It's #solotober2023 I'm starting this month of daily solo gaming with one of my favorite games of 2023: Measure of the Earth from @MarcFigueras @zweigefuhle and the SNAFU Design team. Trying to determine the shape of the Earth while managing resources and squabbling team members. #boardgames
Day 2 #Solotober2023 ... Playing another @MarcFigueras @zweigefuhle
SNAFU game: Plinius Adversus Vesuvium. Trying to rescue Roman citizens and a senator from the destruction of Mount Vesuvius. Things do not bode well for Pliny and the people this time around. #boardgames
@neildixon
Day 3 #Solotober2023: Playing Bismark Solitaire (the original book game) from Worthington Publishing. Going head-to-head with the British Royal Navy to see if history repeats itself. #boardgames #wargames @neildixon
Day 4 #Solotober2023: Playing Tin Helm from Grey Gnome Games. Delving deep into the abandoned mines of the Black Mountains, full of monsters, traps and treasure. The game and the artwork are outstanding! #boardgames @neildixon
Day 5 #Solotober2023: Playing another game from Grey Gnome Games... Gate. Defending the village from waves of demonic creatures. The final battle begins! #boardgames @neildixon
Day 6 #Solotober2023: Playing Utopia Engine by Nick Hayes for the first time. Find, link and activate the artifacts of the Utopia Engine before Doomsday arrives. Dice throwing and strategic math drive the game. #boardgames @neildixon
Day 7 #Solotober2023: Played Whaleship Essex by JoyPeddler Games for the first time. A business card game! A whale wrecks your ship at sea -- survive! #boardgames #microgames @neildixon
Day 8 #Solotober2023 : Playing Dead Belt by A Couple of Drakes. Create a Belter character and take them out into the black to scavenge derelict spaceships. Solo RPG (also co-op and rivalry modes). Love the story, mechanics and use of common components! #boardgames @neildixon
Day 9 #solotober2023 : Playing another SNAFU game -- Azione Violenta su Barcellona -- from Nicola Saggini and Eduard Altarriba. A reminder of the brutal fascist airstrike that occurred during the Spanish Civil War. #boardgames #wargames. @neildixon
Day 10 #Solotober2023: Played The Malayan Campaign from the Battle Card series by @djackthompson @zweigefuhle and Postmark Games. Trying to lead a successful withdraw of Allied forces from the advancing Imperial Japanese Army. #boardgames #wargames @neildixon
Day 11 #Solotober2023 : Playing Eleventh Beast from @exeuntpress for the first time. The beast will return to London. Investigate the rumors. Verify the truths. Stop the beast. *Really* enjoying the simple mechanics and dramatic fun of this solo rpg. #boardgames @neildixon
Day 12 #Solotober2023 : Playing Battle Card: Moro River from @djackthompson @zweigefuhle and Postmark Games. Assault by Canadian forces against the German army in Italy during WWII. Canadians break thru! Torre Mucchia in sight! #boardgames #wargames @neildixon
Day 13 #Solotember2023 : Playing another in the Battle Card battle card series from @djackthompson @zweigefuhle and Postmark Games: Mortain. Defend against German counterattack to Normandy landing. Artillery on Hill 314 is essential. 👍 #boardgames #wargames @neildixon
Day 14 #Solotober2023 : Playing Mammoth by @exeuntpress . Leading a band of Pleistocene humans to the Northern Hunting Grounds. Challenged by wild animals and starvation. Cave paintings that record the journey provide special abilities. #boardgames @neildixon
Day 15 #Solotober2023: Playing Mazescape from Devir Games. Making my way through the folding-map mazes to defeat the Minotaur and rescue Ariadne. More puzzle than game, a good challenge and kinetic fun. #boardgames @neildixon
Day 16 #Solotober2023: Playing The Battle for Mackinac Island – the game I designed and published with SNAFU. Leading the American assault to retake the strategic island during the War of 1812. Still a challenge every time I play! #boardgames #wargames @neildixon
Day 17 #Solotober2023 : Playing Miru by @Hinokodo . Solo RPG set in a solarpunk future. Explore the world beyond your village and avenge the death of your brother. #boardgames @neildixon
Yikes. It's been a few days since I posted for #solotober2023. Been playing, just haven't been posting. Get ready for a bunch of updates... #boardgames 👍 @neildixon
Day 18 #Solotober2023: Playing more Miru by @Hinokodo . This world opens up with interesting places. Building strength and gathering tools to face the challenges and mysteries it presents. #boardgames @neildixon
Day 19 #Solotober2023: Still more Miru by @Hinokodo . This is a fascinating world – still exploring! Have faced off with T-5 and T-7 robots, wild dogs and a Grolar Bear. Just acquired a laser arm, hope to fashion a new weapon soon. #boardgames @neildixon
Day 20 #Solotober2023 : Playing Dustrunner by Grey Gnome Games. Racing across a post-nuclear wasteland in my all-terrain cyberpunk vehicle. Fending off raiders and other threats. The mechanics and artwork are very cool. #boardgames @neildixon
Day 21 #Solotober2023 : Playing Apex Predator by Peach Garden Games. Tracking and hunting titanic monsters in an ancient forest. Really enjoying the tension and use of common components! #boardgames @neildixon
Day 22 #Solotober2023: Playing the Wars of Marcus Aurelius from @rdeleskie and Hollandspiele. Love the topic (yes, I think about Rome every day) and the mechanics. This is the game that got me into solo gaming and helped me rediscover #boardgames #wargames. @neildixon
@bymattkelly @neildixon I’ve looked at Dustrunner a few times (even had it in my basket a couple of times) because it really does look cool. I think the reason I haven’t bought it yet is I need to add a few more games to make shipping to the UK worthwhile, and I’m still figuring out which games will make up the rest of my order.
@emmahunneyball @neildixon Also highly recommend Tin Helm, Gate and Gates expansion. Add to your cart if you haven't already. Jason Glover (the designer) is also working on a follow up to Tin Helm called Tin Realm (not sure on release date).
@bymattkelly @neildixon first time seeing this game but loving everything in that photo

