Solo Gaming

[Jamcat]

For those into solo RPG gaming, you should check out Dark City Games:

http://www.darkcitygames.com/

They have a bunch of solo games designed in the style of the old late 70's Metagaming's "MicroQuest" games.

I like their solo sci-fi games like Void Station 57 and Oasis.

In Oasis, you sign on with the Andromeda Mining Corporation's Reverted Worlds Project--a high-paying gig with few risks. When tasked to recover an errant probe, you look forward to another boondoggle until you land on Oasis, and find that it isn't what you bargained for...

In Void Station 57, you emerge from hyperspace with your fuel tanks empty. Expecting to simply refuel and leave, you instead find a dead station, spinning powerless and silent in the eternal void. With no other source of fuel, you have no choice but to search the cold, ebon corridors of Void Station 57.

And the games are priced right at $12.95 each.

[Jamcat]

You can also find a couple free downloadable solo games, Barbarian Prince and Star Smuggler, from the Dwarfstar Games site:

http://dwarfstar.brainiac.com/ds_webfaq.html

Dwarfstar Games was a line of small-box science fiction and fantasy themed boardgames published in 1981 and 1982 by Heritage USA.

While not solo games, Grav Armor and Outpost Gamma are some cool games.

The quality of the scans (game boards and playing pieces) are so-so. But if you're willing to take the time to "remaster" the boards & playing pieces with imaging software, you could end up with a cool game.

For Grav Armor and Outpost Gamma, I remade the game board maps using ground texture maps instead of using the hand drawn graphics of the original.

Then printed everything on glossy photo paper, and mounted the board and playing pieces on photo mounting boards and cut everything out. End result is a nice, professional-looking game.

[Mike Taylor]

Why not show off some of your own stuff, James? Got the link to Dice Warriors?

[Jamcat]

Hi Mike,

Alas, my Dice Warriors page is long gone. If I remember it was on Geocities. And, since it didn't seem to draw much attention or traffic, they killed it. I have the rules to Dice Warriors in .DOC format somewhere on disc. And I think I still have a copy of the web page I designed for Dice Warriors as well on disc. Maybe I'll put it up on Tripod.

Hey, remember my 2600 Doom page? That is still around. If anybody is interested they can check it out here:

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arcade/8691/2600DOOM.HTM

Please note, the email link on that page is no longer active, in case anybody wanted to comment on the hoax. And the Dice Warriors page link there is dead.

I do have another solo game available called Bosconian - D. It's a solo dice boardgame based on the arcade game Bosconian by Namco. That you can download here:

http://jims_digital_domain.tripod.com/dwnloads.htm

Also on the page you will find my downloadable papercraft versions of the aliens from the Space Invaders and Galaga video games.

And for fans of classic video games, you will find my graphic hacks of Atari 2600 games which you can download for use with a emulator.

Hacked games are:

Garden Invaders
Ms. Suc-Man (Ms. Pac-Man goes dirty)
Seaquest 2
Biplane Air Raiders
Amoebaoids (Asteroids under a microscope)
RealSports Chicken Egg Soccer
Star Wars Galaxian
Star Wars Pod Racer
Dr. Who: Dalek Invasion (Dr. Who take on Berzerk)
Kangaroo Basketball
Vector Joust
RealSports Beach Babe Volleyball
R2-D2's Jawa Trouble
R2-D2's Jawa Trouble 2
Galaxian Targ
Monkeyshines! (Jr. Pac-Man with monkeys)
McDonalds
Pinky & Inky's Pac-Dot Tennis
E.T.ennis (Tennis with E.T.)
Space Bros. (sci-fi version of Mario Bros.)
Dragon Knight (Fantasy version of Donkey Kong)
Bioresearch Station 2084 (sci-fi version of Lost Luggage)

[Jamcat]

Back to solo gaming, for those who remember the old Lone Wolf solo gamebooks, you can now view them online or print them out here:

http://www.projectaon.org/en/Main/Home

For fans of the Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, check out:

http://www.ffproject.com/download.htm

While these are not gamebooks, I mention the following games because they are solo adventures like gamebooks:

Terror Town RPG
http://www.1km1kt.net/rpg/Terror_Town_RPG.php
Terror Town RPG is a simple solo game wherein all rules of gameplay are included in a single character sheet. In the game, the player takes the role of a person trapped in the evil Terror Town, a ghost town whose legend claims a corrupt mayor sacrificed the souls of his entire town in order to gain power and eternal life in a dark dimension of pure evil. Now, the town exists in three different worlds at once: Our World, Grey World, and Dark World. In our world, you will find weapons and other useful items. In Dark World, you will find twisted monsters out to kill you. In Grey World, you will find both. Can you survive the survival horror challenge of Terror Town? Will you escape the doomed town, defeat it's diabolical mayor, or just end up falling victim to it's many monsters? The answer awaits you... in Terror Town. ...

