Getting into the Mood for Solo RPGs

Saturday Morning Rerun | The Lone Toad Newsletter

Welcome to Croaker RPGs! My vacation is coming to a sweet end. While the time off active writing has been good and refreshing, I’m ready to get back into the swing of things to bring you all more of that delicious solo tabletop content.

So strap in for the first Saturday Morning Rerun ever at the Lone Toad.

Fire up that old CRT and sit down right in front of it and watch that episode of TMNT you’ve already seen 10 times. Photo by Aleks Dorohovich on Unsplash

Some of you Toad Warriors may remember the old blog, creatively titled Croaker’s RPG Corner. I started it in June 2022 during a bout of influenza and continued it for a couple of years. I switched officially to this newsletter a year and a half ago, but there is some great stuff on the blog that I’d like to bring to everyone who may have missed it.

So here it is! Stay tuned for the end of the newsletter for an announcement on the future of the Lone Toad.

2025 updates: I’ll be peppering in updates from the present, as things have evolved and changed over here at the Lone Toad.

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The best part of RPGs and Solo RPGs specifically is that there is no right or wrong way to play them.

Many of us have our preferences and tried and true methods for getting the most out of a solo session, but the best way to play a solo RPG is the way that works best for you.

But say you are coming off a long day at work or your children have just gone to bed and you are keen on getting in an hour or so of sweet solo RPG play. These are some great techniques for slowing down, concentrating on the game and getting into the mood.

Music and Ambience

You get home from work or study and you’d like to play some of your solo RPG but you just aren’t quite feeling it? No worries, completely understandable and it happens to me all the time. My first step is putting on some awesome music and if I want to get a bit fancy, I try out some ambience setting techniques.

Put on a track that fits you and your game

If you’re playing an epic sci-fi adventure try a techno soundtrack. If you are playing an epic fantasy campaign, try the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Music will set the tone for the session and put you in the world of your characters. What could be better than fighting a dragon while listening to an instrumental track from Return of the King? Or battling starfighters with some Star Wars music in the background?

Light some candles if it works, and have fun with it

If you are feeling even more advanced, you can further increase the ambience by lighting candles (if you can do it safely) or anything else that may increase the level of emersion in your story-making.

Spice up your solo game by playing in a pumpkin patch with candles. Why the hell not? Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

2025 Tip: Hey if you are tired and not feeling it, maybe don’t stress this? Take a break, watch or read some media that may inspire you instead. Come back stronger the next day.

Get a good writing tool, computer, notebook, nice pens

While not everyone records their solo adventures, many of us do. What you use to record the story can sometimes be as important or even more important than the story itself. There is nothing worse than having your old computer finally stop working right when you’re in the middle of an epic quest. That would be devastating.

A decent computer

My cheap little Chromebook laptop is where I do 90% of my solo gaming (and also this blog). I got it on sale a couple of years ago and I’ve used it ever since. It does everything I need it to do, which isn’t much for my solo games. Word processing, some light image work and an internet connection are pretty much all I want.

Some more advanced solo applications may need a Windows computer, but I haven’t run into any problems at all with my Chromebook (2025 Update, yeah cheap Chromebook died and I’ve upgraded to a used Mac Book Air. Still Chromebook rocked it for years and was super cheap). It’s also light and small, so I can take it with me on trips and I even do some writing outside when the weather is nice.

2025 Tip: Want a cool up-and-coming VTT? Check out Jeansen Vaar’s Plot Unfolding Machine. It includes all his solo engines and has place to upload character portriats and add notes for your story.

Nice notebook and pen

If you prefer a more physical process, a good notebook and pen can go a long way. I’m not a pen aficionado, but I recognise that a nice, but inexpensive fountain pen makes the writing process smoother and more enjoyable. For notebooks, you don’t need fine Italian or Japanese products (but they are nice). A simple journal notebook is cheap enough and a bit better than a spiral notebook in my opinion.

2025 Tip: I’ve started using an E-Ink tablet for my solo gaming and I love it! I’m using a Kindle Scribe and it can store RPG books, character sheets and notes all in one place. Plus it feels like writing on paper.

