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I've started designing a solo TTRPG. This is something I've wanted to for a long time, but when I first got the idea, I hadn't played any TTRPG's except for Dungeons & Dragons. While I play a ton of board games, I felt that I should play a few other TTRPG's before designing my own.

So, I joined a group that's playing a Savage Worlds campaign, and then I played a few other solo RPGs that were highly recommended online, like Alone On a Journey by Takuma Okada, Tavern at the End of the World by Anna Anthropy, and The Machine by Adira Slattery.

All of these solo RPGs are "journalling RPGs," in which the player actions are written down instead of being described to a play group with a GM. The results of die rolls, coin flips, and card draws direct you to outcomes that are essentially writing prompts. You then decide what happens based on the result of the prompt, write it down, and continue playing until you decide to stop, or some built-in end happens. The Machine is one such game, which ends after the player has drawn three aces or face cards from a standard deck of playing cards. I love these games, and when I first started playing them I had no idea how introspective and meditative they could be. Having played solo board games before, I was familiar with this feeling, but because most of the action takes place in your head instead of on a board, these solo RPGs are more immersive in my opinion.

That's the kind of experience that I want players to have with the game that I'm designing, You Are a Mouse. The premise is this: players will live through one year in the life of a mouse, beginning in the spring and then moving through summer and autumn into winter. The idea to play through a year was orignally inspired by the board game Everdell by James A. Wilson, in which the characters wake up from hibernation in the spring and playing through summer and autumn.

I learned, however, that most species of mice don't hibernate. I still liked the idea of a game with a definite end, and playing through a whole year as a mouse seemed like a perfect way to bookend the gameplay. I want the game to be cozy, charming, and easy-going, with the ability to expand into more complex themes and mechanics later. I want the game system to be completely open-source, hence the devlog, and I want it to be accessible, but with enough modularity that you can add complexity if you want. I also want You Are a Mouse to be played in multiple sessions, to allow for that feeling of regularity you get from other RPGs where you set aside a few hours every week to have "game night."

Those are the main thoughts that I have about the game thus far. I'm starting with the general theme and the experience that I want players to have, and then I'll design the rest of the game around that. I have no timeline for how long development will take, but hopefully some people read this devlog and enjoy following along.