r/solorpgplay

I recently reread this article on solo RPG journaling and structuring sessions on Substack. The author, The Holly Roller, shared their technique, which I found both logical and neat.

Though I must admit, I think I would find it challenging to implement because I currently write quite a lot for each session. The article did prompt me to compare their approach with my own and ask myself: **Could I reduce how much I write and still enjoy it? And is there a middle ground between the two?**

Building on The Holly Roller’s idea, which I’m labelling Method 1, I then landed on two other main journaling methods:

Method 1 — The Session Summary: A concise record of the important events.

Method 2 — The Narrative Summary: The whole adventure told in order, but routine material compressed and just the important scenes and/or dialogue expanded.

Method 3 — Full Narrative: Detailed scene-by-scene play with full dialogue, actions, descriptions, combat, and all the little details.

Vote on your prefered method. Let's see what's the most popular.

There is one caveat, the mechanics of the play loop are recorded elsewhere.Things like oracle rolls, skill checks, combat rolls, and other mechanics aren’t included in this discussion. I’m looking for storytelling.

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I didn't post this last week as there were so many others, but I made a little 2-page game for the Game Jam.

It's a solo game built on the ideas and lore of the recently abandoned Blackoath Game, Under Ashen Skies (now Creative Commons)

https://rolling-alone.itch.io/the-apartment-below

You wake in an apartment with no memory of who you are or why you came to be in a strange and unfamiliar room. A note pushed under the door - bizarrely in YOUR writing - tells you to stop a creature from reaching the roof...

It's a small slice (very much simplified) of a full game that I'm working on.

I'd love it if a few people would download it, give it a try, and share any constructive feedback at this early stage of development.

A video of me starting from scratch and trying to build an Ark before the next flood event arrives! (the timer) Building an Ark in the Dark Days is the Defensive way to win in Sword and Stones, and starts the Victory Timer!

In S&S you are the ruler of a small group of survivors after a great flood wiped all civilisation from the map . You must lead your people and build a mighty kingdom worth defending! Solo- co-op modes, full on competitive pvp 2+ multiplayer games with (mostly) simultaneous play.

For this solo play through using only the starter set i chose the 'Before the Flood game mode on Easy. Despite 3 werm attacks and serious disease spread, i managed to build nearly every building the Dark Days, including the Ark and an small army to defend it with!

Oh and found two mystery crates -Lucky Ring and a Flying Carpet :D

This video condenses 1.5 hours of gameplay into 1.5 mins! The Ark foundation was placed on turn 33! So each turn takes less than 5 mins each. Dont be scared of the turn number, its not warhammer lol.

The S&S; The Dark Days Starter Pack is Live for pre-order 26 August 26, only on Gamefound!

Follow now to secure an exclusive scout mini, the first ever release, and be part of the first ever S&S pioneers!

https://gamefound.com/en/projects/swordandstonestudios/swords-and-stones

So my wife and I have begun play-testing my new mini/setting agnostic skirmish war game WARSHARD. I have used both terrain I have scratch built as well as 3d printed terrain. We have played 2 games so far and have been extremely pleased with the results. Our play-testing will be extensive as there are multiple ways to play the game. I have some pics attached and am thinking about possibly doing a battle report for the game. There will be additional changes and corrections as the testing continues but I seem to have been able to recreate a really solid game. If you guys would be interested in a battle report let me know in the comments.

I just released THE WHOLE OF US, a Solo Journaling RPG I made for One Page RPG Jam 2026.

The basic idea is that you play one person divided into multiple personalities.

https://pusheeneiro.itch.io/twou

You start with three personalities, each with their own Strength, Weakness and Desire.

The main mechanic is that you choose what your character tries to do, but you don't freely choose which personality takes control.

If you fail a test, the current personality becomes less stable and the failure may create a completely new personality, one capable of doing what the previous one couldn't.

Personalities can also fulfill their Desires and eventually become integrated into the whole, passing what they learned on to the remaining personalities.

The current release is the printer-friendly one page edition, and I'm giving it away 100% free for the launch.

Thanks for checking it out!

Yep, going to have some fun salvaging a lost ship....

Sure, it takes two custom GM screens, one is a slightly modified Mythic and the other is the official Wildsea screen; and sure, the d100 Adjectives flips up to the reveal d100 Nouns and Verbs too; sure, I still back fill with the Juice Oracle. Which is to say it takes some doing, BUT

Solo Wildsea is completely doable. Just mind your trackers, and you’ll be fine. I have a group of 4, who vote on ship activities using a hyper-distilled Triple-O and then I just play. The core rules are online, give it a try!! It’s a really nifty system, and I think more people should consider it for solo play.

Edit for clarity.

Hi there,

I created a game for this year's One Page RPG Jam! Toll is about entering the bridge-keeping business when you're not a troll, and you have no bridge. In fact, your pockets are empty, but your heart is full of dreams, so you decide to work hard - you keep a river crossing, you maintain it and develop, all for the money you collect from your clients.

Toll is for you if you like to:

• journal,
• spend your days by the river,
• build your little place on this world and make it beautiful.

Toll is free and up for grabs here: https://solskaia.itch.io/toll

THIS HOUSE WANTS YOU DEAD is a little experiment I made for the One Page RPG Jam 2026.
You’ve just moved into your dream home. Bought for a song at auction. The previous owner died there of “natural causes”.

Your goal is simple: survive until dawn.
Instead of generating a fictional house, you use the layout of a home you already know, preferably the one you live in. As you play, doors stop leading where they should and you map the contradictions.

The solo oracle uses your house key and two coins, and the scenes ask you to physically interact with the space around you: turning off lights, staring through dark windows, listening at the front door, looking into mirrors…
The kind of things that creep me out in the middle of the night, in a darkened room when everyone else is asleep.

It’s PWYW on itch if anyone fancies giving it a go:

https://overland-empire.itch.io/this-house-wants-you-dead

Would genuinely love to hear how people get on with it.

For this year's One Page RPG Jam I've made a new solo journaling game which you can download for free! I hope you enjoy it if you give it a go.

The time has come for you to take up the mantle you have been training for and become the guardian of the last magical forest left on Earth.

In this solo roleplaying game you will face threats to the forest and its creatures. Those threats can come from both within or without and sometimes you will need to use your own magic to aid in combating them. However, as you use your magic in protection of the forest you will slowly lose your humanity and take on aspects of the flora and fauna you guard until eventually your humanity will be lost to you completely. Binding yourself to the forest means you no longer age like humans do and eons can pass before another threat looms.

https://mystic-mushroom-press.itch.io/the-guardian-of-the-forest