"Solitary, Small, Short" Topic

Calling for advise. My actual gaming has stalled since my last move. Opponents appear to be extinct. There are logistical problems with anything much larger than a card table. I have time, but not long stretches of uninterrupted time, and between kids and the cat, I can't leave the table set up for long periods. SO…

Recommendations for miniature wargames which
1. Are amenable to solo play.
2. Can be fought out on a 3'x3' board, and
3. Can be put up, fought and taken down in 3-4 hours.

Thank you for any actual suggestions. ("Move to a smaller scale" and "all games can be played solo" are not regarded as suggestions. I already have 2mm figures, and believers in the latter are encouraged to come up with a surprise they themselves will never suspect.)

From the title, I was going to recommend the Sackville-Bagginses.
I guess I guessed wrong!

One-Hour Skirmish Wargaming by John Lambshead fits the bill.

Great fun and very flexible.

I think Bob Cordery's Portable Wargames would suit you if you're happy with grid based rules.

QILS

link

Another vote for One Hour Wargames – great fun

and believers in the latter are encouraged to come up with a surprise they themselves will never suspect

I think you're overselling that a bit.

If you're playing against a human opponent, they are constrained by they rules. So, you can know the range of options available to them. You may or may not be able to predict which one they choose next, but that shouldn't be something you never suspect.

An automata (to pick a term for the mechanism for the opposing side(s)) can be given the same range of options as an opponent. In a non-cellular game, your opponent theoretically has "infinite options" move forward 3" or 2.99999" or 3.00001" or …. but functionally, not really.

So, innovating and doing something that is a complete surprise, no, but that's not really an option in a game with well-defined rules.

Can an automata execute a legal set of moves in a strategically valid manner that is not purely predictable, yes.

An automata player can be built as an opponent for any game.

Quite a bit depending on your interest. I'm primarily sci-fi but here's my list:
-Horizon Wars, Midnight Dark (mechs, armor) and HW Zero Dark (commando skirmish). Both have in-depth solo modes.
-Haywire Modern (skirmish, modern day), meant for solo play. Easily translate to WW2 with some effort.
-Rangers of Shadow Deep (fantasy skirmish). Solo play.
-Stargrave (sci-fi skirmish) has several solo modules.
-Wiley Games has a solo system, but not its primary mode of play.
-Battletech Aces is solo specific Alpha Strike play.

Sorry,
not much in the realm of historical to offer, though, I will third or fourth One Hour Skirmish. I've played that a few times and it is a good system, although I do miss the "throw of the dice" regardless of whether the card deck does the same task.

Space/Sword weirdos would be my choice!

I would add a house rule that I have used for One Hour Skirmish.

Troop quality using custom decks.

I love lots of poor quality troops bs elites.

Just remove some of the higher cards from the deck.

My Rhodesian Light Infantry used a-10 vs. ZANLA a-8.

Frederick, is that a vote for One-Hour Wargames (Neil Thomas) or John Lambshead's One-Hour Skirmish Wargaming?