For over ten years now, video games have delivered emotionally powerful single-player experiences. However, there’s been a growing interest in solo tabletop role-playing games, which have demonstrated that pen and paper RPGs can deliver equally, if not more, emotionally stirring experiences.
Traditionally, tabletop RPGs have been all about gathering around with friends, sharing laughs, and battling creatures. While classic hack-and-slash games occasionally offered deep emotional moments, especially with the rise of narrative-rich games in the ’90s, today’s designers are mastering the art of the solitary, almost meditative, solo tabletop RPG experience.
Here are a few games that are sure to deeply resonate with you and possibly leave you reassembling your emotional pieces.
One standout is “Midnight Melodies,” a creation from an award-winning game designer who moonlights as a musician and architect. In this game, you step into the shoes of a jazz pianist who discovers an immunity from the Grim Reaper. Instead of being pursued indefinitely, Death offers you a role in the Department of Unauthorized Deaths. Each evening, after your jazz bar performance, you delve into the mystery of someone’s premature death, composing a tune to convey your discoveries to the Grim Reaper.
Other solo projects by this designer include “Wraithhound,” a ghost-hunting adventure; “Not A Demon,” which snagged a 2023 CRiT Award; and “Insurgent,” suitable for both solo and group play, where players aim to overthrow a tyrannical regime.
Next, “Galatea,” inspired by the Greek myth about a statue given life, centers on a piece of art created by a renowned yet isolated and troubled artist. As their perfect creation come to life, you must maintain your perfection at all costs. This game, which tackles themes of codependency and vulnerability, poignantly illustrates the crushing weight of living up to others’ expectations. Based on the Wretched & Alone system, it uses a precarious wooden block tower to heighten tension. Galatea’s cover art hints at the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where broken pottery is mended with gold, fitting the game’s message to a tee.
S. Kaiya offers more solo ventures such as the “Untitled Moth Game,” a card game about binding promises, and “you, beyond the pale,” where you become a unique monster surveying humans in a daily ritual.
Finally, we have the internationally acclaimed designer momatoes, whose games are akin to art pieces, ready to move you the moment they begin. With a background in graphic design, momatoes’ unique approach shines through in every aesthetic and mechanical choice. For a free glimpse into their work, try “Farewell, Goodnight,” a game exploring the cruel and inevitable fading of memories through a mid-century psychiatric lens of electroshock therapy.
For those who seek a more structured challenge, the second edition of “The Magus” lets you take on the role of a Wizard pursuing arcane dominance. Unlike other journaling RPGs, it’s rich with mechanics, involving dice roles as you battle with control, gather power, and collect scars from your endeavors. At its core, however, lies a contemplation of human connections, grounding you on your ambitious but doomed quest for ultimate power. The first edition is available for purchase, and the second edition is now open for pre-orders.
