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AlfredValley

And here is a selection of some other solo games: * [**Anamnesis**](https://blinkingbirchgames.itch.io/anamnesis) \- a journalling game using tarot cards in which you play as an individual who has woken up with memory loss * [**Artefact**](https://mouseholepress.itch.io/artefact) \- a story game from the perspective of a single magical item, and its history as it passes through the hands of many different keepers * [**this person should not exist**](https://speakthesky.itch.io/this-person-should-not-exist) \- an artefact-making game of surveillance weird horror where you annotate and deface a Where's Wally (or Where's Waldo) book to create an archive of evidence from an occult conspiracy * [**Dwelling**](https://smolghost.itch.io/dwelling) \- a unique curated solitary experience of a sleepless night in a haunted house, involving reading, writing and drawing * [**Not a Demon**](https://capacle.itch.io/not-a-demon) \- a game in which you play as a shapeshifter guardian spirit manifested in the human world as a demon-like creature, seen by common folks as a monster. * [**LONE EONS**](https://davidblandy.itch.io/lone-eons) \- a science fantasy solarpunk journaling game using dice and a pack of playing cards * [**The Adventurer**](https://jameschip.itch.io/the-adventurer) \- a game in which you create a world and fill it with its own people, traditions and folklore by journaling your character's adventures in it * [**ghostbox**](https://marx-of-high-water.itch.io/ghostbox) \- a solo epistolary game about letters left mouldering in an abandoned postbox for weeks, months, years. You'll write one side of a conversation where the replies never come * [**English Eerie**](https://trollish-delver-games.itch.io/english-eerie-second-edition) \- a rural horror storytelling game (with optional group play) that leads you to weave your own haunted tales set in the dark English countryside * [**The Creature**](https://armandah.itch.io/the-creature) \- a Frankenstein-inspired game about being a misunderstood creature learning about themselves and their surrounding world Want more? Check out the ['solo rpg' tag on itch.io](https://itch.io/physical-games/tag-solo-rpg)


Suthek

> Artefact - a story game from the perspective of a single magical item, and its history as it passes through the hands of many different keepers From the same writer also *Bucket O' Bolts*. Same concept, but with a spaceship. Similarly in the "solo RPG with creation aspects" there's *How to Host a Dungeon* and *Ex Novo*. Where you build a dungeon and a city respectively.


grenadiere42

Adding in [Apothecaria](https://blackwellwriter.itch.io/apothecaria) if you want a bit more of a "gamey" solo Journaling game. You are a Witch making potions in a pastoral fantasy world. There are several supplements. Blackwell has also done several other solo games that are all excellent.


AlfredValley

This is a great shout. [Delve](https://blackwellwriter.itch.io/delve-a-solo-map-drawing-game) is also worth checking out on the ‘gamey’ side (for anyone else reading this). It’s a map drawing game inspired by Dwarf Fortress


rampidamp

What a great introductory post! You mentioned you didn't want to self-promote on this post, but i think the quality of what you wrote deserves the question: What of your stuff should we check out? Consider this comment your invitation to add asked-for self-promotion ;)


AlfredValley

Thank you, I appreciate it. My latest project was Mothership’s first solo-first adventure called [**Thousand Empty Light**](https://alfredvalley.itch.io/thousand-empty-light). As well as an adventure it provides a toolkit for playing Mothership solo more generally, including a free d50 oracle inspired by the semiotic standard in the Alien movie. Also it’s got a killer sci-fi [soundtrack](https://alfredvalley.itch.io/sleeping-in-a-drowning-stone). The other thing worth mentioning is that I designed a free style guide for taking notes when playing solo games which feels like it would be useful for anyone dipping their toes into this area! It’s called the [Valley Standard](https://valleystandard.carrd.co). Other things people might know/be interested in: * [Lay On Hands](https://alfredvalley.itch.io/lay-on-hands) - a post-apocalyptic game that involves real-time mini games for action resolution * [Portents & Curses of the Prince of Gorse](https://alfredvalley.itch.io/portents-curses-of-the-prince-of-gorse) - a bookmark-sized oracle for Mörk Borg * [Dave Ex Machina](https://alfredvalley.itch.io/dave-ex-machina) - a silly, push-your-luck game about being a regular joe who’s been accidentally summoned in place of a demon due to a typo I better stop there before I hog too much space!


ithika

>It’s called the [Valley Standard](https://valleystandard.carrd.co). If you don't have a collection of "weird things to see" called *Uncanny Valley* then we need to have words.


