Solo RPGs: How to Get Started (Advice for Beginners)

Interested in trying Solo RPGs but not sure how to start? In this video I explain the steps I took to begin my Solo RPG Journey and give you 5 tips and recommendations to get started on yours. I also give some words of encouragement and share my opinion on why Solo Roleplaying matters.

Read more about why I don't recommend using AI for solo RPG play:

Links to Resources Mentioned - DIGITAL:

Links to Games Mentioned - PHYSICAL (Affiliate Disclaimer*)
(*Buying through any of these links supports me at no extra cost to you)

Contents
00:00 Intro
00:23 Backstory: How I got into Solo RPGs
00:59 Don't rely on AI
01:57 Four Against Darkness
04:02 Ironsworn
05:23 Scarlet Heroes
07:30 Mythic Game Master Emulator
09:10 Why Solo Roleplay?
10:58 Words of Encouragement

[wacoglee]

What a great video. So often these solo videos tell you how to do it. They are instructional. You have that to some degree. What I really love though is that you explained your journey: both the pitfalls and the joys. Heartfelt and honest. Love it dude

[andrewmitchell]

I don't know that I've ever seen such an introspective video on YouTube about anything before. Super helpful to hear!

[Mcgif]

I just realized that as a kid I was solo-roleplaying outside by myself. With game mechanics and dialogue and progressive story that I made along the way. I would just walk around my backyard and do the math in my head (at that time I was inspired by the turn-based combat of Paper Mario lol) and I would even die sometimes (mostly near the beginning of my adventures) and sincerely get frustrated and try to find ways to facilitate how difficult it was (like "finding" an item, being granted a certain ability by a companion etc.) I had totally forgotten I did that as a kid and all the memories came rushing back as I watched this.

[enntess]

Words of wisdom throughout. I have played a solo RPG, using Mythic GM. It's mindblowing tbh. The biggest mistake I made was that I got all tangled up in the options I could explore. I actually stalled in the storytelling because of all the routes I could explore.

In hindsight, I just should have used the Mythic GM to solve the actual stall and go on with the story already.

Inspired by this vid, I'm definitely going to pick things up where I left them months ago!

[wildzeke]

Thanks for the inspirational video. I decided to start my solo RPG journey with Notequest. The system is basic and easy to understand for a beginner like me. I thought about writing a Python program to incorporate the Notequest rules to make it easier to play. But then I realized using a computer would take all the fun out of it. No rolling the dice and hoping for a good outcome. No drawing maps on paper. No using your imagination as you roam through the dungeon. Next on my list to try out is Four against the darkness.

[EruditeDM]

Thanks for the video on this subject. Just started SoloDark in homebrew setting using hex crawl rules + some independent publisher supplements for tables and additional flavors. It’s so fun and I love controlling when and how I play. 👍🏼

[soloistventure]

Such a great video. I love the solo ttrpg experience. I didn’t realize i had such a creative mind til i explored solo ttrpgs. I love the message here.

[MichaelMaitlen]

Love the support and insightful thoughts about creativity!

[milexa]

I tried getting into solo RPG by asking people that actually play how they do it and everyone just says to use AI, but I just can't bring myself to use AI for any reason whatsoever. I'm so glad I found this video. Thank you for the recommendations, I will give these a try!

[Jeromy]

9:47 Yes! That is exactly why I want to solo D&D so badly. I want to prove (kinda to myself) that the designers did have a proper plan that was well-tested for you to be able to actually roleplay and not just murderhobo. Sadly, in my only session I did learn a bit about how bad some of the rules are.

[cymrodave]

Excellent video😊. There is definitely something special about solo role play. I recently started playing strider mode for the one ring and it blew my mind. I’ve played in groups but it never clicked. It’s right what you say, solo gives you the room to be creative. I’ve started keeping a diary for my character, as a way to flesh out the journey and a great way to flex your creative muscles. I would say people who are interested to try solo roleplay might like to try the one ring strider mode, it’s rules light and the system has a lot of structured mechanics like hex crawl travel and councils which help add structure when your first starting out.

[drivers]

I’m playing a co-op Starforged play by post and I totally get what you’re saying about finding your creative side because I felt the same way and am seeing how creative I can be. In my mind I’m playing solo but the other players’ creativity is delightful to combine with mine. I think that campaign is fizzling out though so I might make the plunge into truly solo play next.

[steveit]

Thanks. One can feel your emotion sharing your thoughts. Very inspiring and motivational.

[paavohirn]

Really interesting discussion! Thanks! I'm trying to get back to a bit of solo and also recommending it to a friend who's also getting ready to run a campaign as a GM for the first time.

[UntoldRelic]

Seriously, thanks for the positive reinforcement.
Not so seriously; For me, it's all about getting the ball rolling. I don't worry about having a unique beginning.
Can't think of a cool start off point? Fight rats in the basement of the local tavern for all it matters. You will quickly arrive at a "yes and..." or a "no, but...".
Still nothing? Then keep up the tropes. Are there rats in the basement? "No, but you see a trail of dirt leading behind the kegs. There is a waist high tunnel dug ino the wall."
Even using tropes is being creative. You want to be the chosen one? Go for it. You want to be the conflicted healer? Loner edgelord? Have at 'er.
Eventually the plot unravels as you go. I also advise liberal use of retconning.

[Jeromy]

10:27 Exactly! I always want to play a healer, but I don't feel like a healer who also blasts everything that isn't the party makes any sense at all.

[Docphilly]

Great video, thanks for the recommendations for the books

[bradutterstrom]

Great video. Love the inspirational approach

[Kristinquip]

I added Four Against Darkness to my list, it looks really good. Thanks for taking me through your journey too. I thought about using AI to help me play as well but I am going to try your suggestions first. New sub here :)

[jcraigwilliams]

Good video!

The first time I heard about solo RPGs was in 2020, when I imagine many other people discovered them. I heard about Ironsworn first, then Four Against Darkness. 4AD didn't appeal to me right away because I wanted a game where I could go anywhere and do anything, not just explore a dungeon. I also wanted to be able to interact with NPCs in more ways than 4AD allowed. But as much as I loved the idea of Ironsworn, I had some trouble with it. To this day, I love it and consider it a practically perfect solo game, but I still have difficulty with it because it is so open to anything you want to do. I have a character that I like and a basic setup that should, in theory, give me plenty of story material to work with, but I just can't seem to get the ball rolling. I can't get my character moving in a direction that builds momentum. Instead, I just kind of wander aimlessly getting into nonsensical fights.

When I put Ironsworn down and went back to 4AD, I found that the limits I had perceived helped to guide me. I didn't have to create too much, because the game did it for me, telling me the rooms I was entering, what was in them, and what was happening. All I had to do was react. And like you, I started to infuse my gameplay with story elements without even thinking about it. It felt very simple and organic.

This is part of the reason why I am considering playing through some old D&D modules, perhaps using OSE or Shadowdark. Having a pre-existing story with certain goals to accomplish might be helpful. It's my hope that with experience, I will feel more comfortable going back to a more open world approach, because that is still what I want most and I have many stories in different genres that I want to tell.