Popular Solo RPGs and Where to Find Them
New to solo play and wondering what to try first? Here are six popular ways to play alone, each linked to its official page.
Six places to start
These are some of the best-known ways to play alone. They are listed in no particular order, and no one paid to be included. Each link goes to the publisher or creator's own page, and we checked every link on 2026-10-09.
Ironsworn
Complete game · Tomkin Press
A fantasy game built to be played alone, with a partner or with a group. A free digital edition is offered on the publisher's page, which makes it an easy first purchase of zero dollars. It leans on short oracle-style rolls and vows your character swears, so it suits players who want a story driven by promises and consequences.
Best for: first-time solo players who want a full rules set, a quest structure and no cost to try.
Thousand Year Old Vampire
Journaling game · Tim Hutchings (Petit Guignol)
A solo game about a vampire's long life, played by answering writing prompts and keeping a limited number of memories. There is almost no dice rolling. Instead you write a dark personal history, and what you can remember slowly shrinks.
Best for: writers and journalers who want a reflective, character-first experience.
Mythic Game Master Emulator
Game master tool · Word Mill Games
Not a game on its own but a long-standing tool that replaces the game master with yes/no questions, random events and meaning tables. You bring your own rules and setting, and Mythic answers the questions the game master would normally handle.
Best for: players who already have a favorite rules set and want a general-purpose oracle.
Four Against Darkness
Dungeon crawler · Ganesha Games
A solitaire dungeon-delving game described by its publisher as needing only the book, a pencil, two six-sided dice and grid paper. You draw the map as you explore and lead a small party of heroes through rooms and monsters.
Best for: players who love mapping and classic room-by-room dungeon crawls.
Colostle
Complete game · Nich Angell
A solo tabletop game set in a strange castle-world, designed to be played by yourself with a small set of materials. It gives you a distinct place to explore rather than a generic fantasy setting.
Best for: players who want a defined, atmospheric setting and a compact rules set.
Dragonbane
Group game to adapt · Free League Publishing
A skill-based fantasy RPG written for a game master and players rather than for solo play, and the publisher's page does not describe solo rules. Many solo players run a character from games like this with a yes/no oracle and the generators on this site. Check the publisher's policies for what you may share publicly.
Best for: players who already own it and want to take their character on solo adventures.
How to choose
If you want one complete game with a built-in structure, start with a complete game such as Ironsworn or Colostle. If you want to write rather than roll, try a journaling game. If you already love a rules set, add a game master tool and keep playing what you know. If you love maps, try a dungeon crawler.
Whatever you pick, you can add the free tools here: the yes/no oracle for questions, NPC generators for people, dungeon rooms and traps for places, and ambience for mood. They work with any system because they only produce ideas, not rules.
Want to hear how people actually play? See our list of solo RPG podcasts and channels.
A note on these links
Pages move and publishers change their stores. If a link above is broken, tell us and we will fix it. Solo Rpg Dungeon is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of these publishers, and the descriptions are our own summaries.