Playing Patchwork Alone - The Automa Deck, Explained

The Automa Deck turns Patchwork into a fantastic one-player game — and it might be the best solo mode in any polyomino game. In this video I cover the full rules for the Patchwork Automa (from the Automa Factory, the crew behind the solo modes for Wingspan, Scythe, Viticulture, and Terra Mystica), then give you my honest review. The Automa's turn takes about 5 seconds, but the algorithm makes it a genuine challenge — it competes for the exact patches you want, triggers button income at awkward times, and races you for the 7x7 special tile. One card flip per turn. No flowcharts. No mid-game rulebook diving. If you own Patchwork and don't always have a partner, this is a no-brainer. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Skit 0:25 Intro 1:11 Patchwork Quick Overview 2:16 Automa Setup 3:37 The Automa's Turn 4:40 The Filters 6:53 Button Income 7:38 The 7x7 Special Tile 8:33 Empty Deck + Special Patches 9:17 Scoring & Difficulty Levels 10:29 Final Thoughts / Review 12:05 Outro 🎲 WHAT'S COVERED How the Automa Deck works (normal vs. tactical deck) All 5 difficulty levels (Intern to Legend) and how the 7x7 trigger changes The four filters and how the automa breaks ties Virtual buttons vs. collected buttons for scoring How the automa can deny you special patches Patchwork is designed by Uwe Rosenberg. The Automa solo mode comes in the anniversary edition, or can be picked up separately. 👉 Like solo modes? I've also covered the unofficial Automa variant for Cottage Garden — another Uwe Rosenberg polyomino game. Check that video out:    • Cottage Garden Has a Secret Automa Solo Mo...   #Patchwork #SoloBoardGames #Automa #BoardGames #UweRosenberg #TabletopGame