Solitaire Wargames – a category which back at the beginning of my tabletop journey was completely alien to me – have become one of the most important parts of my hobby. I appreciate all the flavors here: dedicated solo designs, multiplayer games with a strong solo variant, or simply solo-friendly titles with chit-pull or card-driven mechanics. Whenever I plan to bring a multiplayer game to the table with friends, I usually do a solo run first to familiarize myself with the system.
Looking back at the last year, I realize I had a chance to play quite a number of new-to-me solitaire wargames. Some of them are very fresh releases, some are titles with a bit more history that finally made it to my table. Today I would like to walk you through ten of them. Most are recent designs, some are slightly older positions that I am only now discovering – but all of them share one thing in common: they delivered great solo experiences.
If you read my blog regularly, you have probably seen that I already created quite a lot of content on solo games – be it after-action reports, reviews or recommendations. Among them I would like to draw your attention to the Solitaire Wargames Series article, of which I am especially proud. You can also find my earlier yearly round-ups of new solitaire designs and all-time classics linked in the series buttons below.
And now – let us dive in!
If you prefer video version, here it is for you!:
Other articles in the series:
1. Fields of Fire Deluxe Edition from GMT Games
Disclaimer: I admit, I had some doubt whether to put Fields of Fire Deluxe Edition in this new-to-me list, since I had a pleasure to extensively play the original Fields of Fire in the past. However, due to the number of changes which this new print brings – rules presentation, graphics, counters – I decided this can be treated as a new experience.
I am so glad that after many years, thanks to GMT One initiative, we got a new, upgraded, revamped deluxe edition which streamlines and fixes issues of its predecessor while leaving all the great mechanics it has. This is probably the best small units combat simulation ever created, with a fantastic planning phase and a system that unfolds completely differently each time. The replayability value is enormous, the tense combat engaging, and the history it tells – engrossing.
What I also like about it, is that although pretty complicated, with multiple rules, systems, exceptions, etc. this game does not punish you for mistakes – which inevitably will happen. As there is a myriad of things happening, decisions to make, and situations to resolve – it simply creates engaging, interesting and often surprising narrative.
In order to facilitate familiarization with this game, based on the GMT content, I created several sets of materials: How to Play: Platoon Academy, How to Play: Company Academy and Standalone Mission Playthrough. Check them out if you are still in doubt whether this game is for you! Highly Recommended!
More about game:
2. Berlin: Fall of the Reich 1945 from Revolution Games & Take Aim Designs
Berlin: Fall of the Reich 1945 is the kind of solitaire wargame which immediately catches my attention – a focused, thematic, operational-level treatment of one of the most dramatic episodes of the Second World War. As the Soviet commander, you have to push through the last German defenses surrounding the Reich’s capital, breach the inner ring of fortifications, and bring the war to its conclusion in the streets of Berlin itself.
What I particularly enjoy here is the way the game models the operational dilemmas of the offensive: where to concentrate, when to commit reserves, how to deal with the determined but crumbling German defense, and how to balance speed with the inevitable casualties. The solo system handling the Wehrmacht is well done – the Germans are not just punching bags, they react, they entrench, they counter-attack when they can. Glad to see the series evolving in that direction.
We have here high-quality components, good replayability, more than one way to win – everything which you desire from good solo experience!
More about game:
3. A Bridge Too Far from PHALANX Games
A Bridge Too Far from PHALANX falls into a relatively rare and very interesting category of titles – the so-called book-games. The entire game is delivered as a beautifully produced hardcover volume which combines historical narrative with playable scenarios depicting the Operation Market Garden of September 1944.
As a solo player, you take command of the Allied airborne forces trying to seize and hold the bridges across the Rhine, while the system handles the German response. Actually, you play as a Polish Paratrooper! The book-game format works surprisingly well here – the narrative chapter sets the historical context, and then you immediately jump into the campaign – where multiple decisions await you. It is hard to imagine a more elegant way of blending wargaming with reading about history.
You definitely need to get used to that game format, but once you settle into it, this is a fantastic solo experience and a really thoughtful design. If you enjoy Operation Market Garden as a topic, this is a must-have.
More about game:
4. Iwo Jima: Hell on Earth from Neva Game Press
Another title from Neva Game Press – and another excellent solo wargame. Iwo Jima: Hell on Earth from Jose Neva drops you into one of the most brutal battles of the Pacific War. You command the US Marines tasked with taking the heavily fortified Japanese-held volcanic rock that was Iwo Jima in February 1945.
What makes this game stand out for me is how well it captures the grinding, attritional nature of the fight. There is no quick victory here – you have to bite through bunker after bunker, with mounting casualties and a relentless clock. The Japanese AI is hidden, dangerous, and unpredictable, with caves and hidden positions revealing themselves at the worst possible moments. It is genuinely tense and thematic.
Both the full edition and the “Lite” version (a smaller, more accessible variant) are worth your attention. The Lite edition is particularly nice as an introduction to the system, while the full game gives you the complete experience. Strongly recommended for any solo Pacific Theater enthusiast.
More about game:
5. Sword of Orthodoxy from White Dog Games
I have to admit it openly – I have a weakness for all Ben Madison designs. They are super-elegant solitaire games which not only put a challenge in front of you (usually defending against the odds) but also provide a lot of historical context and insight. These are usually small-footprint titles, with beautiful components (the counters in particular are gorgeous) and pretty procedural rules.
