Learn to Play: Ironsworn (pt. 2)

Part One of this series was composed of me talking about Shawn Tomkin’s TTRPG, Ironsworn, in a general way, followed by a sample of solo play. I really enjoyed my time with Guðveig, the character I had developed for that sample, and wanted to return to her quest to rescue her family and avenge the destruction of the town where she lived. So, here’s Part Two!

Learn to Play: Ironsworn (pt. 1)

Ironsworn is a highly adaptable, dark fantasy TTRPG created by Shawn Tomkin. The PDF of the base game is free to download, although I did get the softcover editions of Ironsworn and Ironsworn: Delve from DriveThruRPG after realizing that my affinity for physical copies of my games was going to drive me to distraction if I didn’t. (There is also a sci-fi version of the game called Ironsworn: Starforged that had a successful Kickstarter campaign; the preorders will ship in November/December of 2022, and I’m very excited to hear what people say).

TTRPG Thoughts: Goblin Market

Goblin Market is a journaling RPG created by Eliot Silvarian. It requires no GM and can be played solo or (as Eliot recommends) with 1-4 players. This game was inspired by the poem of the same name by Christina Rossetti, as well as the creations of the early twentieth century British illustrator known as Arthur Rackham. I admit, I was initially attracted to this game because I saw the illustration on the cover of the PDF and thought, “Wait, is that Rackham?” and went in for a closer look. I was immediately hooked!

TTRPG Thoughts: Anamnesis

Anamnesis is a solo journaling game by Sam Leigh of Blinking Birch Games that uses the symbolism of a deck of Tarot cards to fill in the blanks of an amnesiac character’s missing memories, and to provide guidance for how they cope with their memory loss. It’s a highly introspective game that encourages reflection and contemplation.

TTRPG Thoughts: Her Odyssey

Her Odyssey is a solo journaling TTRPG that uses the Caltrop Core system developed by Titanomachy. The game was created by Kaiya and is free to download and play. In Her Odyssey, you play as a wanderer who is going on a journey—the wheres, whys, and hows of that journey are up to you—and whom you must flesh out into a unique character.