As I did with my Top 10 Wargames of 2022! list I am going to do the same with the Top 10 Solitaire Wargames/Games that I played that were published in 2022. I played about 15 new published solo games in 2022 so take this list with a bit of a grain of salt as I didn’t play all the titles released in 2022. I have really grown to love my solo wargaming and it is because there are plenty of well designed and engaging games out there that continue to feed my curiosity and hunger for a tough challenge. Here I present to you my list of the Top 10 Solitaire Wargames of 2022!

10. 1565 Siege of Malta from Worthington Publishing

I really love a tough, hard to win solitaire game. There is something about putting a plan together and trying to make it happen that really connects with me, even in the face of great odds and longshots. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a masochist and do like to actually win games from time to time but there is something about the struggle and the pain you feel as you see your plans fail time and time again that makes that elusive first victory feel so rewarding when it finally happens! Worthington Publishing has published several of these type of tough solitaire games. In 2021, I played and did terribly at Tarawa 1943 as it was simply brutal. I played about 10 times and only won once but after looking back I think that I did some things incorrectly that made my victory possible. Ooops! Now, they have come out with 2 new Great Sieges Series games focused in antiquity that are both brutal as well.

The first of these games that I decided to play was 1565 Siege of Malta designed by the very talented Maurice Suckling of Freeman’s Farm 1777 and Chancellorsville 1863 fame. The game deals with The Great Siege, as it’s also known in history, where the Ottoman Turk’s westward expansion broke against the wall of Christian defense on the small but strategically significant archipelago of Malta in the Western Mediterranean. The Ottoman Turk invasion force was huge as the armada delivering the troops was almost three times the size of the vaunted Spanish Armada defeated by the English (and the weather) in 1588. It was supported by around 40,000 troops. Malta was defended by around 500 Knights of St. John and 5-6,000 other soldiers, including civilians. The Turks failed to capture all of the important fortresses in the area, among them Fort St. Elmo, Fort St. Angelo and Fort St. Michael. Had they captured all of them, the most likely outcome would have been sustained Turk expansion into Europe, including into Sicily, Italy, Spain and perhaps even France. This siege historically is a very important and pivotal moment in the future of Europe.

One of the best parts of the design is the focus on orders and how they are issued. Game designers will tell you that too many choices, especially in certain key areas, isn’t a good thing. Why? It can lead to players simply doing the best actions over and over again until they get the desired results. This creates disengagement from the history and leads to disappointed players because they were able to game the system and do what they needed to do. It’s not a secret, figure out what works well and simply do that action over and over until you win. So in order to increase engagement with 1565 Siege of Malta the designer removed choice from the players a bit and causes the need to refocus into different areas by making the Orders one time actions that are used up until you refresh them. The way this is accomplished through the orders systems is once an order is taken by the player, they cannot do that order again until either all 7 of their available orders are taken or they use one of their scarce resources in their Aggressive Commander Actions that resets those orders and makes them all available to the player or they play that final 7th order and all spots are used and then reset automatically.

Without any restrictions on players in this part of the game they’re free to reissue the order they need or prefer every turn. This overuse of the actions would lead us to believe that the troops engaged in the siege or combat could just attack over and over again with no real consequence. This allowance doesn’t take into account fatigue, loss, lack of supply and ammunition or command problems. What this limitation in the Order system does is forces players to carefully consider their order selections. This limitation then opens things up and forces them into a difficult decision to make on their turn. It also will give them a wider variety of outcomes from each turn and will make the experience worthwhile. I also found that the angst with these limited actions was palpable and forced me to plan ahead to get my desired result. It also allowed me to more deeply think about strategy and the implications of my different actions.

Finally with the order system, there is an aspect of resource management with the game as you have the limited Aggressive Commander actions. Their primary function is to reset the orders as mentioned earlier but you also can roll a die to attempt to inflict additional damage on the enemy as a part of the action as a bonus. This represents a commander’s initiative in making a bold or aggressive move that has a high risk high reward type of result. You just have to use them with your eyes wide open as it can really backfire! This is the best part of the game and really adds an interesting element to the experience.

