Solo play wasn't an afterthought bolted onto The Chaos. It's been part of the design from the start. The Realm begins on a blank page, the game loop is built to run on your own steam, and the tools below exist to make that as smooth as possible. Here's what solo players are saying, and how to get going:
"Favourite system for solo playing, so far! Love this game. It's exactly what I was looking for! As a solo ttrpg hobbyist, this game was ideal for my needs. Simple enough to be quick to learn, but complex enough to prompt rich atmosphere and imagination! The character suggestions of rolling for a 'failed career,' 'chains,' 'discords,' etc. made my characters come alive for me. I also liked the structure of 'The Realm' and the way time tracking is set up — perfect for those of us with busy lives and schedules. And these mechanics keep the action in the game fresh and moving. The only thing that was difficult for me was that, though I love physical cards, the print on the cards is very tiny. However, the game package included nice PDFs that I can zoom, read, and mark up at my leisure. I really enjoyed the starter adventure that came with The Chaos. My first play-through was fun, and I've already planned my second adventure. Also, this system is working well with my other solo/GM tools." - Arielle Finberg
"A great solo RPG game! Really enjoyed playing this game. Super easy and quick to learn and set up. Really handy for travelling. For the solo player, has the benefit of plugging in with other solo games and tools. Highly recommend for the solo player who wants to expand their solo experience." - James Appleby
getting started solo...
1. Once you're up to speed with the rules, roll on the curiosities tables later to see what's going in The Realm. If those options don't fit, think about something else big that's happening, something that’s going wrong maybe, then think about a figure who’s important to how this is unfurling, about what faction or group they’re using or forcing or tricking to further their aims, and about how the locals might be reacting to this.
2. Create your character(s) using the souls of the chaos section, and give them something more than you would in group play. So a magical item, traits bump, unique ability, whatever you like.
3. Choose or roll up a rumour or job to follow up, but come up with one huge reason your character(s) needs to learn more about it, needs to follow it up, and one huge thing they fear might happen if things don’t go as they hope.
4. Create a rival for your character(s). They’re already one step ahead. They have better gear. They have something you now realise you have missing. They make morally opposite choices than you, and have their own motivation for following up on this same rumour or job. What do your character(s) fear they’re up to? As the game unfurls, roll or think about how this rival has been faring compared to your character(s), how much closer they are to reaching their goals, to beating you to the chase.
...and during the game...
1. On each watch once you’ve rolled up what’s happening, for each encounter come up with one thing your character(s) see, hear, smell, feel...and fear!
2. Screen wipe what doesn’t interest you, but note down something that’s changed, something new that needs dealt with. If it still doesn’t seem interesting, note things down as though someone years in the future is following your steps, and trying to piece together & recreate what you faced and how you braved it.
3. When you roll the odds or traits, if you get a ‘no’ or something goes wrong, focus on what the consequence is, what new complication arises, what next steps now need to be taken.
4. Try to look for opportunities to introduce something into your sessions that you didn’t plan for, and to end your sessions on a cliffhanger.
Beyond that, take a look at my blog on running The Chaos TTRPG solo, and my solo journal from a session in The Realm.
Remember that you can use any other oracles, random tables, house rules and game systems you like to make the most of it. You might be playing solo, but you’re definitely not alone. Use anything you can get your hands on, use the ttrpg community out there, and play it your way!
tools built for solo sessions
Take a look at the The Chaos Player Board and The Chaos Ledger to help keep track of what goes down in your sessions, together with The Chaos Oracle and Chaos Rolls to spark your imagination. These were very much built with solo play in mind, tools to help you focus more on what's unfolding from moment to moment.
Ready to dive in? Get the deck, or grab the free digital pack and start rolling solo today!
what's next?
Ok, so from here you might want to...
...return to the rules of the chaos intro
...or dip your toe into the rules themselves
...or wire into the character creation section
Remember, though, that you can navigate anywhere on the site using the menus on each page, and if you ever get lost, roll 1d6 and we'll see what perils you encounter!