Gaming Alone: 7 Benefits of Soloing Your Favorite TTRPG
Playing your favorite ttrpg alone might sound strange and even pitiful, but this increasingly popular mode of play offers unique possibilities for role-playing depth and richness.
I entered the world of tabletop role-playing games (i.e. ttrpgs) during a time where my real life roles and responsibilities were rapidly expanding. This made it increasingly difficult to find time to game with a group of friends. From what I’ve read online, this is a common challenge for those of us with families and high-demand careers. The ttrpg hobby is incredible, but for many it seems to requires the stars to align in order for a group to come together for a single successful session—forget about a campaign!
Enter solo gaming. As underwhelming as it may first sound, playing your preferred ttrpg solo has become an increasingly popular choice in recent years. And after trying my hand at playing through a few of my favorite rules-lite systems solo, I’m pleased to report that solo gaming can offer an incredibly fun and fulfilling gaming experience. Furthermore, I’ve found the experiences I’ve had playing solo can directly translate into more meaningful group gaming sessions.
For those who have never considered testing the waters of solo gaming, here are seven benefits and advantages that come from “gaming alone”:
Flexible Schedule: Solo gaming offers the flexibility to embark on adventures when it’s convenient for you, which is a huge boon for those with demanding or unpredictable schedules. Coordinating with a group is time consuming and often frustrating. And often playing with a group means playing far less than we’d prefer. With solo play, you set your own schedule and play whenever it’s convenient, for however long it’s convenient. Only have 10 minutes? Play out a quick scene. Taking the bus? Begin a dungeon delve. Is the house finally quiet after the kids have been put down? Take 15 minutes to jump-start a new campaign with an inciting incident!
Creative Freedom: Playing solo in TTRPGs means having total creative control. That can be intimidating, but once you realize you’re the audience and you don’t need to get it “right,” that creative control becomes liberating. You get to shape the world, develop characters, and control the narrative without needing group consensus. Solo gaming facilitates the creation of epic, personalized campaigns tailored to your preferences. You embark on adventures, face foes, and witness the development of an evocative storyline—all driven by your choices. This individualized approach results in a deeply engaging and memorable gaming experience.
Personalized Pacing: Have you ever felt rushed during a group session, or conversely, that things were moving too slowly? Pacing is an issue when it comes to group play. But solo gaming allows you to set and alter the pace to your preferences. Want to take an hour to play through a treaty negotiation? No one will complain about the lack of action. Want to jump to the results of year-long siege of a kingdom’s capital city? No one is going to complain of whiplash. Soloing a ttrpg allows you to savor the details, dive deep into character development, or blaze through action-packed sequences – it's entirely up to you and your current mood.
Skill Development: I’ve discovered that solo gaming enhances my GMing skills by providing a low-pressure environment for practicing running a game. As both player and GM, solo gaming lets you refine your ability to run a game, create a world, craft engaging NPCs, handle unexpected dice rolls, and address rule adjudication challenges that may only surface after tossing some dice and playing through a few scenarios. Soloing also gives you the flexibility to slow down, speed up, pause, rewind, and replay scenarios, evaluating what you would/could do differently. This process has strengthened my ability to adapt and improvise in live games with friends.
Character Exploration: Group play can often get bogged down with players who develop detailed backstories and complex character motivations. If tonight’s session involves clearing out a mine infested by memory-stealing oozes, do I really need to know the five-page backstory of Thombor Rageblood? And yet, to Thombor’s player, an intricate and involve backstory may be the emotional glue that makes even random encounters meaningful. Solo gaming solves this tension. Without the distractions of a group, you can immerse yourself more fully in the role-playing experience to whatever level of granularity and scope you desire. The result is in-depth character development, intricate backstories, and nuanced decision-making, leading to a richer and more meaningful role-playing experience.
Experimentation: Solo play can become a learning lab for experimenting with new/unique rule systems, settings, and genres your gaming group might never be interested in trying. Free from the preferences of the group, solo gaming offers a relaxed, creative space to explore what resonates most with you. There's room to try new systems, mechanics, or homebrew rules without the pressure to please or appease a group. You can play through a campaign and rotate systems every few weeks within the campaign for variety’s sake, observing how the same setting is experienced differently when using a crunchy vs. rules-lite system, for example. This freedom to explore and experiment can lead to exciting discoveries and innovations that help you “find your voice” as both a player and GM, deepening your enjoyment as a result.
Therapeutic Escape: Some of the most surprising benefits I’ve experienced from solo gaming are the therapeutic benefits. Solo adventuring isn’t just about dungeons and dragons; it can be a gateway to mindful creativity and therapeutic escape. As the solo player I find myself exploring personal themes and narratives through an unhurried, reflective posture. The experience can sometimes be dream-like, and I find myself sinking into the experience in a way that I don’t when passively watching other forms of media and entertainment. Mindfully participating in your character’s saga becomes more than storytelling; it's a dynamic blend of entertainment and stress relief that leads you into a journey within and beyond.
Group gaming has its undeniable advantages. With the right group, it can be a tremendously rewarding and memorable social experience. But solo gaming provides an alternative experience that many find to be more convenient, customizable, and ultimately, more immersive and rewarding. If you’re looking for a new way to experience your favorite ttrpgs that bypasses many of the frustrations that come with group gaming, gaming alone might be the counter-intuitive path to more expansive and enriching gaming experiences.