I really like this game and am excited to play it more, at least until I win with the Turks! I like what Maurice Suckling has done with the Great Sieges Series and how he has tailored the mechanics and system to fit this siege. I also really like that it is a major challenge and very difficult to win with the Turks. It is true to history and provides 2 games in one with the ability to play as the defending Knights of St. John or the attacking Ottoman Turks. A really well put together game.

I like that for whichever side you play as, the game is quick to learn, fast to play and a fun experience. There are lots of tough choices for the player that will undoubtedly lead to many a disappointing die roll, exultant die roll, and much tension as you gingerly reach for the next card from the enemy deck and hope you get the result you need….just don’t count on it!

I wrote a First Impressions post that expands on the summary above and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2022/06/08/first-impressions-1565-siege-of-malta-from-worthington-publishing/

You can check out our unboxing video to get a good look at the fantastic components:

I also did a full playthrough video that will show you how the game works:

I also posted a video review of the game and you can watch that at the following link:

If you are interested in 1565 Siege of Malta, you can purchase a copy for $70.00 from the Worthington Publishing website at the following link: https://www.worthingtonpublishing.com/collection/1565-siege-of-malta

9. The Night: The Solitaire Zombie Attack Board Game from White Dog Games

This game is not a wargame but it is so very good that I felt like I had to add this to the list. I have played dozens of zombie themed games. Some solo, some two player and a few multi-player. There is something about the zombie apocalypse that intrigues me and always draws my interest when I see it. Last summer, I saw the box art for this game and it immediately took me back to George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, which was the original zombie themed movie filmed in black and white, and told the story of the survival of a group of people in a house in the middle of the suburbs. The game is not called Night of the Living Dead but it might as well be as the theme, art, use of all black and white graphics on the counters, rules, board and box leads you to feel you are playing Night of the Living Dead: The Board Game.

The game is very simple and the player plays as the survivors who are named after the characters in the movie including Ben, Barbara, Judy and Tom. These survivors start on the board in the house, which has a total of 8 rooms/areas as well as a front porch and utility shed in the back yard, and are placed randomly. They must organize themselves and move around the house/utility shed, searching for tools and weapons that they can use to shore up their defenses (such as boards and keys to lock doors) and fight off the approaching slow moving hordes of the undead. What weapons are available to the players is also determined randomly and can include a chain saw, Katana, rifle, shotgun, baseball bat and a hammer.

Zombies are then spawned on the board in 1 of 6 spawn locations based on a die roll and then advance on the house with each of the zombies having different movement values, combat strengths and special abilities. Players then determine how many activations they get by, you guessed it, rolling and die and then spending those points moving around, picking up items, boarding up windows and fighting zombies all while trying their best to survive through the night and see the sunshine again.

There is nothing complex about this game, and it is not intended to be so, but its strength lies in the really great narrative that is written with each game. There are lots of moments when dice are favorable, and you find yourself cheering and pumping your fist, and then there are lots of moments where you let slip a curse or throw the dice across the room because it is not doing its job! You can never guarantee that you won’t be overrun and even when your best character, Ben, has a Chain Saw and can only fail by rolling a 1, it happens and you feel great dread and despair. In my humble opinion, if a game can cause that range of emotions and engagement then it is a good thing and means the design is good.

The best part is that the game is short, playing in about 30-40 minutes, and set up is really simple so you can play a game, get crushed by bad die rolls and simply set it up again and play. This one was a great surprise to me and I really enjoyed it.

You can check out our unboxing video to get a good look at the beautiful black and white components:

Next, I shot a full game playthrough that will teach you the game (but not good strategy):

I also posted a video review of the game and you can watch that at the following link:

If you are interested in The Night: The Solitaire Zombie Attack Board Game, you can order a copy for $54.00 boxed ($30.00 PNP) from the White Dog Games website at the following link: https://www.whitedoggames.com/night-living-dead

8. Irish Freedom from White Dog Games

Not every game has to be a deep and complex simulation of a subject. Sometimes, the subject is less gamed and one of the best benefits of the design is simply bringing light to the conflict as well as a better understanding of the issues that caused it to start in the first place. I have said it many times but complexity doesn’t create a good gaming experience. Theme does and Irish Freedom from White Dog Games does this in spades.

