The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word SOLOED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
O
L
O
E
D
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Played alone/Played alone" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case played alone/played alone = soloed.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SOLOED mean?
SOLOED verb- To perform a solo.
- To perform something in the absence of anyone else.
- To drop the ball and then toe-kick it upward into the hands.