Interesting discussion! Folks I've talked to and I about this exact same concept break things down a bit differently. In my mind all of these games have the potential to be the "traditional RPG", they just emphasize different components for telling stories. We usually break it down as three main mechanics that are used currently in solo roleplaying for story generation:
1) Self-journaling/self-authoring
2) Random Table event generation
3) Choose Your Own Adventure pre-written narrative
Most Solo RPGs use one or all of these. Random table generation can include Oracles, to event tables, but there's some element of "roll on a table, which gives you a prompt that you react to and continue playing". Self-Journaling/authoring is any time the game expects you, in order to progress, to provide the content of what happens in the game world. And Choose Your Own Adventure is where the narrative is fleshed out and pre-written and you are more just choosing paths.
We as a group are not as big a fan of "self-authoring" games as we play RPGs to explore worlds and yet, because asking the player to make up what happens next (perhaps with prompts), is the most straightforward and flexible way to do it (popularized by the Mythic GM Emulator), it's done everywhere. But there are a number of examples that are narratively rich, but don't require players to invent the world and narrative, from Solo RPG gamebooks to board games that approach a Solo RPG experience like Hexplore It or 7th Citadel. Or you have very random table generation heavy approaches, but which are very thematically rich such as Alex T's games from Black Oath Entertainment or perhaps Five Leagues from the Borderlands by Ivan Sorenson. The division for me is more about the way the narrative is achieved than simply how complex/gamey the mechanics are (which is more where 4AD lands for me).
Appreciate the thought process and discussion though!
I since I have more game pdfs than I'll ever reasonably play, I find categorizing them to be beneficial for me. I tend to keep my pdfs categorized for ease skimming and picking one out based on vibes.
Folder tree:
Dungeon Crawlers
> roll and write
> skirmish game (5 parsecs, Hametsu)
> simple dive (korg, RIG/RUNE, Notorious) (mostly just rolling dice and keeping score but not as restrictive as roll and writes)
Dedicated Solo:
> journal games (Thousand Year Vampire, Apothecaria, Lost and Found games, Wretched and Alone)
> RPGs (Ironsworn, Ion Heart, Citizen Sleeper)(more free form or similar to tradition group RPGs compared to journal games)
Social RPGs
> Dedicated Solo modules (Dragonbane, Stoneburner)
> GMEs (basically just Mythic GME plus a LOT of randomn tables I've collected over the years because I honestly don't like 90% of GMEs. I find them too restrictive. I like pulling tarot/oracle cards to the point that I have a this Frankensteined deck that takes the place of fate rolls. But I do like harvesting idea from Mythic and their magazines.)
Thanks for writing! I am new to solo rpg’s and love that the variety of this hobby is so vast that it defies classification lol So much to try and explore!!
Appreciate the shout-out! I thought Zorg was a really cool game.
I think it's helpful to have a categorization for games. It helps people decide what game to play next and what kinds are out there. I usually journal or write stories about my solo games, whether sandboxes, dungeon crawls, point crawls, or whatever.
The right way to play a game is the way you have the most fun.
Hi! Really interesting! Your article allowed me to learn more about the "Narrative-based game" category of solo TTRPG. I've played Shadowdark (using the solo rules), which can be categorized in the "Traditional game". But I found that, while it's a really great game to play in group, it didn't provide me enough tools to create and narrate my own stories with fluidity. And creating/discovering stories was the initial reason I start playing solo. I tended to focus too much on the mechanics (the fights, trying to survive, etc..), so trying a game focusing on the narration could help me find the kind of feeling I'm looking for.
Interesting discussion! Folks I've talked to and I about this exact same concept break things down a bit differently. In my mind all of these games have the potential to be the "traditional RPG", they just emphasize different components for telling stories. We usually break it down as three main mechanics that are used currently in solo roleplaying for story generation:
1) Self-journaling/self-authoring
2) Random Table event generation
3) Choose Your Own Adventure pre-written narrative
Most Solo RPGs use one or all of these. Random table generation can include Oracles, to event tables, but there's some element of "roll on a table, which gives you a prompt that you react to and continue playing". Self-Journaling/authoring is any time the game expects you, in order to progress, to provide the content of what happens in the game world. And Choose Your Own Adventure is where the narrative is fleshed out and pre-written and you are more just choosing paths.
We as a group are not as big a fan of "self-authoring" games as we play RPGs to explore worlds and yet, because asking the player to make up what happens next (perhaps with prompts), is the most straightforward and flexible way to do it (popularized by the Mythic GM Emulator), it's done everywhere. But there are a number of examples that are narratively rich, but don't require players to invent the world and narrative, from Solo RPG gamebooks to board games that approach a Solo RPG experience like Hexplore It or 7th Citadel. Or you have very random table generation heavy approaches, but which are very thematically rich such as Alex T's games from Black Oath Entertainment or perhaps Five Leagues from the Borderlands by Ivan Sorenson. The division for me is more about the way the narrative is achieved than simply how complex/gamey the mechanics are (which is more where 4AD lands for me).
Appreciate the thought process and discussion though!
Interesting way to break it all up!
I since I have more game pdfs than I'll ever reasonably play, I find categorizing them to be beneficial for me. I tend to keep my pdfs categorized for ease skimming and picking one out based on vibes.
Folder tree:
Dungeon Crawlers
> roll and write
> skirmish game (5 parsecs, Hametsu)
> simple dive (korg, RIG/RUNE, Notorious) (mostly just rolling dice and keeping score but not as restrictive as roll and writes)
Dedicated Solo:
> journal games (Thousand Year Vampire, Apothecaria, Lost and Found games, Wretched and Alone)
> RPGs (Ironsworn, Ion Heart, Citizen Sleeper)(more free form or similar to tradition group RPGs compared to journal games)
Social RPGs
> Dedicated Solo modules (Dragonbane, Stoneburner)
> GMEs (basically just Mythic GME plus a LOT of randomn tables I've collected over the years because I honestly don't like 90% of GMEs. I find them too restrictive. I like pulling tarot/oracle cards to the point that I have a this Frankensteined deck that takes the place of fate rolls. But I do like harvesting idea from Mythic and their magazines.)
Loving the organisation there mate!
I have a Supplement for Kal-Arath coming out that is being designed with the solo player foremost in mind. It is called A-Rathak and has an Arabian Nights vibe. You can learn more about it here: https://bookwizard999.substack.com/p/al-rathak-tales-of-the-crescent-kingdom
Thanks for writing! I am new to solo rpg’s and love that the variety of this hobby is so vast that it defies classification lol So much to try and explore!!
Oh there are soooo many to pick from. I guarantee you'll find something that you enjoy
Appreciate the shout-out! I thought Zorg was a really cool game.
I think it's helpful to have a categorization for games. It helps people decide what game to play next and what kinds are out there. I usually journal or write stories about my solo games, whether sandboxes, dungeon crawls, point crawls, or whatever.
The right way to play a game is the way you have the most fun.
Such a great point. You can journal any solo rpg you want and turn it into a narrative adventure.
Hi! Really interesting! Your article allowed me to learn more about the "Narrative-based game" category of solo TTRPG. I've played Shadowdark (using the solo rules), which can be categorized in the "Traditional game". But I found that, while it's a really great game to play in group, it didn't provide me enough tools to create and narrate my own stories with fluidity. And creating/discovering stories was the initial reason I start playing solo. I tended to focus too much on the mechanics (the fights, trying to survive, etc..), so trying a game focusing on the narration could help me find the kind of feeling I'm looking for.
Thank for the writing, have a nice day!
Seriously glad I helped you out there! Enjoy your solo journey