Well, it’s raining yet again here in Houston, so I am camped out in the local mall food court. And what does a van camper do when he is cooped up inside for days on end from the rain? Well, he plays solo boardgames.
Yes, even in these days of game consoles and phone apps, I still like to settle in with a game board, paper counters, and a couple dice. And since the van only holds one person, I play solitaire versions of board games. Nowadays there is an entire genre of board games called “print and play” or “PNP”. These are just what they sound like—lightweight games that you can download from the Internet as a PDF or JPG file, print out (preferably on cardstock paper) at home, grab some dice (if needed), and play.
So, to kill time during breaks from working on manuscripts, I play PNP solo games, intended for one player. Some of the games I play are my own creations, some are my modified versions of rulesets from other people’s games, and some are “re-themes”—other people’s games that I have ported over to other genres or time periods.
So if you are looking for a way to pass the time or just to goof off at work (hint: spend the 25 cents and get a sheet of felt at the local craft store so you can roll dice silently), try out some of these PNP solo games. They are ranked roughly from low-pages to not-as-low-pages (though the biggest is only six pages). Follow these links to Flickr, download the pages at 8.5 x 11 size (2550 x 3300 pixels), print the board and pieces on cardstock at 300 dpi, cut them out, and you’re ready to wile away a couple hours. I try to incorporate multiple levels of difficulty, depending on whether I want to win fairly often or want a desperate struggle against hopeless odds. Playing time for most of them is anywhere from ten to twenty minutes.
(Some legal stuff: These are licensed under Creative Commons ShareAlike NonCommercial Attribution. Almost all the images are public domain or clip art, but any copyrighted material remains the property of the copyright holder and is given here for non-commercial personal entertainment and use. So please don’t sue me, Disney.)
Virtual quatloos to whomever gets the reference in the diary title. ;)
ICBM Attack: Yes, when I was a kid I spent way too many hours playing “Missile Command” at the local arcade. This is my solo PNP version. Requires one 6-sided dice.
World War III has started and nuclear warheads are raining from the sky. You are in command of the Missile Defense system and your mission is to defend your cities from annihilation. Target and destroy the incoming enemy warheads. The fate of civilization depends upon you.
ICBM Attack
1 page of rules and 1 game page
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Battlefield X-Wing vs TIE Fighters: For all the Star Wars fans out there, this is my modified, simplified and re-themed version of a PNP game called “Thermopylae”. Requires six 6-sided dice. You are in command of a Rebel Fleet that faces multiple waves of Imperial TIE Fighters.
Battlefield X-Wing vs TIE Fighter
1 page of rules and 1 game page
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Gaggle of Geese: Requires one 6-sided dice. You are the leader of a flock of geese who are heading south for the winter. Lead your flock through the Hunters and avoid the lurking Eagles to reach the safety of the Marshlands.
Gaggle of Geese
2 pages of rules and 1 game page
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Micro Empire Rome: My re-theme of a PNP game called “Micro Space Empire”. Card-based, but one 6-sided dice required. Explore areas, manage resources, conquer provinces, and build the Roman Empire.
Micro Empire Rome
3 pages of rules and 3 game pages
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The “In My Pocket” Series
Every PNP gamer has a copy of “Zombies in My Pocket”—it is probably the most widely-available PNP solo game. Its popularity has also spawned a number of spin-offs and re-themes, and I am no exception. These are some of my re-themes. Although they follow the core “Zombies in My Pocket” game mechanic, they each have their own different ruleset and are entirely different games. No dice required.
Washington DC in My Pocket: You are a tourist in Washington DC. From your hotel, you must find the Metro stop, get to the National Mall, and make your way to visit the White House, all before you run out of money or time.
Washington DC in My Pocket
1 page of rules and 3 game pages
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Hippies in My Pocket:
While trippin’ and having a groovy day in the Haight-Ashbury, you hear about the two weeks of peace and love going down at Woodstock. Far out, man. So you ask all your sisters and brothers to lay some bread on you for tickets, then hitchhike your way to Yasgur’s farm. Right on, baby.
Hippies in My Pocket
1 page of rules and 3 game pages
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The Somme in My Pocket: Not really a “war game”, more like an “anti-war” game. There are some photos that I hope will disturb and unsettle you. How futile and useless war is…..
The British Army is about to launch a massive attack along the Somme River in France, which will push the Germans back, break their trenches, and bring victory for the Entente in the Great War. You have been chosen to lead a squad of troops to go out across No Man’s Land and destroy a German machine gun position as part of the preparation for the attack. The attack is scheduled in three game hours, and you must complete your mission within that time.
The Somme in My Pocket
2 pages of rules and 3 game pages
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Samurai in My Pocket: As the finest warrior in all of feudal Japan, the Emperor has requested your presence in the Imperial Palace. The faraway land of Iga is being attacked by the legendary Tengu, the half-man half-crow goblin. You must recruit warriors and travel through the mountains, opposed by the Tengu’s demons, to the goblin’s Lair. If you succeed, fame and reward will be yours. If you fail, your bones will freeze in the mountain snows of Japan.
Samurai in My Pocket
2 pages of rules and 3 game pages
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Have fun. :)