Join us to explore the growing world of solo role-playing games, from zines (Thru-Hiker, Hope is Not a Plan) to journaling games (Thousand-Year-Old Vampire, Be Like A Crow) to full-fledged systems like Ironsworn and Star Trek: Captain's Log.

We discuss the appeal, challenges, and deeply personal nature of solo gaming, emphasizing discovery, immersion, and the freedom to explore without an audience. Along the way, we share favorite titles, philosophical insights, and unexpected parallels to acid trips and corporate burnout.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Solo Role-Playing Games02:51 Types of Solo RPGs05:03 Reasons for Playing Solo RPGs09:06 Exploring Specific Solo RPGs18:12 Adapting Traditional RPGs for Solo Play27:22 Solo Mode Board Games28:17 The Value of Solo Play in RPGs30:36 Mindset and Preparation for Solo Gaming34:16 Exploring Narrative Flexibility in Solo RPGs38:21 Understanding the Complexity of Game Mechanics44:43 Successes and Challenges in Solo RPG Experiences49:12 The Importance of Immersion and Aesthetics in Gaming

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Show Notes

What are Solo Role-Playing Games? And why do we play them?

What are they?

Solo RPGs are games that you plan on your own, without a gaming group. 

Approaches

Focused zine-style games (Be Like A Crow, Loner)

Dedicated full Solo RPGs (Ironsworn )

Adapting traditional RPGs to solo (Dungeons & Dragons, Shadowdark)

Journaling Games (Thousand-Year-Old Vampire, Secrets of the Vibrant Isle, Journey,)

Tools 

Dice

Cards

Block Towers (aka Jenga)

Oracles

Why?

Some assume people play solo when they can’t find a group. 

But there are other reasons:

You’re in a pandemic lockdown

Taking a break from your regular group

Playing games your regular group doesn’t want to play

Telling stories your regular group doesn’t want to tell

Learning a new system 

Used to augment a current system or setting (Ex Novo, Journey)

Engaging in something creative

Quality downtime / Alternative to low quality Youtube. :)

Solo Role-Playing Games We’ve Played

Zines

Hope is Not a Plan (Zine)

A solo journaling game in which you will document your attempts to deliver a very complicated engineering project on time and under budget.  You hope for success, but you will most likely fail, damage your reputation, and lose your job. So it goes.

THRU-HIKER: A Journaling Game of Long-Distance Hiking

a journaling game of telling stories of long-distance hiking. Using your writing instrument of choice, a pack of playing cards, and a series of writing prompts, you will create stories of the joys and challenges of being on the trail for days, weeks, or months at a time.

Mork Borg: Basilisk

A print and play dungeons scrawler, inspired by Dark Fort and Dungeonquest/Drakborgen.

See also: Dark Fort Online

Void 1680

In the queue: 

Clever Girl

Welcome to Dino Land, a dinosaur theme park ravaged by escaped predators. You don’t know what caused the incident that set the dinosaurs free, but it was catastrophic. A pack of highly intelligent and oddly fixated raptors are hunting the last surviving human in the park. Will these prehistoric predators claim one final victim, or with the cunning human survive long enough to be rescued?

Solo RPGs

Be Like A Crow

Thousand-Year-Old Vampire

Journey

Loner

Void 1680 AM

Mythic - Tools for GM-less role-playing

Gamebooks - Legendary Kingdoms

Star Trek: Captain’s Log

Solo rules for Star Trek Adventures

Ken’s currently play this one. It’s another test run for a possible real-world game, though the rules are much simpler than standard 2d20 games.

Traditional RPGs with Solo Modes

Ironsworn, Ironsworn: Starforged, The Sundered IslesIn Ironsworn: Starforged, you are a spaceborne hero sworn to undertake perilous quests. You will explore uncharted space, unravel the secrets of a mysterious galaxy, and build bonds with those you meet on your travels. Most importantly, you will swear iron vows and see them fulfilled—no matter the cost.

Forbidden Lands

Book of Beasts 

includes solo rules. 

Forbidden Lands - Solo Expansion

Expanded upon by the author in a PDF supplement.

Ken played this as a test run for his lunchtime campaign. Thought it was going to be rules light and fast, but funky dice and a fair amount of crunch made him realize it’s not.

In the queue:

Cyberpunk RED

Single Player Mode

Ken's considering using this to do a solo-run featuring the Maker Enclave, a faction from our Broken Loop campaign.

Shadowdark

Solo Rules for Shadowdark

Solo Mode Board Games

Dark Tower, Arkham Horror (board game and card game - Edge of the Earth), etc

Successes and Challenges with Solo Role-Playing Games

Ken:

Challenges:

Creating your character and universe are more fun than playing the game (Starforged,)

Realizing the game is going to be more complex than you anticipated (Forbidden Lands)

Getting stuck in the narrative (Captain’s Log)

You’re not writing a book (see mindset)

Can’t stop hacking the rules

Ken finds he wants faster advancement

AI?

Successes:

Playing dedicated zines with a focused rules framework helps.

Chris

Challenges

Finding the mindset

Give yourself permission to have fun without purpose.

NOT blogging

Settling in to learn the rules

Successes

Real immersion

Being OK with not writing a novel

Solo Role-Playing Games Tools

Solo Game Master’s Guide

All gaming is play.

Mythic Game Master Emulator Second Edition

Engine for adapting regular RPGs to solo

Loner

A Solo RPG for Emergent Storytelling

Minimal rules. Maximum story. Play anywhere, anytime.

Thanks for joining us! Like and subscribe on YouTube and find our show notes on LairOfSecrets.com.

Featured Image Meta

Cover art from the Ironsworn RPG.