Watch “Take Time - Unofficial Solo Mode - The Blind Watchmaker,” a how-to-play guide for Take Time from Tom Scutt on BoardGameVideo.
Description provided by Tom Scutt on YouTube:
An unofficial Take Time Solo Mode, by Tom Scutt
In this simple solo mode you play with an AI 'player' called The Blind Watchmaker.
Setup:
Set up the game as normal: Shuffle the deck and deal six cards each to you and the AI, face down. Use the 2-Player Reminder token
1. Discussion Phase:
There is no discussion during the Discussion Phase.
Turn your hand face-up on the table.
For each 👁️ on your Reminder/Bonus tokens you may look at one card from the AI's hand (so, on your first attempt at a clock, this will be two cards)
After you have looked at them, return them face down to the AI's hand and shuffle it.
2. Placement Phase:
Decide whether you or the AI is going to lay the first card, and after that alternate turns as normal.
(it helps to give the lead player the Reminder token so you can remember which of you took the first turn)
Play your cards face up (this is not cheating - the AI player cannot see you cards and this is not supposed to be a memory test)
You may play the AI's cards in any order you wish*
In general you play the AI player's cards face down, but for each 👁️ on your Reminder/Bonus tokens you may turn one AI card face-up after selecting it but before placing it (you have to place the selected card next - you cannot change your mind after seeing what it is)*
(these do not have the first AI cards played, or the cards you have looked at - they can be any of them as long as you do not exceed the number of 👁️)
If, on turning a card face up, you have broken the rules for this clock, then you have failed the test*
*indicates rules which may be overridden for particular chapters
3. Resolution Phase:
Reveal all facedown cards, starting at the clock hand
If, on turning a card face up, you have broken the rules for this clock, then you have failed the test
All the usual rules about passing/failing tests (and gaining bonus tokens) apply
Rules for Specific Chapters [SPOILERS]
Chapter II: The 👁️with a ❌icon: You may still place your own cards face-up. but you may not turn any AI cards face up during the Placement Phase
Chapter IIII: For this chapter, after shuffling the AI's hand at the end of the Discussion Phase, leave it stacked up - you must always play the top card from its hand. Obviously you must play your hand as specified in the chapter's clock placement rules, but you do not fail the clock if the AI breaks the placement rules.
Chapter VII: Play the [draw card] icon normally if you place the card that triggers it. If the AI places the card then draw the new card face down and place it with the AI hand but separate from it, so you know which card's were not in the AI's initial hand.
Note: On your first playthrough it may feel like you don't have nearly enough information to work with - but trust me, between seeing a couple of cards from the AI's hand before you start, and a couple after they've been selected, you will usually be able to finish a clock successfully (even if often you’re just playing the odds) and sometimes the results will seem almost miraculous when you turn the cards over! Of course there will be times when you lose just due to bad luck - but that can also happen in the non-solo game and overall I found my success/failure rate very similar to the three-player human games I'd played.
Note on the video: I noticed the mistake I'd made (forgetting I'd only placed two cards at the segment with an icon requiring three) just as I was about to finish editing the video. I couldn't face redoing the whole thing...
