About Loner

A minimalist solo RPG built on tags and an Oracle. Fiction-first, emergent, and adaptable to any genre—Loner puts story at the center of play.

Origins & Philosophy

Loner began life as a personal toolkit—a slim set of notes on how to play role-playing games alone without prep, fuss, or extra mechanics. What started as a ten-page PDF grew into a complete game, shaped by an active community of solo players. The philosophy has stayed the same: keep things light, let story take the lead, and use just enough structure to spark surprise.

Rather than numbers and character sheets full of stats, Loner is built on tags: short, evocative phrases that describe what matters about your character, the world, and the situation. The game doesn’t tell you what to feel—it gives you the space to find it through play.

Core Principles

At the heart of Loner are three guiding ideas:

Fiction First
Story always comes before mechanics. Every rule exists to serve the fiction, not the other way around.
Emergent Narrative
There is no preset plot. Stories grow scene by scene, shaped by your character’s actions and the Oracle’s twists.
Fictional Positioning
What your character can attempt depends on who they are and where they stand in the story—not on numbers or bonuses.

Together, these principles keep the focus on narrative flow and unexpected discovery.

Why Solo RPGs?

Most role-playing games assume a group around a table. Solo RPGs shift the focus: you play alone, letting dice, prompts, and your imagination weave the tale.

Solo play is not about replacing friends—it’s about exploring stories at your own pace, without prep or scheduling. It’s a space for experimentation, reflection, and surprise. You’re both player and audience, discovering the twists of the story as they happen.

Loner is designed to make this easy: light enough to learn in minutes, flexible enough to handle any genre, and structured just enough to keep your story moving forward.

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