When playing solo, you’re playing against your high score. The game setup and gameplay is the same as it is with multiple players. For cards that instruct you to place a piece on another player’s tower, add it to your own instead. There are no Event Cards in Solo play.

It is considered poor sportsmanship to purposely knock over your own tower to reset it because you’re unhappy with your current tower. The penalty for such an act is a Red piece added to your tower by the player to your left. 

In addition to the rules above, you may choose to add these game variants to change things up. Some of the game variants involve “levels”. A level is a full Plate placed so that pieces may be added upon it. A new level is made when a new Plate is placed. Note that it doesn’t need to be horizontal to be considered a new level. It’s considered a level if pieces can be rested on top of it without falling off.

Hard Mode: In this mode, all pieces placed on any tower must be placed on or above the highest level. The exception to this rule is that you’re allowed to place up to four pieces below the highest level to support the Plate. The piece must be in direct contact with the Plate to be considered as supporting it. This variant makes for some interesting gameplay in regards to placing pieces on other player’s towers. Placing a Plate on an opponent’s tower creates a new level that they must place all pieces above. If done effectively, this can create some problems for them to deal with. 

All or Nothing Mode: When 3 or more pieces fall off your tower in this mode, instead of removing all pieces down to the next highest Plate you reset your entire tower down to just the Base.

Team Mode: Teams of 2 compete to build the tallest tower. The game is played the same as normal Spire but both team members build upon a shared tower.

Charity Mode: Each round, the player with the shortest tower may skip the spinning phase and draw a Draw Card.

The following are game modes that you can also play using the pieces of Spire. Most of these are games suggested to me by playtesters. If you have an idea for a fun alternative game mode email me at spirestackinggame@gmail.com

Minute to Stack It: Choose how many Regular Pieces each player gets (e.g. 4 Cubes, 3 Cylinders, 2 Halfplates and a Plate). Decide on whether each player gets to choose a Red piece or not.

Have a timer ready. When all players are ready, start the timer. Players attempt to build the tallest tower they can with the pieces they have. After a minute, all players stop stacking. 

The player with the tallest tower wins!

Tower Duel: Each player gets 3 of each type of Regular piece. A base is made in the center between all the players.

Each player takes a turn spinning the wheel. If it lands on a piece, the player adds that piece to the tower. If it lands on a card, the player adds a piece of their choice to the tower. If the player spins a piece that they’re out of, their turn is skipped.

The first player to run out of all their pieces wins!