An Unfortunate Solo Play with the Raccoon Tycoon PossumBot

Invest in railroads and buildings while playing the stock market with all manner of commodities in Raccoon Tycoon.
Going through my unplayed games, I somehow stumbled across Raccoon Tycoon, which I received a rare solo mode deck for awhile ago. My hopes weren’t all that high… Stock markets and auctions are difficult to simulate for a single player, but I was most excited about the adorable artwork! So onto my table this one crept, one paw at a time!
Game Overview
Game Name: Raccoon Tycoon
Publication Year: 2018
Designer: Glenn Drover
Artists: Jacoby O’Connor & Annie Stegg
Publisher: Forbidden Games
Solo Mode: Included in DeepThought PossumBot
The goal is to take advantage of a dynamic market, selling products at high prices without giving away too much to the solo opponent. Railroad shares are auctioned off, and towns require certain resources, all while buildings can help in a variety of ways. Lots to see in this world!
First Play
November 25, 2024
Complexity
2
Latest Play
November 25, 2024
Expansions
1
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
1
Play Time
40 Minutes
High Score
45
Game Area
34" x 22"
Low Score
45
Auctions and Actions
I went into this session with a fair amount of hesitation. A lot of the solo design comes from Lizard Wizard, which didn’t work out for me at all. Plus… Auctions?
Bidding wasn’t all that terrible, yet I was struck by how random this was. Not random for the sake of variety, but random in a way that only made sense mathematically.
There weren’t indications that this would simulate a logical opponent, but it would randomize the actions.
My expectations were low and there was still room for some sort of fun to come from this experience, though!
Extra, Extra Work
Uh-oh. The fact that all of these actions required lengthy paragraphs was a red flag. There were priority lists, but then some of the math equations were just work.
For instance: Look at the solo opponent’s commodities. Can it earn $15+? Pick the one where it makes the most, but make sure it doesn’t match the current town’s needs.
Then, calculate that exact price and understand that it’s only earning 10%, but the rounding might be up or down.
Does the commodity price then change? No idea: It’s not stated. And this is just a single action and all the thinking.
Fantastic Animal Art
I wanted to have a great time with this one, because who can’t resist adorable animals in fancy attire?! I can’t. Ha!
These were all so cute to see out on the board, yet it was kind of disappointing that they were merely the equivalent of flavor text to track railroad set collection.
Since the railroad auctions were the only main way the solo opponent could ruin my plans, I mostly stuck to all of the other actions so I could be guaranteed progress.
It felt solvable because the solo opponent was so random. No real strategic decisions were made with the cards.
More Arithmetic
Depending on the type of railroad, the solo opponent had a random amount to add on. But this was just frustrating. I had to look up the commodity price for the matching type.
Effectively, it was typically an amount in the $2-$5 range. I just had to plan ahead for the worst-case scenario and not try to buy railroads when a commodity was in demand.
This is another example of randomness for the sake of being random. Just give me a number on the card!
Unfortunately, gameplay dragged on as I found myself just finding ways to dance around the solo opponent.
Some Games Aren’t Solo-Friendly… And That’s Ok
Trying to create a solo mode for a game so heavily based on a dynamic stock market and blind bidding auctions seemed like a monumental task, and I was rather curious. I’m not someone who demands a solo mode for every game out there, though. Sometimes, mechanics aren’t suitable or the general game atmosphere is designed for multiple players.
No problem! I almost think forcing a solo mode that doesn’t do anything for solo players is worse than simply accepting that a game isn’t meant to be played solo. My husband and I have yet to play this one together, and after this experience, I’ve requested we leave it on the shelf for a bit so I can forget this play session. Unfortunate, but true.
I never like to dislike a game, yet it happened here in a very frustrating way. Is this designed to improve my choices when playing multiplayer, kind of like a learning mode? Maybe that’s the target audience, but all of the extra work to figure out what the solo opponent was supposed to do felt like way too much effort for what this game has to offer.
You may notice that most of my new game purchases are for games with an included solo mode. That’s a big factor for me, yet multiplayer-only games are still awesome! I have friends I play with somewhat regularly, and if I can’t play something solo, it’s either meant for the group or simply something to admire from afar. No forced solo modes, please!
Session Overview
Play Number: 1
Expansion: Raccoon Tycoon: DeepThought PossumBot
Solo Mode: Included in DeepThought PossumBot
Play Details: Easy Difficulty Level
Outcome: 45-45 (Loss)
I made so many mistakes that gave the solo opponent more cash, thanks to being confused. The reshuffle card didn’t make sense until I realized that its definition was mixed in with the setup, and the setup instructions applied to every time it came out. The building tiles were pretty neat, but this was not a good solo experience at all.
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
4
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
4
Originality
Design & Theme
5
Quality
Components & Rules
6
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
3
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
4
+ Pros (Positives)
- The artwork is incredible with highly detailed animals in some of the fanciest outfits imaginable.
- Different building tiles create some variety and a unique decision space to focus on various ways to move ahead.
- Affecting the commodity prices is interesting and creates situations where it sometimes pays to wait it out.
- Paper money may not be the greatest thing, yet it works well in this case and feels rather sturdy.
- Flipping over a new town can sometimes be excellent when the right commodities have been saved up.
- Most buildings have clear descriptions printed on them and referencing the rules for them is rather uncommon.
– Cons (Negatives)
- There is an astonishing amount of overhead to run the solo opponent and constantly calculate sums every round.
- Solo actions are extremely random and don’t feel like they simulate a logical opponent working towards victory.
- While the base game is fairly straightforward, the solo mode introduces way too many ambiguities and confusion.
- Gameplay drags on with an emphasis on avoiding the railroad shares to plan guaranteed paths to victory points.
Victory Conditions
Score the Most Points
- Overall Goal Progress 0%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game at the easy difficulty level.
Continue the Conversation
Have you ever played the solo mode for Raccoon Tycoon? I hesitate to outright not recommend something, but since this deck is so rare and hard to find, I would caution against seeking it out. Are there any solo games that have surprised you in a nice way lately? This isn’t one of those… But my solo table has been full, and I’ve got positive posts ahead!
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