The mechanics used as the basis for this solitaire only game is that of the random die roll. This random die roll is used to control the protagonists in the game in the form of the British during the War of Independence and then the Republicans and Pro-Treaty forces made up of the British and their allies in the Free State Forces during the subsequent Civil War. Nearly every thing that the solitaire AI does seems random. But the randomness is only in the die rolling as the actions that typically come out of it reinforce the actions that would have most likely been taken at the time.

I really like how the AI upgrades its units. It is trying to build a more effective fighting force and will prioritize changing out RIC units with better Black & Tan units. But, when all else fails and the same Region is rolled and no RIC units are found, because they have either been eliminated by the Irish or already upgraded, it will go about placing a Mob. So it either upgrades their units or incites the local populace into action. Genius! This is how these counter insurgencies work. The more powerful government invests in more troops and more weapons or they use propaganda to create resistance and outrage toward the insurgents. Both tactics bear fruit as they directly fight and eliminate the insurgents or erode their base of support and limit their recruiting base.

And the AI in this game does these things very well….even though it seems completely random on the surface. It is not random, but good, thematic and purposeful design intended to tell the story of this struggle. Who would have thought a random die roll could be so meaningful?

The Terrain in the Regions is very important and is more than just about a name that differentiates them from each other. The Terrain actually is the determining element of a unit’s combat effectiveness. You might be confused by this and say that a unit’s combat effectiveness is determined by their training, makeup and weaponry. And you would actually be right, when all things are equal. And the terrain in Ireland is not equal and the insurgents know this and will use that terrain to their advantage. The Combat Factor of each unit is determined by the Terrain they are fighting in. There are just 3 different Terrain types in the game, including City, Townland and Bogland. The Bogland (light brown) is the home of the Irish Guerillas and their better trained Flying Columns. They are at home in the Bogland and consequently fight better there than in any of the other Terrain. Why? Because they will use that terrain to setup ambushes, and sneak attacks and also use it to melt away once a battle is over. These are the details that the game incorporates into it’s design even though it has a lot of random die rolling. The British Army units and their compatriot Black & Tans fight better in City (gray) or Townland (green) Terrain.

As you look at each of the unit counters included in the game, you will see three values listed along the right side of the silhouette. These are the unit’s Strength and is used during combat. The top value, in light brown, coincides with the Bogland. The middle value, in green, is the Townland and the bottom value, in gray, is the City value. These Strength values are very important when discussing combat and you have to understand your relative advantage in order to do well in the game. I have included the picture below with the units in somewhat of a hierarchy with the most powerful units at the top and the weaker units at the bottom. The most powerful unit in the game is the British Army unit. They have superior combat Strengths of 4 in the Townland and City and only marginally less at 3 in the Bogland. Compare that to the most powerful units for the Irish and you will see that the Flying Columns have a respectable 3 in the Bogland but just a 2 in Townland and a very weak 1 in the City. An Irish Regular has a 2 in the Bogland, Townland and City so they are the most versatile of the Irish units and can be used in any of the Terrains. Mobs are really just cannon fodder as they have a 1 Strength value in all 3 of the Terrains. I also want to point out the Artillery and Armored Car units shown at the bottom of the picture. They are not stand alone units but can be appended to another unit to move along with them as they go from Area to Area and will improve the unit Strength values.

The game is simple, for sure, but it has clear rules and easy to understand processes that control the AI, but that doesn’t mean it is simplistic. I really liked this one. I have experience with other Dave Kershaw designs, including Solitaire Caesar and World War Zed: USA both published by White Dog Games, and to me his games share some DNA and feel similar yet different all at the same time. I like that the player has to consider how they will attack the overwhelming power of the British. I also like that the decisions are limited but impactful because you only have a few options and a few actions each turn you have to make them matter. I enjoy having to anticipate, plan and prepare for the inevitable British units moving around in the Region. But I really like the thematic touches in this one, without any special rules or exceptions. The design is just very grounded in the history and makes perfect sense as you play through. This is a solid and interesting game that will appeal to new wargamers, or seasoned Grognards, but also those who have an interest in the history of Ireland.

