Last week on Wednesday for my stream I played Metro X on the Malts and Meeples YouTube. That made me think about a question, there are a lot of roll and write games out there. And a lot of roll and write games play well solo. So what are some that I’d really recommend solo because you can get them to the table quickly. It’s time to talk about my Top 5 Roll and Write Games to play solo.

Top 5 Roll and Write Games to Play Solo

5. Paper Dungeons

Paper Dungeons is one that works well solo and multiplayer. So in terms of a lot of a few of the roll and write games on the list, I think it is balanced out a bit more. But this one really does work nicely solo because it makes the game faster. You roll the dice and take your dice actions and are done. The limiting factor on how quickly it goes is you. This is a common thing for a lot of these games solo.

There is a downside to it, which is why it is lower on the list. In Paper Dungeons you lose out on the bonus when fighting the different boss monsters along the way. No one can get the bonus for dealing the most damage because you aren’t playing against an opponent.

4. Cartographers

Cartographers is going to be one where I say that it’s also one of the role and write games where it works well with many as well solo. And Cartographers might be one of the most challenging solo games out there. The scoring objectives you have all have numbers on them. And that combined total is what you’re trying to defeat. Plus they give you negative points, so you need to overcome all of that to just get a positive score. And how you place the monsters on the board changes, but it’s a ton of fun either way.

3. Railroad Ink Challenge

This is the first where I think I really do prefer it just solo. Mainly because I’ve taught Railroad Ink a few times and it’s gone well, but people feel like there is a bit much to keep track of. I like it with everything in there, at least for the base game and the challenges because I think it adds purpose and direction to the game. But for some people, it feels like too much. So since I know the game well, I prefer it as a solo game that I can knock out quickly.

But the route connecting and everything moves along quickly. Even the challenges don’t change from multiplayer to solo. Either way you have a specific round to hit for getting the challenges. So if you get it on that round or sooner you score the max points. If you get it prior to the end of the game you end up with fewer points.

2. Super-Skill Pinball 4-Cade

Another one that is better solo, I think. And Super-Skill Pinball 4-Cade is one of the roll and writes that I’ve mainly just played solo. The reason I like it better solo is that players can get out of sync. So I might lose my ball sooner than you lose your ball. That is the way that pinball tables go. So I play my second ball and it’s unlikely I lose it super quickly, but if i do you may continue playing for a period of time longer.

It’s really that the game can let one person go a lot longer that I think creates a bigger challenge to the game. Especially on some of the boards where a player might end up in a special area of the board. If they do, then it’s possible that they can prolong their game notably. At that point one person might need an extra 10 minutes to wrap up the game. The pinball tables are a ton of fun, but there is a good reason to play it solo.

1. The “Clever” Games

Finally it’s all of the Clever games from Wolfgang Warsch. I really enjoy all of these games. And I think that they are best at two or solo player counts. Why, because at more you lose a little agency in the game. You always get something on an opponents turn, but when your opponents have more turns, you play fewer turns as the active player. So that loss of agency, I think, makes it better as a solo or two player game.

And when you play at solo or two players the rules don’t change. Since in solo you get the rolls of an “opponent” to go against. And that’s really just getting that selection on an opponents turn like you would on a two player game. The dice might be limited in different ways than normal, but the outcome is similar.

Also, yes I did cheat and put four games on the list there.

Final Thoughts

A lot of roll and write games work well solo. Though, so many now hare being made to keep that feeling similar no matter what. By that I mean that most of these games now rely upon everyone going at once. So when you take an action or roll the dice, all of us get to go on that roll of the dice or the flip of the cards. I love that about the games because it lets you really play pretty quickly without losing an interesting game and interesting choices.

What are your favorite roll and write games to play solo? I know that I need to learn and play Hadrian’s Wall solo as well as there are others like Metro X, Fleet the Dice Game, that I like solo or still others like Three Sisters, Motor City, and more that I know people like solo. So I want to get even more to the table.

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