Solo games are wonderful because balance and mechanical perfection aren't serious issues - it's ultimately between you and your own imagination. So if there is something you want to do, just do it and worry about the actual game aspect later.
An interview with Derek A. Kamal, creator of the Broken Cask and other games. Latest in series of solo gaming interviews.
Chat with Derek A. Kamal of Shoreless Skies
Derek A. Kamal is the creator of the Broken Cask, a solo game on running and developing an inn. Plus other games and expansions, including ENNIE-award winning Heavy Metal Thunder Mouse.
We have the Broken Cask background, advice for cask players, challenges & highlights of creating solo, favourite solo games, and the Broken Cask Society RPG. Among other questions.
What was your gaming story before creating the Broken Cask?
I've been playing tabletop games since I was a kid, but it wasn't until about ten or so years ago that it became an obsession. From board and card games I moved to RPGs and then wargaming.
In roleplaying games I found the intersection of writing and gaming and realized it was a creative outlet I was interested in. I released a few books prior to Broken Cask, including the ENNY award winner (and Saturday morning cartoon candidate) Heavy Metal Thunder Mouse.
How did the Broken Cask come to be?
I stumbled into the world of solo RPGs and fell in love with 4 Against Darkness.
Perhaps thanks to the pandemic, I was going through a very cozy phase and was mildly obsessed with the fantasy tavern, so I wondered how one could meld something like 4AD with a non-combat game.
After a lot of testing and tweaking, I took the game (The Broken Cask) to Kickstarter expecting a small response but it very quickly took on a momentum all its own. It's easily my most popular game, so much so that I put a sequel (The Broken Cask Society) into the mix shortly thereafter.
What advice would you give someone playing or tinkering with the Broken Cask?
The rule of cool always comes first!
Solo games are wonderful because balance and mechanical perfection aren't serious issues - it's ultimately between you and your own imagination. So if there is something you want to do, just do it and worry about the actual game aspect later.
Enjoy the freedom!
What have been the challenges and highlights of creating solo games?
The absolute highlight is the freedom I mentioned in the previous question. I think there is an implied understanding with solo games, that the creator is providing an experience rather than a perfect game.
The challenge, for me, is not taking advantage of that unspoken agreement but curating something fun for the players.
A highlight and challenge is the design aspect. I am a very middling, very casual and self-taught graphic designer. I love it and I find the design of play materials deeply interesting. Working on character sheets and the like is a real highlight for me.
What is the appeal of solo games for you?
Accessibility.
I don't have to wait for my friends to defeat the scheduling monster. I don't even have to prep! I can just jump in, especially if the game is well-designed and ready to print and play.
When it all works I get to take part in my own stories featuring my favorite characters from the comfort of my own space.
What are your favourite other solo games?
The accessibility of solo games means I am constantly discovering and playing new ones, so there are few that I come back to regularly.
5 Parsecs from Home is one of those. I'm addicted to collecting and painting miniatures (especially orks!) so, a skirmish game that also has the random encounters of a solo game and the character development of an RPG is wonderful. 5 Leagues from the Borderlands, its fantasy counterpart, is also fun but a bit more involved. So, I tend to stick to 5 Parsecs because my brain is often too fried for anything more complex.
The "Pages" series (Dungeon Pages, Battle Pages, etc) from PNP Arcade is excellent as well. It's less RPGish and more puzzly or tactical, but the design blows me away. For a few dollars you print a couple of pages and you have a complete game that's quick and highly enjoyable..
What makes Broken Cask Society different to other solo RPGs?
I wouldn't say it's especially different, as I've drawn on lots of influences, but I think the ethos behind it, as well as its connexion to the original Broken Cask, is what makes it fun.
I tried to simulate the player(s) being part of a broader group - the Society - so you can have a whiff of friendly competition without actually having to compete. The deep PBTA influence is also, to my knowledge, a bit novel for a solo game.
What are your next big projects that you can talk about?
I don't have any big projects on the horizon right now. I released the Gardens expansion for Broken Cask a few months ago.
Other than that I've mostly been focused on smaller, personal projects. Like I said, I absolutely adore painting miniatures and that means Warhammer, so I've been making little mods and solo rules for those games.
A small solo game about a mage for hire, going here and there using practical magic to help solve problems, is in the cooker but who knows when that will see the light of day!
Where can people find you online?
I'm pretty much shorelessSkies everywhere. Visit shorelessSkies.com to see the games and find the links to my socials. And please reach out! I always love talking games.
Is there anything else you would like to talk about?
Don't let the bastards grind you down.
Finishing Up
If you are into solo rpgs, try out the Broken Cask or another of Derek's games.
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