I wrote a First Impressions post that expands on the summary above and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2022/06/29/first-impressions-irish-freedom-from-white-dog-games/

You can check out our unboxing video to get a good look at the components:

Next, I shot a full game playthrough that will teach you the game (I think that I did a few things incorrectly):

I also posted a video review of the game and you can watch that at the following link:

If you are interested in Irish Freedom, you can order a copy for $52.00 boxed ($30.00 PNP) from the White Dog Games website at the following link: https://www.whitedoggames.com/irish-freedom

7. Resist! from Salt & Pepper Games

I am a big fan of David Thompson and his designs. He always does such a fantastic job in telling the history of the conflict/era modelled but also in making an interesting and enjoyable to play game. Last year, Resist! from Salt & Pepper Games was released and it has been received well by the gaming community. It tells the story of the Spanish Resistance as General Franco and his troops advance through the territories of Spain, giving way to a long period of civil war and repression. After the Spanish Civil War, a group of loyalists to the Republic continued the armed struggle, forming resistance groups better known as “Maquis”. Hidden in the mountains, these men and women risked their lives to defend the ideals of democracy and freedom.

The game is a card driven game and the only components included in the box are cards. There are many types of cards including Enemy Cards, Maquis Cards, Civilian Cards and Mission Cards. These all work together to create a really engaging and difficult game where players are trying to defeat a certain amount of Mission Cards before their Maquis Cards are exhausted through use.

Each Maquis Card is divided into two sides: the Maquis when they are hidden and the Maquis when they have been revealed. The card includes the Maquisard’s name, hidden and revealed attack values, the type of actions they can take and the effects of those actions. These Maquis Cards have two parts. One is the Maquisard’s abilities when hidden and the other is when they are revealed. The critical difference isn’t the abilities themselves (though usually a revealed ability is stronger than a hidden ability), but rather what happens afterwards. When a Maquisard is used for their hidden action, you discard them back into your hidden deck and can continue using them during the game. However, if you use them for their revealed action, they are discarded to the revealed deck and you almost certainly won’t be able to use them again. This is one of the key aspects of the game, properly managing your limited deck and using the most powerful abilities at the appropriate times.

Resist! isn’t a deck-building game though, and to be successful in the game, players will need to understand that it’s really more about deck management or fighting against the inevitable destruction of your own deck than anything else. You won’t always be able to recruit new Maquis to the cause. However, there are a few ways in the game you might be able to add new Maquis. Defeating jailor enemies and some missions allow you to add Maquis from the recruit deck (or possibly even the revealed deck). Also, some Maquis have revealed actions that allow you to recruit new Maquis. It is absolutely possible to play the game effectively without recruiting but it will just take a different strategy such as focusing on powerful attacks or managing your hidden deck well.

This game is very good. It is really hard to do well at though but that doesn’t change the fact that it is good. I really enjoy the theme, the mechanics and how they work so well together and the fact that I have learned something new from history. This game plays quickly and is always different as it relies on card draws for not only your deck and forces but those of the AI as well.

You can check out our unboxing video to get a good look at the components and the beautiful art by Albert Monteys:

Here is a look at our preview video used for the crowdfunding campaign:

If you are interested in Resist!, you can order a copy for $17.99 from the Miniature Market website at the following link: https://www.miniaturemarket.com/tfc34000.html

6. Flashpoint: South China Sea from GMT Games

Flashpoint: South China Sea from GMT Games designed by Harold Buchanan is a very cool and fast playing 2-player strategy game that simulates the complex geopolitical contest currently taking place between the United States and China in the South China Sea. The game is a Card Driven Game that uses cards to allow players to play out the struggle using events based on today’s headlines and use these cards to take actions that will provide dominance over regions and score victory points at any time during the game. The game also has a dedicated Solo Opponent that was designed by GMT One and Jason Carr and I have played it four times and really enjoyed how it translates the tension in the 2-player game over to the solo game. It works really well and while daunting at first to run once you are familiar with the flowchart it becomes easy to maneuver.