Sword of Orthodoxy: The Rise and Fall of Byzantium 420-1453 leads us through over one thousand years of the Eastern Roman Empire – or, as Western historians call it, Byzantium. The designer created here an interesting mix of classical “state of siege” approach (with tracks of enemies progressing across the eastern part of the map) with a newer approach – seen in KaiserKrieg or Global War – where you accumulate enemies in a box until they reach a threshold to unleash a crisis.
As always with Ben Madison games, there is a lot of chrome and “tasteful small things” to reflect the events and changing geopolitical situation across these centuries. From Justinian to the fall of Constantinople, the game keeps you engaged in this great historical narrative.
More about game:
6. Infernal Machine: Dawn of Submarine Warfare from GMT Games
Infernal Machine: Dawn of Submarine Warfare takes us into a fascinating and rarely covered part of military history – the early days of submarine warfare during the American Civil War, particularly the legendary H.L. Hunley and her contemporaries. This is a solitaire wargame where the infernal machine is the submarine itself – a fragile, dangerous, experimental weapon.
The game offers several layers: a strategic campaign in which you manage the Confederate or Union naval effort, and a series of tactical & mission scenarios in which you actually pilot a submarine on its missions – trying to deliver a torpedo to its target while battling currents, leaks, and the simple physics of being submerged in a wooden tube in the 1860s.
The tactical part of the game is a very interesting puzzle-like experience. Every action you take risks something – oxygen, hull integrity, detection – and the historical flavor is wonderfully close. I just started with this title and you definitely should expect more materials form me!
More about game:
7. Taifa: Intrigue and War in Medieval Spain from Worthington Games
Continuing the Iberian theme of last year’s Hispania recommendation, Taifa: Intrigue and War in Medieval Spain from Draco Ideas takes us a few centuries forward – into the world of the Reconquista, with the fragmented Muslim Taifa kingdoms in the south and the emerging Christian realms in the north. This is another small-footprint, elegant design which can be played from 0 to 6 players! (yes, it is quite possible to play only with bots!)
This game is a pure fun, where you play events, attack enemy strongholds and react to enemies. This does not have ambition to be a fully-fledged simulation – rather a light take on the period. The dedicated El-Cid solo scenario another bonus. Definitely worth trying!
More about game:
8. Crusade: Road to Jerusalem from Solo Wargame
Crusade: Road to Jerusalem is a small, print & play solitaire wargame designed by Martin Melbardis and published by his own Solo Wargame company, covering the First Crusade (1095-1099) – the long, brutal march from Constantinople through Anatolia and Syria to the walls of Jerusalem (of course, if you manage to get that far!) You take command of the Crusader armies and have to push your way through hostile territory, manage your supplies, fight battles, and ultimately reach the Holy City.
The game allows you to choose the path, face the dangers and conduct epic sieges. The latter is especially interestingly solved and is its own game within the game. What is more, it is also a great companion piece to Commands & Colors: Medieval – Crusades expansion that I have been playing extensively last year – the two together give a wonderful coverage of the period, one at strategic and one at tactical level.
More about game:
9. Onoda from Salt & Pepper Games
Onoda from Salt & Pepper Games is unlike anything else on this list. It tells the extraordinary story of Hiroo Onoda, the Japanese intelligence officer who refused to surrender at the end of World War II and continued his lonely guerrilla campaign in the jungles of the Philippines – for almost thirty years, until 1974.
As a solitaire game, this is a fantastic example of how a tightly focused, deeply thematic design can capture something that bigger wargames simply cannot. You are not commanding an army – you are one man (or a tiny group) trying to survive, gather supplies, evade patrols, and continue what you believe to be your duty. The mechanics force you into the same decisions Onoda himself had to make: trust no one, ration everything, never give up the mission.
This is not a black & white experience; to survive many times you will make difficult decisions. On the other hand, this is a study of extraordinary devotion, call of duty and sometimes stubbornness to carry on. Definitely worth trying!
More about game:
10. Ghosts of the Jungle by Mike Lambo
A year without Mike Lambo game? Not possible! We round out the list with one of his designs – Ghosts of the Jungle – part of the whole family of small, quick-playing, scenario-rich solitaire wargames that I have been having a real blast with. This title tells the story of the 3rd Squadron of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SAS), fighting in Vietnam from June 1966 onward.
Their objectives in the war were to undertake reconnaissance patrols, observe enemy movement, and conduct offensive missions deep in enemy territory – and the game faithfully translates this into a series of tense, short, stealth-and-tactics scenarios. You control a handful of named operators (Sergeant Allen, Troopers Baker, Clarke and Dixon) navigating jungle hexes swarming with Viet Cong, balancing stealth, planning, and the occasional necessary firefight.
Like other Mike Lambo designs, this is light, quick to learn, and very repeatable – you can play a scenario in 30-60 minutes and immediately want to try another. Honestly, not every solitaire wargame needs to be a four-hour epic to be deeply satisfying. Sometimes, you just need something light, quick, with a lot of dice!
More about game:
Summary
Solitaire wargames are a fantastic and ever-growing part of our hobby. They give players the freedom to enjoy games at their own pace, dive deep into the rules without feeling rushed, and serve as a perfect way to experience history at the table when no other players are available. Looking at this list, I cannot help but be impressed by how diverse the category has become – from book-games to operational simulations, from grand-strategic Byzantine epics to a single man hiding in the Philippine jungle.
Each of these ten titles brought something different to my gaming year, and several of them will definitely stay on my shelves for many returning sessions. I am also already looking forward to several upcoming releases which I hope will make next years lists.
What about you? Which solitaire wargames have you played in the last 12 months that left a mark? Are there any titles from this list you would like me to write more about – a full review, a session report, a video? Let me know in the comments!