I've been following the development of co-op board games for about a decade. Each year it seems like the gap between RPGs and board games is closing.

I've been following the development of co-op board games for about a decade. Each year it seems like the gap between RPGs and board games is closing.

Doom and Descent both required a player in the role of the enemy - basically a GM. Gears of War moved a step closer to solo RPG by randomly generating and playing the enemy with an "AI" deck. Level 7 is also solo capable.

The newest addition to my collection is Shadows of Brimstone. This one has customizable characters of several archetypes and is made for campaign play out of the box, including XP tracking and leveling up. Emergent story is a feature of the design. It seems to draw design inspiration from Arkham Horror too.

Now I'm wondering, has the gap closed completely? Is this in fact a solo RPG with board game components?