A solo rpg where you explore a world contained within a giant, seemingly endless castle. The rooms of the castle are big enough to house cities, mountains, and even oceans. The various giant rooms are patrolled by Rooks, huge castle like stone beings that contain the only source of magic in the world, Rookstones. The game has 4 classes to choose from each with different ways they can interact with the world around them.
I’ve started playing Colostle (a solo-journaling RPG) and loving it so far! Meet my protagonist Dee, and her Rookling companion Roco.
Calling: Dee lived a quiet life in a village of Rook-hunters, though she secretly aided her mother—an outsider who studied the Rooks instead of fighting them. Everything changed when a mysterious Commander and an army of Black Knights attacked her home. Her people were taken, and her mother vanished, leaving behind only massive tracks and a small, strange Rook she named Roco. Now, Dee and Roco follow the trail into the heart of the Roomlands to find her mother.
Day 1:
The tracks led Dee and Roco to a colossal staircase. Their path upward was blocked by a massive elevator mechanism missing a vital internal component. They soon discovered the part: a mechanical arm still attached to a hostile (medium) Rook.
During their first team battle, Roco used his earth magic to trigger a tremor, grounding the machine. This gave Dee the opening to strike and retrieve the part, though she took a heavy blow to her side in the process. With a Colossal Rook looming in the distance and closing in fast, they managed to repair the lift and escape to the upper levels just in time.
Day 2:
The elevator eventually reached a dead end where the stairs had long since crumbled away. While searching for a new path among the skeletal remains of a giant’s hand, Dee and Roco encountered a group of shy, curious creatures: the Squalamanders (half-salamander, half-squirrel).
Though initially startled, the creatures' natural curiosity soon got the better of them. One by one, they crept closer, fascinated by the travelers, until the whole group was playfully surrounding them. The Squalamanders led Dee and Roco to a hidden spring filled with fresh water and wild fruits. There, in the company of her inquisitive new friends, Dee was finally able to tend to her wounds and find a moment of rest—marking her first peaceful night since her journey began.
End of part I
I'll be posting more illustrations as I progress through my Colostle campaign. If you're into solo RPGs or cozy fantasy art, feel free to follow along! See you in the next Room.
PD: I’m calling them "Squalamanders" for now, but I'm open to alternative name suggestions for these little guys!
We took a week off, threw the dog in the car, and are on holiday for a few days. Obviously the best kind of holiday is one where you buy way too many books. This was my haul, including Colostle, which has been on my list for aaaaages. When I saw it I grabbed it immediately. Hooray for bookshops that have RPG sections! This one was small, but well-formed, with only a handful of 5E, Vaesen, Blades, Spire, Heart (including Dagger in the Heart), Be Like a Crow (I almost came back with that too), Scum and Villainy, some Cthulhu, and others I’ve already forgotten.
I’ve already read Hunchback (very good), I’m halfway through Outrage, and have started The Mechanic as some fun research for the motorsports game.
Playing Tabletop Games Alone: Our Backstory, Influences, and Why We Make Solo TTRPGs
When you want to play a tabletop game, but don't have a party, you play solo!
Who are Grim Sour Games?
We are a husband and wife team who love games. Although we usually play solo.
I’m more into Tabletop Games while he plays video games, and we’ll be branching out to video games too, eventually.
But for now, I enjoy making tabletop tools and solo games.
My biggest influences are:
Ironsworn: Starforged
Brindlewood Bay
Floating Bookshop
Colostle
Into the Starlit Sky
Pine Shallows
Star/Pathfinder
Troika!
And Cesar Capacle games
Just to name a few. If you like games like these, they will be big influencers on everything we make.
So, how'd it all begin?
I spent years wanting to play Dungeons & Dragons but didn't have enough players, and at the time I had no idea there was anything else like it, let alone solo games.
I finally got my mom and sister to play but it got too hectic trying to get everyone together. I was yet again… solo.
Determined to play, I did a little poking around and found out that there is more out there and even ways to play solo!
I tried a few resources that helped me, but I still found it lacking. That's when I started making my own resources. An all-in-one solo system to help me move forward in my games.
Read the rest on our brand new Substack where I'll share:
Game and Tool Updates: Stay up-to-date with the latest developments and features.
Solo Actual Plays: Check out our solo gameplay sessions, which are written in script + prose format and include dice rolls and other information.
Blogs for All Players: Whether you’re new to solo tabletop gaming or an experienced player, our blogs offer helpful insights and tips.
Game Recommendations: Discover new games we think you’ll enjoy.
Content Updates: Be the first to know about upcoming releases and content.
Community Interaction: Share your stories and connect with other soloists.
Discount Codes & Early Access: Gain special discounts, early access to new releases, and top priority for playtesting new games and tools.
When you want to play a tabletop game, but don't have a party, you play solo!
I've recently stumbled upon the world of solo RPGs. I thought Colostle might be a good start.
An exciting solo RPG where you explore a castle so huge it has mountains, valleys and oceans within its rooms!
I don't know if I want to post the journal entries here, but I thought it might be cool to show the character I made.
Name: Nazareth "Naz" Cookette
Class: The Followed♟️
Calling: "A map and key is passed down in your family. The map covers a huge area, and you can see multiple rooms, and you've never seen the edges of your room. Five locations are marked with different colored glyphs. The locations look like ancient Rook bodies long since fallen, rotting like temples. The key is ornate and strange with a Rook carved into the head. It looks like it would fit into a Rook."
Nature: Happy-go-lucky, Extremely Optimistic, & Fun
Stats:
Exploration: ■■■■■
Combat: ■■■□□
History:
Nazareth Cookette grew up in the capital city of Parapette. She helped her parents in their family bakery and lived a simple life, never needing to leave the safety of the city. Naz was content, but always wondered what was beyond the city and beyond the room. Then, on her 23rd birthday, her parents gave her something very special. A mysterious map with five marked locations and a special key with a Rook carved into the head. Her parents told her that these objects had been passed down through generations of their family, but none had been brave enough to attempt the journey. They warned Naz that it is a dangerous journey and that she was free to say no and simply continue to pass it down to her children. She thought long and hard about her answer, but she knew in her heart that she wanted to go and live the romantic life of an adventurer. So she gave her expectant parents a resounding yes! Her parents were shocked, but it quickly turned into joy as, at long last, the burden the family had continued to pass down had finally been lifted.
A coworker lend me the Colostle solo-RPG book which is playable as pen-and-paper with a full deck of cards as means if entropy and event decision. I took today's lazy Sunday and give it a run.
Good news: It absolutely embraces individual world - and story building. The world is breathtakingly constructed. The book comes with a premade character sheet. I can deffo see the appeal!
Bad news:
It's all flipping pages and text of wall (very bad for ADHD people)
I didn't understood when to draw which card and if so when to shuffle the deck until I watched someone play on YT
Since drawn cards can mean anything it was difficult to map each meaning to a thing (exploration, opponent, items, events, attributes and what not). In the end the whole table is full of cards
I guess it is better to provide separate sheets for opponents, weather events, items etc to grasp what's going on once the cards were drawn.
Since I am software guy, I come to the conclusion that a dedicated Colostle thing generator would absolutely come in handy unless you like tarot reading.
