You’ve probably noticed that many recent games, especially those in the Euro style genre, now include a solo mode. This can be a great way to learn the game and improve your strategy when competing against ‘real’ opponents. If your most recent purchase includes a solo mode, I’d like to share some tips on how to get the most out of it.
Learning the Game
Your newest epic strategy game has arrived, and you’re eager to get started. You’ve watched some ‘how to play’ videos, feeling ready for the challenge ahead. Often, you’ll find a way to play solo on the last page of the rulebook. This is a great way to test out the game’s mechanics against an AI that can get in your way.
Playing solo allows you to get used to different action types, such as collecting resources or playing cards. You’ll have complete access to explore the game in a more relaxed fashion, while still having a competitive element to beat.
As I mentioned, AI, or more commonly known as Automa, can help you discover the game or practice even if you’re used to playing it. Take the 15th Anniversary Edition of Patchwork, which added a new Automa. This game, which has seen various iterations and is available online, didn’t offer a 1-player experience until recently. Now, you can play it with something that blocks the exact tile you want and scores points. The Automa in this game always takes the first tile next to the natural token in the centre of the table. This means you’ll have to calculate and consider your choices a little more, as the AI will always choose the same first tile (unless it doesn’t fit, it then chooses the next that can fit on its board).
While it might seem more 2-dimensional than a human opponent, using this to your advantage while maintaining good plays is crucial. Many Automa games have different scoring levels, rewarding more points depending on the method. For instance, in a game like Galactic Cruise on Hard Mode, you’ll often face an opponent who frequently takes two actions, launches more ships, and moves more efficiently, almost like a real human player. On Easy, you have time to think and make suboptimal decisions, but as you learn the game, you’ll find yourself facing a real challenge to victory.
Improving Tactics
This leads us nicely to the real meat of board gaming, at least for me. This is particularly interesting to me because it’s the tactic question that I find myself pondering during and after games. I wonder what the best move is for each instance I encounter.
Many games act like puzzles that reveal themselves over multiple play sessions. Through these games, you can grasp the emphasis of a certain mechanic. Even on the simplest levels, AI simply won’t allow you to win if you’ve made poor choices throughout the game. For example, if you don’t release the European Wolf into the wild in Ark Nova, you probably won’t win.
Some games, like Black Forest by the profile Uwe Rosenburg (of already mentioned Patchwork fame), created turn-based solo modes. In these modes, you compete to score the most points in a set amount of turns. Ark Nova uses the same system, where you have 27 turns to try and cross the two score tracks. These solo modes, like AI counterparts, help to build a vision for the entire game. In any game, you only have so many turns or actions to compete. Knowing when to focus on point-giving actions is essential.
In solo mode, you can spot mistakes even if you’re feeling daring. You can retake your turn and note them for the next game. Mistakes are more obvious in solo mode because you don’t have the pressure of another player to cloud your judgement, allowing you to really take your time. Knowing mistakes is one thing, but understanding what to do right in the future is even more important.
Each solo session offers new insights, and hopefully, you’ll gradually refine your approach. What seemed like the optimal move early on may reveal its flaws as your understanding deepens. This dynamic growth is at the heart of mastering board games. With that in mind, let’s delve into strategies that can help shape and sharpen your gameplay over time.
Testing Strategies
As we explore strategies, I think it would be helpful to start with a few examples. In Terraforming Mars, you could focus entirely on one aspect, such as building city tiles, to see how far that singular approach can take you. This isolated testing helps refine your understanding of the game’s dynamics, enhancing your adaptability in multiplayer sessions. By repeatedly facing the AI’s consistent behaviour, you develop a disciplined approach to decision-making.
Alternatively, you could try Apiary. In this game, the AI’s bees are there to help simulate the ‘bumping’ mechanic and try to outscore you, of course. However, you could also try a complete farm strategy, where you consistently recall your workers, racing to the finishing point. Alternatively, you could take a slower approach using Seed cards or trying to score Carving projects. Solo play provides the perfect environment to experiment with different tactical approaches without the immediate consequence of losing to another player. You can deliberately try unconventional moves, test risky strategies, and push the game’s mechanics to their limits.
Of course, you can use the internet to read opinions on optimal moves, cards, or locations to look for within any game. However, applying these strategies in the real world, on paper and cardboard, is another matter entirely.
Another thing to note is that strategies evolve over the course of a game. Sometimes, the right option won’t appear, and you’ll have to pivot towards a new strategy. Planning moves ahead is a great way to help you know the short-term direction and avoid getting distracted. Additionally, planning two, three, or even four moves means that you’re not fixed on a strategy when the time arises.
One final thing to say is that it is good to identify the core mechanics within the game and experimenting with how different strategies interact with these elements. For example, if resource management is key, try optimising getting wheat, bricks, or space bucks. After finishing, reflect on what worked and consider alternative decisions you could have made.
Conclusion
Solo modes are more than just a way to pass the time when no one else is available. They are powerful tools for deepening your understanding of a game. I hope that your next solo session results in a win, not only against the AI, but when you finally convince your friends to play too…
