Originally posted on my PillowFort blog on 8/4/2026
During my writing brain vacation, I tumbled into the realm of Solo TTRPGs (table top role playing games). I used to play group TTRPGs, including Changeling The Dreaming & VtM (during the height of MUDs & mIRC), and Pathfinder more recently via Discord. I've been wanting to get back into it, but with less of the social aspect because I've become a bit of a hermit and scheduling a weekly play session became tedious. I began thinking if there was a way to play those games without a game master, and was amazed to learn about the amazing world of solo ttrpgs. (Yes, I often live under rocks)
While you can use 'oracles' (GM stand-in tools) and guide books to play many group TTRGs (like Pathfinder and D&D) with modified solo rules, there are also dedicated, mostly small press, creators who make, play, and share RPGs specifically designed to be enjoyed solo. They offer unique experiences outside the mainstream realm of big label TTRPGs, shorter gameplay sessions, more freedom, customization, and a chance to dig deep into the character(s) you create instead of spending half a session listening to the GM and your party's wizard debate about spell interpretation, or dealing with the overstimulating chaos that can come from five voices during a heated dungeon crawl.
In my solo rpg search, I found games about space pirates, haunted forests, cartographers, treasure hunters, dungeon delves, alien planet exploration, saving campers from eldritch horrors, solving murder mysteries, spelunking...the variety seems endless. Many of these solo games are available on itch.io as print & play for free or a name your own price. Currently lacking a printer, I searched for physical books and came upon Tabletop Bookshelf, a small shop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that has section dedicated to solo rpgs.
For my first foray, I went with the highly recommended Cartograph, a game that has you journaling and drawing maps as you play, and The World We Left Behind, which uses playing cards to explore an alien world.
For most of these games, you'll need dice (most seem to use d6 dice in multiple colors). Some use a standard deck of playing cards to act as the oracle (to decide what happens). Some are straight up dungeon crawlers that have you moving from room to room killing monsters and finding loot. Others encourage journaling or slower paced sessions full of environmental and self exploration. I plan to start small, but I have a feeling I'll be purchasing a printer in the near future to try the ones not available as physical copies. (Spoiler: I did end up purchasing a printer a week later.)
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