Video summary

Solo journaling rpgs, writing, and YOU! They're awesome!

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main ideas / lessons conveyed

  • Author Michael Regina introduces solo journaling RPGs as a distinct genre of solo (or cooperative) storytelling games that are more structured than traditional tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons.
  • The speaker frames these games as a tool for writers, especially for people who:
    • feel intimidated by writing,
    • don’t know where to start,
    • want help generating story ideas,
    • need story structure (beginning → middle → end),
    • want to build confidence as a storyteller.
  • Solo journaling RPGs work by providing prompts, setups, and narrative direction, so the player doesn’t have to invent everything from scratch.
  • These games often end with a “journal artifact”—a record of what happened during play—which can then be used as inspiration for future writing.
  • The speaker emphasizes the balance: structure (“rails”) + enough openness for creativity and exploration.

Methodology / how solo journaling RPGs “work” (as described)

General process (prompt-driven, structured narrative)

  1. Pick a solo journaling RPG tailored to a theme/subject and with built-in narrative guidance.
  2. Sit down and play through the prompts provided by the game.
  3. Follow the game’s narrative structure, which typically:
    • starts with a setup,
    • gradually increases intensity,
    • leads to a conclusion.
  4. Record/produce the journal output (the game’s artifact/journal of your session).
  5. Use the results creatively:
    • turn the experience into your own story, or
    • keep it as-is as a satisfying creative exercise.

Example: Seven Murders Till Midnight (daily card/prompt method)

  • You play an investigator.
  • The story runs over seven days.
  • For each day:
    • read a prompt for the start of the day,
    • draw a card tied to that prompt,
    • interpret what the card implies for “what happens that day,”
    • answer additional questions to expand the narrative,
    • follow another card/prompt to move you forward,
    • encounter challenges as the mystery progresses.
  • Outcome:
    • you discover who is guilty,
    • and reach a final conclusion by the end.

“Why the structure helps” (story structure learning)

  • Learning story structure can feel daunting from books alone (the speaker cites Save the Cat as an example).
  • Solo journaling RPGs help by:
    • embedding structure into gameplay,
    • making escalation feel natural,
    • ensuring an arc from start to end,
    • reducing the pressure of inventing everything.

Practical recommendations and game examples mentioned

Games recommended (with descriptions)

  • Seven Murders Till Midnight

    • Murder mystery investigation over seven days.
    • Uses prompts and cards to reveal clues and drive toward a guilty party.
    • Example noted: drawing specific cards leads to surgical alterations and follow-up questions (showing how prompts guide events).

  • Transformation (same creators as Seven Murders Till Midnight)

    • Cosmic/body-horror solo RPG.
    • Core premise: you play someone (and companions) who slowly change into a monster.
    • Example setup: a father transforms into a monster while his son tries to survive.

  • Whispers in the Walls

    • Straightforward solo investigative journaling game.
    • Uses card draws to generate prompts.
    • Includes additional tools such as:
      • a d66 table (objects/books),
      • a yes/no table for uncertainty.
    • The speaker plans to pair it with Monster of the Week for additional framework value.

  • Kern’s Doom (duet game used with his son)

    • Spatial horror / “strange object in a strange place” exploration.
    • You create a group of explorers.
    • You explore a landmark/object and determine whether the crew escapes.
    • Example experience: the group survived due to player intent.

  • The Portal at Hill House

    • Straightforward solo card-based game.
    • A house in a temporal/time-loop-like condition.
    • Goal: find three objects to shut down a destructive portal affecting home/world.

  • The Last Tea Shop

    • Cozier, meditative solo game.
    • You run a tea shop between living and dead.
    • You welcome ghosts, hear their stories, and they move on.
    • No violence-focused gameplay.

Games the speaker may bring as live play / personal creative tools

  • Artifact (mentioned multiple times; speaker especially values it)

    • The speaker wants to play it to discover the history and nature of a magical artifact/sword integral to a graphic novel series.
    • Described as a fantasy setting where an artifact is passed across generations.

  • Lichdom

    • The speaker has played it in duet fashion with another person.
    • You play a wizard/sorcerer seeking immortality through lichdom.
    • Tone includes a slow slide into success/failure as you become a lich.
    • The speaker mentions another creator (Me Myself and die) did a playthrough, and references its use for that creator’s TV-season content.

More structured vs. more open

The speaker contrasts structured games (on rails, big framework) with:

  • Little Town

    • Solo investigative journaling game with more guidance but less “on-rails” rigidity.
    • Described as Twin Peaks-like, with mysteries in a strange city.

  • Eerie Town (supplement/expansion for Little Town)

    • Described as more X-Files-like.

Where to find games (platforms mentioned)

  • DriveThruRPG
  • itch.io

Also noted: games are often affordable and small enough to:

  • buy the PDF, or
  • print it out.

Speaker’s personal motivation / background arc

  • Michael Regina is an author/illustrator of the children’s graphic novel The Sleepover (and says a Dutch translation recently came out).
  • He uses solo RPGs to support:
    • overcoming creative challenges,
    • writing processes (including theme development and job-as-tool concepts referenced from earlier videos),
    • confidence and creativity unlocking.
  • He describes purchasing Seven Murders Till Midnight for his wife because she said she didn’t know where to start; she enjoyed it and created her own story.

Call to action / concluding points

  • If someone wants to write but feels intimidated, start with solo journaling RPGs as an entry gateway into storytelling.
  • The speaker offers additional content:
    • refers to a video series on using any role-playing game to create a story outline.
  • He says he plans to do more solo role playing in the future, but needs to find time.

Speakers / sources featured (as stated or directly credited)

  • Michael Regina (speaker; author and illustrator)
  • Michael Regina’s wife (mentioned as a participant/tester)
  • “Me Myself and die” (YouTube channel mentioned for an external Lichdom playthrough)

Game titles (sources of concepts/prompts):

  • Dungeons & Dragons
  • Dungeon World
  • The One Ring
  • Seven Murders Till Midnight
  • Artifact
  • Transformation
  • Whispers in the Walls
  • Kern’s Doom
  • The Portal at Hill House
  • The Last Tea Shop
  • Lichdom
  • Little Town
  • Eerie Town (expansion)
  • Monster of the Week

Referenced writing resource:

  • Save the Cat (story structure book)

Original video