Finding people to play tabletop games with has become a major challenge for many enthusiasts. However, in response to this issue, designers are now adding solo rules to their games, making them playable even without a group.
The phenomenon of solo tabletop gaming is not new, but it gained significant momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic. Standalone RPGs like Ironsworn, The Wretched, and Alone Among the Stars laid the groundwork for solitary tabletop experiences.
In recent years, demand for solo role-playing games has grown significantly, with many players looking to try out games they may not find a group to play with. To cater to this demand, designers have incorporated solo rules into their game designs.
Three examples of games that use solo rules are Vaesen, HUNT(er/ed), and The Zone. These games demonstrate different approaches to incorporating solo gameplay into their rules sets.
Vaesen, a Nordic Horror RPG, offers a step-by-step guide for solo play, allowing players to uncover the mystery as they go. The game uses a deck of cards and random tables to determine discoveries and outcomes.
HUNT(er/ed), based on the classic hook and ring game, has a solo iteration that takes the core experience of examining monstrosity and pushes the player to move along a scale of acceptance or denial. This solo rule set was written by Elliot Davis, who also wrote his own solo game, Project Ecco.
The Zone, a surreal play-to-lose horror game inspired by Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation, relies on card-based prompts to guide players through a quarantined zone. The solo rules for this game are similar to the multiplayer version but with the player controlling multiple characters.
These games demonstrate that solo tabletop gaming is becoming increasingly popular and that designers are adapting their game designs to meet this demand.
Source: https://www.polygon.com/tabletop-games/503622/solo-ttrpg-tabletop-role-playing-games-no-group