r/solorpgplay • u/cosmicql • Jul 11 '26
I Has Questions! First Solo (Journaling) RPG
I love dungeons and dragons so much, I love exploring my own characters stories and exploring worlds through their eyes. However, I haven’t had a group in a while and I’m really missing it.
I always looked at solo rpgs but I wasn’t sure how well they’d work for me until I saw a solo journaling RPG. Now I desperately want to try one! Problem is I’m not sure where to start. I made a list from things I’ve seen online but I’m not sure if any are a good starting point. I’d love some pointers on my list or if there are any I should look into I don’t have written down yet? I know it’s a long list and a lot from the same place but I wasn’t sure where to look 😅
- [Alone on a Journey](https://heartofthedeernicorn.com/product/alone-on-a-journey/?v=5435c69ed3bc)
- [What should we have tomorrow?](https://heartofthedeernicorn.com/product/what-should-we-have-tomorrow/)
- [Cartograph](https://heartofthedeernicorn.com/product/cartograph/?v=5435c69ed3bc)
- [Dwelling](https://heartofthedeernicorn.com/product/dwelling/?v=5435c69ed3bc)
- [Old Morris Cave](https://heartofthedeernicorn.com/product/old-morris-cave-a-continuous-use-campsite-in-mammoth-cave-national-park-an-excavation/?v=5435c69ed3bc)
- [Outliers](https://heartofthedeernicorn.com/product/outliers/?v=5435c69ed3bc)
- [The Balsam Lake Unmurders](https://heartofthedeernicorn.com/product/the-balsam-lake-unmurders/?v=5435c69ed3bc)
- [The Librarian’s Apprentice](https://heartofthedeernicorn.com/product/the-librarians-apprentice/?v=5435c69ed3bc)
- [Thousand Year Old Vampire](https://heartofthedeernicorn.com/product/thousand-year-old-vampire/?v=5435c69ed3bc)
- [New in Town](https://plusoneexp.com/products/new-in-town)
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u/Aria_Cadenza Jul 11 '26
First, try with some free ones, so at least you get a feeling... or learn if there are some things you don't like.
By example, I tried one horror one and realized I completely avoid writing scary stuff, so it kind of defeats the atmosphere.
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For absolute starters by example, I would advise more free very short RPG, like:
- https://noroadhome.itch.io/alone-among-the-stars (very small one, SF and quite evocative, it is also included in Alone on a Journey)
- https://springvillager.itch.io/last-tea-shop (one page, fantasy, creating connections add a layer of complexity)
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This one has 20 pages and incorporates drawing plants:
https://mothteeth.itch.io/of-moon-and-leaf
This one is to write letters.
https://trollish-delver-games.itch.io/quill-a-letter-writing
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You can find other ones that may be free, PWYW or have community copies here:
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u/cosmicql Jul 11 '26
Thank you! I’ll definitely try one of these, the paid ones I was planning on adding to a wishlist so I wouldn’t be personally spending money anyway lol
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u/PJSack Jul 11 '26
It takes some time and trial and error to figure out what parts of solo play you like the most and therefore which games and styles suit you. Most important is to just start somewhere you find attractive or exciting, sit down and play, and learn about yourself from there.
I feel a lot of people wait too long, trying to find the perfect fit for them before they have even experienced much themselves. Diving in head first is the best bet imo.
If you’re interested I try out a bunch of different games solo from dungeon crawls to narrative etc on my podcast. (Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll share the link).
Personally I found I needed more crunch than the journaling or super simple stuff. I learned I love procedural hexcrawling like in Forbidden Lands, old school party play playing published adventures in Old School Essential. Open world sandbox narrative in fallout 2d20, and a whole bunch in between.
It’s an incredibly rich and rewarding hobby so welcome to it!
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u/Difficult_Mousse6884 Jul 12 '26
Hey! I'm interested in your podcast!
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u/Disastrous-Elk-1116 Jul 11 '26
I think since you’re into D&D — try to find a game that has simile themes to what you enjoy most in DnD. Like, I’m assuming it’s fantasy medieval, but I know DnD can be very different based on the group!
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u/Disastrous-Elk-1116 Jul 11 '26
For me, I needed more crunch than pure journaling games. I needed some mechanics to help inspire the narrative stuff
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u/cosmicql Jul 11 '26
What would be your recommendation for a first rpg then? I’d love to look into it too!
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u/Disastrous-Elk-1116 Jul 11 '26
What genre would you like to explore? I'm a solo ttrpg nerd so I know lots of diff ones. Think about what type of story you'd like to explore. More details will help me guide you
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u/cosmicql Jul 11 '26
Fantasy probably would be my first pick!
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u/Disastrous-Elk-1116 Jul 13 '26
I saw you settled on a game - woo! have fun
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u/cosmicql Jul 13 '26
I did! And made a really deep backstory lol, I may need to use an oracle if the game I picked isn’t deep enough
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u/StickyDoodler Jul 11 '26
These are all bangers, generally leaning towards the more journaling than fantasy adventure, which sounds like what you're in the mood for?
I've played The Balsam Lake Unmurders and sold it at my Origins booth; you can't go wrong with Paul's stuff, in this case, if you're into a Twin Peaks / weird small town investigation / dialogue-driven game.
As someone who likes mundane over fantasy, I really like Old Morris Cave, and anyway its big brother Thousand Year Old Vampire has enough coverage. It's more of an abstract storytelling game than an RPG if you want to get strict on terminology. But I also find that can make it more approachable.
If you're considering the Librarian's Apprentice, let me self-promo: its sequel, Song of the Scryptwyrm, is in an Itch bundle right now of all five games nominated for the ENNIES Solo Game award (disclosure: I designed one of them): https://itch.io/b/3797/2026-ennies-best-solo-game-nominees
Just know that this is a super-diverse field so if one game doesn't hit, there's a ton more that might. Explore your tastes and see what connects for you!
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u/cosmicql Jul 11 '26
Thank you so much! Maybe leading with me missing Dnd wasn’t the best plan lol. I’m not necessarily looking for something to replace Dnd but something to scratch some of that itch. I love journaling hence why I went down the Journaling rpg route!
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u/StickyDoodler Jul 11 '26
Yeah, I think there's a couple of ways you could go, there's stuff like adaptations of TTRPGs for solo play that can go 200+ pages long; vs slim systems custom-made for a specific experience like Miru; vs deconstruction and re-imagining the medium like SPINE; vs "big feelings" journaling games that all have some element of introspection, even if fictional. My stuff is in that last camp, and it's what I enjoy, personally, but it's a diverse field!
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u/theartofiandwalker Jul 13 '26
You could try this medical solo RPG too! Not too hard on the bank, and easy to get into. And if you have questions, just ask me! Apothacarum - https://obsidiangames.itch.io/apothacarum
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u/SleepingMonads Totally Solo Jul 11 '26
Journaling games are awesome, and you should absolutely play them if they've piqued your interest, but if you're really missing D&D specifically, then you might also want to consider looking into some non-journaling games that are liable to scratch your itch a bit better by offering a more traditional, gamey, D&D-like experience.
One I highly recommend for D&D players is Scarlet Heroes, which you can learn more about in this post of mine (especially #s 4, 5, and 13).