Today I present two similar solo TTRPGs in two different formats - Descend by Jessika Rocha, and Dungeons of Galora by Gustavo Foletto. Both are roguelike dungeon dice crawlers with basic mechanics and a simple, quick play loop. Descend, however, is only one printed page, while Galora is a full booklet of eighty pages plus some supplementary materials. I ended up liking them both for different reasons.
At eighty pages, Dungeons of Galora offers a more traditional RPG framing, with a fleshed out world, history, cultures, and themes you can ponder while you explore a dungeon created through every roll of the dice. Your character, if they survive, can be carried over to the next dungeon as they increase in level, stats, and gain powerful relics. Chances are, though, you will die in your first run. And your second, and third, and if you do manage to get your character to the level 2 dungeon, don't get too attached to them. Death comes swiftly with one or two unlucky rolls of the dice, and there seems to be no way of recovery from a run of bad luck.
Because death comes fast and often, the world offered by Galora feels... unnecessary? Window dressing for a store you may never set foot in. Which is sad, because the world Gustavo has created is interesting and unique in many ways. It's a world I'd like to explore more of through the monsters you fight, the relics you collect, and the special attributes you can obtain. After dying three times on level one, though, I may have to make some adjustments to the ruleset so it's a little more forgiving for my cursed dice.
On the other side of the rogue-like coin is Descend by Jessika Rocha, a single page dungeon dice crawler TTRPG from the 2026 One Page RPG jam. This one page RPG packs in monster fights, dungeon drawing, loot, stats progression and more. The games are quick, easy to jump into, and well-balanced. It has become something I keep handy, tucked inside my dot-grid notebook for a quick game. Each short game felt satisfying and fun, but I wished there was a way to progress my character further if they survived, like you can in Galora.
Which makes me wonder...what if I took the two and combined them? Descend Into Galora? The world, relic system, condition system, character leveling and monsters from Galora, added into the dungeon room drawing system, potions, boosts, and combat style of Descend. Hmm...something to ponder as I roll myself into another brutal death in Galora.
I recommend trying both of these games out for yourself. Dungeons of Galora has a free version you can try, and Descend is Pay What You Want. Jessika also has a YouTube channel that focuses on solo friendly TTRPGs
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