an animal, building a nature landscape where your bears, salmon and hawks are happy.
- Players
- 1 to 4 players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 45 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: Randy Flynn's Cascadia won the 2022 Spiel des Jahres. Each turn you take a habitat tile and an animal and add them to your landscape, trying to keep your bears, salmon and hawks happy. Scoring goals change from game to game, so the puzzle stays fresh. The base game is at 1 to 4 players, 10 and up, about 45 minutes.
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Details last checked 26 October 2026.
6. Heat: Pedal to the Metal
Motor racing with cards. Push hard into corners and you pick up Heat cards that clog your hand. Legends robot drivers let you play solo.
- Players
- 1 to 6 players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 60 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Takes a little explaining
Why it suits this: Motor racing with cards, from Asger Harding Granerud and Daniel Skjold Pedersen. Push hard into a corner and you pick up Heat cards that clog your hand. The Legends module adds robot drivers, so you can race against a full grid on your own. It's 1 to 6 players, 10 and up, about an hour.
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Details last checked 19 October 2026.
7. Everdell
Woodland critters build a city in a forest valley. Send workers out for resources, then play critter and building cards that start to feed off each other.
- Players
- 1 to 4 players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- 40 to 80 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Takes a little explaining
Why it suits this: James A. Wilson's Everdell has woodland critters building a city in a forest valley, with Andrew Bosley's art all over the cards. You send workers out for resources (worker placement, where you take turns claiming spots that give you things), then play critters and buildings that start to feed off each other. The publisher lists it as solo compatible. It's 1 to 4 players, 10 and up, 40 to 80 minutes.
Details last checked 19 October 2026.
8. Lost Ruins of Arnak
Deck building meets worker placement on an uncharted island. Explore jungle sites, find artefacts, face guardians and race up the research track. Plays solo too.
- Players
- 1 to 4 players
- Age
- 12+
- Play time
- 30 to 120 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Takes some explaining
Why it suits this: Mín and Elwen's Lost Ruins of Arnak mixes deck building (you start with a small deck of cards and add better ones as you go) with worker placement. You explore jungle sites, dig up artefacts, face guardians and race up the research track. Czech Games Edition lists it as playable solo. It's 1 to 4 players, 12 and up, about 30 minutes a player, and it takes some explaining the first time.
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Details last checked 21 October 2026.
9. Wingspan
Attract birds to your wildlife reserves. Each bird card you play adds a power, so your turns get bigger as the game goes on.
- Players
- 1 to 5 players
- Age
- 14+
- Play time
- 40 to 70 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Takes some explaining
Why it suits this: Elizabeth Hargrave's bird game won the 2019 Kennerspiel des Jahres (the German award for more involved games). Each bird you play adds a power, and those powers chain together, so your turns get bigger as the game goes on. Solo, you play against the 16 Automa cards in the box (a deck that plays as your opponent). It's 1 to 5 players, 14 and up, 40 to 70 minutes.
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Details last checked 19 October 2026.
Want something for two instead? See our two-player board games. For a present for someone who already plays, try board game gifts for board game lovers, and for bigger games to play with friends, see strategy board games.
How we choose and check
We pick games for the situation, and ignore hobby rankings and hype. Player counts, ages and play times come from the publisher's own page or the box. If we can't confirm a detail there, we leave it off the card. The teaching rating is our own view from reading the rules, not a publisher figure. Nobody pays us to include a game. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. See how we make money.