A solo journaling RPG is a game you play alone, with pen and paper. Each game gives you a place, a story to play through, small choices and questions to write about. It’s not a blank journal, and it’s not a complicated tabletop game with rules to learn.

1. Read a short scene.

2. Make a choice.

3. Imagine what happens.

4. Write it down, in a few words or a few pages.

Then turn the page. That’s all.

What you need

The game (a printable PDF), a pen and a notebook or some paper. You can print the game at home or read on your screen. A few games also use an ordinary deck of playing cards or a die; the listing always tells you.

How long does it take?

Most games fit into one evening. Some unfold over several evenings, and you can always stop and come back later.

Who do you play as?

In some games you play as yourself. Others let you choose: yourself or a gentle character you make up. In a few games the character is already waiting for you, like the cat in Nine Lives or the witch in The Witch’s House Says No.

Do I need experience?

No. You don’t have to write well, there is no acting and there is no right answer.