Mariposas

I love soloing board games. The tactility of the components is a major reason, but also the fact that board games usually deliver a more condenced narrative. So in a few hours worth of Nemesis or Arkham Horror, I get a full story which would take me days worth of Civilization or a shooter to get.

But I don't understand the demand for solo versions based on bots emulating real players. Playing a coop solo is fine, but playing a multiplayer game against a spreadsheet doesn't do it for me.

mads b. wrote: But I don't understand the demand for solo versions based on bots emulating real players. Playing a coop solo is fine, but playing a multiplayer game against a spreadsheet doesn't do it for me.

I never understood the desire to solo board games until the pandemic. That said, there's no excuse for being whiny and entitled in presuming you ought to get one.

I actually prefer bots because otherwise, you're chasing a high score which gets a bit old. A bot makes the goal and the game itself feel much more dynamic and exciting. Plus you get a clear "win" or "lose" which is more satisfying. They do tend to have more rules and admin overhead tho, which is a pain.

Planning to pick this up, although I'm not sure it's the kind of game I'd go for, entirely because Alderac created this in response to a gamer's request. It's lovely, and it's money for charity, and I want to support the company for doing a good thing.

alderacstore.com/purple-butterflies-promo-pack/

I almost never play solo games that tally a score. I'm interested in winning or losing. The only exception is Nemo's War where your score translates into a story segment - much like in the new Space Marine Adventure game you reviewed recently.

Also, I'm differentiating between a sort of AI and a bot. An AI is what you have in Gloomhaven and Gears of War and I like those. Bots are, I believe, more used to simulate human players, and they all seem to require relatively complex flowcharts which in my opinion makes playing a game too much of a hazzle.

ubarose wrote: I'm not judging, but I don't understand wanting to play a board game solo. It seems like an awful lot of fuss and bother compared to playing an app or video game. If Mariposas was a solo game on iOS I'd probably play the heck out of it. But pulling it out and setting it up and then cleaning it up, just to sit any play by myself - too much work.

I am largely in agreement, but I'm starting to bend. My game group's tastes don't match up with mine so it's not uncommon for me to be in the same room or at the same table playing a different game. Not a problem at the moment of course.

I also get things out while my wife works on her diamond dots or quilt piecing. If a game is too hard to set up then yeah, I'm more likely to do something else.

That said . . . solo modes usually suck at making the game interesting or challenging. It can be done, but I've found precious few. I much prefer to play two or three sides simultaneously for just about all games. The people demanding solo mode almost always respond with "nope" when you recommend they play more than one side. I think they shoot themselves in the foot when they do that. But that's their business.