While not a solo wargame, “You: The Solo RPG Game” is an interesting single-player project unlike any role-playing game I’ve seen. Here are some thoughts about this innovative and engaging role-playing experience that sets itself apart from traditional RPGs. The game revolves around personal growth, self-reflection, and the exploration of everyday life rather than venturing into fantasy realms and battling mythical creatures.
The rules are well-structured and clearly written, ensuring ease of understanding for players. The inclusion of bullet points and numbered sections helps organize the information effectively, making it easy to follow along. Unlike games like Starsworn, that are unnecessarily complex, “You” isn’t complicated and it’s very beginner friendly, with advanced “classic” solo RPG mode optional rules.
Anime-style artwork works well somehow and adds a certain charm to the game, infusing it with a captivating aesthetic that enhances the overall experience. Character designs are expressive which gives it rather captivating atmosphere. It‘s kind of nostalgic, whimsy and playful and certainly a well-needed rest from grimdark and often simply bad OSR-style oldschool artwork often seen in solo rpgs. Anime art with its optimistic appeal just suits this game. The book is around 160 pages long and full-color with soft cover.
The game mechanics are simple yet effective. The use of traits to represent different aspects of the player character’s life, such as satisfaction, relationships, assets, and prestige, provides a comprehensive framework for character development. The concept of gaining experience points through quests and using them to acquire strengths or remove weaknesses adds depth and progression to the gameplay.
Character sheet
Quests: A motivational tool for you
While developing your character results in getting a score at the end of a game session, it’s much more than a “beat your own score” type of game. It’s more of a motivational tool, with quests to complete in real life (by you, not in a game) and some helpful advice backed by psychological research. While the author uses a plethora of scientific terms like “Maslow’s pyramid” or “delayed gratification” everything is explained in rather straightforward terms. This makes the game an accessible introduction of psychology.
Quests to do range from sometimes very simple, like “just go outside,” to more complex but always wholesome, like learn new things or cooking something you haven’t tried before. The game sets a very optimistic tone, and doing quests can be rewarding.
The beauty of this game lies in its ability to provide guidance and support, offering helpful advice based on research and proven techniques. Each quest is carefully designed to align with your aspirations and facilitate personal growth. By engaging in these quests, you’ll not only expand your knowledge and skills but also cultivate a sense of self-awareness and purpose.
The game creates an environment that celebrates progress and personal achievements. With each completed quest, you’ll experience a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction, fueling your motivation to tackle the next challenge. The rewards earned through these quests are not merely virtual tokens or accolades but a genuine sense of accomplishment and growth.
In a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming or monotonous, this game serves as a beacon of positivity and inspiration. It sometimes encourages you to step outside of your comfort zone, learn new things, and connect with others on a deeper level. Friendships, self-development, making money and even little things like joy of making your own food are all part of this unusual game.
Quest example
You will be rolling on table like this, creating your character and story
Optional classic solo mode
The optional classic solo role-playing game mode is a noteworthy addition, allowing players to delve deeper into their characters and further explore their motivations and emotions. The suggestion to write stories, keep diaries, or even start a blog as a form of self-expression adds an extra layer of immersion and creativity to the game. The use of Oracles should be well-known to solo RPG players, so it should be easy to grasp. The manual is around 12 pages long, so you can start playing quickly.
Oracles: If you played any solo RPG, you probably know ’em
The inclusion of optional quests that can be completed in the real world is a unique aspect of this game. It encourages players to go beyond the tabletop and embrace personal challenges that can lead to real-life growth and self-improvement. The flexibility to choose which quests to undertake and the potential rewards in both the game and real life make for a compelling and motivating experience. Also, it’s possible to use it as a character generator for Game Masters, or similiar tool to quickly generate ideas for characters in any modern RPG, in just a few rolls.
Verdict
Overall, “You: The Solo RPG Game” offers a refreshing and introspective take on the RPG genre. From the first pages, you get thrown into a wholesome ordeal. A game like no other.It provides a unique opportunity for players to explore their own lives, make choices, and experience personal growth in an interactive and enjoyable way. Whether played in the standard or classic solo RPG mode, this game is an immersive and rewarding experience for those seeking a deeper connection with their characters and themselves and maybe get that needed spark of energy.
“You: Solo Role-Playing Game” is available on Mobinetgames.com (along with additional materials to download like character sheet) and this solo RPG is available on Amazon now. Check it out, if you’re interested not only in solo RPGs, but want to get some motivation.