First thing that I wish to say about the solitaire mode for Flashpoint: South China Sea is that it uses the same general rules of play as the 2-player game but the Solo Opponent doesn’t have a hand of Event Cards. They use cards, but only typically draw an Event Card off of the top of the deck or use special Solo Opponent Cards. And, the game is brutal. I have played four times as the United States against the China bot and I am 0-4. I have come close once but it is very challenging. As all good solo games should be.

Part of the reason that the game is brutal is that it tries to take into account the actions that a human player would perform during the game. This typically revolves around the use of powerful Event Cards. The Solo Opponent doesn’t ever take Events though so they had to design a way for it to replicate that effect. The text of these Event Cards are ignored and the only way it uses the Event Cards is for the Scoring function and to see if there is a Mode Match which allows the Solo Opponent to remove the player’s Influence Cubes from the board. This really hurts and really replicates what a human opponent most likely would do in the same situation.

I really like the Solo Opponent and feel that its implementation really makes for an engaging and enjoyable solo experience for a game that was designed with 2-player mode in mind. I have played it four times, as mentioned previously, and I still enjoy the game and have not tired of it yet even though I have always played as the United States against the Chinese Solo Opponent. I need to switch sides now and go against the United States Solo Opponent to see how the game changes.

Here also is a look at our video review of the 2-player game:

Over the past few months, I have written a series of Action Point posts focused on the various aspects of the game and you can read those at the following links:

Action Point 1 – Game Board

Action Point 2 – Event Cards

Action Point 3 – Political Warfare

Action Point 4 – Scoring Cards

Action Point 5 – Solo Opponent

If you are interested in Flashpoint: South China Sea, you can order a copy for $45.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-688-flashpoint-south-china-sea.aspx

5. 414 BC Siege of Syracuse from Worthington Publishing

Last year, Worthington Publishing released 3 games in their Great Sieges Series, one 2nd Printing (1759 Siege of Quebec) and two new games (414 BC Siege of Syracuse and 1565 Siege of Malta). Volume 2 in the series 414 BC Siege of Syracuse deals with the Athenian siege of the city of Syracuse in Sicily from 414-413 BC and is a 1-2 player game that is pretty interesting, with simple rules, a very unique order and counter order system that plays in about 30-45 minutes.

The Order system in Siege of Syracuse is really pretty interesting and works very well for what the game is, namely a light solitaire wargame. The player always has access to their 7 available orders and can take them over and over again in any order that they choose. This is markedly different from the way Orders were handled in 1565 Siege of Malta as those Orders could be used once and were then lost to the player until they reset them by playing the final 7th order or using one of their scarce resources in their Aggressive Commander Actions that resets those Orders and makes them all available to the player. I really liked the ability to use and do whatever I wanted to. I know that there are some things that have to be done and are best done in a certain order, such as moving troops to the Plemmyriun because when troops occupy this section of the map, the Athenian player will gain a bonus to the Move Ships Order as this area could offer support to those movements. But freedom in this design gives it more of an open and sandbox type feel than others in the series and I really liked that. It also makes it a much simpler and less tactically deep game but not in a bad way. Just in the execution and not requiring such deep planning and thought about the order you takes these Orders in.

I have written a series of Action Point posts focused on the various aspects of the game and you can read those at the following links:

Action Point 1 – Game Board

Action Point 2 – Orders

Action Point 3 – Counter Order Deck

Action Point 4 – Review of Victory Conditions

Action Point 5 – Strategy Guide

You can check out our unboxing video to get a good look at the components:

I also posted a video review of the game and you can watch that at the following link:

4. Malta Besieged: 1940-1942 Deluxe Edition from Worthington Publishing

Over the past couple of years, Worthington Publishing has been releasing new Deluxe 2nd Editions of classic wargames, including the famous States of Siege Series games, that were originally published by Victory Point Games. In July 2020, they started with In Magnificent Style: Pickett’s Charge designed by Hermann Luttmann, followed with Soviet Dawn: The Russian Civil War 1918-1921 designed by the Godfather of the States of Siege Series Darin Leviloff in November 2020 and then in January 2021, they Kickstarted Keep Up the Fire!: The Boxer Rebellion designed by John Welch. Last year, they resurrected the classic Malta Besieged: 1940-1942 designed by Steve Carey.