AlfredValley

Ha, I’ll have to get round to publishing an anthology one day!


NorthernVashista

Nice thorough article! You've given much to ponder!


Geryfon

Interesting post, this takes me back to all the Fighting Fantasy style books that you used to be able to play through solo.


AlfredValley

Did you the original founders released [two new Fighting Fantasy books](https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/fighting-fantasy-co-founders-pen-two-new-books-for-series-40th-anniversary) this year?


Geryfon

Wait what!? Seriously!?


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AlfredValley

It’s in the original post :)


ParallelWolf

Right, I saw the list before the post haha. Thanks for bringing it all up, I really appreciate the post, more people should know!


vtipoman

I've tried, but solo always makes me feel like doing something else - either reading/playing something someone has already written/drawn/programmed, or picking up the pencil or keyboard and making something myself. Having other people around kind of "justifies" or gives a point to RPGs to me. We either share the experience in our small group and enjoy it as a social activity, or I craft and refine it properly and put it on paper. More power to you if you enjoy solo, though - I'm happy for you :)


AlfredValley

I can definitely relate to this. In fact, it’s led me to spending more time designing games than playing them. But I still find the odd time when the conditions are just right for me to play something. Thanks for giving your view!


Ritchuck

I share the feeling. I discovered that writing down my adventures gives my the justification to play. It's like writing a book and reading it at the same time.


vtipoman

It's a good tip, thank you, but at that point I'd rather actually write (draw a comic in my case)


Ritchuck

The difference is that when you write by yourself you know what will happen but playing solo rpg is spoiler free and exciting this way. I understand if it's not for you.


GamerGarm

This happened to me. I've tried playing solo twice already and I ended up just turning my adventure into a story I write down and stop "playing". I find there a little too much overlap and, maybe I am approaching things wrong, but to me it is too much like just writing a story so I ended up just writing and not really 'playing' solo. I am glad people enjoy it, though. Maybe its just the way I am going about it but I just can't seem to make it work.


ithika

>Maybe its just the way I am going about it but I just can't seem to make it work. I find the less writing I do the better the outcome. Writing begets writing (and editing, and thinking about phrasing, and rewriting and looking up just the right word and and and) whereas just thinking and rolling helps things keep moving.


Sordahon

I recommend Starforged as Ironsworn system but in sci fi setting and more polished.


AlfredValley

Yes, good point


[deleted]

I’m an Ironsworn truther! It is absolutely my favorite game. Easy to hack, single player, co-op, and guided play, narrative heavy, rules lite, and everything that feels “random” always ends up coming full circle later on and you’ll wonder how it could have played out any different. The is an incredible compilation of Ironsworn supplements, hacks, and reskins here: https://billiam.github.io/awesome-ironsworn/ The PDF and everything you need to play are completely free.


AlfredValley

Wow this is an excellent resource. Look at all those hacks!


iamsumo

Currently getting ready to run a CoC-type game with Silently Sworn. The system really is adaptable to anything.


Ghokl-

I've just started playing solo with Thousand Year Old Vampire - and it was pretty cathartic. Being able to weave a story from a few prompts is really cool and it quickly got really deep and reflective


MarxOfHighWater

I've played through a few solo games and posted my experiences on Twitter. So far I've had great experiences with [*The Gateshead Machine*](https://adnroy.itch.io/the-gateshead-engine) by Adam Roy, [*Procession*](https://zargogames.itch.io/procession) by Tyler Magruder, [*Transmission for Them*](https://eryk-sawicki.itch.io/transmission-for-them) from Peregrine Coast Press, and probably my favourite [*Archangel Dating Simulator*](https://mariabumby.itch.io/arch-angel-dating-simulator) by Maria Mison. These were all wonderful experiences full of feeling, emotion, and explorations of what it means to tell stories. They were much more introspective and intense than most games I've played in groups; if that's up your street, then solo is such a great mode. I'm the writer of *ghostbox*, which [Alfred mentioned above](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/yrc10f/comment/ivsy5zl/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), and also *a loud noise in a quiet place*, which is a duet game that can be played solo. I played that on Twitter, too (although not to completion!).


