Just like last year, December is the month of looking back on the games played that year. So just like last year, I’m presenting you my top 10 most played games – with some games at the same number of plays, you’re getting 14 games this time. Let’s hop to it!
My 10 most-played solo games of 2023
Last year, I tried to cut down on the number of different games I played, to play fewer games more times overall. I ended up with 100 unique games (61 new) as opposed to last year’s 102 (64 new). That’s an improvement, but pretty minor. Anyway, here’s what 10 games floated to the top!
Sidenote: I am not strictly adhering to the year from January 1st to December 31st; instead, I am defining a year, for the purposes of this blog, as starting on December 1st and ending on November 30th. This should not influence results too much, but it does give me some leeway when preparing these end-of-year posts.
10. Lost Ruins of Arnak (-8)
One of two repeats in this list, Lost Ruins of Arnak is a definite stay in my collection despite losing eight spots. That is mostly because the localized copy of The Lost Expedition hasn’t been released yet. I plan to play my way through this new campaign mode for the game soon enough!
Read my Lost Ruins of Arnak review here.
Read my Expedition Leaders review here.
9. 20 Strong (-)
Fresh off of a mostly glowing review (see below) is the number 9 on this list: 20 Strong, not the last of Chio Theory Games’ offerings on here. This fresh little dice game uses a modular setup and universal rules to give players a different experience based on which module they pick. I particularly like its roguelike elements of levelling up as you work your way towards stronger enemies.
Read my review here.
8. Legacy of Yu (-)
I haven’t played many Garphill Games games, but Legacy of Yu was the first one that felt engaging and challenging all throughout. Like the name implies, it offers a legacy-esque experience, but one that is fully resettable and leaves breadcrumbs for you to discover on subsequent playthroughs.
Read my review here.
7. Hoplomachus Victorum (-)
This one saw a lot of play at the beginning of the year, but I did cheat a little – usually, a game takes four acts, but I logged each act as a separate play. Why? Because an act takes more time to play than every other game on this list, or even some of them combined. Despite all its tactical combats and levelling options, I had to get rid of this game – mostly because Hoplomachus Remastered quenches the same thirst but in a lot less time.
Read my review here.
6. Grove (-)
Last year Orchard was on my list, but this year, its successor takes the spot – and next year, it might be the third and final installment in this series, namely Forage! The premise is simple: play cards on top of each other to match patterns and increase die values. So simple, yet so deep – perfect games to slip into your backpack wherever you go (which is what I do whenever I leave the house for basically any trip).
Read my review here.
5. 51st State: Ultimate Edition (-)
51st State proves that the third time is indeed the charm! After both Imperial Settlers and Empires of the North lost their sheen, the gritty world of 51st State was there to claim the throne in Portal Games’ line of tableau-building card games. At least, for me it did. Tight resources, multi-use cards and lots of tactical decisions set in a post-apocalyptic world make this a winner for me.
Read my review here.
4. Skytear Horde (-)
My first experience with this game was a demo at Spiel where our tiredness ensured we didn’t have an idea of what was happening in the game. Luckily, positive reviews forced me to reconsider – and take back everything I thought Skytear Horde was about. This solo game is the closest I’ve ever come to Magic, both in terms of gameplay and deck construction. It feels good thinking about concepts like tempo and card advantage again!
Read my review here.
3. Jump Drive (-)
Do you think playing a new, symbol-heavy game is a smart move after having played two other games on game night? Neither do I – but it was my first experience with Race for the Galaxy and one that tainted its memory for years. So much so that I got its little brother, Jump Drive. I played the heck out of it with an excellent solo mode found on BGG (one that got turned into an official expansion called Terminal Velocity), in large part because it is so quick to play even just one game. I still need to review this one though, if only because I’ve gotten Race for the Galaxy (including its solo expansion) in the meantime – and if one of these games will make this list next year, it is probably Race.
2. Earthborne Rangers (-)
It took me a while to get into Arkham Horror, with one of the reasons being that such so-called ‘living card games’ tend to demand a lot of time and attention, both inside the game and out. I didn’t think my board game reviewer life could handle one of those games, let alone two. Luckily, I allowed Earthborne Rangers to prove me wrong. It is such a delight to play this game; it is familiar to many an LCG (not in the least because the two main designers have worked at FFG on these games), but it takes it in another direction: a lighter tone, less pressure, and more emphasis on allowing you to tell your own story. Earthborne Rangers is my favourite new game I played this year, and one I wouldn’t be surprised to show up on this list next year as well.
Read my review here.
1. Arkham Horror (=)
The king is still on top, and it’s already a contender for next year too. Getting close to 100 plays overall, Arkham Horror is among the finest games in my collection. My plays slowed down a little this year, but still not enough to lose its pole position. Recently I acquired coloured sleeves to match investigator colours, and I’m already brewing two new decks for a new campaign playthrough. In fact, I might be playing my The Scarlet Keys playthrough as you’re reading this!
Read my review here.
Looking forward to 2024
And that’s a wrap for 2023! This list is always fun to make, if only because it reminds me of games I should be playing again. Lots of games can get lost in the shuffle once their review is done. Last year I lamented the increase in review copies (talk about first-world problems), and I really cut back on those. But still – one of my resolutions for next year is to devote more time to ‘older’ games that deserve to be on my table once again. I think the fact that my list had only two repeats besides eight new entries is telling.
My attempt to stay away from crowdfunding, barring a few known entities, is going great though. But for more on that, I refer you to my next post that is going up early next year, where I will be counting down my top 10 most anticipated games for 2024. Stay tuned!
I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year. See you next year!
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Stidjen Plays Solo 