I like the flexibility of playing whenever the mood strikes, without needing to align the planets of adult schedules. I enjoy experimenting with story and learning mechanics at my own pace, without the pressure of needing to keep things moving for the benefit of everyone else at the table...
An interview with Shawn Tomkin, creator of Ironsworn, Starforged, Sundered Isles and other solo rules. Latest in series of solo gaming interviews and latest in Ironsworn articles.
Chat with Shawn Tomkin of Ironsworn and Starforged
Shawn Tomkin is the creator of the fantasy solo game Ironsworn, it's sci-fi sequel Ironsworn: Starforged and the fantasy seas expansion for Starforged - Sundered Isles. He's also written solo rules for games such as Dragonbane.
We have how Ironsworn came about, appeal of solo rpgs, creating Starforged & Sundered Isles, creative highlights & challenges and creating solo rules for other games. Among other questions.
What was your gaming story before Ironsworn?
I played tabletop roleplaying games on-and-off over the years. Starting in the 70’s with D&D, and transitioning toward lighter, more narrative focused games in the 2000’s. Life has frequently got in the way, but I’ve always returned to them.
How did Ironsworn come about?
I’ve always been interested in tabletop RPGs and game design. I enjoy reverse engineering and hacking games to make them fit my preferences, or just to understand them better. I have tons of unfinished games in notebooks and hard drives.
Ironsworn started the same as most of those abandoned efforts. I wanted to play a fantasy game with a perilous, iron-age aesthetic, ideally for solo or GM-less play.
I was a bit late to the "Powered by the Apocalypse" game design movement — RPGs built upon the framework of Apocalypse World by D. Vincent Baker and Meguey Baker — but I was excited by their potential as an engine for solo, co-op, or standard play. It seemed to me that their system of moves created a compelling “conversation” at the table without the need of a GM.
Each move has inputs and defined outputs. You do this thing, and this other thing happens. They become a pseudo-GM that guides the resolution of player actions and helps merge the outcome back into the fiction. Whatever happens, something happens. That rhythm of play is propulsive!
Of course, the other big influence was the Mythic Game Master Emulator by Tana Pigeon. Much of Ironsworn is born out of my admiration for Tana’s work. (Also have an interview with Tana Pigeon)
Over a few months of fumbling around, I found Ironsworn coming together in a way that my other game design efforts had not.
What is the appeal of solo rpgs for you?
I like the flexibility of playing whenever the mood strikes, without needing to align the planets of adult schedules.
I enjoy experimenting with story and learning mechanics at my own pace, without the pressure of needing to keep things moving for the benefit of everyone else at the table.
I like having more control over the tone and themes of the game; it’s much easier to play in a serious or meditative campaign when you don’t need to entertain other humans.
And, finally, I like exploring the stories of lone protagonists—what drives them, the obstacles they must overcome to find their way in the world.
How did creating Starforged and Sundered Isles compare to the original Ironsworn?
There were two main differences. Firstly, Starforged and Sundered Isles were funded on Kickstarter, which means I need to make sure that backers are happy with the end result — and with the process getting there.
It’s a huge privilege, but also a big responsibility. There’s a ton of business and logistical considerations of manufacturing books and shipping them around the world, which means I need to wear even more hats than usual.
Secondly, Ironsworn was very much a solo endeavor, but for Starforged and Sundered Isles I was working with other artists and consultants. It’s easy to see the difference just by looking at the credits page for Ironsworn versus the later books. Joshua Meehan was brought on board for Starforged as the lead artist, and continued through Sundered Isles. We’re now working on some concept art for future products!
What have been the challenges and highlights of creating Ironsworn & its relatives?
I think the biggest challenge is just balancing time and maintaining creative energy. Between the day job, contributing to projects for other publishers, managing this side-hustle business, and just the day-to-day demands of life, it’s hard to carve out the time I need to settle into a good rhythm of game design and writing.
Ironsworn took about three years from inception to release, and I’ve generally been on a cadence of a big release every couple of years since then. I’d love to do more, and I admire more prolific creators who seem to work much faster.
As for highlights, seeing folks actually play the games is a massive honor. As a small, indie creator, you assume you’re going to make a game and have it essentially disappear.
Certainly with Ironsworn I was making a game for myself, and as a creative exercise, without much expectations that it would appeal to anyone else. Maybe some folks will play it, but you’re not likely to hear about it.
But I’ve been lucky to have a friendly and creative community form around these games, and to see so many session and campaign chronicles in the form of written play reports, videos, and podcasts. It’s honestly surreal. Plus, It’s invaluable as encouragement to keep creating, and as feedback that I can apply to future games.
What advice would you give people playing solo rpgs and the Ironsworn family in particular?
Give yourself permission to figure things out at your own pace. Solo RPGs offer the space to find your own preferences, to see what games you enjoy, what worlds you want to explore.
That will mean some false starts! That’s okay. The process of finding your way to the stories you want to tell is the essence of being a creative person. When it comes together, it’s magic.
You may decide that Ironsworn isn’t for you, but if you are keen to try solo games, there is a vast array of other options — many of them free or very low cost.
What are the challenges of creating solo rules for someone else's RPG? (such as Dragonbane)
Firstly, understanding and internalizing game systems is always challenging for me. It’s one of the reasons I like making my own games! So, a big part of creating solo rules for someone else's RPG system is understanding what makes it tick, what is the flow of play, what are the procedures. It’s like you are a mechanic who has to completely disassemble and reassemble an engine before you can add a new part.
Secondly, there are lots of considerations for making solo play work. Does the setting support a solo adventuring character? If not, what is our narrative hook that makes it viable? Do we need additional guidelines to improve the survivability of a lone character? How can we add procedures that motivate play and story?What sort of generators and tables are necessary to fill the role of a GM and answer the questions that naturally occur at the table?
In short, there’s a lot to it!
(Example of these in a solo actual play of Dragonbane)
What are your next big projects that you can talk about?
2025 is very busy for me with contributions for other publishers.
For Free League, I am working on the ALIEN Roleplaying Game Evolved Edition solo mode, along with a solo mode for their upcoming Coriolis: The Great Dark RPG.
Further out is a solo supplement for the Cosmere RPG from Brandon Sanderson and Brotherwise Games. And some other things I can’t talk about yet. I’m working on all of these with my frequent collaborator (and son!), game designer and writer Matt Click.
As far as Ironsworn-related works, I have a minor release scheduled for this year, which is an update to the Lodestar Reference Guide for original Ironsworn. Then, a megacity adventures supplement for Ironsworn: Starforged sometime next year.
Much further off is a new edition of original Ironsworn, tentatively titled Ironsworn Sagas.
Where can people find you online?
Tomkinpress.com is my website for all things Ironsworn. I am nearly always online at the Ironsworn Discord, and my only active social presence is on Bluesky, where you can find me as @shawntomkin.bsky.social.
Is there anything else you would like to talk about?
I think that covers it! Thanks for the opportunity to talk with you, and happy gaming to your readers.
Finishing Up
If you haven't tried out Ironsworn it's available for free. There are many random tables to use or raid in the games and supplements made by Shawn.
There are many more articles on Rand Roll. Plus a Rand Roll Discord and instagram of Random Tables. I also create Generators at Chaos Gen and have a monthly random tools Newsletter.