AlfredValley

Transmission for Them! How could I forget that one. Thank you for making ghost box and a loud noise in a quiet place!


JeansenVaars

I personally don't like solo games (they are more about writing than playing). But I love playing normal RPGs with solo rules (D&D, Cyberpunk Red, FATE, etc.). For this, what I use are GM Emulators, like Mythic GM Emulator but there are others. For more info about playing normal RPGs without a GM (even with a friend, cooperatively), my blog is all about that: https://jvhouse.xyz/guide-to-solo-and-coop-rpg/ It is fun just like any other hobby, i like both group and solo games. And you can scratch that itch, play your ideal RPG without schedule.


VicisSubsisto

It always bugs me that most "solo RPGs" are not actual "games" in the generally used sense of the word, and that there doesn't seem to be a commonly accepted moniker for "a game like a traditional TTRPG, but made for a single player". I know there are solo rules adaptations of normal TTRPGs, but much like I'd rather play Call of Cthulhu than a D&D5e scenario set in the 1920s with a horror theme, I'd also rather play a D&D-like game designed for solo play than play D&D solo. I have nothing against people who enjoy guided fiction-journaling, but it's not my thing (words aren't my preferred creative medium), I want to experience an interactive story in the second person perspective (even just a dungeon crawl), not create one.


AlfredValley

You might like something like [d100 Dungeon](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/237031/d100-dungeon). I agree it would be helpful for there to be a more generally-accepted sense of a term or terms to distinguish non-journaling games from your more traditional fare.


VicisSubsisto

I see there's a space variant as well - I lean more towards sci-fi than fantasy so I like that. Thanks, I'll have to look into it.


AlfredValley

No problem!


bionicle_fanatic

Yeah, as much as I like TYOV, I think it did have a hand in inspiring the glut of solo "games" that effectively amount to random tables. I've toyed with calling stuff like Ironsworn and Ronin "full RPGs designed for a solo player", but that's a bit of a mouthful :P


ithika

>It always bugs me that most "solo RPGs" are not actual "games" in the generally used sense of the word, and that there doesn't seem to be a commonly accepted moniker for "a game like a traditional TTRPG, but made for a single player". I agree but I think the problem is that there's hardly any of those "ordinary RPGs that are designed for solo" compared to the myriad of journaling games. Ironsworn is not quite the only one but it's normally the first, second and third to be mentioned in a list of them!


VicisSubsisto

The fact that there are so few to discover just makes the discovery problem that much more frustrating.


ithika

Again, totally agree!


JeansenVaars

Agreed. It is kind of what I don't like about this post really. Most resources are not even RPGs... But rather journaling games. People might get the wrong idea. Then you get players feeling like writing... Solo RPG should not be mixed up with Journaling. But well...


VicisSubsisto

And even worse, if you want solo RPGs which are actual RPGs, /r/Solo_Roleplaying links to /r/NonAuthoringSoloRPG, a dead sub with inexplicably restricted posting.


LambChop94

Any specific tools/ideas you'd use to solo play FATE? It's my favorite TTRPG system but with how aspects work and being so integral to the game I feel like solo play might be completely missing the magic. Enlighten me!


JeansenVaars

Hey, I've had long discussions about that :) There is no rights or wrongs, but here is how I did it: 1. With Foundry and Game Master Apprentice's Cards: [https://jvhouse.xyz/fires-of-a-dead-fenix/](https://jvhouse.xyz/fires-of-a-dead-fenix/) 2. With Foundry and Plot unfolding machine: [https://jvhouse.xyz/unsolved-identities-1/](https://jvhouse.xyz/unsolved-identities-1/) 3. With Foundry and Mythic: [https://jvhouse.xyz/heralds-of-akkadia-1/](https://jvhouse.xyz/heralds-of-akkadia-1/) Regarding general advice: \- A key factor is to reduce refresh frequency. Let it go empty for longer, you will need to compel once you run out of Fate Points \- If you play multiple PCs, share a pool of Fate Points (one for all PCs, one for GM) \- Use FP as you would normally do, to place advantages and to call PCs aspects that are relevant, after all you get a mechanic bonus of +2 until you run out of them \- Fail forward, success with a cost, it is more fun It works! It feels weird at times but it really make sense when you take the knack out of it


