Since the subjective taste of every player can vary quite drastically, the answers to the last question show the total number of votes instead of percentages. The chart includes all games that have received more than 20 votes.

It is quite interesting to compare this list with BoardGameGeek’s top 200 solo games ranked according to the people’s choice. The results above reveal a strong preference towards games that incorporate a storytelling experience, whether that is from the emergent narrative or a long campaign.

We have, however, also asked the community why the game(s) they marked as their favorite are held in such high regard. Even though it is impossible to provide a coherent graph of over 1000 personalized explanations of what makes a game great (for solo), we’ve read every single one of your answers. And so, as a fun experiment, let’s try to bring them all together in a set of features that would, theoretically, describe an ideal game that would satisfy everyone’s taste.

The most important areas turned out to be production quality, theme, story, and gameplay mechanics. The first two categories are rather straightforward. Good production quality implies that the components, like minis or tokens, should be artistically well-designed, fun to engage with in a tactile way, and help build a pleasant table presence that facilitates the immersion into the game. When considering the theme, it’s important that the gameplay mechanics and what it feels like when you play correspond to what the game is actually about.

The gameplay mechanics category can be broken down into several layers. First, it is crucial that the game is clearly designed with a solo mode in mind, either as a true solo game suitable only for a single person, or with a competent solo variant that doesn’t compromise on the experience of playing with other people. This can be done through a competent automa or a good solo mode. In both cases, it is important that the game is easy to manage with only a short downtime for upkeep so you spend more time actually playing the game rather than managing it.

The game should also provide a challenge that is complex enough to maintain high tension and provide a sense of accomplishment upon winning (ideally with the option to adjust the difficulty). Yet, the setup and tear down time should be short enough that it doesn’t discourage from bringing the game down from its shelf. The challenges you face should be varied enough for high replayability, and a high level of variety should be also present in options that players have for developing and optimizing their character through unique skills and builds that you can tailor to your own taste. To support the gameplay experience, the rules need to be streamlined and approachable while still allowing deep, meaningful gameplay choices and strategic options. Finally, the mechanics should support the sense of exploration, discovery, and progress both in terms of your character and of the story.