Here is one for the solo players that costs nothing to try tonight. One for Sorrow is a pocket-sized solo card game from UK designer Kevin Newman, and you can download and print it on a pay-what-you-want basis right now.
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Set up your group for freeBuilt around the old British magpie counting rhyme, the game hands you 18 cards: 13 magpies, four trees and a single Spectre of Sorrows. Your job is to coax the magpies into order from one to 13, revealing them and using each bird's special power, before the Spectre tears the forest apart or a cursed magpie ends your run. The whole thing plays in the palm of your hand in about 15 minutes, no table required, which makes it ideal for a coffee break or a commute.
It is not just a curio. One for Sorrow swept four top categories in BoardGameGeek's 2025 In-Hand Game Design Contest, winning Best Solo Game, Most Visually Appealing, Best Use of Theme, and Best Graphic Design for Visually Impaired Players. That last award is a nice touch, since accessible design is still rare in small-box games.
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See how it worksNewman, who playtests his designs at a Croydon board game cafe, is bringing it to UK Games Expo this weekend at stand 3-618. The game lives on itch.io as a print-and-play download with a tuck-box template included, so there is no real barrier to giving it a go.
If your group is always on the hunt for clever, cheap solo fillers, this one belongs on the shortlist.
Sources: Kev Makes Games | itch.io | Our Board Game Life