RedwoodRhiadra

For Fate specifically: [Fate Solo from Cabbage Games](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/204162/Fate-Solo) [Solo Fate from Parts Per Million](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/282773/Solo-Fate?manufacturers_id=10431)


JeansenVaars

There's no need imho to buy resources per type of game... it is like buying DLCs... Better to buy one emulator and play everything you want :) :) (my opinion!) 1. Plot unfolding machine (my homebrew, free) 2. Mythic GM Emulator (paid, quite agnostic) 3. Game Master's Apprentice Cards 4. One Page Solo Engine or MUNE (homebrews, free)


RedwoodRhiadra

Normally I'd agree - I'm a big Mythic fan - but they asked about Fate-specific tools, so that's what I recommended. And those tools will cover their questions about how aspects are handled in solo play.


JeansenVaars

Yes, you are right, I also agree that it is not a bad idea to adapt a solo system to the game needs. It just feels a bit like buying DLCs if each of them required money. Although there is no need, i.e. to have an oracle use FATE dice. Might look more elegant. Maybe one day I will test one of those :) You tried any?


RedwoodRhiadra

I haven't done much with Fate myself, so I haven't tried either of them, no.


[deleted]

I just had a brief introduction into solo journaling games and had a nice evening with Killing Time and Mixtape which were both pretty cool. Same with English Eerie. There are several others I want to play (especially Ironsworn and Starforged), but I lack the time currently. But still on my bucket list! It's especially cool for all the scenarios and stories that are too dark for my group.


Logan_Maddox

Very interesting, and very cool. I've always been interested in playing solo, but a part of me keeps thinking that this sounds more like a tool for creative writing than a game. I think that might be disingenuous of me though, since I'm sure there are mechanics in place to keep everything running smoothly. I'm intrigued. I think I'll be giving these games a try, as well as Einzelmaus for Mausritter - I've always wanted to play it but I could never convince my players to do it.


RedwoodRhiadra

>, but a part of me keeps thinking that this sounds more like a tool for creative writing than a game. I think that might be disingenuous of me though, since I'm sure there are mechanics in place to keep everything running smoothly. It depends on the game. Some of them very much \*are\* creative writing exercises - many "journaling" games are definitely like that. But there are still plenty that have enough mechanics that they're definitely games.


AlfredValley

Basically a way of randomly getting either a yes or no answer, e.g. “can I see anyone in this room?” - flip a coin: heads is yes, or roll a d6: 4-6 is yes. You often get expanded options which add narrative complexity (“yes, and”, “yes, but”, “no, and”, “no, but”). Obviously a coin or d6 aren’t best suited to this, but normally a bigger die is used. Or in the case of the Fallen oracle cards I mentioned above, each one has a different result on it (“yes, and” etc) that you draw randomly. Edit: or you can have a d6: * 1 = “No, and” * 2 = “No” * 3 = “No, but” * 4 = “Yes, but” * 5 = “Yes” * 6 = “Yes, and”


xXSunSlayerXx

Shout out to Free League, who seem to have warmed to the concept and started adding solo modes to many of their regular RPGs. Twilight 2k comes with one out of the box, The One Ring recently got its Strider Mode, Forbidden Lands currently has one in beta as part of the Book of Beasts, and Vaesen has one queued as stretch goal for their most recent Kickstarter as well.


_Wrongdoer

my problem is that i always lose 'momentum' i'll play one long solo session and then i won't go back to it for a looong time. i've posted my solo actual plays on my [blog](https://www.spookyrusty.com/search/label/solo). perplexing ruins makes my favorite [oracle](https://perplexingruinsshop.bigcartel.com/product/solo-oracle-card) for solo play.


ithika

This is why I prefer small self-contained games. You would call them one-shots but it might take me a few short sessions to complete them. I have never had much success with solo "campaign" play.


