1 Player Podcast

Julius is back!  To celebrate, we talk about rondel games, a subject he is much more familiar with than I.  We explore a few games that feature Rondels.  As usual, I try to stretch that definition a bit.

• 02:10 Red Cathedral (BGG)
• 05:15 Transmissions (BGG)
• 08:20 Coldwater Crown (BGG) / New Bedford (BGG)
• 11:35 Ora et Labora (BGG)
• 12:50 New York Zoo (BGG)
• 17:10 Patchwork (BGG)
• 17:45 Indian Summer (BGG) / Cottage Garden (BGG)
• 18:38 Dreams of Tomorrow (BGG) / Dreams of Yesterday (BGG)
• 20:03 Merchants of the Dark Road (BGG)
• 25:28 Pandemic: The Cure (BGG)

This week we finish ranking the Simply Solo games designed by Scott Almes and published by Button Shy Games.  Find out which are my favorite top 3 of the six games.

• Simply Solo Series (BGG, Button Shy Games)
• 04:00 Ugly Gryphon Inn (BGG, Button Shy Games)
• 09:21 Fishing Lessons (BGG, Button Shy Games)
• 19:56 Food Chain Island (BGG, Button Shy Games)

This week I look at the Simply Solo series from Button Shy Games.  This is a collection of solo games all designed by Scott Almes, of many other games fame (Tiny Epic series, Warp's Edge and many more).  In this two-part show, I rank the games from least to most favorite and focus on the last 3. Don't forget to enter the contest and win a copy of The Last Lighthouse.

• Simply Solo Series (BGG, Button Shy Games)
• 09:19 Usurmountable (BGG, Button Shy Games)
• 15:25 The Last Lighthouse (BGG, Button Shy Games)
• 22:06 The Royal Limited (BGG, Button Shy Games)

This week I bring Lord the Rings the Card Game from Fantasy Flight back to the table.  This is a game that honestly, is often on the table.  It's by far my most played game.  I enjoy the deck construction and fun adventures of this game.  It's still a great time to get into the game too.

• Lord of the Rings: LCG (BGG, FFG)
• A Long-extended Party (aLeP) free third-party content for the game

This week Julius is out so I have my very own dream quest as I talk about the game In Dreams by Jamie Thul & Mike Berg.  It's an interesting little solo journaling game using a deck of unique cards and a little bit of AI magic.

• In Dreams (BGG, Side Room Games, PnP Arcade)

This week Julius and I go out on a limb and talk about miniatures gaming.  Turns out this isn't a subject we really know much about so we struggle to come up with some good examples of it.  Still, I think the episode is useful if you are curious about miniatures gaming and want to find out a bit about what that is.

Also, check out the new YouTube channel for an alternate way to listen to the show.

• 08:55 Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms (BGG)
• 10:30 Rangers of Shadowdeep (BGG)
• 13:30 Adventures of Robin Hood (BGG)
• 16:05 Solo Wargamer's Guide (BGG)
• 18:00 Mice & Mystics (BGG)
• 23:45 Too Many Bones (BGG)

This week Julius is back (but staying far far away from my teleporter).  He talks about being lost in space in the game Unsettled in which you are exploring new planets while lost in space.  It's a big big episode about a big big game!

This week Julius and I return to talk, yet again, about Sentinels of the Multiverse.  This time we change things up a bit and talk about new content.  First, we talk about the Cauldron expansion for the  original editions.  Then we talk about the Definitive Edition and our thoughts on that.

The Cauldron

This week I'm talking about another solo RPG.  It's Star Trek Captain's Log by Modiphius Games.  Due to some technical issues, I ended up recording alone.  Hopefully any problems are resolved before the next recording.  Sorry Julius!

This is an interesting game in which you create a character to tell stories that feel like an episode of any one of the TV  series.  It's a versatile system that is worth checking out if you are a Star Trek fan.  Just be ready for a bit of a struggle to find the fine.

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.