Treason Season RPG
http://www.1km1kt.net/rpg/Treason_Season_RPG.php
Treason Season RPG is a simple solo game wherein all rules of gameplay are included in a single character sheet. In the game, the player takes the role of an operative for the government of a nation known as the Great State, an extreme version of our own country's current political climate. Succeed in serving the State, and you may be rewarded by becoming one of the power elite that rule the nation, perhaps even becoming the leader of the Great State. Fail to serve the State, and you may be punished for treason, though those that escape such persecution may find a second life as a freedom fighter against the Great State, perhaps even toppling the corrupt regime via revolution. ...

Creature of Murky County RPG
http://www.1km1kt.net/rpg/The_Creature_of_Murky_County.php
The Creature Of Murky County RPG is a simple solo game wherein all rules of gameplay are included in a single character sheet. In the game, the player takes the role of an investigator of the paranormal who has come to the mysterious Murky County in search of the shaggy creature of legend that is said to call the swamplands of Murky Creek it's home. Loosely based on the Boggy Creek movies, the game involves searching the various locations of Murky County in hopes of discovering enough clues along the way to garner the skill, knowledge, and courage necessary to defeat the creature of Murky County if and when it should ever be encountered. ...

Squire
http://www.1km1kt.net/rpg/Squire.php
The King called for the aid of all those who would help in the dire situation. The Castle was under siege, a Monster ravaged the countryside, and wicked Creatures had breached the Castle walls. Among many, a young Squire came to the King's aid... Squire solitaire RPG is a simple roleplaying game played solo by one player using only a regular deck of poker cards, a pencil (or pen), and some paper. In the game, the player plays the role of a Squire on a quest to save a fantastical Kingdom from a deadly and powerful Monster. ...

SoloQuest
http://www.1km1kt.net/rpg/SoloQuest.php
SoloQuest assumes a fantasy setting, with the inclusion of witches, guardsmen, familiars, and a set of magick skills for your character to learn. While the rules generate the adventure, it is up to you to join the dots. If you meet a witch more than once, is it the same one? What is her interest in your character? Why did your familiar agree to join you? Exactly who is this criminal the guardsmen keep mistaking you for? Is he one of the enemies you'll fight later? The rules are just words on a page, the true game goes on in your head: Only you can create the story. ...

Hex
http://www.1km1kt.net/rpg/Hex.php
A curse has infested an ancient keep near your town. The evil magic has filled the keep with monsters. Can you save your home from this hex? Hex is a one page solitaire RPG by Jeff Moore inspired by Doom: Semper Fidelis by Sandy Antunes. All you need to play Hex is a copy of the character sheet/rules and five or six six-sided dice. Hex creates a solitaire gaming experience similar to the dungeon crawling adventures of your favorite table-top or computer RPG. Hex uses a minimum number of random tables to keep the game accessible and fast. Roll the dice, make a choice. Balance the loss of Health and Endurance to gain XP. Battle giant rats, skeletons, vampires, hellhounds and even a dragon to save your home town! ...

Doom: Semper Fidelis
http://www.1km1kt.net/rpg/Doom_Semper_Fidelis.php
In Doom: Semper Fidelis, you can enjoy a quick solo RPG based on the computer game 'Doom[tm]'. Be the Space Marine who travels to Phobos to kill lots of demons in order to save Earth. Then see if any of your soul remains after serving your world. D:SF is a quick read at 5 pages, requires a 6-sided die plus paper and pencil, and plays in under 30 minutes. This somewhat abstract slayfest will test your ability to choose goals, prioritize, and navigate a bizarre and random set of challenges while keeping true to yourself, your mission, and the Marine Corp. Failure... is an option. ...

Haunted Houses Solitaire RPG
http://www.1km1kt.net/rpg/Haunted_Houses_Solitaire_RPG.php
Haunted Houses Solitaire RPG is a roleplaying game played by one player using only a regular deck of poker cards, a pencil, and some paper. In the game, the player takes the role of a character known as a seeker, an investigator of the supernatural that explores haunted houses for adventure and to rid the world of supernatural evil...

If you want to write your own gamebooks, check out GameScroll:

http://markdamonhughes.com/GameScroll/index.php

GameScroll is a system for playing and writing interactive fiction like Choose Your Own Adventure(TM) or Fighting Fantasy(TM) gamebooks... But instead of flipping pages, GameScroll runs them as an impartial gamemaster!

[Jamcat]

Here's another solo RPG:

Dungeon Party By Errin Famiglia

Dungeon Party RPG is a solo roleplaying game representing a diverse party of fantastic adventurers delving into dangerous dungeons wherein horrible monsters and magical treasures await, all in a far off world of fantasy...

In Dungeon Party RPG, a single player takes the role of a party of dungeon explorers. Instead of playing a single character, the entire party of characters is the role played by the player. Instead of characteristics, the characters within the party represent the only factors that define it, and no characters are individualized or have characteristics themselves. In a way, the dungeon party is the "player character" and the characters in the party are it's "characteristics".

http://www.1km1kt.net/rpg/Dungeon_Party.php