Basics
How to Play a TTRPG Solo - Four Ways to Play Tabletop RPGs Alone
You can play a tabletop RPG on your own. Here are four ways to play a solo TTRPG (journaling games, solo adventures, GM emulators and an AI game master), who each one suits, and tips for playing alone.
On this page
Yes, you can play a TTRPG alone
A tabletop RPG usually needs one game master and a few players, but there are ways to play one on your own. Solo play (a solo RPG or solo TTRPG) is an established way to play when you cannot find a group, when schedules never line up, or when you want to practise the rules or your role-playing by yourself.
What you are missing when you play alone is the game master: someone to describe the world, make the calls and decide what happens next. The ways to play solo differ in what takes over that job.
| Method | What replaces the GM | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Journaling game | Prompts on cards or tables, and your own writing | People who like to write and reflect |
| Solo adventure | Pre-written branches | People who want clear rules and short sessions |
| GM emulator | Random tables that answer yes/no and create events | People who want to be both GM and player |
| AI game master | An AI | People who want to start with no prep and play like a conversation |
Method 1: Journaling games
In a journaling game, cards or dice give you a prompt and you answer it as your character's diary or memoir. The fun is less about winning and more about watching a story appear as you write.
A well-known example is Thousand Year Old Vampire, in which you write the long life of a vampire.
- Good: almost no prep, played at your own pace, stories tend to run deep
- Less good: a lot of writing, and you have to come up with the surprises yourself
Method 2: Solo adventures (gamebook style)
You read numbered sections and jump to the next one depending on what you choose, just like a gamebook. Some systems publish solo adventures of this kind.
- Good: the steps are clear, and it is good practice for the rules
- Less good: you can only do what is written. The "try anything you can describe" freedom of a TTRPG is small
Method 3: GM emulators (oracle tables)
You play both GM and player, and hand the open questions to random tables. Ask "Is anyone behind the door?", roll, and get "yes", "no" or "yes, and...". The tables can also throw in events you did not plan, so the story escapes your own script.
Well-known tools include the Mythic Game Master Emulator, and Ironsworn is a system designed to be played solo.
- Good: use any system and setting you like, with the most freedom of all four
- Less good: the procedure takes time to learn, and you interpret and narrate the results yourself
Method 4: Play with an AI game master
Let an AI run the game. You write what your character does, and the AI describes the scene, plays the characters and turns each roll into story. Of the four methods, this is the closest to playing with a human GM.
- Good: no prep, no rules to learn first, and it reacts to actions nobody wrote down in advance
- Less good: in a long story the AI may lose track of details, and it can be less flexible than a human GM
Playing solo on this site
This "AI TRPG" is a TTRPG with an AI game master that you can play alone in your browser.
- Pick a scenario
- Choose your character and one of five AI GMs with different voices
- Choose how long to play: Quick (about 15 minutes), Relaxed (about 30) or Epic (about 60)
- Then just write what you do. Actions that might fail are settled with dice
Scene pictures are painted as the story goes, and you can save and stop anywhere. It is free once you sign up (no credit card; everyone shares the same usage limits).
Tips for playing alone
Start with a short scenario
For your first time, a 15 to 30 minute session is best. Once you have played one through to the end, you will know how it flows.
Give your character one goal
A single goal, such as "find my sister" or "pay off my debt", lets you decide what to do by asking "what would this person do?". Playing alone, you have to bring your own reasons to act.
Enjoy failure as part of the story
A failed roll does not end the story. Recovering from a bad spot is often where a TTRPG gets most exciting.
Keep a record
A story you played alone tends to vanish without anyone seeing it. Notes or a journal give you something to read back later. On this site, every finished adventure is kept automatically as a replay.
FAQ
Q: Is a solo TTRPG fun?
A: It is a different kind of fun from playing with a group. Instead of the table chatter, you get to sink into the story at your own pace and try whatever you like without worrying about anyone else.
Q: Can I play without knowing the rules?
A: Journaling games and an AI GM need no rules knowledge to start. Solo adventures and GM emulators need some of the underlying system's rules.
Q: Can I practise alone and then play with others?
A: Yes. Playing alone gets you used to declaring actions and playing a character, so your first group game feels less daunting. This site also has rooms where 2 to 4 players play together with an AI GM.
Next steps
- What is a TRPG? - the basics of tabletop RPGs
- About AI GM - the five AI GMs and how to choose one
- Role-playing tips - how to play your character
- Dice system - how checks work
Ready to start on your own? Pick a scenario and set out on your first adventure.