Dungeons & Dragons is a social hobby, but it's not always possible to gather a group of people together, especially not at the moment. There are ways to play D&D alone, for the people who are temporarily without a group.
D&D is meant to be a group experience. The point of the game is to get into character like an actor would and act out scenes in a fantasy setting. There is also the combat and exploration aspects of Dungeons & Dragons, which many players prefer to focus on. The social aspect is a key part of what makes the game so much fun. Whether it be working together to defeat a powerful foe, creating rivalries with other players, plotting to throw a wrench into the DM's carefully laid plans, or even falling in love in-character are all some of the most memorable parts of roleplaying in D&D.
The problem is that getting a group of adults together at the same time on a regular basis can be a tall ask, and that's not even taking the pandemic into consideration. Playing Dungeons & Dragons online through streaming services is one possibility, but even that has technical limitations, as people with a bad mic/camera or slow Internet are going to be out of luck. As such, there are options for playing D&D solo, even if they can never fully emulate the true experience of the game.
The D&D Gamebooks For Solo Play
The run the D&D combat encounters, including moving pieces around the map. The gamebooks have an Adventure booklet and a Map booklet.
The Adventure booklet for Dungeons & Dragons solo play is broken up into paragraphs that end in words composed of capital letters (like SNEAKUP or BITEME), which are used to move the player to the next prompt in the adventure. It's up to the player to run the adventure as honestly as possible, even though they are in control of the entire D&D campaign. These solo gamebooks offer a fun way to spend a few hours, but they're no substitute for the real thing.
D&D Video Game Options For Solo Play
The solo gamebooks might offer an incredibly basic D&D experience from a gameplay perspective, but those players should also seek out the many D&D video games released over the years. For the current edition of D&D, there are two titles in Early Access based on the game. Baldur's Gate 3 is set in the current timeline of the Forgotten Realms and it features the first chapter in what promises to be an epic story. Solasta: Crown of the Magister uses the same rules as D&D, but it uses an original setting.
There are also more fleshed-out experiences available, but they use older editions of the game. Baldur's Gate and its sequel use the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules, which aren't as -friendly as the current version of the game, but it doesn't matter as they're two of the best RPGs ever made. The entire Neverwinter Nights collection adapts the third edition of D&D to the video game format, and its rules are a lot closer to current D&D than in the Baldur's Gate games.
All of these games have been remastered for modern systems, so they're easy to pick up and play. Games like Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights introduced a lot of people to the hobby back in the day, and they're great for scratching the itch while in-between groups.
Source: DMs Guild
