I'm loving Aeon's End solo! I'm writing these notes for anyone who is wondering if the game is a fit for them.

I got the base set and played it solo two-handed. There is a true solo mode that I didn't try.

By the numbers:

• Setup is about 10-15 minutes, teardown is about the same. Setup is faster if you make your choices (nemesis, market cards) during the previous teardown. (I am referring to setup out of the box and teardown into the box, not the time in between games of a multi-game session.)

• The game takes me about 30 minutes to lose and about 60 minutes to win now that I know the rules. It was slower at first.

• I got about 20 games/30 hours out of the core set before I felt "done" and started wanting an expansion.

• I play on a 20" x 42" (50 cm x 106 cm) surface, and the game fits just right.

Why I like it:

• The tension is great. The nemesis gets steadily more dangerous the longer the game lasts, and it's a struggle to stay one step ahead. It's usually a really close battle.

• The play is really fast. There's no downtime, bookkeeping, etc. during the game that slows you down. It's just action, action, action.

• I like the lore, but not everyone does. Space demons coming through dimensional holes to fight space wizards makes thematic sense for the game and feels more unique than most fantasy games.

• It's basically a puzzle game. Each nemesis is a different puzzle, and each set of mages and market items are different tools to solve the puzzle.

• It is so, so satisfying when you finally get your spells lined up and deal out 8 or more damage on a turn. It's like sweet revenge for all that nemesis has been putting you through the whole game.

• All the mechanics fit really well together. I especially like the mix of nemesis cards (the AI that controls the bad things that happen in the game). There is a mix of immediate effects that you have to react to and delayed effects that you can plan around. Then there's the minion cards, which create mini-challenges and force hard decisions.

• This is a medium-sized game. I don't have the time or space for a big game, and I wanted something a little more ambitious than Cartographers for a change. This game hits right in that spot.

• In addition to solo play, I find it portable and fast to teach, so I've played a few games with my brother and my weekly group (who have been playing nothing but Pandemic since 2019 and nothing but Catan before that) are interested in trying it.

Is this a "lifestyle game?"

I honestly don't know. At 30 hours, it is one of my most played games, and I'm looking forward to playing a lot more of it. I think that eventually, it will get repetitive even with new nemeses, mages and market items. I am hoping that some of the legacy elements and whatever "expedition mode" is will breathe more life into it.