Welcome to 2022, faithful reader! Sorry I wasn’t there right at the very start. I decided I needed a combination of self care and easing into a plan for the new year, so I took that time for myself. We can talk later about what you’ll see here as we go forward into 2022.
Today we’re looking at Solo But Not Alone, an amazing creator driven initiative organized by my friend Cat MacDonald at Peach Garden Games. Now in its second year, Solo But Not Alone is a charity bundle on Itch, in support of Jasper’s Game Day. For those not in the know, Jasper’s Game Day is a charity which raises funds and draws attention to suicide awareness. Born out of the tragic suicide of a TTRPG community member, Jasper’s Game Day strives to remind us all that we are not alone and help is always nearby.
Seventy four creators donated one hundred and two solo TTRPGs to this bundle, which goes for the astonishingly great price of $10! That is less than a dime a game for some of the best solo roleplaying games on Itch. I’ve touched on solo TTRPGs in previous posts. I knew they existed, but I didn’t really dive into playing them regularly until early 2020 (can’t quite put my finger on why). Since then they’ve been the perfect way to scratch my TTRPG itch when I can’t get a group together or I don’t want to wait until my next game day. There’s a wide selection of mechanics, from 2d6 or playing card driven to completely randomizer free, with multiple interesting stops in between. Likewise, you can find journaling and mapping games, as well as more adventure and narrative driven fare. In a bundle this large you are guaranteed to find some games you like and at this bundle’s price you have no reason not to experiment with some of the games you might have passed by on their own.
The fundraising goal for this year’s Solo But Not Alone is set at last year’s fundraising total, $31,650. As of this post, and not even two weeks since SBNA2 launched, funds raised total $11,754 with over a month and a half to go. Of course they would like to smash that goal, so if you can drop a little extra when you pick up your copy of the bundle that’s appreciated. Alternatively, why not gift a bundle to the members of your regular gaming group? Now if you have to cancel a session, folks can still get their taste of TTRPGs for the week.
I want to finish by saying how proud I am of Cat and the folks behind this charity bundle, and in fact of all the community members offering up charity bundles to support worthy causes. This sort of thing highlights the best parts of our community, and I hope this eagerness to help is something we never lose in TTRPGs.
What other TTRPG charity bundles or other initiatives have you come across? Drop them in the comments below or share them wherever you found the link to this article on social media. Let’s get the word out!