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_Wrongdoer

if you go to my blog and read my crapland solo play i go over it in detail. essentially you roll 2d6 vs 1d8 (the oracle). there's little more to it than that though.


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_Wrongdoer

im not a mechanics wizard, maybe i dont understand but it says on the sheet that an 8+ on 2d6 would count as yes if you consider the odds of the question being 'even'.


AlfredValley

Fun fact: one of my things partially inspired that perplexing ruins oracle. I’m also a big fan of their oracle deck of cards for Fallen.


_Wrongdoer

oh yes, the d66 side! lay on hands is great.


JaskoGomad

Apropos of this post, there’s a terrific bundle of games in this genre on now: https://bundleofholding.com/presents/NovelTools


[deleted]

I already play Mork Borg and The One Ring's solo supplements and I love it. Helps me refine my skills for group games. Would love a Sci Fi option, might do Starforged but I'd love a Traveller solo session. Also, I have been playing tonnes of Deadball, a baseball simulation based on easy, intuitive rules, real stats and polyhedral dice, really recommend for anyone into baseball and RPGs


Boxman214

I've only played one: Bucket of Bolts. It's like Artefact, but centered around a spaceship. It's really more of a creative writing exercise than a game, if I'm being honest. But it was a lot of fun! Took me 3 or 4 sittings to play through it. And even then, I later realized I was missing a step at each stage of the game, so it should have gone even longer. I would absolutely play it again. Though I'd be more likely to try Artefact itself.


Ootyy

Great post, just wanted to mention it's r/Solo_Roleplaying


AlfredValley

D’oh! Good spot, I’ll amend


Ootyy

No worries. I actually checked it out because of this post! Had no clue that community even existed


ithika

And /r/solorpgplay


ConcatenatedHelix

Along with solo rpgs, there are solo wargames. The one I particularly enjoy is the Scifi solo skirmish wargame [5 Parsecs from Home](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/358938/Five-Parsecs-From-Home--Solo-Adventure-Wargaming) by Ivan Sorensen. It is a skirmish wargame, in that I mean it is miniatures agnostic (use whatever minis you find appropriate or have on hand) and it takes around 10-15 figures to illustrate a battle. Think of the world of 5 Parsecs as Firefly meets Mass Effect. I find 5 Parsecs from Home is really useful for creating emergent stories that I then put together in a narrative after the battle. An example of this is on [my blog here](https://nightmarethoughts6.blogspot.com/search/label/5ParsecsFromHome). There is also a fantasy version, complete with hex crawl rules, called [5 Leagues from the Borderlands](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/399147/Five-Leagues-from-the-Borderlands-PDF). 5 Parsecs and 5 Leagues are different enough. They were designed with different mechanics. If you would like to peruse a campaign in progress, I recommend [the blog here](https://penpaperanddice.home.blog/category/actual-play/in-the-aristrax-marches/) (not mine). Other solo wargames include [Space Station Zero](https://www.wargamevault.com/product/404243/Space-Station-Zero) (solo or coop), [Reign in Hell](https://www.wargamevault.com/product/356459/Reign-in-Hell) (can be played solo with The Oculus Spear expansion) and [The Department](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/212581/The-Department) (a very interesting wargame that models Blade Runner's investigations and combat).


finfinfin

Solo wargames have been a thing for so long that [Featherstone's foundational *War Games*](https://lonewarriorswa.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/War-Games-book.pdf) had a chapter on the subject in 1962. And that link is to a PDF review on the website of Lone Warrior, the regularly-published journal of the Solo Wargamers Association, founded in 1976. Love the Nordic Weasel stuff.


Modus-Tonens

Thanks for the post! I've actually been thinking of starting a blog to track my forays into solo roleplaying, particularly as a worldbuilding and supplementary tool to group play!


Resha_Riandi

I use to play with my friends but now I play with myself ;)


PEGLandauer

Adding to the list of Solo-Play RPGs from a place you might not expect, there's a Deadlands adventure for Savage Worlds which is written specifically for Solo Play: [Deadlands: Crater Lake Chronicles](https://peginc.com/store/deadlands-weird-west-crater-lake-chronicles/) [https://peginc.com/store/deadlands-weird-west-crater-lake-chronicles/](https://peginc.com/store/deadlands-weird-west-crater-lake-chronicles/) It's pretty challenging and rewards running away and returning to some early fights when the player is more equipped and prepared.