Webcam and Microphone

I haven’t explored recording my sessions just yet but recorded (audio and video,) sessions are amazing to watch and listen to. If you are doing it just for yourself, I imagine any budget camera or microphone would be acceptable, including your phone. If you intend to release your work publicly, I’ve read that you should try to get the best quality microphone that you can afford, within reason. I guess audio quality is something that improves with the money spent.

2025 update: I still haven’t done a video or audio game. I once recorded myself, listened to it and said “nope, we aren’t doing that ever again”.

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Did you know the Load Toad has a super secret sister newsletter called Sneak Leaps where I talk about RPG and game design? No? Good. Because it is a secret. If you know about it, don’t read or comment on the article below and dear god don’t go and share it!

How to design an RPG with free art

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Switch games to match your mood

One of the best parts about solo RPGs is that you can chop and change to fit the mood you are in. You’re not locked down into any one game and you don’t have to check with anyone before you start up a new one.

Want a deep and personal experience? A Journaling game may be great

Journaling games can be an incredibly personal experience. It is just you, a simple mechanic, a journal, and your thoughts. You can get into the story and explore the creativity within the game. It's also easy to play if you don’t have a computer and most games allow you to write a prompt in about 5 to 10 minutes.

Check out Thousand Year Old Vampire by Tim Hutchings, it is a fantastic game and experience.

Want some action? Try a dungeon crawler

Get in there, fight the baddies, avoid the traps, get the gold, and get the hell out. Dungeon crawlers are for when you want that action and adventure. They can be hectic blood baths, but they are also creative and fun. Many have you creating the dungeon as your party progresses, so you don’t even know what will come next!

Check our Four Against Darkness as a starter dungeon crawler.

Feel the need for an epic story? Try a story-forward game

Lots of solo games allow you to create epic stories and craft engaging plots. If you want a game that has you chase down a magic ring or defeat an enemy star base, try out a story-forward game.

Check out Underground for a good example of a story forward game. You must travel deep underground to rescue a child you can’t even remember.

Try to reduce distractions

To get the best out of your solo sessions, you should be alone, which seems like a no-brainer. I know all our circumstances are different, but the more alone you can be from the world, the easier you may find soloing to be.

Put away that phone, (unless you need it for the game)

This is a must and an easy thing. Put that mobile phone away! Getting into your game can be hard, and it can be impossible if a Twitter notification goes off or you check Instagram every 60 seconds. Of course, some use their phone to play the game, either to record it or as a dice roller. That’s fine, use it when you must but think about putting on a do-not-disturb mode.

Consider throwing your phone into a field and finding it later (I'm joking, don't do that please.) Photo by Nijwam Swargiary on Unsplash

Be private if possible

This is a hard one for me, but I try it when I can. Be private if and when you can. That means different things to different people but if you can get into an empty room, or an empty corner of a room, try it. The game will flow much easier if you can be private.

2025 Update: Privacy can still be a struggle at the Croaker residence but it’s gotten easier as my tadpoles have grown up a tad.

Those are the tips and tricks I use to get the most out of my solo sessions. I’d love to hear what works best for you and your games. Let me know in the comments, and may all your solo sessions be engaging and epic.

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The Lone Toad is coming back in early February with fresh Croaker content including a Kick Starter preview from a friend of the Toad, a review of a huge solo game launched last year, and an interview with a high-profile solo creator! And that is just the first three issues!

Announcement

One thing I’ve learnt in writing The Lone Toad is I need to follow my passions and write about what interests me as someone who loves solo tabletop games. Often that takes me past what is considered RPGs into things like solo board games and solo wargames.

So in 2025, the Lone Toad will be expanding the scope of the newsletter to focus on all types of solo tabletop games. I think there are some incredibly interesting and innovative things happening with solo wargames and board games and I’ve been enjoying dipping into both worlds.

But don’t worry, RPGs will still be the major focus of the Lone Toad going forward. If you haven’t subscribed, be sure to do so now!

Want More Sweet Content?

Check out the guest posts from the last month!