The term you're missing is gamebook. There's even a subreddit for those kinds of games: r/gamebooks
Many of the games also require some kind of randomizer - dice are most often used, but there are games that offer alternatives (numbers on pages, so flip to random page, or tables of numbers you choose with a pencil with your eyes closed etc.). You can find gamebooks that don't use any randomness, but those a bit less common.
Have you tried Legacy of Dragonholt? That’s like a gamebook (multiple tho as you go through the campaign).
Or Fabled Lands! I haven’t done that one yet, but heard good things about it.
I've been looking at it when I have a few moments, but have no phone/internet access most of my day. It does look interesting, but would you say it's something I could bring to work and more or less fit it all in my hands, maybe with a very small bit of desk space? I seen I would likely need 2 if not 3 book(lets) to play on me? And how long would you say the full campaign is, as it's not cheap where I am, so I want to be careful is all!:)
Oh of course! I got lucky and found the game at a local store for half the price.
The booklets are kind of big… and each take about 50 or so minutes to complete? I think there’s 5 booklets. I haven’t finished the campaign yet, but it is taking me a good chunk of play time. You could probably take 1 booklet with you and the character sheets. I don’t think you’d need to take all of them.
It is fun tho, I at least enjoy the storyline so far!
1000 Year Old Vampire is a cool one. Sort of a creative writing game where you're a vampire with a somewhat unreliable memory. Things happen and you write about it, sorta. Might not be very appropriate for work though ..
4 against darkness, ker nethalas, into the dungeon/tower its a choose your own adventure type, but you have to keep track of inventory, hp, etc
Thousand year old vampire, The stygian library remaster, The garden of ynn, Notorious, Bucket of bolts just to name a few, lots of solo games on itch
Pacesetter Games has some solo game gamebooks that come in either 5e or BECMI D&D format. They are pretty good from what I have seen.
There's also Fighting Fantasy books which has paperbacks, pc or phone versions depending on what you prefer. Anything from fantasy to horror to sci-fi.
In paperback and recently reprinted is the Lone Wolf series. On paper and Steam is Fabled Lands where each book is part of a complete world and you can travel back and forth between books in your adventures. There is also a series of books called Destiny Quest which are hundreds of pages each.
Also on pc/app is the Sorcery! series.
If you want to go full on game system,T and Trolls is a fairly easy D&D like game system that has a plethora of solo modules.
Thanks for your suggestions. I've never played anything like this, would the pace setters or lone wolf be playable with just a single book on hand? That's something I'm looking for as I have very little to no space on hand.
The Pacesetter ones wouldn't, but for Lone Wolf, Destiny Quest, Fighting Fantasy, all you need is the book, a character sheet, and a couple of dice. If you wanted to cut down further, you could play Fighting Fantasy/Sorcery in the app on phone/tablet, which keeps track of your stuff for you and has its own dice.
Destiny Quest is really easy to get into. The loot is really fun, and it paths down a tree of optional quests. It has less filler to get through if you start a quest again.
Fabled Lands is the most open world of any game book I've played. Each book represents a different, interconnected region. That said, when you play an area in that book, you've played it.
Heart of Ice, by one of the Fabled Lands authors, is my favorite standalone book. It has a very interesting sci fi setting, no dice (so easy to play on the go), and it just feels like an actual science fiction story and setting you get to play through. It has very meaningful choices to make throughout. Took me maybe five or six playghroughs to get to the end.
The term you're missing is gamebook. There's even a subreddit for those kinds of games: r/gamebooks Many of the games also require some kind of randomizer - dice are most often used, but there are games that offer alternatives (numbers on pages, so flip to random page, or tables of numbers you choose with a pencil with your eyes closed etc.). You can find gamebooks that don't use any randomness, but those a bit less common.
Have you tried Legacy of Dragonholt? That’s like a gamebook (multiple tho as you go through the campaign). Or Fabled Lands! I haven’t done that one yet, but heard good things about it.
I've been looking at it when I have a few moments, but have no phone/internet access most of my day. It does look interesting, but would you say it's something I could bring to work and more or less fit it all in my hands, maybe with a very small bit of desk space? I seen I would likely need 2 if not 3 book(lets) to play on me? And how long would you say the full campaign is, as it's not cheap where I am, so I want to be careful is all!:)
Oh of course! I got lucky and found the game at a local store for half the price. The booklets are kind of big… and each take about 50 or so minutes to complete? I think there’s 5 booklets. I haven’t finished the campaign yet, but it is taking me a good chunk of play time. You could probably take 1 booklet with you and the character sheets. I don’t think you’d need to take all of them. It is fun tho, I at least enjoy the storyline so far!
1000 Year Old Vampire is a cool one. Sort of a creative writing game where you're a vampire with a somewhat unreliable memory. Things happen and you write about it, sorta. Might not be very appropriate for work though ..
Have you checked out the gamebooks subreddit? I asked a similar question here a while ago and found a lot of information there.
4 against darkness, ker nethalas, into the dungeon/tower its a choose your own adventure type, but you have to keep track of inventory, hp, etc Thousand year old vampire, The stygian library remaster, The garden of ynn, Notorious, Bucket of bolts just to name a few, lots of solo games on itch
OracleRPG. I have recommended it many many times.
Pacesetter Games has some solo game gamebooks that come in either 5e or BECMI D&D format. They are pretty good from what I have seen. There's also Fighting Fantasy books which has paperbacks, pc or phone versions depending on what you prefer. Anything from fantasy to horror to sci-fi. In paperback and recently reprinted is the Lone Wolf series. On paper and Steam is Fabled Lands where each book is part of a complete world and you can travel back and forth between books in your adventures. There is also a series of books called Destiny Quest which are hundreds of pages each. Also on pc/app is the Sorcery! series. If you want to go full on game system,T and Trolls is a fairly easy D&D like game system that has a plethora of solo modules.
Thanks for your suggestions. I've never played anything like this, would the pace setters or lone wolf be playable with just a single book on hand? That's something I'm looking for as I have very little to no space on hand.
The Pacesetter ones wouldn't, but for Lone Wolf, Destiny Quest, Fighting Fantasy, all you need is the book, a character sheet, and a couple of dice. If you wanted to cut down further, you could play Fighting Fantasy/Sorcery in the app on phone/tablet, which keeps track of your stuff for you and has its own dice.
Destiny Quest is really easy to get into. The loot is really fun, and it paths down a tree of optional quests. It has less filler to get through if you start a quest again. Fabled Lands is the most open world of any game book I've played. Each book represents a different, interconnected region. That said, when you play an area in that book, you've played it. Heart of Ice, by one of the Fabled Lands authors, is my favorite standalone book. It has a very interesting sci fi setting, no dice (so easy to play on the go), and it just feels like an actual science fiction story and setting you get to play through. It has very meaningful choices to make throughout. Took me maybe five or six playghroughs to get to the end.
I'd recommend the Legendary Kingdoms series if you're looking for a CYOA.
Maybe look for "solo rpg"?
Look no further: Space Kraken is what you're looking for. https://space-kraken.de/