Solo RPGs have become a mainstay of my own tabletop diet. As so many can attest to, trying to find enough players for a TTRPG session is like trying to find champions to defend your honor in the eyes of gods and men. Alright, perhaps it’s not that dramatic, but it’s close. But speaking of accusations and divine trials, there’s a new solo RPG I’ve become quite enamored by.
Accused is a solo journal RPG that places you in the boots of a knight accused of grievous crimes. Some of these are lies, while others are mired in shades of grey. Regardless, the gods have willed you to find champions to prove your innocence. Naturally, there will be knights determined to send you to the gods personally. There are no DnD classes to build around nor adventures to be had. This is a character-driven story, and the mechanics exist solely as the hand of fate.
To play Accused, you need four six-sided dice, a standard deck of playing cards, and a journal. The gameplay loop revolves around Renown, a resource to recruit knights to your cause. Confessions, failure and survival are how you gain back Renown. Each day, you may recruit one knight to your cause, as determined by the draw. While the outcome is determined by dice rolls and card value, the details are entirely up to the player.
The best solo RPGs, at least in my experience, are therapeutic writing exercises. While the ultimate fate of these characters are in the roll of a dice, it’s my voice that gives them life. Given the premise, I find that actually helps build tension for me as a lone player. As a fan of the Dunk and Egg novellas, especially the first book, I’m itching to recreate some of my ASOIAF fanfic already.
You can get Accused for free at itch.io here.
If you’re looking to recruit knights to your next tabletop session, the Wargamer Discord has plenty of honorable folks to meet.
Source: Wargamer