This game has a lot of different focus points and makes for a very interesting playthrough as the player has to stay on their toes to keep up with the various moving parts. North Africa is not treated as a mere sideshow as the struggle with Rommel holds the ultimate key to victory and players can lose if they lose in North Africa… if Malta can hold out against the constant pressure. If a fortified Tobruk manages to stubbornly delay the vaunted Afrika Korps long enough, then General Montgomery and his battle-tested 8th Army can possibly make a final dash from El Alamein to capture Tripoli and secure a victory.

One of my favorite parts was the convoys and how you had to try and defend them from Axis attacks or risk losing critical supply needed to take actions to defend. This was somewhat of a mini-game within the game but involves making choices about how you use your air support and then of course dice rolling which is really fun and very stressful. If you make it to port, there are several benefits including additional supply as well as a free action that can be taken immediately. I really liked this part of the design and had a great time with it.

We also reached out to the designer Steve Carey for an interview and posted it on our blog at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2021/03/17/interview-with-steve-carey-designer-of-malta-besieged-1940-1942-deluxe-edition-from-worthington-publishing-currently-on-kickstarter/

If you are interested in Malta Besieged: 1940-1942 you can order a copy for $75.00 from the Worthington Publishing website at the following link: https://www.worthingtonpublishing.com/collection/malta-besieged-1942-pre-order-ships-in-march

3. Levee En Masse Deluxe Edition from Worthington Publishing

Another of those deluxe edition 2nd printings from Worthington Publishing was Levee En Masse designed by John Welch. Levee En Masse is a States of Siege Series game that tells the story of the French Revolution through its key events and decision points. The player must stop the advances of foreign armies and counter-revolutionary forces within France to protect the new form of government called Republicanism.  

The game takes this political battle to a new level as the player has to fight against both a return to Monarchy and the advance of Despotism through the Emperor and his goal of ruling the world. This is done on a track and players must use their scarce actions to try and push their ideals and suppress the uprisings of the others. If you do this well, you will gain advantages and sometimes you want Despotism to reign as you will gain a benefit from the leadership of Napoleon as you fight off the foreign invading powers of the English, Prussians and Piedmonts. But in the end, victory is only obtained if Republicanism is the final reigning form of government.

I really liked that this game seemed quicker playing than some other States of Siege Series games but it still gave me a meaty feeling with the different aspects. A really great production as well as the cards are absolutely beautiful and the board is well done with the various paintings incorporated into the background.

You can check out our unboxing video to get a good look at the components:

Next, I shot a full game playthrough that will teach you the game:

I also posted a video review of the game and you can watch that at the following link:

If you are interested in Levee En Masse, you can order a copy for $75.00 from the Worthington Publishing website at the following link: https://www.worthingtonpublishing.com/collection/levee-en-masse-deluxe

2. Kaiserkrieg! The Great War 1914-1918 from White Dog Games

This one is simply fantastic! A solitaire treatment of The Great War using the States of Siege Series model but with a change to a horizontal rather than vertical layout of spaces where enemy forces can build up and perform an “Over the Top” move if you don’t destroy their troops before then. The player takes the side of the Central Powers and must deal with events that replicate the history of the period and the tumult of various revolutions, threats and opportunities. Well done game by Ben Madison that uses chit pull to activate the enemies and cause events. Lots of chaos. Lots of tough choices. Lots of history. And it always seems to come down to the very end. The only draw back to the game though is that it is long, taking 2-3 hours to play through an entire game. Each chit drawn has lots of information and there are always lots of things to do each turn with your very limited actions.

