Zen and the Art of Solo RPG Hobby Overwhelm

Please Tell Me I’m Not the Only One Who Buys More Than They Play

When will I ever find the time?

Overwhelm (verb): To overpower in thought or feeling; to bury or drown beneath a huge mass; to be overcome completely, especially with stress, emotions, or responsibilities — Merriam-Webster Dictionary

When I first stumbled into the wonderful world of solo RPGs, I thought I’d found the perfect hobby. No scheduling conflicts, no group drama, just me, my imagination, and a couple of dice.

Bliss, right?

However, a few weeks in, I realised I wasn’t so much playing as I was drowning in a sea of PDFs, rulesets, oracles, random tables, YouTube explainers, and Reddit posts debating which system is “the best” or even “the one true way” to solo.

What began as a creative outlet began to feel more like homework.

There were moments when I sat down to play, only to find myself doing two hours of research instead. Now, I do accept the argument made by Geek Gamer, that character preparation or world-building is just as much “playing” as rolling dice and fighting trolls.

I get that—and I concur…

However, more often than immersing myself in the “fun stuff” of game preparation, I found myself gazing at my shelf of books or folder of PDFs and thinking, “I’ll leave it for now, and make a fresh start tomorrow…”

That’s not “playing” by any definition that makes sense to me…

There is always the ever-present danger that one goes deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole of “shiny object syndrome,” especially when DriveThru and itch.io are groaning under the sheer weight of amazing “stuff.”

And that’s before we even talk about a 40-year legacy of gaming history, bolstered by bucket loads of fantastic new shiny objects adorning Kickstarter and Gamefound.

It turns out that even a zen-like hobby of solo adventuring can become overwhelming, especially when the pile of shiny new resources begins to feel more like a burden than a toolkit.

My Solo RPG Story

I began my solo gaming hobby by watching numerous YouTube videos; as a result of some excellent recommendations, I purchased a selection of game books.

Yes, I know I could have bought PDFs for less money (and saved on shelf space), but I prefer physical books… what can I say?

Since then, I have steadily added more books! We returned from holiday at the weekend, and I ordered a bunch more (damn you, Modiphius for your unfeasibly enticing sale events).

It feels like solo RPGs (and I’m sure this isn’t exclusive to this hobby) are a bit like peeling an onion. Every time we peel off a layer, we discover that there are more layers beneath

Do you ever feel like this guy?

I launched my solo journey with a campaign in Shawn Tomkin’s incredible (and free) game, Ironsworn. Before long, people began telling me that my game would be much better if only I added Delve, the official add-on that takes us to the underground and undiscovered parts of the Ironlands.

I should have seen the writing on the (iron) wall at that point! Being persuaded to add Delve—something I don’t regret for a second, I should add—was only the start. Oh yes, there was plenty more “stuff” to add to my table.

• Try Starforged! It’s a smoother and more finely tuned experience, and I would really enjoy forays into space exploration with this Ironsworn spin-off.

• Why don’t you add all of those juicy oracles from Ironsmith?

• Did you know there’s a horror vampire Ironsworn hack?

• Sundered Isles is amazing! You really feel like a swashbuckling pirate…

• Hey, I hear there’s a hack that enables settlement building in Ironsworn…

• Try Iron Valley for a cosy, more peaceful experience if combat feels too risky.

• Interested in a Western RPG? There’s an Ironsworn makeover for that!

I don’t mean to be critical. I know people are only trying to be helpful when they make those kinds of recommendations. But, still…

Remember that Ironsworn is only one franchise. Multiply that across the Fallout RPG that I began to explore, Star Trek: Captain’s Log—where I have a newly-minted captain sitting with her ship in space dock, and dipping a toe into the swirling waters of the Cthulhu Mythos, and it soon gets a bit overwhelming…

Then there are those untouched, unread game books sitting there on my bookshelf, staring at me and judging me for my inaction! I can see Achtung! Cthulhu, Gaslands, Dungeons and Dragons, Five Leagues from the Borderlands and The Electric State from where I’m sitting typing this piece…

Yikes!

Perhaps that wouldn’t be so bad were it not for the fact that the new Loner Omnibus (and Adventure Guide) and Ruthless Heavens, Boundless Fate weren’t winging their way to my door as we speak.

If I break off from writing this piece, it’s to answer the door to the delivery guy…

Whoops, the doorbell DID ring…

Oh, and mentioning my first BlackOath purchase (almost certainly the first of many) reminds me that I backed Riftbreakers (2nd Edition) on Kickstarter—one of several crowdfunded projects I’ve backed in the past few months.

Shall I scream into the void right now?

Listen. I know that plenty of people would look at my shelf and brand me a noob or a rank amateur at best. I’ve seen those people on YouTube with multiple Kallax shelves rammed with dozens—perhaps even hundreds—of physical game books…

This isn’t a competition; it’s more of a plea for help and understanding.

Why do we buy more and more books, with the result that playing any of those games becomes progressively less likely as we sag under the sheer overwhelm of seeing our game collection grow?

Am I alone in this?

So, what to do…what to do!

I won’t lie—I asked Chat-GPT for help! Don’t hate me… I can’t afford therapy!

One of the ideas that came up was the so-called “Parking Lot Method.” It said this:

1. Make a “Not Now” List
Create a list titled “Games I’m Not Playing (Right Now)”. Write down all those tantalising titles—whether they’re on your shelf, in your downloads folder, or haunting your Kickstarter delivery schedule. This isn’t giving up on them. It’s saying: Not today.

2. Add a Short Note Beside Each
Jot a one-sentence reason or reminder next to each title:

• Starforged – Save for my next sci-fi itch,

• Dungeons & Dragons – Too crunchy for my current mood

• The Electric State – Need more time to dive into this properly

• Alone Against Nyarhoyetep - probably should learn how to spell it first

This helps the brain let go because we’ve made a conscious, thoughtful decision, not just avoided it. We might say, “I'll review this list in 3 months”. Add a calendar reminder if that helps. This reassures your brain that the games aren’t forgotten—just waiting for a better time.

3. Celebrate the Space You’ve Created
Notice how your “Now Playing” area feels less cluttered and more focused. You just gave your hobby breathing room—well done! Play on…

So that’s what I did!

And now I’m left with a singular focus, which is to rouse my Ironsworn character, Olvir the Forgotten, from his hiatus in Lostbrook, upgrade him using the XP gained in his recent (perilous) adventures, and send him off on the next phase of his quest for redemption.

It’s time to quit hopping around from game to game and stick with one thing!

Let’s see how Olvir fares as, refreshed and rested, he sets out on the journey…