Making Solo Tabletop Content
If you're familiar with my blog, you already know I'm a huge f'n nerd for Solo TTRPGs. I've mentioned and featured several on my blog over the last year or so since starting to dive into this hobby, and the more I play... the more I want to shout to everyone that they should be playing too!
Seriously. This is a niche that I didn't realize would be as amazingly fun as it is.
To that end, I write fiction around my solo tabletop games. I make small videos showcasing new games as I try them. I gift folks copies of games I love if I think they will also love them. Which is all to say, I do my very best to evangelize folks into this hobby, and I thought today it might be fun to talk about the process that goes into a post/twitter thread/video.
Making videos
So, videos of solo tabletop games are something I'm dipping into right now. I'm still trying to find out what I like better - but this is my current setup for a short little feature on Dead Belt, as that's what I've been playing most recently.
Right now, I'm using my Canon which... honestly, not optimal for videos, I'm not going to lie. It's got a 10 min max length for a recording, which means that for a longer play I need to have a timer out of view and then import those clips to my PC, edit them together, etc etc etc.
That said, it's a better picture quality than my phone, and it's handily got the tripod which while not great to work around... also isn't the worst to deal with.
Right now (today, actually) now that I have an idea of the limitations of the camera, I'm writing up a script for a very quick feature of the game - aiming at 3-5 minutes total time. Instagram has a pretty supportive ttrpg and gaming space, so I may target there... but I may also just opt to drop the vid on our own 3Speak and see how it does. We'll see what I decide after I've done the filming and editing.
Making Blogs
Obviously, the very first step is to actually play the game. I'm pretty old-school with most of my solo gaming so I like to print the rules out (as I lack a tablet and my phone is just too small to be useful), grab a notebook to chronicle actions taken, and then sit down on my couch or kitchen table to do some gaming.
Typically, I make sure to jot down the dates of play, each time I sit down for a new turn. Some games, it's been weeks between plays, and while that's not super useful for any reason... it's fun for me to know.
I also like to make sure to document who created the game, where you can buy it, and any materials required.
An unpublished BlackwellWriter game, Artefact's Roadshow - super fun!
LINEAGE - As yet unfinished playthrough, but very fun! (I use it as a worldbuilding aide)
I like to have this kind of information on hand because while it might be fresh in my memory when I'm playing... I know with the chaos of work, kids, and life... I'm going to definitely forget details, and in the event I want to talk about a specific mechanic or remember a certain turn... I
can just look it up if I've written it down.
Speaking of mechanics...
Always print the rules
And any other content like character sheets.
Seriously, when you're sitting down for a solo tabletop game, there's nothing I find more annoying than having to move to a different medium (PC, phone) to look up rules. Now, if you have a good tablet that you're used to using, that may be the one exception.
When I sat down to play Dead Belt the first time, I immediately did two things:
First, I got lucky and snagged one of the largest tiers of ship possible! Woo-hoo!
Second, I absolutely forgot the rules or glossed over a bit; I should have put the Red Joker on top of the first turned-over card here - and not beside it.
But, we'll let the rules error slide because that character died in 3 turns anyhow!
Which is something to note about these styles of games. There's a lot of churn, because of the randomized nature of any games based on cards or dice. Fates are fickle, y'all.
Fickle as they are though, it's great for blog content and particularly for fiction writing.
Keeping with Dead Belt as an example of how well these lend themselves to becoming writing prompts... Most solo tabletop games have a setting or theme they 'exist' inside of. We saw this with my DREDGE playthrough, and we're seeing it again with Skipping Stones - A Dead Belt Tale. Further, they almost all have some prompt-based mechanics built into them.
For Dead Belt, that prompt-like quality comes from the ship's various modules. Each ship we find has a particular layout, and inside that layout, each card has a specific action or result that happens when you flip them over.
Some block your way with various things (boxes, piles of bodies, flooded chambers), some are traps or other dangers, some are the goodies we're looking for, and some are resources to keep us exploring.
There are also all kinds of solo tabletop games, from drawing-based games like DELVE, UMBRA, and RISE by BlackwellWriter to journaling games like Dead Belt, Offworlders or the super chill Into The Woods.
I honestly think that just about anyone who likes writing, could very very easily find some solo tabletop games that they not only love playing, but that also inspire them and drive them to create.
So, what are you waiting for? Get playing!
And, always feel free to reach out to me if you want recommendations or have any questions!
