Where to Look for Unofficial Solo Variants and Modes

Discover the different places on BoardGameGeek and elsewhere to find a solo variant for a traditionally multiplayer game.
My board game collection started off as a mixture of titles designed for 2+ players. I had very few actual solo modes available to me, and I had to dig around to find possible solo variants. Some board games can’t be played by a single individual, but fear not! There are a lot of excellent unofficial alternatives out there. It just takes a little searching!
The Horror of the 2+
The majority of board game boxes contain basic information, including the player count. What to do about those terrible 2-4 or 2-5 player designations?!
First, try not to fall apart and faint away like this over-dramatic Calico Critter. Things will work out.
Board games without solo modes may not be designed for solo experiences, but this doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. This is where unofficial variants come in.
At the same time, some multiplayer board games can’t be enjoyed solo. It never hurts to do a quick search, though!
Official vs Unofficial Solo Variants
In almost every case, a 1+ player board game includes an official variant or mode of play for solo. This is often, but not always, heavily playtested by those close to the game. There are also excellent solo mode designers who offer up their talents. Official solo variants typically have a history of being fully tested, which can make them well-balanced.
A properly developed official solo variant can also suffer from a closed mindset. It may work off of the multiplayer game rules, but its enjoyment level and overall difficulty can be problematic for experienced solo players.
On the other hand, unofficial solo variants usually come out after the release of a board game designed for 2+ players. The development process can be looser and less controlled. I hesitate to use the term “less professional” in this case, though. Just because someone isn’t a professional game designer or developer doesn’t mean the quality suffers.
In fact, some official solo variants are simply amazing! These passion projects are created by fans of board games. This can lead to a hit-or-miss element since some rulesets won’t work for everyone. However, they’re not to be ignored.
So, which is better? There really isn’t a true answer to this. Official solo variants might be more polished in general, but unofficial solo variants come from passionate players who love to play these board games. It’s important to know the difference between them, but as to which type I recommend? Both! Be sure to look at every available option.
The Player Count
BoardGameGeek has a robust database of board games. Each one has a listing like this that highlights the official player count. I’ll use Res Arcana for this full example.
Some might run away right after spotting this player count. 2-4 players and nothing for a solo player? Bye!
But wait! This is the perfect time to start exploring some partially hidden areas to see if a solo variant exists.
A Note About My BoardGameGeek Screenshots
The appearance of the site in my screenshots is likely different from what you see. I use custom CSS to make the fonts larger, remove excess white space, and make the site more accessible for me. The content is still the same, though!
Perusing the Files
There are a lot of tabs for every game. As shown above, Overview, Ratings, Forums, Images, Videos, Files, and much more are listed. Where to begin?
Take a look at the Files section. Newer board games usually have a sparse section, but this can be enormous!
Keep an eye out for anything labeled with “solo” or “solitaire” for possible options. A page search can help.
Ways to Narrow Down the Files
There are a few methods to make this search a little easier:
- Sorting: Choosing “Hot” over “Recent” can help show which solo variants have more activity than others.
- Language: Choosing a specific language can remove resources that are translations or non-solo files.
- Appearance: Choosing “Compact” over “Relaxed” can list more files in a smaller space with fewer details.
A lot of this comes down to personal preference, of course. As of February 2020, there were 8 files for Res Arcana in English that related to solo or solitaire. That’s a lot! But this is where the research phase comes in. Many board games have multiple solo variants. The right one for you can take a little reading and testing, though the process can be quick!
To the Variants Forum
Another useful tab is the Forums section. But be sure to narrow this down a little bit. There are sub-sections listed on the page. What you should look for are the Variants.
Why check this area plus the Files? Not every solo variant is posted in both places. Some overlap is present, though.
This may all seem overly time-consuming, but there are other methods. No worries! Just don’t faint like the cat.
Solo Variants Lists
The nice thing is that a lot of this work has already been done for you! The 1 Player Guild is a large group of helpful solo players. The community is absolutely wonderful!
The Solitaire Resources contain a lot of helpful lists. In particular, pay attention to the Solo Variants Lists.
These lists are not exhaustive, yet they can help provide more information about solo variants that work well.
SGOYT Aggregator
Not every tool to locate solo variants exists on the BoardGameGeek site. The SGOYT Aggregator lists all entries related to a particular board game.
SGOYT stands for Solitaire Games On Your Table. It’s a monthly list where solo players report about solo plays.
Protect your wallet! There are so many tempting solo games, particularly with lovely photos and explanations!
How to Make the Most of the SGOYT GeekLists
I sometimes visit SGOYT with a particular goal in mind… And then I end up going off in another direction, reading plenty of excellent reports, and wanting to add 10 new games to my collection. IMMEDIATELY. Ha! It’s an amazing resource, though it helps to focus when searching for a particular solo variant. Or just have fun following along!
