Solo

Play Nixon against the fan-made Editor system by VPJ Arponen.

Watergate Solitaire System

This community-created variant is by VPJ Arponen and is not an official Frosted Games mode. The human plays Nixon while the system runs the Editor. The Editor’s unscripted choices are made by the human Nixon player, which gives the solo player room to choose how difficult the opposing system is. Follow the full Watergate Solitaire System file if a rule below leaves a card-specific choice unresolved.

Setup changes

Use the base setup with these changes:

Set aside an empty Editor Card Area beside the Editor deck.
At the start of each round, put the initiative token on space 1 on the Editor’s side.
The Editor’s round hand is dealt face down as a mini-deck of four or five cards, according to the initiative card. Nixon draws three evidence tokens normally. The variant permits keeping those tokens face up and using portrait orientation to mark their hidden status.

The Editor system’s turn

At the start of each Editor turn, reveal the top mini-deck card and apply these priorities:

If its action can recruit an informant, recruit one immediately. Stop the action there; the card remains unplayed in portrait orientation in the Card Area.
Otherwise, resolve its value. Move a matching evidence token toward the Editor by the full value, whether that token is hidden or revealed. If no matching token is in play, move initiative or momentum, choosing one that is not yet on the Editor’s side when possible.
Set the card portrait side up in the Card Area. Portrait cards are unplayed.

Nixon’s turns follow the normal rules. When Nixon uses a card’s action, choose one portrait Editor card in the Card Area and resolve its action for the Editor; then rotate it to landscape to show it has been played. Do not choose reaction cards. If there is no unplayed Editor card there, draw a random card from outside the Editor’s mini-deck and resolve its action. Follow special card rules below where they apply.

Special card handling

Ben Bradlee: When the system draws it, Nixon immediately discards a conspirator from hand without effect if possible. If a card is discarded, mark Ben Bradlee played. Then the Editor takes another turn.
Mass Demonstration: Once it enters the Card Area, Nixon cannot use conspirators for their actions.
Follow the Money!: The system resolves its value normally, then places the card in the Card Area. Its action triggers at Nixon’s next value play that moves evidence; mark it played afterwards.
Forced Editor discard: Instead of discarding from a hidden hand, mark one Editor Card Area card as played without resolving it.
Editor removes evidence: Prioritize removing evidence nearest to a recruited informant, then evidence adjacent to face-up evidence. Nixon makes any remaining choice.

Evaluation changes

Before the normal evaluation, compare how many played Editor cards are in the Card Area. For each unplayed card, up to two, move initiative or momentum one space toward the Editor. Prioritize the token that is not yet on the Editor’s side.

When the Editor pins evidence, prioritize a space that connects Nixon to a recruited informant. If that is not possible, connect to an existing face-up token, otherwise to Nixon. Extend a continuous route outward from Nixon toward recruited informants; prefer the shortest route and then a space adjacent to the most different colored empty spaces. Nixon chooses any remaining placement details.

At cleanup, clear the Editor Card Area and remove the played Editor cards from the game. Check victory as in the base game.

Difficulty variants

30 Deep Throat: If this Editor card is drawn, resolve both its value and action immediately, then place it portrait in the Card Area without marking it played.
More Momentum: At setup and at the start of each round, place the momentum token on space 1 on the Editor’s side.

These procedures are transcribed from the community variant and have not been confirmed by the publisher. The base game’s official two-player rules remain the reference for shared rules.