I realise this is some years too late (I hadn't seen this thread before), but to answer your original question about recommendations what to do in that situation, I can only offer my own observations. I've been a "billy no-mates" ever since I first went to school, so solo-gaming for me is the norm, rather than the exception.
I started getting interested in wargaming about a decade ago, and in that time I have had a bit of success wargaming via video-conference, with the occasional far-away friend I've made. I set up the game on my table, with two opposing forces, put a webcam on a tripod facing the table, then I call up my friend on Skype/Zoom/whatever, and let him order the troops around and I do all the physical movement. It's not perfect, but better than nothing at all.
However, my family life is rather too busy for that now, so I have resorted to solo wargaming in the brief windows of time I can snatch it (few and far between). Some wargames cater for solo play, but for ones which don't, I've tended to -- Gollum style -- play both sides, switching personalities between turns:
Works a treat!
Just kidding; it's really boring. Games designed for solo play are probably the best bet.