@bymattkelly
This looks interesting. I've never played anything like this. Are there puzzles, quests or is it the exploration part that is fun?

@Hinokodo @neildixon

@bymattkelly I’ve never played a solo RPG before. Do you have recommendations for the best ones to start with?
@emmahunneyball Whichever ones look most interesting to you. :-) What's your preferred genre? I lean heavy into sci-fi.
@bymattkelly I like sci fi. Space stuff, post-apocalyptic stuff.
@emmahunneyball (Sorry for the slow response.) I'm really excited about Dead Belt right now. Very cool sci-fi story -- strong vibes of the Expanse, the old TTA books, and Alien. The use of cards to build the ships and drive events is really innovative. The roleplaying element is simple, straightforward and enjoyable -- making for easy entry to actually playing the game. And the replayability is very promising. 👉 https://acoupleofdrakes.itch.io/deadbelt
Dead Belt - Solo, Co-Op, or Rivalry by A Couple of Drakes

Scavenge, struggle, and get paid on the gasping frontier, Belter.

itch.io
@bymattkelly fantastic, thanks for the recommendation 🤩 I’m off to look into it
@bymattkelly @Hinokodo @neildixon I've had the Itch.io page for this open for a while now. I've already got some solo RPGs I haven't been playing, but once I work through those (maybe I'll do one next week - Thousand Year Old Vampire feels appropriate as Halloween approaches, as does Thousand Empty Light), this is high on my list.
@bymattkelly @djackthompson @zweigefuhle @neildixon Are there many interesting decisions in there?
@lachlan @djackthompson @zweigefuhle @neildixon For a quick-playing postcard game, the decision-making space is limited by design but I find it interesting and fun. 👍
@bymattkelly I appreciate that you threaded this so I can go back and see the entries I missed.
@bymattkelly @neildixon Thanks for posting this one! It looked so interesting I bought it and played it! 3 Birds salvaged and haven't died yet but I do have some stories!
@arcaneb @neildixon 🙌 Agreed! There are some great stories that come out of this game.