sagrada: solo version

Platform: Board Game
Players: 1
Play Time: ~15m
Rating: 🟡🟡🟡🟡 Solid & Enjoyable
Glad I played it. Would play again.

Amanda coming at you with this review, which is surprising because I never play board games by myself but I was pretty bored tonight and decided to give this a shot!

Is It Worth It?

I know this is superficial, but this game is such a pretty game to play- it’s so colorful and clearly laid out, I enjoy playing just to make a pretty stained glass window! We’ve played quite a few times with friends and the last time we played I realized there are solo play rules and decided I would give it a shot. It’s easy to understand, simple rules, and artistically appealing. I don’t know that I can think of someone who should skip this- it’s pretty user-friendly for all types, in my opinion.

What Are You Actually Doing?

The solo play of Sagrada is nearly identical to the group play. You set up the game with two public objectives, 3 tools, and instead of 1 private objective, two are available. You also choose a window pattern to insert into your gameboard. Then, you roll the dice and try to complete your window. When playing solo, you roll 4 dice and take two turns. The remaining two dice are then placed on the round tracker. Once all ten rounds are completed, instead of flipping over the tracker right away to start scoring, you add up the sum of all the dice on the board- that becomes your Target number. In order to win, the points you earn for completing objectives and patterns must be higher than the target number.

A game of Solo Sagrada is a little more strategic than I expected it to be. I thought it would be an easier version, but beating the target number turned out to be pretty challenging. I tried being more strategic the more I played but, strategy not being my strong suit, it never quite worked out for me.

The Loot

Sagrada Solo is played just how you would expect it to be, and if you enjoy playing the game with others, you will also enjoy playing by yourself. It’s a very open game with simple rules and easy game flow. The only reason I didn’t rate it higher is because I can’t say for certain if all game enthusiasts would enjoy it, or only certain audiences. I want to say everyone would, but I haven’t had the opportunity to play with diverse enough people to give it a solid test.

The Good Stuff

• Easy to understand

• Clear instructions

• Lovely artwork, very appealing

• Dice goblins can rejoice with this one.

The Catch

• Only 4 can play this game- I wish it allowed up to 6 to make it more playable in groups. (Obviously in the solo version this isn’t an issue)

• Dice can be tricky to manipulate- good dexterity required.

• Some of the objectives/tools can be unclear and open to interpretation.

• Solo playing loses point opportunities due to not using favor tokens in play.

This Game Is Calling To…

• Strategy-focused individuals

• Families

• Fans of specific mechanics or themes

• Dice goblins

Would We Play This Again?

I played this three times in a row the first time I played it, so if that doesn’t tell you something, I’m not sure what will! It was a lot of fun to play by myself, and because it ended up being more challenging than I thought to beat the target score, I started getting more competitive and determined to win. I would definitely recommend this as an option to play both by yourself and with others. Not all solo games have both options.

The Fine Print

Designer / Publisher: Floodgate Games
Complexity: Light
Best With: 1 player (it’s a review of the solo version, after all!)