Single Player Table: A Guide To Solo TTRPGs Part 1

Jumping into solo tabletop RPGs for the first time

📒 Note: prices listed (in USD) are for digital copy of games; there are no affiliate links and I am not getting paid by any one to list or recommend a game.

What Is A Solo TTRPG?

TTRPG stands for Tabletop Roleplaying Game¹. When you think of TTRPGs you may think of a group of players sitting around a table rolling dice. One player plays a GM or Game Master. The Game Master creates the narrative base of the game; this is the setting, the basis of the conflict, and the NPCs (non-player character)². Players, on the other hand, interact with the setting and NPCs, create conflict³, and build on the foundations the GM has set. It’s collaborative storytelling. But you’re not just sitting around a table coming up with a story. TTRPGs have mechanics and those mechanics means you roll dice about some things⁴.

In solo TTRPGs, you play the part of both the GM and the player. There are many ways that solo TTRPGs go about this. One type of solo TTRPGs uses prompts that act as the foundation of the narrative. Then mechanics come in. Mechanics are what lead the player to the prompt. And when challenges arise, mechanics help lead to resolution. This type of solo TTRPG is a journalling game. Why? Self-explanatory: you’re journalling. Your journal entries are the story made by you in your interpretation of the prompts and mechanics.

Writing out your story is the way you’ll tell your story in solo play. Unless of course you use some other method, like drawing or audio recordings. Journalling games are specifically directed at that aspect of solo play. A good example of a journalling game is Alone Among The Stars, which is a popular choice for beginners. Its premise is simple: you’re a single astronaut going around the universe exploring planets. You roll dice and draw cards. Then, you come up with a story of what your lone astronaut finds.

But that’s not the only way stories in solo play happen; and not all TTRPGs rely on dice. There are some that don’t involve dice at all. For example, Anamnesis by Samantha Leigh ($8) uses tarot cards to tell a story of rediscovering yourself after waking up without your memories. Some games only use a deck of playing cards like Wreck This Deck by Becky Annison ($12.50), a dark urban fantasy game of demon summoning and deck crafting.

What Solo Games To Play

Beginning solo play can be overwhelming in the face of so many options to choose from. A casual scroll down Itchio’s physical games list and you’ll find over a thousand single player games. First, ask yourself what you want in a solo game. Do you want to play a multiplayer TTRPG by yourself? Here’s a few recommendations for that:

• Solo Adventurer’s Toolbox ($14.99) by Paul Bimler, rules for playing the infamous Dungeons & Dragons by yourself

• Solitary Defilement by 1d10+5 ($12.56), rule set for Mörk Borg, an doom metal game of apocalyptic proportions⁵

• Captain’s Log by Modiphius Entertainment ($20.22), for Star Trek Adventures, the official Star Trek TTRPG

• Solo Thursday’s Child by Free League Publishing ($2.99), made to play Vaesen, a Nordic horror game.

If you can’t find a solo rule set for an otherwise multiplayer games you can always turn to a resource like the Mythic the GME by World Mill Games ($5.95).

Beyond playing multiplayer games solo, you can play something made for solo roleplaying. Here is where I recommend the incredible world of journalling games. Journalling games are great for beginners because they often have a singular narrative for the player to follow.

My recommendations:

• Alone Among The Stars by Takuma Okada (Free/PWYW), which is about flying around the universe discovering things on planets

• Long Haul 1983 by Sean Patrick Cain ($10), about being a long-haul truck driver making a dangerous journey through an empty world

If you don’t want to start with journalling games, try out Rune by GilaRPGs ($15) or Nightfall by Alex C. Van Allen ($8.00). Rune is a souls-like game about wandering broken realms in search of powerful runes. Nightfall is a miniatures adventure game where you take control of a fearless knight in their struggle to survive until the sun rises. Both of those are combat heavy so if you want something calmer, try Void AM by Ken Lowery ($10). Void AM invites you to build playlists and interact with Callers to your indie radio station.

Beyond these recommendations, here’s a few games that I personally enjoy and think you should check out:

• Ironsworn by Shawn Tomkin (free)- grim dark fantasy TTRPG about undertaking perilous quests in a rugged and treacherous landscape

• Colostle by Nich Angell ($10.57)- explore a castle so enormous, entire cities, continents, and oceans reside within it

• Stoneburner by René-Pier Deshaies and Galen Pejeau ($17) - sci-fi fantasy game of community building and demon hunting

• Substratum Protocol by Pandion Games ($15)- apocalyptic mystery about being the only scientists left to investigate an anomaly that appeared in Earth’s core

• Quill by Scott Malthouse (Free/PWYW)

End Notes: Tips For Solo TTRPGs

Solo tabletop roleplaying games are a fun way to scratch that itch to roll dice and tell stories when you might not always have the chance to do so. When starting out, don’t be afraid to “take it easy” with your characters. Spend a week traipsing around Sector 2814⁶ selling space donuts before going off to do the mission. Or spend a week doing the mission then going off to Sector 2814 to sell donuts. Also, it’s your story, it’s your game. Bend it, break it, turn back the clock, re-roll that dice six times. Or ditch the dice altogether and throw some playing cards on the table. Do what you feel makes sense for your enjoyment.

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Shout Out At The End: Congratulations, you have reached the end of the article! You should check out Tangled Blessings: Echoes Of The Lost Electives, an expansion to the CRIT Awards nominated Tangled Blessings ($18.99). What is Tangled Blessings about? It’s a fantastical horror game of magical dark academia about attending university, exploring an ancient school, and preparing to one day face your rival in a final showdown. Tangled Blessings: Echoes Of The Lost Electives is crowdfunding on Backerkit on September 3rd.

1. Despite the fact that tabletop and roleplaying are both one word, there’s two letters dedicated to them. I’m sure there’s a reason. Perhaps TRG just didn’t have the same ring to it?

2. Alternatively, GM’s can use pre-built modules which include the basic setting, narrative conflicts, NPC, etc.

3. A lot of times, they are the conflict; put two wizards into a room and someone is going to cast Fireball

4. There are also multiplayer TTRPGs that don’t use dice. Check out Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast by Possum Creek Games ($25), a slice of life tabletop RPG.

5. You can still name your character; it still won’t save you

6. Do you have the willpower to understand this reference? :D