Yashima's 2025 Top 20 Solo Games

Created 2026-09-18 · 20 games ·

Ranked 1× · last ranked 2026-09-18

in 2025 I neglected to make a list of Top 2025 solo games, so I consulted my plays and decided which 20 games to include that were actually played and ranked them according to my 2026 whims. A lot of games were played a couple of times but are not mentioned on the list, a few favorites never made my solo table. I had a total of 53 different solo games (estimated) on my table and 221 plays over all. The year before I had 496 solo plays of 76 different games. Although in 2023 I also had just 285 plays of 57 different games. So maybe 2024 is the outlier.

BGG list:

#	Title	Comment
1	Spirit Island ↗ (2020) 82 plays · last played 3/15/26	Despite getting to my table not very often it remains a perennial favorite. Work has been stressful so this is not the kind of game I can play a lot. But I dream of being back in the right state of mind. Solo Plays 2025: 4 Ranking Last year: 1
2	Harmonies ↗ (2024) 116 plays · last played 10/4/26	It is so cozy and has a nice table presence, I can play this even when tired and enjoy myself building a beautiful landscape Solo Plays 2025: 28 Ranking Last year: 6
3	Terraforming Mars ↗ (2017) 138 plays · last played 9/24/26	I did not play as much of the solo challenge on the app as the year before and still when ranking it went up. Solo Plays 2025: 4 Ranking Last Year: 5
4	Daybreak ↗ (2023) 241 plays · last played 5/30/26	This went down a little, I may have played this a little too much and this ranking reflects my 2026 taste more than my 2025 taste possibly. Still the combos are delicious and the solo is quick and satisfying Solo Plays 2025: 17 Ranking Last Year: 2
5	Sanctuary ↗ (2025) 16 plays · last played 5/16/26	This is a new entry to the list. Yay. I got this late in 2025 so if I had made the list in November as usual, it would probably not have been on it. But it is a beautiful hexagonal combo-tasm that I have really come to enjoy merging some Cascadia like positioning with a simplified but still recognizable action selection from Ark Nova. Solo Plays 2025: 6 Ranking Last Year: new entry
6	Cascadia ↗ (2021) 92 plays · last played 6/14/26	I played this a lot less than the year before. But it remains incredibly satisfying to build up a landscape. I think over the years this has come to be a reliable classic but it is less exciting sometimes than newer games in my collection. Solo Plays 2025: 15 Rank Last year: 3
7	Casinopolis ↗ (2025) 37 plays · last played 10/5/26	I also got this one late in the year. It is a stand-in for all my favorite *polis games (in order of enjoyment: Naturopolis, Sprawlopolis, Casinopolis ... Agropolis). I played quite a few games late in the year. It has very good changes from the formula that help keep it fresh. Solo Plays 2025: 14 Rank Last year: new entry
8	Planet Unknown ↗ (2022) 36 plays · last played 2/23/26	My tetris biggie. I really don't know why I need other tetris games. This one does it all. The actual tiles fit together nicely in a very classic polyominoes game and the combo-y tracks carry it into "again again again" territory. Even though in a year where I played a lot fewer games than in other years I only played 2 games. Solo Plays 2025: 2 Rank last year: 9
9	Fields of Arle ↗ (2014) 9 plays · last played 1/25/25	Despite everything I managed to play this a few times with the newly acquired expansion. It is a big box and at first the action selection seems as overwhelming as AffO. But it turns out this is far simpler than some of other Uwe fare. Once you have finished the first year, you have a strategy to follow and choices become clearer. Great game. Will only play solo. I need time to think. But it is cozy tea-time thinking! Solo Plays 2025: 2 Ranking last year: 14
10	A Gentle Rain ↗ (2024) 87 plays · last played 10/7/26	When I first played this game, I didn't even recognize it as a game. Just an activity. But it has grown on me. Even more in 2026. It is one of the boxes I pull out when I need to return home after a long day in the home office part of home. Solo Plays 2025: 12 Ranking last year: new entry
11	One Piece Nakama: Friends & Enemies ↗ (2025) 15 plays · last played 5/16/26	We spent most of 2025 catching up One Piece episodes... This is a lovely game both thematically as well as the puzzle it provides. I really like it solo, it is not overly long or complex just the right amount of stuff to do when I want to play a bit more than A Gentle Rain but not a big game. Solo Plays 2025: 4 Ranking last year: new entry
12	Trailblazers ↗ (2023) 69 plays · last played 5/7/26	I cannot quite believe I only played this twice in 2025. I still enjoy the route building pathing and hybris catching/falling a lot. Solo Plays 2025: 2 Ranking last year: 8
13	Red Rising ↗ (2021) 23 plays · last played 4/19/26	This is probably on the list because I am basing this list much more on actual plays than on "desire to play solos". I keep returning to this one as a solo--I would never play this multiplayer. It is a pretty big box but it is very nicely done and I have the little metal cubes and I enjoyed the books of the series I have read (first 3 or 4?) and the combos are just kind of fun to make. Solo Plays 2025: 3 Ranking last year: new entry
14	Beacon Patrol ↗ (2023) 31 plays · last played 3/8/26	This dropped with the number of plays but I still like the tile laying and pace of the solo a lot. Solo Plays 2025: 3 Ranking last year: 10
15	Ark Nova ↗ (2022) 37 plays · last played 8/22/25	I like the big stack of cards game style. This one also has the excellent action selection. It dropped because in direct comparison with Sanctuary the latter reflects my current play preferences more. I just don't have the bandwidth for the big games these days. I long for a return to them but 2025 was very low on plays compared to other years and especially my big heavy games suffered. Solo Plays 2025: 9 Ranking last year: 7
16	Dune: Imperium – Uprising ↗ (2023) 2 plays · last played 5/28/25	Another one that I enjoy a lot on principle but is too heavy for me these days to get to the table. I just cannot find the time to put these games on the table. I am hoping that with the end of 2026 looming (when I am actually writing this) I can find time for Dune again. Solo Plays 2025: 2 Ranking last year: (17, it replaces Dune Imperium)
17	Mistborn: The Deckbuilding Game ↗ (2024) 12 plays · last played 2/19/26	Star Realms was a big favorite of ours for quite some time and this one comes with both a solo and a cooperative mode that provides a very good challenge while keeping the gameplay intact. And it comes with the lovely Mistborn theme which is really well done. Solo Plays 2025: 7 Ranking last year: new entry
18	Grove: 9 card solitaire game ↗ (2021) 20 plays · last played 2/11/26	I haven't even played the small games as much as I would like to. This is a tiny thinky dice puzzle that I enjoy occasionally. That it made the list is a sign, that I didn't get much gaming done. Solo Plays 2025: 2 Ranking last year: new entry
19	The Mandalorian: Adventures ↗ (2024) 8 plays · last played 8/7/25	This is a bit of a replacement for Zombicide which I have not played in ages. The setup here is much faster and it has some neat card strategy and less random dice rolling. Enjoyable but I have not really replayed any of the scenarios. Solo Plays 2025: 2 Ranking last year: new entry
20	The Guild of Merchant Explorers ↗ (2023) Previously owned 27 plays · last played 1/8/26	I only play this on BGA now. Because the box had so much air in it I did not want it on my shelves. It is not a bad game. I just wish it game in a box fitting with both the size of the materials as well as the type of game. Solo Plays 2025: 15 Ranking last year: new entry