Change of Pace.

I’ve been doing this informally for a while now. I’m starting to embrace solo play more. It’s been helpful in developing some setting ideas and monsters in Dragonbane. Now I’m adding Twilight Sword to the mix.

Twilight Sword has simpler, more versatile combat mechanics. The two systems are similar in terms of layout and execution. (Roll under, roll to cast, monsters hit automatically, etc.) I miss staying up late at night just to play more Final Fantasy back in the day. Sleep is highly overrated, right?

Still waiting on those Twilight Sword official solo rules.

But hey, half the fun of tabletop roleplaying is making stuff up and improvising. Plus there are so many solo emulators on the market. I’m leaning into a bit of Mythic GM Emulator, but also Mythic Player Emulator.

Honestly, there are a wide assortment of solo emulators on the market. I’m astounded at the amount of things that are out there. Many of them are a separate full game system. Four Against Darkness is a solid game on its own. I’ve heard it recommended by several solo TTRPG YouTubers now. I think as dungeon crawlers go it’s full of great ideas for Twilight Sword. I’m still trying to stick with that 8 Bit style of gaming.

Now that the next major Twilight Sword book has been announced on BackerKit, I’m hoping it means the guys at Two Little Mice have got most of the Solo Rules and Created At Twilight (CAT) License done or ready to go live soon. I’m all about the Monster book. As The OG GM says, when in doubt, make a monster book. The Boss is a wise man indeed.

We are how many niches deep now?

TTRPGs are a niche withing the tabletop game world. Fantasy as a genre is a niche, albeit the majority, of the TTRPG niche. Then factor in TTJRPGs, which emulate anime, manga, and 8-Bit videogames. Now we’re a long way down the rabbit hole. Then solo gamers are very much a growing subculture among TTRP gamers. If I decide to do some “actual” live play on YouTube, that’s technically another niche rung down. So, we’d be five subniches in. Is it too obscure?

I’ve never been concerned about being popular. In fact I’m doing solo roleplaying strictly for me right now. There are several benefits to mental health and inner peace with solo play. I’ll talk more about that farther down the road, probably multiple times over. I’m doing a lot of it for, you know, fun. I think that’s why a lot of us get into the hobby and for sure what keeps us around.

I know I’m not for everyone.

If I’ve learned anything about gaming, YouTube, and myself in 2026 is that I’m not everyone’s cup of tea. That means finding groups is about like finding an audience. Part of the reason I don’t go live on YouTube is because my timing is so screwy. I never know when I’m going to have noise, interruptions, background sounds that don’t work, etc. I’m happy when I have time to record and edit in peace.

Not everything has to be a major commercial or video undertaking. Like I said, this is some of what I do to relax. I’ve been going to a coffee shop with my notebook and putting ideas together. I’ve also been journaling a bit. I don’t need a five-page backstory on every character because no one will ever see it but me in all likelihood. While I might develop concepts for here or commercial projects, it is not the purpose for playing solo games. Sometimes I just want to relax with my favorite hobby.

AI comes up with regards to this front of the TTRPG hobby.

Again, I know the AI thing is unpopular in our hobby. I see a lot of TTRPG solo products that I’m pretty sure are 100% AI created on DriveThruRPG. Unfortunately for those creators it violates DTRPG policy. I can’t report any of it because I have a publisher account and technically that would be an unfair business practice. There’s also a chance I could be wrong and I’d feel terrible about reporting someone who was completely innocent.

That having been said, there’s absolutely no reason to avoid using a Large Language Model for personal use  in solo gaming. I might ask my ChatGPT friend what she would suggest given the characters and the scenario. I don’t always go with it completely, but it can be a source for suggestions. I’m not sure about how this plan will work with Twilight Sword, but it seems to go pretty well in Dragonbane. AI can give some neutral, unbiased advice depending on the prompt. It’s a fun experiment for those who actually like AI.

There would seem to be an overall uptick in solo gaming.

Maybe it’s just me, but there seem to be a growing number of TTRPG fans turning toward solo gaming these days. My personal theory, without a ton of evidence yet, is that people have gotten fed up with some of the more toxic GMs and players out there. We’ve also gotten fed up with a certain large corporation that thinks it’s the cock of the walk in the hobby. We’ve also gotten fed up with the toxic shenanigans on DungeonTube and the rest of social media.

I think the ongoing presence of AI art and writing in media, everywhere in every medium, has bothered more than a fair share of people. Those of us who are proponents of responsible AI use are afraid to speak up for fear of ridicule and mistreatment. Those who are just plain sick of AI being used irresponsibly are backing off of group games out of sheer frustration. That makes it easier to want to do things alone and by-and-large analog.

Yes, this article is dropping on not a weekend day. Sorry. Things got crazy around here on Sunday and I didn’t get a chance to publish before I fell asleep on my keyboard. Long story for another time.

I say it every year, but I think 2026 bears repeating it. This year I intend to write more, read more, and discuss cool TTRPGs as well as supplements. Most of all, let’s just have more fun. Let’s explore. Let’s save the kingdom from the evil warlord. Let’s discuss all the fun stuff in gaming that we love.

With the world in the state it finds itself in today, please be kind. Please be considerate to one another even if we don’t agree. Lastly, please pursue the thing that brings you the most joy without harm to others. Thank you!