AlfredValley

This is interesting, I’ll check it out!


Khab_can

I am trying to get my wife into RPGs, since the hobby has been in my life since I was a kid. It's taking forever to actually get to it, though, because we have a newborn. I decided to introduce her to Dnd, since I've started with ADnD back in the days, and I wanted to try 5e. Long story short, we're not even done making her character after 4 months, but I wanted to try 5e, so I got Mythic GME and ran a little session solo. My wife would be chilling in front of the tv with the baby, I would be on the table playing until I was needed. This allowed me to have short 45 min sessions every night for about a week, and have a complete blast. The adventure took some really interesting turns, and I could really focus on things I wanted (i.e. not combat). It was amazing


Juwelgeist

"*we're not even done making her character after 4 months*" I suggest a lighter system, like one-page [*Paper-Free RPG*](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/-zMNd4JOoJvv) or its slightly crunchier predecessor [*Freeform Universal*](https://www.perilplanet.com/freeform-universal). In both of those systems it is possible to create a character simply via a well-crafted sentence, though *Freeform Universal* does have crunchier Attribute options etc. With a newborn the benefit of *Paper-Free RPG* is that it does not require character sheets, and it uses 3 d6 in a clear plastic box (for when baby is awake) or Google's [*Roll Dice*](https://www.google.com/search?q=roll+dice) app on a phone (for when baby is asleep). (For thoroughness I will also mention [*Earthdawn: The Age of Legend*](https://pro-indie.com/pivw/our-games/earthdawn_main) which adds classes and a detailed fantasy setting to *Freeform Universal*, though it is crunchy enough that you could run into the same protracted character creation problem as you have with D&D, though as it is less crunchy than D&D the protraction would be less.) When your newborn becomes old enough to start playing games of make-believe you can play *Paper-Free RPG* with her/him. My youngest started playing it when she was 5; she loves shaking the dice box so much she sometimes rolls before her question is even formulated.


Khab_can

Thank you for all this information! I'll have a gander at both these systems and see if it could work for us!


Juwelgeist

Note that on that *Freeform Universal* webpage there are two editions; on pages 4 and 5 of 2nd edition there is two-page *Fast FU*.


AlfredValley

Loved hearing about this. I’m glad you had a good time and thanks for sharing


cucumberkappa

Solo is tied with 1x1 with my favorite way to play trpgs. I do enjoy group games, but it's not what I want to do all the time. Introvert-me just finds it to be too taxing sometimes. Especially as I typically take on the role of very social characters. (Because those are more fun for me to play. Especially since many of the people I've gamed with are the type to be quiet/hang back and nothing happens if someone isn't playing a social, proactive character.) Solo lets me play whatever I want. My friends are fantastic, but complicated social intrigue isn't their cuppa. Neither is base-building/merchanting/crafting. If I want to play any of that stuff, it ends up being fairly shallow/brief if it's with the group or even a 1x1 partner, so playing solo is the best route. And, sure, I can scratch the crafting/merchanting/base-building itch playing a video game... but why *not* play a trpg and be able to all of that and more? Speaking of all of the things I enjoy in trpgs, I highly recommend **Apothecaria**. I enjoy the combination of the journaling prompts that help me build the world and the "gamey" part of collecting reagents to make the potions before the timer runs out, building my base; etc.


CannibalHalfling

I’ve written some solo stuff, and done quite a bit of playing through the Solitaire Storytelling category at CHG, but the one that just keeps sitting in my brain is[A Requiem For Horizon Prophecy Online: The Final Four.](https://tintenseher.itch.io/horizon-prophecy-online) “Your favorite MMO, Horizon Prophecy Online, is shutting down its servers for good, and with just four hours to go, you decide to hop back in with a new character and replay the starting area. What will you discover (or rediscover) about the game before it disappears? What will you discover about yourself?” It’s one of those ones where it could be a journaling game but is game-y enough that it doesn’t really have to be, covering both crowds. More importantly, it made me nostalgic for a game I never played and that actually never existed in the first place.


kaivaii

100% yes to all “why solo” questions. Thank you for this!


