New framework for shared solo campaigns: P.A.R.T.s. (Play Alone, Role Together)
Hey all,
Most of us who love solo RPGs know that feeling when a session suddenly goes off the rails in the best way: an oracle twist, an NPC reveal, a consequence you didn’t see coming, and your first instinct is: “I wish someone else could’ve seen that.”
I’ve been working on a small, system-agnostic framework to scratch that itch, and I’ve just released it as a free pamphlet plus a longer write-up on Substack.
Thanks to u/zeruhur_ and the r/ruolatorisolitari for the help in drafting and testing the system.
The idea is to share this system and adapt it to the different solo games, so that they can be played together with other solo players.
What is P.A.R.T.s.?
P.A.R.T.s. stands for Play Alone, Role Together. It’s not a new solo system, and it doesn’t replace your GM emulator or journaling rules. Instead, it’s a structure you wrap around the solo games you already use so that:
- Multiple solo players share one living world
- Everyone plays asynchronously, on their own schedule
- There is no GM, but there is a shared canon
- Sessions are recorded in a world document that everyone can read and build on
The loop looks like this:
- The group agrees on a solo system, setting, and tone.
- A player “books” the next slot, plays a solo session, and writes it up.
- They update the shared world doc (NPCs, factions, locations, threats, timeline).
- The next player reads that, books their session, and continues from there.
You still play alone, with your own oracles and tools—but the world itself is collective.
If you want to know more and share your thoughts, it'd be great.
Thanks
P.A.R.T.s. on Itch.io: https://emelon.itch.io/parts
A short intro to the system: https://emelon.substack.com/p/introducing-parts-play-alone-role?r=89rix4