Solo RPGs: One Deck Dungeon

Explore a map-less dungeon by revealing doors and choosing to fight what’s behind each. To fight, you roll a pool of various colored dice and match them up on the monster card to nullify as many effects as possible. Skills & potions let you switch dice, heal, etc.

  • Game booklet, cards, & dice.
  • #Characters: 1-2. No customization.
  • Dice: Many d6s of various colors.
  • Key Features: High production values; Monsters defeated can give the PC a new power, improve an ability or provide experience to level up; discard cards to signify time passing to move the adventure along.
  • Sample Character: Druid Strength 0, Agility 1, Magic 3, Health 3; Heroic Feat: Spend 1 time to roll one strength or one agility; Synergy Aura skill.
  • Oracle: The game doesn’t use an oracle.
  • Quest Generation: You simply pick a dungeon to explore which has some minor game effects.
  • Dungeon Mapping: The game doesn’t use maps.
  • Monsters/Traps/Room Contents: You explore the dungeon by revealing 4 doors.  Each turn you may reveal one door and choose to fight the monster or get past the trap (if flipping the door card reveals a trap instead) or wait until the next turn to reveal another card.  Each turn spends two cards from the draw pile to the discard–bringing you closer to the next level or boss monster.
  • Magic System: Cards represent skills which can be thought of as powers.  Potions also exist.  In any case, while there are many skills, it is a fixed list.
  • Character Growth: Experience points let you level up which allow you to gain more cards as skills, items, or improved ability scores.

One deck dungeon is a card and dice game that can be played solo or co-op with two players. You select one of a few characters, then spend two cards from the door deck to place four other cards face down.  Each turn you must discard two more cards from the door deck. Then each turn you may reveal one card that is already face down or top off the face down cards to four. Once revealed you can choose to fight the monster or run (simply start the next turn).  If you fight, roll a bunch of color coded dice that match your abilities–purple=agility, blue=magic, etc.  So if you have 1 agility and 3 magic, you roll 1 purple d6 ad 3 blue d6s.  The monster card has a number of colored boxes which you then use your rolls to cover up or else suffer consequences.  A wide blue box with a 10 requires you to place blue dice that add up to 10 or more, a small purple box with a 4 requires a single die of 4 or more, etc.  Black dice are wild and you gain them by leveling or other special circumstances.  Skills let you do special things such as ignore effects or swap or re-roll dice.