When I wrote Loner in September 2021, it was the culmination of a process of refining the way I play solo RPGs. I was satisfied with what I had created for myself enough to dare to share it with others. Loner has since been downloaded more than 1,000 times, and my hope is that it has given serene and enjoyable hours of play to those who have tried it. For me, Loner was a closed project with no pretensions or ambitions.

That was until I found myself, quite unexpectedly, in dialogue with the newly formed Italian solo gamer community.

At first I was asked for a translation, which I offered on a poorly formatted word file. Then came continuous requests for clarification not only on the rules, but also on the game process itself: how to prepare the opening scene? When to ask the Oracle? How to structure a conflict? And eventually I found myself clarifying entire steps, adding examples, even drawing diagrams explaining the game to those who were unfamiliar with solo RPGs.

Loner was not meant for novice players, but as just “another solo RPG” among many and not even the most original.

But other people’s enthusiasm, you know, can be contagious, and I found myself with a much more newbie-friendly game.

So here is the second edition, again under a Creative Commons copyleft license.

The plans for Loner do not end there. In fact, on the game site I am publishing thematic Adventure Packs. Their version on the site is not final, but it is close.

The next step will be to collect the 12 Packs planned along with the core rules in Loner Complete. It will be a much more substantial volume that I will present to you in due course both in a digital version for a small price as well in POD.

But it will be a while yet. In the meantime here is the Core Rules booklet, which will also be available in hard copy on Amazon in the next few days.

I hope to update you soon!