The Best Solo Tabletop RPGs

Hello, all you wonderful people! Today I want to share a list of my five favorite solo ttrpgs in celebration of the launch of my own game, Happy Frog Historians. These games are ones I truly love, many of which inspired me to start making games in the first place. I tried to include a wide variety of game types in hopes there will be something for everyone on this list. Overall, these are, in my opinion, the best solo tabletop rpgs out there.

Happy Frog Historians

First on my list is Happy Frog Historians, a one page journaling game created by yours truly. You play as a frog historian who has been tasked with recording the history of your town’s important artifacts. This game explores what societies choose to preserve and why we value them. It’s short but sweet, and it needs no set up to get going. Since this whole game is only one page, it’s a great option for anyone just getting into solo games or wanting something a bit easier to manage. It’s also currently available for free!

Fox Curio’s Floating Bookshop

This game is probably my all time favorite. Fox Curio’s is an in depth solo journaling game about running a bookstore for a world of forest animals. It’s very whimsical and sweet. The guide book for this game is over 200 pages, so it might be overwhelming if you’ve never journaled or played a ttrpg before. However, it’s one of the most immersive journaling games I’ve ever played, which is a massive plus in my book.

This game is the most expensive on this list, going for about $15, but the creator often has free copies available for those struggling financially. I definitely think it’s worth the price due to the massive amount of information it comes with. This is a good option for anyone who is a fan of games like stardew valley and animal crossing.

The Last Tea Shop

The Last Tea Shop is a solo journaling game in which you run a tea shop in between the lands of the living and the dead. It’s crafted to take an hour or so per playthrough, so it’s a good option if you want a bite sized journaling ttrpg. This game cost $5, but the creator does offers an older and shorter version of the game for free. I think this game is great for people who are a fan of their local coffee shop and intimate conversations. It’s best played while enjoying a cup of your favorite tea.

Mandrake Sanctuary

Mandrake Sanctuary is a fun ttrpg about gamifying your real life chores and self care tasks. It’s meant to be played for a few minutes at a time over the course of days, weeks, or even months. In this game, you grow cute magical plants by completing different tasks you’ve chosen for yourself. It’s like habit tracking but more fun. If you enjoy bullet journaling, stories about magic, or gardening this might be a good game for you. It’s currently available for $5.

One Page Left

This last game is a fun horror themed ttrpg. You play as someone trying to escape a killer while trapped inside a mansion. Throughout this game you’ll roll dice and complete prompts on a single piece of paper, and at the end you’ll end up with a spooky looking document just like in your favorite scary movies.

This game is free, which is definitely a bonus, but feel free to tip the creator if you can. I think this game is perfect for anyone who likes scary books and movies, stormy nights, or true crime documentaries. I do want to add a trigger warning for this game though. It is gory true horror, not family friendly spookiness.

Thanks for reading! What solo games do you like, or which from this list are you excited to try?

Elliot J. West