Meadowvale: Solo Mode Update

The core mechanics of Meadowvale’s solo mode haven’t changed. However, as I’ve continued refining the systems across the game, I’ve been looking for a way to more fully integrate the naturalist storytelling I’ve been developing alongside the mechanics.

The Wildlife and Species cards don’t really have room for additional text, so instead I’ve replaced the species die in solo mode with a small solo deck of cards. Previously, the die was used to determine which of the game’s eight animals the automa would introduce to the board. Now, that decision is made by drawing the top card of the solo deck.

Each card shows the animal involved and clearly states the rules for placement or movement. This change does several things at once:

• it places the solo rules directly on the cards rather than in the rulebook or on a separate player aid

• it removes an unnecessary double die roll

• and it creates space for short pieces of narrative text

Each species appears three times in the deck. Mechanically, the cards function in the same way, but each carries a different fragment of story. Read individually, they act as quiet atmospheric moments. Placed together in order, they form a short narrative for that animal.

Solo mode is important to me as a designer. Meadowvale is intended to be calm and intuitive to run, but I also want solo play to feel immersive rather than procedural.