i've seen it mentioned before, and haffrung's reference to it in a recent thread in role-playing games reminded me of it.  

any recommendations?

Note: I'm going to exclude "solo" games like the adventures for TFT. Even though I think they're great, they don't quite qualify as "wargames" let alone "good solo rules" by wargame standards, because you have to make decisions for the opposition in terms of how they move and attack in melee.

The single best solo wargame I've ever played is Voyage of the Pandora, which was published only as a magazine game in SPI's Ares magazine. I played it many, many times, it was a fun challenge and had lots of surprises thanks to the hybrid paragraph/maps/resource management system.

Two other Ares games used a combination of map (or chit) and paragraph; Return of the Stainless Steel Rat was good for a few playthroughs; Damocles Mission though didn't have much spark and was much too hard to make any progress, to boot. (I wouldn't recommend Citadel of Blood at all; it's basically a chit-pull manual roguelike with multiple characters. Much better has been available on personal computers for decades.)

Still another map-cum-paragraph game is Barbarian Prince. Personally I tended to get killed very quickly by wolves but I know it has fans. But again, there are old computer games which will give a very similar experience, if you can find them. I'm thinking Applequest for Apple II, or Cap'n Magneto for Mac (and maybe PC; the creator updated it and rereleased it not long ago). But if you'd like to a take a look, the game's available as a free download here, along with a few other Dwarfstar games, one of which, Star Smuggler, is also solitaire (but I don't know anything about it.)

I enjoyed Victory Games' Peloponnesian War quite a bit, even though the rules aren't written as well as they could have been and need some errata. Both Magic Realm and Republic of Rome have enjoyable solitaire modes, but they shine as multiplayer games.

I've heard very good things about Tokyo Express and Ambush, both of which were designed explicitly as solo games. For some reason a lot of people also dig B-17 Queen of the Skies but I've also heard that it's basically just a die-rolling contest.

Voyage of the Pandora is teh awesome. It's probably unfindable today, ebay or not. Counters have a way of just dissipating when they don't come in a box...

Raid on Saint-Nazaire (WWII, British commandos attack German-held Atlantic harbor, true story) is very good as well. This is a solo-only Avalon Hill bookcase game with great production values. Single problem: if the initial phase of the game goes badly for you (and it's pure luck, no skill involved IIRC), you WILL lose. Better start over again at that point. Even so, highestly recommended.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/1425

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Nazaire_Raid

I wonder what Solitaire ASL is like. The investment is staggering--$100 for the standard game plus at least one expansion, and another $100 for SASL itself.

It has been like 15 years, I think, since I played it, but I remember having fun with a solo game called Ranger by Omega Games.  You run a Ranger patrol into hostile territory in a unspecified low intensity conflict in what looks a lot like Latin America (it was the 80s, man).

I remember liking the tactical options and for some reason I dug the fact that you use a grease pencil (thoughtfully provided) to mark on the maps.  It just felt like you were marking up your patrol map!

After a little bit of Google-fu, it is even still in print and updated:

Ranger Link


TGA

Edit: Fixed link

Quote from: Pierce InverarityVoyage of the Pandora is teh awesome. It's probably unfindable today, ebay or not. Counters have a way of just dissipating when they don't come in a box...

FYI, although I can't vouch for it since I have never bought anything through the BoardgameGeek Marketplace, I did stumble across a copy of The Voyage of the Pandora (Good condition, game components only) for $19.99 here.

It sounds like a cool game, actually.


TGA

you've given me a good place to start.  thanks, folks!  

Awesome find, GA! That Ranger game looks enticing too.

So many games, so little time & money...

Ambush!

If you can find it.

Quote from: cmagounAmbush!

If you can find it.

who makes it?

I highly recommend Ambush! by Avalon Hill (out of print).  Also has additional scenario modules, Move Out, Purple Heart and Silver Star.  It's a solo WWII tactical (man to man and vehicle) hex mapped wargame.  A paragraph book is checked for events.  Solders also have an experience system, so they get better (until killed).  I still dredge it out every few years and play a few scenarios.  

I also recomment Raid on St. Nazaire also by Avalon Hill.   Also I am sure out of print.  As was mentioned previosly, a bad start to the game by bad luck will doom you.  But the set up isn't awful so you can restart.    It's a squad level area movement game in which the WWII British Commandos try to blow up a German U-Boat base.

Avalon Hill's B-17 Flying Fortress rocks as a solo game.

And Patton (which basically uses the same system) was good as well.

I spent a LOT of nights no guard duty in the Army playing those two games.

I used to name all the crew members after my friends/family. Just hurt that much more when your best friend took a walking hit.

Quote from: beeberwho makes it?

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/1608

Victory Games and/or Avalon Hill... I am not sure of the relationship between those two companies. I just know that the game was in AH's catalog, but had VG on the box when I bought it.

Quote from: CallousAlso has additional scenario modules, Move Out, Purple Heart and Silver Star

Also keep in mind that there were various scenarios published in the VG Insider magazine and possibly The General.

Chris

Magic Realm (AH), though not technically a wargame, is a very good solo game as well.

Quote from: JollyRBAnd Patton (which basically uses the same system) was good as well.

Patton's Best. Never played it or B-17 Queen of the Skies, just heard conflicting reports on them. Patton's Best wasn't helped (in my mind) by the fact that there was an Ambush system game around the same time that also dealt with tanks, Open Fire. (Confused, I never got any of them.)

Victory Games was a subsidiary of Avalon Hill which was created as a sort of distinct design house for refugees from the demise of SPI. A bunch of the SPI designers didn't want to work for TSR, who'd taken over, and AH set them up at VG. They produced a lot of winners, including the James Bond RPG. The account at BGG explains why VG was eventually closed, but it's incorrect about the relationship between War in the Pacific and Pacific War--two entirely different games, albeit on the same subject.

Magic Realm not a wargame? I guess it depends on your definition of the genre. Anyway, the solo rules give an entertaining game. I forget if they were in the rulebook proper or if they were published in the General--but, shouldn't be hard to get a hold of assuming you can find a copy of MR in the first place.