u/IntelligentEcho4211

Looking for beautiful boardgames with an actual win/lose condition (not just beat your own score/points threshold)

I'm looking for new solo board games to add to my collection that check three boxes:

  1. A real win/lose condition, not just BYOS or that winning is reaching a certain number of points.
  2. Gorgeous components and/or art
  3. Have a cozy theme

I have already decided to get Wild Gardens, but I also want to add another game.
Games I already have in my collection:

  • Dorfromantik Sakura (love how it looks, don't like how it plays)
  • Harmonies (also loves how it looks, but doesn't like the solo-mode. It's ok with the melodies campaign though, but I prefer this multiplayer)
  • Eila & Something Shiny (Love everything about this! But have already played the campaign several times)
  • Mythwind (One of my favourites!)
  • Horizons of Spirit Island
  • A place for all my books
  • Spire's End Hildegard
  • Stonesaga (another one of my favourites)
  • Wingspan
  • Wyrmspan
  • Witchbound (Like the art, but not the components, which feel cheap and flimsy)
  • Daydream (don't like that it's BYOS)
  • Koi (The win condition in solomode is reaching a certain number of points, which I don't like)
  • Onirim
  • A light in the mist
  • Stardew Valley
  • Slay the Spire
  • A gentle rain
  • Awaken the Ancients (my favourite small box/quick playing game)
  • Witchcraft!
  • Vantage
  • Storyfold Wildwoods

Even though I prefer narrative games, I already have a few ongoing, so that's not what I'm looking for right now.

reddit.com
u/IntelligentEcho4211 — 15 hours ago

I started playing solo games last summer, and so far I've discovered that the games I enjoy the most are the ones with a narrative. Eila and Something Shiny is my favourite, and I'm halfway through the Wildwoods campaign. Both are short campaigns, which makes it a little sad when they end. I'm planning to move on to a longer campaign once I'm done with Wildwoods.

The first image shows the narrative games I currently own, to give you an idea of what I like (my sister has borrowed my copy of Eila & Something Shiny). I enjoy all of these, with Eila being my favourite, followed by A Light in the Mist, Wildwoods, Spire's End, and Hildegard, with Witchbound being the one I like the least (not gamey enough).

The second image shows all my games, to give you a broader sense of my taste, though I'm still undecided about Slay the Spire (haven't played it enough), and I dislike Dorfromantik Sakura.

Which game would be a good follow-up to Eila & Wildwoods? More than the ones I already have? I'm looking for a longer narrative campaign with pretty art. I'm not interested in horror games, war-themed games, games with unappealing art, games that are too violent, games featuring anthropomorphic animals, Lord of the Rings games, or Cozy Stickerville. I'd love to get Mythwind, but it's not available where I live right now.

Games I'm considering are Earthborne Rangers, Stonesaga, and Kinfire Chronicles. Which narrative game would you recommend, and why?

u/IntelligentEcho4211 — 2 months ago