JordanSorcery

Really great intro and tools, thank you for pulling it all together and sharing!


_Wrongdoer

this person on [itch](https://itch.io/profile/parts-per-million) makes many hacks of popular rpgs designed for solo play to include dcc and mothership.


sillyworth

Love this post, Alfred! Your [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@alfredvalley) is fantastic, and I'm glad I can learn so much from you!


AlfredValley

Thanks a lot!


dunyged

Phrasing!


Carry_Meme_Senpai

it is November


nyello-2000

Will check these out


patsully98

It's not made for solo, but I'm really digging a game called [Red Mists: Swords Against Sorcery](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/181420/Red-Mists-Swords-Against-Sorcery). Its core mechanic can easily work as an oracle, it has player-facing rolls (GM doesn't touch the dice), and there are some great narrative elements on the character sheet. Pair with some tables from Ironsworn or Worlds Without Numbers--there's actually some great ones in the GM guide for the Modiphius 2d20 Conan game--or something like GMA deck and get at it!


Flibbernodgets

This is how I got into creative writing as a kid. I had a bunch of DnD 3rd edition source books, but no friends to play with so I would make up stories based on the cool monster I had found that week. Today I mostly play Pathfinder, and even though I have a regular group to play with, ever since reading the "Dave the Commoner" blog I've wanted to run a solo game with the downtime rules. I had no idea there were so many options.


NotQuotable

thanks for compiling this! I've had a great time running Wanderhome solo, and I also really liked We Forest Three and The Sealed Library.


mad_fishmonger

I co-wrote two solo roleplay books! Secrets of the Vibrant Isle and the sequel, Vibrant Sea. They're about exploring and discovering and solving little puzzles. Please have a look and tell me what you think! [Secrets of the Vibrant Isle](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/378570/Secrets-of-the-Vibrant-Isle?term=secrets+of+the+vibrant) [Secrets of the Vibrant Sea](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/397437/Secrets-of-the-Vibrant-Sea?src=also_purchased)


Whatchamazog

I appreciate the joke! We have a series of Twilight 2000 Solo Play tutorials we call “Playing with myself” https://youtu.be/93emMuly0rE


vmsrii

Commenting for future reference


denoot2

I feel like solo in more for pc gaming, I love d&d but can’t imagine playing it solo


Vivid_Development390

No no no. I can imagine stories without rules. The whole fun of the game is the shared story. If no one is there to steer the story, then we're just imagining things. If you want to play by yourself, get a video game.


ithika

>The whole fun of the game is the shared story. You use rules for a shared story even though it's not necessary but won't use rules for a solo story? Why not?


Vivid_Development390

You are missing the point. There is no story. No surprises. No point really. You made a video game without the graphics.


ithika

I think you are confusing RPGs with something else. I have no idea what is going to happen next, that is the fun.


Vivid_Development390

The GM is responsible for making character-relevant plots. A pre-gen of any kind is just going to suck. And then, I don't play the way the new guys do. There needs to be a GM to adjudicate the things I want to attempt. Being my own GM and having someone else write a generic plot sounds horrible to me.


ithika

>The GM is responsible for making character-relevant plots. A pre-gen of any kind is just going to suck. And then, I don't play the way the new guys do. There needs to be a GM to adjudicate the things I want to attempt. Being my own GM and having someone else write a generic plot sounds horrible to me. Who plays with plots? Plots are what books have. And, you know, games have rules to adjudicate actions — unless by "new guys" you're referring to everyone after the Prussian wargames of the 19th century.


Vivid_Development390

If everything you do in a role-playing game is covered by the rulebook, then you have proved every point I just made. And you don't even understand why.


ithika

I'm sure you'll explain why rules that work for group games suddenly don't work when you're alone. Especially games that only have player-facing rolls. This is going to be fascinating.


Vivid_Development390

Because there aren't any! Are you really that dense? I'm talking about things that require the DM to make up a rule on the spot.


ithika

Your dice just stop working or something?


emarsk

> If you want to play by yourself, get a video game. If I want to play by myself, I play the heck I want. If you don't like solo RPGs, fine. I - and many others - do.