1 Player Podcast

This week Julius is out so I have a special guest.  A podcast listener, ChrisOkay, comes on the show to talk me into playing Expedition to Newdale.  The game will eventually get played by me but that is probably years away.  Technically, I did play it a couple of times when I first got it... one solo and one with my son.  Chris thinks I should play it sooner and really get it on the table.  So, he tells me all about the game.  I have to admit, it sure sounds fun! Newdale is actually the 3rd game in the Longsdale series but only the 2nd soloable game.  I have the other game in the series, Tybor the Builder and have yet to play that either :| Expedition to Newdale (BGG) Oh My Goods! Big Box (BGG) Tybor the Builder (BGG) Here's the cards I mentioned in the show.  You can follow the path from the next game I'll be talking about (Star Trek Captain's Log) all the way down to Newdale, a lifetime away!

This week Julius and I discuss set collection solo games.  We each bring three games that we think include set collection in the mechanics and are interesting solo games.  Just a footnote here... I am right about Agricola.  The first set of three sheep gets you a point.  After that, every set of two sheep gets you a point!  If you disagree, just let me know. 08:15 Onirim 11:00 Pandemic: The Cure 13:25 Agricola 19:00 Isle of Cats 23:22 PAX 26:00 So You've Been Eaten  

I accidentally used Podbeans AI processing.  Let's see how it sounds.. the description below is from their's. Welcome to Episode 334 of the One Player Podcast, where we dive headfirst into the unique game systems of '20 Strong' and 'Solar Sentinels'. Join our host Albert as he navigates through the intriguing mechanics, quality of components, and player strategies of these engaging board games. First, Albert explores '20 Strong', a solo game based on dice allocation and stat-tracking. Understand the game's high-quality components, unique mechanics, and criticism about the glittery dice. Despite being light on theme, Albert describes '20 Strong' as strategically captivating and provides an in-depth review of its gameplay. In the second part of this episode, Albert shifts focus to the cosmos with the game, 'Solar Sentinels'. Our hosts shed light on their firsthand experiences of this complex game. Though the game's theme elicits differing reactions, the hosts agree on the game's strategic challenge that revolves around managing three different character card attributes. The final segment invites you into the captivating world of dungeon crawlers. The episode provides intriguing discussions about the play dynamics, balance within games, and the aesthetic aspects of the game. Deftly uncovering the intricacies of '20 Strong', 'Solar Sentinels', and dungeon crawlers, the One Player Podcast caters to both beginners and seasoned players looking to up their game.

This week's game is Dungeon Pages, a roll and write by Jasons Greeno & Tagmire.  It's a roll and write dungeon crawl game.  It was initially released once over the course of a year.  Each week you would get a new dungeon page.  Effectively a hero with their set of five dungeons to explore.  Each of those pages is a quick campaign game that can be played in under 30 minutes!

This week Julius and I talk about Bullet ♥︎ and, really, Bullet ★. These games are in the style of Bullet Hell video games were bullets are flying all over the place in overwhelming quantities.  It's a really fast playing simultaneous play game with a timer.  Julius find the timer optional and I appreciate that because it makes the game sound more fun to me.   Bullet ♥︎ (BGG) Bullet ★ (BGG) Bullet series (Level 99)

This week's episode I tell Julius all about the game Red Cathedral, in which you are tasked with helping to build St. Basil's Cathedral in Russia.  It's an interesting game with beautiful artwork and a very simple AI for the solo gamer.  Fortunately, I did most of the talking this week.  Julius's audio was a bit garbled and I was unable to clean it up.

