Hi everyone!
September was the month of restarting, with a lot of work on my plate and less time for board games. So my gaming happened in the evenings, often in little pieces. That’s one of the joys of solo: I can set up a game, play a few turns, leave everything on the table and come back to it later. Only 11 plays this month, half of August’s, but not a single game scored below 8/10.
Of the two games I was hoping to play, Unconscious Mind and Planta Nubo, I managed Unconscious Mind. So let’s see how September went!
Table of Contents
September 2026 by Numbers
- 11 plays (vs. 22 in August)
- 6 different games
- 2 new games to me
- Most played: Darwin’s Journey and Fromage (3 plays each)
- Solo plays: 11 (all of them)
Favourite Game of the Month
Darwin’s Journey
Designed by Simone Luciani and Nestore Mangone, published by ThunderGryph Games.
Picking a favourite this month was hard, but I’m going with the one that impressed me the most.
Darwin’s Journey puts you on the voyage alongside Darwin himself, gathering new specimens for your collection. And there’s a lot to juggle! You manage your findings, send letters to get funds and other benefits, publish, study specimens that have already been discovered, all while keeping up with Darwin so your ship doesn’t drift too far from his. It’s a competitive game, and the board is a real treat: beautifully illustrated, with each zone clearly separated.
All three of my plays were solo, and they were my very first. In solo you face an automa with 4 difficulty levels. I played twice on easy and won comfortably, 154 to 53 and then 142 to 102. So I thought, why not jump to level 3? How hard could it be? Oh, how wrong I was. I lost 85 to 148, so badly it almost hurt 😅. And yet it was a perfect play, because it showed me that what looked simple really isn’t. Money is hard to come by: when a shared space already has a worker on it, you have to pay to place another one there. And you can’t do everything. You have to choose a path, build a strategy, and adjust along the way.
What did I love most? Managing your workers with the wax seals. Realising that the worker you wanted is the one you used last turn, and now you have to adapt, is a good kind of frustration. I also really enjoyed the combos. Once I managed to buy wax seals and place them on my board, I could unlock one of my characters, which let me move my ship, place a tent and place correspondence too. That’s a lot done at once, and in the meantime I even completed one of the objectives! Make the right move at the right time, and you can do a lot for maximum effect. Under those lovely colours hides a complex game. I rate it 8.5/10.
New Games
Besides Darwin’s Journey, only one other game was new to me this month.
Unconscious Mind
Designed by Laskas, Jonny Pac, Yoma, and Antonio Zax, published by Fantasia Games.
In Unconscious Mind, you’re one of Freud’s followers, joining him and his circle at the Wednesday meetings to discuss your cases and share experiences and opinions. It takes up a lot of table space: two main boards, plus player boards and cards, so there’s a lot going on. The game is wonderful. The dream illustrations are gorgeous, and the blurred minds of the patients are represented by transparent cards.
This is a heavy game with a lot of rules. I actually played it three times, but I’m only counting one: in the first two, I realised I’d made mistakes that would have let me win by a lot, and even solo I like to play fair. That last play, base game only and with the correct rules, was epic. I really liked it. And yes, I lost, 127 to 208.
I loved placing the bubbles on the main board to choose your action, and moving your inkpot to trigger more actions. It lets you build great combos and carefully prepare your next move. I really had to think and calculate to get the best turn possible. Those are my favourite kind of games: intense, but so rewarding when you pull off a great turn, and that’s why I give it an 8/10.
Other Games Played
Fromage
Designed by Matthew O’Malley and Ben Rosset, published by Road to Infamy Games.
In Fromage, you’re a cheesemaker, and I recently wrote a full review of it. It’s quick to set up thanks to its insert, quick to play, and a joyful, pleasant game on the table. The theme is so coherent, with the board rotating just like a cheese platter.
It’s one of my go-to solo games, and I played it 3 times this month. As much as I enjoy it, I was always winning easily, so I took the time to climb through the difficulty levels. I won 75 to 62, then 80 to 67 on level 3. On the hardest level, things got tougher, and I can never resist a good challenge: I lost 60 to 68, but I’ll try to beat it next time. It’s still an 8/10 for me, just like in my review.
Black Rose Wars: Rebirth + Rotas Box
Designed by Andrea Colletti, Diego Fonseca, and Marco Montanaro, published by Ludus Magnus Studio.
In Black Rose Wars: Rebirth, you’re a mage fighting the others to become the best in the Lodge. I played it solo twice this month, and the feeling is still perfect. Both plays used content from the Rotas Box, a big expansion made of 6 smaller boxes.
The first used the Once Upon a Time box, with Maelice as my mage and Hastur, the avatar from that box, as my opponent. I won 49 to 28, but I doubt I played it right, since it was far too easy. Still, I enjoyed it, especially the planning in each phase to decide what to play first.
For the second, I tried the legendary scenario Damned Souls from the Last Dynasty box, playing Saba against Anubis. When you’re more careful with the rules, things get messy fast. Unsurprisingly, I lost 15 to 42. A big, big loss, but a really fun game. The Egyptian theme is right up my street, so this box is perfect for me.
What do I like most? Summoning creatures. Picking up the miniature and planning how to use it against my enemy is so much fun. I gave it 8.5/10 in July, and I’m keeping it. Just be aware that it needs a lot of room: the Lodge is big, and each player needs space around it to play.
Once Upon a Line
Designed by William Aubert and Dan Thouvenot, published by Perte & Fracas (Lucky Duck Games for the English edition).
As I explained last month, this game is quite unusual: a fully narrative crossword and scratch card game. I played Chapter 1 this month, which took me around 1h30, and it was surprising and really nice. It was harder than I expected, and I loved the charade. I even stepped away to cook while still thinking about which word could be hiding behind it. That’s exactly the kind of game I enjoy: one that makes me think outside the box. I have the French version, so I can’t judge the translation. A little tip: keep a cup nearby to catch the scratch dust, or you’ll find it everywhere! I’m keeping my 9/10, because it still surprises me.
Nautilion
Designed by Shadi Torbey, published by inPatience.
Nautilion is a game for 1 or 2 players, though mostly played solo. It’s part of the Oniverse: a small box with a great game inside, and one I have a special love for. Like every Oniverse game, it comes with expansions in the box, and this month I tried The Mages. And I lost! That’s unusual, since I usually win this one, and I’ve already played it 10 times. The expansion looks like it makes things easier, with a new board for your mages and their powers, but it really doesn’t. You now have 3 more crews to recruit, and you still have to follow the order on the submarine board, so you need to plan ahead. Even though I lost, the game is still a win for me, so it keeps its 8/10.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, this was a month of games I love. What I love most about board games are the emotions they create: the frustration and the wow moments, the way the components make you dream, and how hard you have to think to make the best turn ever. I enjoy playing solo because it gives me time to really appreciate a game.
This month, Darwin’s Journey stunned me. I’ve owned it for a long time (I backed it), but I’d never given it a chance, because the components overwhelmed me the first time I saw them. I was wrong: the game is wonderful, and I recommend it. But the game that keeps calling me back is Black Rose Wars: Rebirth, with its dark mood and magical moments ❤️ The only thing stopping me from playing it more often is the long setup.
Looking Ahead
For October, I hope to finally make room for Dune: Imperium (yes, again 😅, it’s been on this list since July), and maybe Planta Nubo this time. But mostly, I’m so happy because I’m going to SPIEL Essen for the first time! I’ll be there from 22 to 24 October, and I’m so excited I can hardly wait to pack and head to Germany.
Your Turn
And you, how was your September restart? Will you be at SPIEL Essen too? Let me know, maybe we can meet!
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