“Quarantine” Solo Variant for Villainous

Original game design by Prospero Hall, published by Ravensburger (2018)

variant by BGG User mattlowder (2020)

BACKGROUND
It’s my favorite way to play this game. I actively dislike this game with more than 3 people. 2 is best. Solo is a
fantastic puzzle of efficiency. This solo variant I perfected during the “Quarantine” period beginning in March 2020
during the Coronavirus Outbreak in the US. I hope it gives you some joy, whether you’re reading this in the best of
times or in the worst of times. Be well, be safe, stay informed, play all the games. Find my other solo variants here:
https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/270736/matts-solo-variants

HOW TO PLAY
This is 20 minutes to play. Glorious. I love it. Set-up like you would for a normal game.

You need a 10-sided die to roll. You need a way to count 20 turns (a 20-sided die or point tracker app). If you do
not have a 10-sided die, you can use two (2) six-sided dice instead.

Draw four cards. Take your first turn. You have 20 turns to win, or you lose!

END OF TURN PHASE

1) draw up to four cards.
2) Roll that 10-sided die. You do this at the end of every turn. On a 1-4 (40% chance), you get Fated. You can
reduce this to a 20% chance if your pawn is on a space containing a FATE CLOUD (in which case, only by rolling a 1
or 2 does a Fate draw occur). Since you have no opponent, the function of this icon’s action has changed. When
Fated, draw 2 cards, slot the one that it hurts you the most it possibly can, discard the other.
3) Spin-down the 20-sided die 1 point. Take your next turn.

NOTE: If you use 2d6 instead of 1d10 for your end of turn Fate Rolls, trigger on a 7, 8, or 9 (41%), or if your pawn
is on a location with a FATE icon, trigger Fate if you roll a 9 or 10 (19.4%). It ain’t perfect. A d10 is preferable.

NOTE: Conditions are treated differently in this variant, and are fun to pull off. During your turn, you trigger your
own Condition cards if you complete their prerequisite. Think of them now as “objective” cards in a way, if that
makes sense. You discard them and do what they say, just like you would if an opponent triggered your Card. At
the end of a turn in which you achieved a Condition, draw up to 3 cards instead of 4. In the rare event you trigger 2
Conditions, draw up to a hand of two (2) cards at the end of your turn. This mimics the reality of off-turn cardplay.

SPECIAL: The moment you spin your 20-sided die down to read “15”, meaning you are about to begin your sixth
turn, and you haven’t rolled any 1s, 2s, 3s, or 4s this game: Fate yourself automatically before continuing turn #6.

CLOSE TO WINNING? NOT SO FAST, JACK!: If at the end of any turn, you can clearly see you are going to 100% win
on the very next turn, the Fate Die roll during that end phase triggers on a 1-5 instead of 1-4. (If using 2d6, this
means a roll of a 7, 8, 9, or 10 = 50% chance). This mimic reality since other “players” would have a higher
probability of seeing you situation and coming after you! Win before 20 rounds is up!

Good Luck, Solo Gamers! Have Fun!

Remember, this design is not trying to be groundbreaking, just scratch the itch!
Matt Lowder