I've been pondering this as well the past several days and I probably don't have enough experience to say anything for sure (maybe I never will!) but I like what you've said here. In the end, to me, what constitutes a solo game is limited only by the player's own imagination -- almost anything can become a solo game (if you're enjoyong it).
I think it's still useful to categorize these things, though, if it helps someone to filter them down to find what will suit their style best. Narrative vs mechanics, tools vs rules, frameworks vs engines. The hard part is, so many of these items can fit into some or even all of the categories.
For example, you list Mythic GME as a solo engine, and I think we'd all agree. But, it was originally published together in the same body of work with the Mythic RPG, so does that put it in the first category (complete solo rpg) as well?
Then, there's the curious case of Scarlet Heroes, which was designed as a 1 on 1 game, but does have a section on playing solitaire (I've not actually read or used it, just going on what I've read about it), so is it a solo rpg? Or, as what I've read most, solo players take the soloing engine bits and leave the setting, etc. behind -- so is it instead an engine?!
Perhaps I'm getting too "meta" about it all, but it's interesting (to me) to ponder and hear what others think about it. In those two examples, and in many more, they could be categorized in many different ways -- so much so that, in the end, I wonder if it wouldn't make the most sense to "tag" these items with all of the elements they contain, rather than shoehorn them into a few categories.
Now, should I go finish this Four Against Darkness game I've been working on and try not to analyze it in tbis context, or should I go read Bivius and think about if it's a solo game or an engine or a tool or just an RPG? Hehehehe (I jest)
Very true
ReplyDeleteI've been pondering this as well the past several days and I probably don't have enough experience to say anything for sure (maybe I never will!) but I like what you've said here. In the end, to me, what constitutes a solo game is limited only by the player's own imagination -- almost anything can become a solo game (if you're enjoyong it).
ReplyDeleteI think it's still useful to categorize these things, though, if it helps someone to filter them down to find what will suit their style best. Narrative vs mechanics, tools vs rules, frameworks vs engines. The hard part is, so many of these items can fit into some or even all of the categories.
For example, you list Mythic GME as a solo engine, and I think we'd all agree. But, it was originally published together in the same body of work with the Mythic RPG, so does that put it in the first category (complete solo rpg) as well?
Then, there's the curious case of Scarlet Heroes, which was designed as a 1 on 1 game, but does have a section on playing solitaire (I've not actually read or used it, just going on what I've read about it), so is it a solo rpg? Or, as what I've read most, solo players take the soloing engine bits and leave the setting, etc. behind -- so is it instead an engine?!
Perhaps I'm getting too "meta" about it all, but it's interesting (to me) to ponder and hear what others think about it. In those two examples, and in many more, they could be categorized in many different ways -- so much so that, in the end, I wonder if it wouldn't make the most sense to "tag" these items with all of the elements they contain, rather than shoehorn them into a few categories.
Now, should I go finish this Four Against Darkness game I've been working on and try not to analyze it in tbis context, or should I go read Bivius and think about if it's a solo game or an engine or a tool or just an RPG? Hehehehe (I jest)
Spencer Salyer
ReplyDeleteI think it's quite clear:
Mythic RPG, like Scarlet Heroes, is a solo RPG (more precisely a Solo Friendly RPG, playable solo or with a GM)
Mythic GME is a solo engine
regarding your doubt about Bivius RPG (lol) I had done the job for you in this article, as you can see Bivius is in the Solo RPG category ;)