We all love RPG games, and most players want to keep improving so that they can dominate their friends and online opponents. However, variety is the spice of life, which is why enjoying a variety of titles and activities should be high on the agenda. If nothing else, the break from D&D and other RPGs will make you appreciate them more too.
As an RPG player, you will need to demonstrate a wide range of skills. This includes teamwork, logic, patience, and more. You won’t always be able to play with friends or an online community. Thankfully, with the eight solutions below, you can continue to brush up on your skills while also having great fun.
1. Solitaire
Solo card games are a great way to pass the time, and Solitaire is widely regarded as the king. You can play it with a standard deck of cards or opt for a computerized version for the added convenience of not having to set up the game. Either way, it can aid your RPG skills for many reasons.
Solitaire is a game of skill and logic in which you will constantly need to think several moves ahead. Moreover, you must simultaneously manage the tableau, foundations, stock, and talon in order to reach your end goal. This is a skill that will translate to becoming a better RPG player who is blessed with sharp logic.
Meanwhile, solitaire is a game where you won’t always win regardless of what you do. Accepting that fate isn’t always in your hands can aid your RPG games too.
2. Poker
Technically speaking, poker isn’t a solo game. Thanks to computerized versions, though, you no longer have to find a group of friends or even set the games up. There are plenty of downloadable apps and browser-based titles available. In addition to enjoying the game itself, it is one of the best activities for keeping your brain sharp.
If that is your target, you’ll probably opt for Texas Hold’Em or Seven Card Stud rather than some of the more basic options. You will technically be playing against AI opponents, but it is a great way to sharpen up your poker skills as well as your RPG skills. Not least because you will constantly learn how to read your opponents.
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In poker, you will regularly use your hand and other visible cards to calculate the likelihood of certain outcomes. Again, this is a skill that will help you in the world of RPGs.
3. Video Games
When playing RPGs on PCs or consoles, it’s not only your strategy skills that need to be sharp. You also need to have the hand-eye coordination and ability to navigate maps and make your character do what you want it to. Therefore, simply spending more time with your control pad or gaming keyboard will have a positive impact.
Even if you purposely avoid MMO RPGs, there are plenty of games that feature some of the key elements. This is particularly true when looking at open-world games. Whether it’s Grand Theft Auto or Super Mario Odyssey doesn’t matter. You are essentially on quests and will make your character better as you progress through the game.
Sports management simulation games like F1 Manager force you to think logically and strategically. Whilst the methods are different, the skills are similar.
4. LEGO
LEGO is great fun for builders of all ages. While millions of people play with it daily purely for pleasure, there is no doubt that it can help you brush up on skills for RPGs too. For starters, free play encourages you to use your imagination. It simultaneously makes you think about how different pieces work together.
Dedicated construction sets teach you to follow instructions and to plan out your thought process. This can be very useful in a range of RPG games. This guide to the best LEGO Technic sets of 2023 will help you discover the best options. However, there are plenty of additional LEGO collections capable of delivering similar benefits.
LEGO also requires patience, which is another transferable skill for your RPG adventures. Alternatively, you could opt for the D&D-themed sets on the market.
5. Sudoku
Sudoku and other brainteasers are another great way to keep your mind sharp. This will subsequently support you in a range of situations, not least when playing RPGs. The benefits are seen both in the real world through board game RPGs with friends and in the digital world through MMO RPGs.
The simple game of filling in the squares with numbers 1-9 has existed for decades while number puzzles have been around for centuries. Whether you play Sudoku online, through an app, or in the newspaper doesn’t matter. It teaches strategic discipline in which you plot a few moves and check all possibilities before committing to a move.
In the RPG world, this is something you will regularly need to do. Both individually and as part of a team. When it comes naturally, you’ll make smarter choices.
6. Gloomhaven
Board games are often thought of as a multiplayer activity. In fact, Gloomhaven is one that can be enjoyed by up to four players. However, it is also very exciting as a solo fantasy adventure. The card-driven tactical combat is an RPG, or at least it includes many of the same elements as other tabletop versions.
Either way, you will find that it is the perfect game to immerse yourself in a fantasy land for 1-2 hours. The fact that a bad move can cause you to lose a card for the entirety of the game makes you take each turn seriously. This is something you will need to do in any multiple RPG game in which you take turns – online or via tabletop.
Many members of the RPG gaming community use solo games as a form of training to become better players. While there are several options, Gloomhaven is the best.
7. RPG Films
enjoyment levels. Perhaps more importantly, it may help you develop a mindset that aligns with the challenges faced in the fantasy world. Books, comics, and other media types are all useful. Meanwhile, movies based on the RPG genre are exceptionally useful.
The D&D film series stands out as the obvious choice. Over the past 50 years, there have been dozens of titles when you also include TV animated shows. Of course, there are many additional series in this genre to consider. Even something very light, such as Jumanji, could alter your way of thinking to boost your RPG skills.
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Even if you learn something that subconsciously improves one move in your future RPG gaming, it will have been worthwhile.
8. Creative Writing
There is a huge community of fans who write fan fiction related to D&D and other popular fantasy RPG worlds. Whether you write solely for your amusement or with the intention of sharing the content doesn’t matter. Creative writing that links to this environment will help brush up on your skills and knowledge.
Creating narratives and thinking about what is logically the best strategy to reach a goal makes you see the big picture. You will also consider how several subplots run parallel to each other. In turn, when you encounter situations that are like those you fabricated in your mind, you will naturally know how to overcome them.
In short, it encourages you to question the logic and practicality of every decision. In the world of RPG-playing, this will help you regularly make smarter choices.
