I recently spoke with independent game designer Adam Brown about his experience with TTRPGs and his new game, Cthonaut, a solo TTRPG.
What was your first TTRPG?
Dungeons and Dragons. Technically 3.5, but I also dabbled in 4e a bit in high school and 5e is my most played system.
How did you get interesting in playing TTRPGs?
My dad has always been into TTRPGs and I definitely got the interest from him.
What are some of your favorite systems? What's a system you really want to try but haven't had the chance?
I personally like the 5E D&D system. It’s not perfect, but it’s fun and flexible. I really want to try Pathfinder 2E, Starfinder, Call of Cthulhu, and Cyberpunk Red.
What go you interesting in game design?
I like designing mechanics around an idea or theme that I come up with. It’s how I designed all of my 5E D&D character options and the solo game I published.
Tell us about some of the games you have made?
I have a couple of early attempts at making some games, but they’re not very good and not published. One was my first attempt at a “Breathless” game, the second one was a “Charged” game inspired by Gears of War that was better but still not great, and the third one was my first attempt at combining the “Breathless” and “Charged” SRDs into one system. It’s also not great, but I like the concept of combining the two systems so I may revisit the idea sometime. I’m currently working on a game that uses the “Guided by Firelights” SRD, and I think it’ll be pretty unique once I’m done.
Tell us about your most recent game? What were your inspirations?
Cthonaut (pronounced cathonaut) is a solo TTRPG that uses the “Breathless” SRD. It’s inspired by liminal spaces, Lovecraftian horror, and the SCP Foundation. I tend to pull inspiration from whatever media I consume that I think would be cool. I especially enjoy fantasy and Sci-fi horror. As for people, my wife and kids always inspire me, and I honestly would not have made my games without Rene-Pier Deshaies, who made the original games and SRDs that I’ve used.
What do you enjoy about solo TTRPGs?
I’m actually new to solo TTRPGs, but I do love the idea of playing a single player game where you’re not constrained by programming limitations.
Could you give some advice to anyone that is trying a solo TTRPG for the first time?
I would say that you can look at a solo TTRPG almost as a guided writing prompt, at least from what I’ve seen. You’re going to be fleshing out details as you play based on what the game mechanics determine. It’s still a game, as your decisions and rolls determine how the game plays out, but it’s up to you to decide what that looks like. Most solo games should have some sort of tool to help you. Cthonaut has a Reality Anchor system, which helps the player figure out details by having them roll the dice to determine features, and a Disconnected From Reality system to help the player decide how weird a thing is. These can both be used or not depending on how comfortable the player is with making those decisions.
Cthonaut is available for purchase on Itch.io for $10
You can find Adam on Twitter @Goraan1793
- Interview by Dan @StayOnYourCouch