Description

In solo mode, you play against a dummy opponent which is governed by a clever set of algorithms which are built into the card design.

Each card has a diagram of the play-space with one card-slot highlighted orange. This is where you place the card in the mountain. There is also a black and a white meeple icon on the diagram. The second card you draw each turn determines where the A.I. player places their first meeple – they place their first meeple on the space represented by the black meeple icon.

You then take your turn and the card you place your meeple on determines where the A.I. places its second meeple – It goes where the black meeple is on the card you chose, and if that space is not available, it goes for the location of the white meeple. This is such a great mechanic as there is a good balance between randomness and the player’s ability to influence the outcome.

Hard decisions need to be made every turn as you will want the A.I. to go to certain locations but that means choosing your meeple placement very carefully. You will need to balance your desire for glory and gold with the A.I.’s opportunities and be very strategic.

There are also three levels of difficulty in solo mode, each with slight adjustments to the algorithm to add extra challenge. For example, in easy mode, the A.I. is at the whim of the card icons, but in level 2 and 3, it begins to be more tactical in its choices. At level 1 you can force it to take useless actions, but at higher levels this is not possible and it will seek out better positions making it more of a formidable opponent.

--description taken from a review on BGG