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 | free tools | favourite rpg | journalling | other tabletop
Disclaimer: I'm an affiliate for DriveThru RPG
Starting with Podcasts (or other Media)
start with... podcasts | free tools | favourite rpg | journalling | other tabletop
Honestly for many the biggest 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/solo_roleplaying subreddit.
Three solo podcasts to choose from include
- Me, Myself and Die with Trevor Devall is a video and podcast series of actual play campaigns, creating the stories of Simon and others. These include Savage Worlds (season 1), Ironsworn (season 2),
- 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. Sesons include Dungeons and Dragons 5e (season 1), Blades in the Dark (season 2) and Starforged adapted for sea (season 3)
- Sub-Class Act with James Sral uses all sorts of RPGs, oracles and tools, with various mishaps befalling the characters. It's possibly the one I learned the most from when trying various solo rpg podcasts.
Others worth checking out include Errant Adventures, Tale of the Manticore, Die Alone and the Solo Gaming Exp.
Starting with Free Tools
start with... podcasts | free tools | favourite rpg | journalling | 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 or the pay-what-you-want Conjector GM Emulator.
There are more options for Free Solo RPGs and Free Solo Tools. As well as a guide of Free/pwyw Titles for Fantasy and Free/pwyw Titles for Sci-Fi and other Nonfantasy.
Use Your Favourite RPG
start with... podcasts | free tools | favourite rpg | journalling | 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.
Solo Using Journalling
start with... podcasts | free tools | favourite rpg | journalling | 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 the 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.
Solo Using Other Tabletop Games
start with... podcasts | free tools | favourite rpg | journalling | other tabletop
Maybe the first step towards solo rpgs is getting used to playing tabletop games solo.
If so then there are several options for you...
- In Delve: A Solo Map Drawing Game you control a dwarven hold digging deep into the depths below. Powered by a deck of cards.
- A solo skirmish game is Frostgrave, where you have a wizard and their warband exploring the magical ruined city of Frostgrave.
- Four Against Darkness is a solitaire game where you take four characters, equip them and take them into a dungeon you roll up using tables.
- 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.
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.