Some ways to make the most of Solitaire Games On Your Table include the following:
- Titles Only: There is an option to only show board game titles, which can make focused browsing very easy.
- Similar Users: See if there are solo players who share similar tastes and played a solo variant you’re interested in.
- Comments Section: Every GeekList entry has individual comments, so make sure not to miss this area.
Actual reports about official solo modes or unofficial solo variants can be invaluable. Understanding how these options play is important, particularly when there are multiple variants to try out. Eliminating one can be very useful!
Ask the 1 Player Guild
When time is short or your options are overwhelming, turn to the 1 Player Guild! Simply asking which solo variant works best for a game is very effective.
Of course, a fast search on the 1 Player Guild Forum can help answer a question before it needs to be asked.
Yet even multiple topics are never a problem, particularly if you’re looking for a specific solo experience. Ask away!
Other Places to Look Online
There are countless ways to continue the search for a solo variant, including the following:
- Search Engines: BoardGameGeek might have most of the information, but search terms can yield other results.
- Board Game Blogs: Sometimes a specific solo board game blog will review a solo variant in a lot of detail.
- Official Sites: Although not common, unofficial solo variants are sometimes mentioned on publisher web sites.
In the worst-case scenario, there is always the option to create your own solo variant! This process isn’t a simple one, though it is interesting to explore every step involved. I’ve dabbled throughout the years, which has been quite fun and challenging. If nothing else, developing a solo variant provides a greater appreciation for what the professionals do!
Finding Solo Variants
The joy of discovering an enjoyable solo variant can be better than victory! It feels awesome to finally be able to play a multiplayer game that may have been neglected.
There is the possibility that nothing will come from this search. Card drafting, area control, and traitor mechanics are often difficult to replicate in a solo experience.
Still, it never hurts to look! I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy many of my games without unofficial solo variants.
Some of my favorite games aren’t even designed for solo! There are a lot of great options available out there.
Continue the Conversation
How do you find solo variants for your board games? Perhaps you’re one of the lucky solo players who doesn’t own a game box with the dreaded 2+ players! There are other ways to look for unofficial solo modes. Are there other methods you use? The search may take a little time, yet the reward of being able to play solo is almost always worth it!
Thanks for this article. I’ve recently often mused over my collection, wondering if I could whip up a playable set of solo rules for my multiplayer games, so this came along at a perfect time!
I want to say that although this is my first comment, I’m thoroughly enjoying your new blog. The mix of article types is great so far, and I appreciate ones like this that dive deeper than “here’s some links, bye”. Some of the techniques you shared were non-obvious and very helpful.
I’d love to see a follow up going in depth on a particular game with unofficial solo rules, one that you found very unexpected, or perhaps passionate about.
Keep up the great work Jessica! (Was there a hidden elephant in this one? If so I haven’t found it.)
You’re very welcome, James, and thank you for the kind words! Making your own solo variants is definitely challenging, yet also really interesting and rewarding. I have very little experience in that area, though I encourage you to give it a whirl.
I have plenty of ideas swirling around for other articles. I’m glad you’re enjoying the mix so far! Likely I’ll get into a little more of a rhythm, though I do have some longer games I hope to report on for awhile. Going in-depth with consecutive plays has been awesome for me as I discover nuances and master my strategies.
Unofficial solo variants were requested as topics to cover on my blog. They’re definitely coming! I have a few favorites, particularly for older games, that are surprisingly great. I’m planning to cover at least one of those in the near future, likely in the next week or so. Keep an eye out!
Thank you again for the kind words, and for following along! No Stealthy Elephants are pictured here this time, though word has it that they’re planning to stampede into some more posts soon enough!
My general impression is that a solo system which exists only in the Variants section is more likely to be a work in progress, while if it’s been uploaded to Files the creator is reasonably happy with it (though of course it may still get updated later). But that’s certainly not always true.
There’s so much of SGOYT these days that I read it in titles-only mode and only expand for games or people I’m interested in. But that seems to work pretty well.
I had the same ideas about the Files vs. Variants Forum for awhile. It’s a good point that does seem to be true at times, though there are some nice exceptions! I think there are some who just don’t upload separate documents, which makes the search interesting with all the places variants can exist.
I may need to follow suit and go with titles-only. It’s hard to keep up, and I’ve been skimming a lot of SGOYT entries. They’re all excellent, but as I always say, we need more time in the day!
Great article! Keep up the awesome work and passion!
Thank you kindly, Derek!
Good article! Look forward to upcoming solo variants you’d recommend!
Thank you very much! Naturally, I have about a million things on my to-do list. However, I hope to cover some of my favorite unofficial solo variants soon enough. There are a lot of excellent ones out there!