This week Julius and I look at Mathy and try to figure out if the subject adds up for us.  We had some conversations I thought were interesting in what makes or doesn't make a mathy game while presenting six different examples.   07:00 Sprawopolis (BGG) 08:50  Castles of Burgundy (BGG) 15:20 Friday (BGG) 17:15 Cartographers (BGG) 19:45 Search for Planet X (BGG) 21:30 Racetrack (mistakenly called Vector Racing) (BGG, Wikipedia)

This week Julius and I revisit a classic realtime game... Escape: The Curse of the Temple, in which you Indiana Jones your way out of a cursed temple.  Hurry though, you only have 10 minutes! Escape: The Curse of the Temple (BGG, Queen Games)

This week Julius and I talk about Flamecraft, a fun worker placement-ish game of running around being a good dragon.  It is actually worker placement but for me it felt more like running around doing errands than like placing workers.   Flamecraft (BGG, Cardboard Alchemy)

This week Julius and I look at Cyberion, the latest Oniverse game my Shadi Torbey.  It's a cool game about fighting the Devious Cog whose trying to destroy your factory.  We really like the Oniverse and send almost an hour discussing this game! Cyberion (BGG)

This week we learn how to start a new zoo!  Julius tells us about New York Zoo, a game in which you are trying to build a new zoo with animals and rides.  It's a rondel game with polyominoes by Uwe Rosenberg and pretty family friendly. New York Zoo (BGG)

This week's popular mechanics episode is a bit unorthodox.  Instead of looking at a single mechanic, we talk about mechanics (or game stuff) that caught our attention in 2023. 03:10 For Northwood! (BGG) 05:15 Bullet⭐ (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/343844/bullet) 10:55 Wreck This Deck (RPG Geek) 14:20 Bruges (BGG) 1 7:45 Banish the Snakes (BGG) 20:35 Legacy of Yu (BGG) 21:10 Habitat (BGG) 24:37 Overboss (BGG)  

This week I go solo and talk about an RPG called Wreck This Deck.  The title says it all, this is a game in which you get to alter and craft on a deck of playing cards all while trapping demons, doing readings and casting spells.   Best of all, you are altering cards! These are the cards I've altered.   Wreck This Deck (RPG Geek, itch.io, Reddit) Discord (Unofficial) My list of demons and entities (Unkn's)

This week I'm out, as well as next week, so Julius and family fill in to talk about a solo poker game!   Lock & Spell (BGG, Jupiter Valley Studios)

This week's episode, I talk about a small game called Age of Civilization, in which you can play through the rise and fall of empires in about 30 minutes.  It's a fun little worker placement game with lots of choices and lots of variability.  The entire show collapses at the end when my headphones run out of battery.

This week Julius shares a game he can't stop gushing about.  It's Endangered, the cooperative game about saving endangered species.  It's a neat little compact game with an interesting theme and nice artwork. 

Poor Julius sprained his wrist pretty badly and has been struggling with shuffling cards.  This week we brainstorm games that we can play without having to do all that shuffling. 02:30 Escape: The Curse of the Temple (BGG) 04:15 Search for Planet X (BGG) 06:25 Search for the Lost Species (BGG) 09:00 Fields of Arle (BGG)  10:50 Caverna: Cave vs Cave (BGG) 13:00 Nautilion (BGG) 14:50 Castellion (BGG) 15:45 Top Ten Games You Can Play in Your Head by Yourself (RPG Geek) 21:00 Under Falling Skies (BGG) 26:00 Ricochet Robot (BGG)

This week's game is Pericle: The Gathering Darkness.  It's a fantasy adventure board game set in a world that reminds me of ancient Rome or Greece.  It is app driven to simulate playing with a game master and really does feel a lot more like playing an RPG than it feels like playing a boardgame.  I very much have enjoyed playing the game and think it is a pretty unique experience. The game was kindly provided by the publisher, Long Dog Games. Pericle: The Gathering Darkness (BGG, Long Dog Games)

This week Julius and I revisit the game PAX by Bernd Eisenstein and published by Irongames.  This game is a small, fast playing drafting game that reminds me (but not Julius) of 7 Wonders. PAX (BGG, Irongames) PAX: Noctornus (BGG)

Oops, I forgot to attach the episode to the 1st post. This week Julius and I talk about The Spill, a game about saving the environment from a dangerous oil spill from a deep sea rig.  It's a cooperative game with some interesting components and lots to talk about. The Spill (BGG, Smirk & Dagger, Smirk & Dagger Deluxe)