One of my favorite parts is the use of Blockade Runners to gain your funds for the turn. During the Naval/Air Warfare Phase, the player will place out their available Blockade Runners on various seas zones numbered 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c, 3 and 4 in order to attempt to break Allied blockades and deliver goods and funds to Germany to fuel the war effort. Each of these numbered sea zones will provide a haul of Reichsmarks based on the number of the sea zone if they are able to evade the British Cruisers. This is determined by rolling 2d6 and consulting the British Cruisers Table to find out in what sea zones the available British Cruisers will be placed. If there is a Blockade Runner in the determined sea zone, it will be destroyed and placed in the Neutral Ports box where it will wait to be built later at a cost of 2 RM. If the rolled sea zone contains a Blockade Runner and the High Seas Fleet marker, the British Cruiser will be unable to destroy the Blockade Runner and a naval combat will ensue.

In the above picture, the Central Powers defeat the British Cruiser with the High Seas Fleet and the 3 Blockade Runners placed in seas zones 2b, 3 and 4 bring home a cash haul of 9 Reichsmarks that will be used to take actions and push back the amassing Entente forces in the various staging areas to avoid an Over the Top chit from being placed and prevent the built up forces there attacking into Germany. This process of gaining income is very interesting and unique and it really feels correct as you are trying to do your best to avoid and destroy the British Cruisers so that you have your choice of the best producing sea zones without the fear of Entente intervention.

You can check out our unboxing video to get a good look at the components:

Here is a link to my video review:

If you are interested in Kaiserkrieg! The Great War 1914-1918, you can purchase a copy for $54.00 from the White Dog Games website at the following link: https://www.whitedoggames.com/kaiserkrieg

1. Lanzerath Ridge: Battle of the Bulge from Dan Verssen Games

Lanzerath Ridge is a solitaire wargame that takes place on the first day of the Battle of the Bulge December 16, 1944 during World War II. In the game, the player takes control of a small group of American soldiers who must defend against the attacks of German paratroopers and fusiliers. The goal is simple but very difficult as the player has to attempt to do as well or better than the historic defenders by holding the attackers from taking the town of Lanzerath, Belgium to delay the advance of an entire SS Panzer Division. With limited actions each round, the player has to utilize their limited resources to attack the advancing German forces while also trying to accomplish objectives such as denying the Germans their equipment and strategically withdrawing to live to fight another day. The game lasts four rounds and each round has its own Assault Deck from which enemy counters are drawn along with nasty surprises such as mortars and MG42’s.

One of the best parts of this game is the production and the art which is done by Nils Johannson. It is simply gorgeous and makes the game that much more enjoyable as it creates a really thematic entry point to the history.

I have written a series of Action Point posts focused on the various aspects of the game and you can read those at the following links:

Action Point 1 – Game Board

Action Point 2 – Defender Counters and Special Attributes and Designators

Action Point 3 – Enemy Attack Deck

Action Point 4 – Vehicle Counters

Action Point 5 – Actions

Action Point 6 – Strategy Guide

You can check out our unboxing video to get a good look at the components:

Here is a link to a the first part in a 4-part playthrough series where I also offer my thoughts on the game play and strategies as well:

If you are interested in Lanzerath Ridge: Battle of the Bulge, you can purchase a copy for $69.99 from the Dan Verssen Games website at the following link: https://www.mcssl.com/store/danverssengames/lanzerath-ridge-core-game

I also really liked a few of the other games that I played but didn’t get enough plays of them in to make a real solid recommendation or to properly rank them. These titles included USS Laffey: The Ship That Wouldn’t Die from Catastrophe Games, Volters Lead the Way! from White Dog Games and American Tank Ace from Compass Games. Games that I had but didn’t get around to playing included Skyhawk: Rolling Thunder, 1966 from Legion Wargames. 1759 Siege of Quebec 2nd Printing from Worthington Publishing (although we played this 2-player a few years ago) and the solo mode for Plains Indian Wars from GMT Games.

What were your favorite solitaire wargames from 2022?

-Grant