One of the biggest questions with solo roleplaying-games is where to start. Newbies to the scene often find it hard, so here are a few options.
start with... podcasts | journalling | favourite rpg | free tools | other tabletop
Disclaimer: I'm an affiliate for DriveThru RPG
Starting with Podcasts (or other Media)
start with... podcasts | journalling | favourite rpg | free tools | other tabletop
For many the big starting question is how to do it and what it's about.
In the same way as listening or watching an actual play can explain Roleplaying Games, a podcast can do the same. Similarly others have been helped by watching a video, reading a solo blog or find a solo rpg community such as the r/solorpgplay subreddit.
Three solo podcasts to choose from include
- Errant Adventures with Steve Morrison is a podcast series that spans longish campaigns in various games. Games covered include Ironsworn: Starforged, Traveller, the Sword & Crown and Sundered Isles.
- The Solo Roleplayers Podcast with PJ covers lots of different topics around solo. It has interviews, unboxing, variety hours, experiments and a small dedicated community.
- The Lone Adventurer with Carl White switches between narrated story (from the solo rpg) and Carl going over the rolls, tools and decisions that resulted in the scenes. Seasons include Dungeons and Dragons 5e (season 1), Blades in the Dark (season 2) and a variety including Starforged, Mythic and Chasing Adventure (season 3)
Others worth checking out include Tale of the Manticore, Roll by Myself, Legend of the Bones and Me, Myself & Die. There's a number of podcast articles (including interviews) on Rand Roll.
Solo Using Journalling
start with... podcasts | journalling | favourite rpg | free tools | other tabletop
If you would prefer to see how the games goes by writing, then try one of the many journalling RPGs. In these you find out your story through writing about your adventure, using various prompts to do so.
A place to start is Apothecaria from Blackwell Games, playing a village witch curing various maladies.
Or a free option is pay-what-you-want Quill, a letter writing solo rpg. It has several variations for other genres.
There are a few more journalling titles in the solo titles guide.
Use Your Favourite RPG
start with... podcasts | journalling | favourite rpg | free tools | other tabletop
If you want to stick with a roleplaying game you already know, you can do so. It is possible to play solo with any tabletop rpg, although each will have its quirks.
The tool to support it is Mythic Game Master Emulator 2E. It has robust systems and tables to support the kind of Solo RPG game you want. This includes many examples and lots of variations so you can tailor the emulator to your own tastes.
Equally, finding a community around your rpg can help answer questions you have around playing it solo. And see what others are doing in similar situations.
Starting with Free Tools
start with... podcasts | journalling | favourite rpg | free tools | other tabletop
If you can't or don't want to spend money, there are still excellent options out there.
These include
- Ironsworn is a popular rpg design specifically for solo play. It has a fantasy setting, using Powered by the Apocalypse style "moves" and narrative driven by powerful vows sworn by the character. Other free resources are available to download are available from the Ironsworn website.
- For a free RPG with many tables try Stars Without Number (sci-fi), Worlds Without Number (fantasy) or Cities without Number (cyberpunk). Both have light systems designed to be modified, and many random tables to support them. And then support it with with a free oracle such as One Page Solo Engine, pay-what-you-want Conjector GM Emulator or my own Chaos Solo Engine - Basic Fantasy.
There are more options for Free Solo RPGs and Free Solo Tools. As well as a guide of Free Titles for Fantasy and Free Titles for Sci-Fi and Non-fantasy.
Solo Using Other Solo Games
start with... podcasts | journalling | favourite rpg | free tools | other tabletop
Maybe the first step towards solo rpgs is getting used to playing solo games solo.
If so then there are several options for you...
- Five Leagues from the Borderlands (fantasy) and Five Parsecs From Home (sci-fi) are both solo adventures wargames using miniatures, with a ragtag group facing danger on missions and developing in-between missions.
- 2d6 Dungeon from DR Games is a solitaire game where you take explore a dungeon, mapping it, defeating challenges and gathering all kinds of items.
- In Delve: A Solo Map Drawing Game you control a dwarven hold digging deep into the depths below. Powered by a deck of cards.
- Start with Gamebooks, choosing from a list of options in a bounded environment.
Finishing Up
There's many more solo games and tools out there, and I cover some in my Solo RPG articles on Rand Roll.
My own tools include Generators at Chaos Gen and a monthly random tools Newsletter. Or find us on the Rand Roll Discord or an instagram of Random Tables.
