4 best solo RPGs to play right now

For gamers wanting to escape the dredge of everyday life, no genre of game is better suited for the task than role-playing games.

RPGs have been around longer than virtually any other genre and have since evolved into several different hybrid categories like action RPGs, tactical RPGs, JRPGs, and more. Solo RPGs are still going strong heading into 2024, coming off a landmark 2023 for both gaming and the RPG genre. There are plenty more games to look forward to in the future, but until then, you should have no trouble killing time by playing through this list of the best solo RPGs you can play right now.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Despite there being so many excellent games that came out in 2023, the year truly belonged to Larian Studios and its masterful, genre-defining D&D-inspired triumph that was Baldur’s Gate 3, which still remains the top seller and most played title among single-player games on Steam heading into 2024. It’s one of the highest-reviewed PC games of all time.

BG3 features exceptional storytelling, dialogue, and gameplay that’s inspired by the classic tabletop RPG. An unforgettable cast of companions and characters all invoke joy, tragedy, love, and hate, which are felt while exploring a deep and finely detailed world. Very few games can provide so many choices to a player that all feel so impactful. If you’re an avid solo RPG player, then let’s be honest, you’ve probably played this already. But in case you haven’t, don’t even look at the rest of the entries on this list yet: Go play Baldur’s Gate 3 right now.

Cyberpunk 2077

The launch of Cyberpunk 2077 will always be remembered for how mismanaged it was, with the game being released in a broken, buggy, and, for some players, unplayable state. But underneath all the issues was an incredible RPG title from a developer that had proven in previous games to be a master of their craft, which made the game’s post-launch redemption almost an inevitability.

The game’s story is moving and dark, and the setting of Night City is one of the most immersive backdrops for any RPG I’ve ever played. The city itself feels alive like nothing else in any other game. On top of all that, the detailed and diverse combat and character systems provide tons of different styles to suit your play.

Hogwarts Legacy

Had it not been released in the same year as Baldur’s Gate 3, Hogwarts Legacy could easily have magically glided toward the title of “best RPG of 2023” with nothing stopping it. Expectations for a fully-fledged Harry Potter RPG couldn’t have been higher, and Avalanche Software somehow managed to exceed them.

Hogwarts itself is captured perfectly in the game, giving players the level of detail and rewarding exploration they came to expect from the famous school of witchcraft and wizardry. There’s a seemingly endless list of tasks, stories, puzzles, combat encounters, and characters available in this game.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Not every must-play RPG is a new one, and recent news suggests a Knights of the Old Republic remake might not be happening, but maybe that’s a good thing. Of course, I want more KOTOR, but living up to expectations set by the original Bioware game and arguably the best Star Wars RPG ever is no easy feat.

Mass Effect, a sci-fi RPG titan, wouldn’t be what it was if not for the developers getting their feet wet with Knights of the Old Republic, a game featuring one of the best cast of companions, a superb take on the D20 roll system, and one of the greatest plot twists in gaming history. Are there better solo RPGs out there? Sure, but I couldn’t let KOTOR not get its moment in the sun (or two suns if we’re on Tatooine).

Other great solo RPGs you can play right now

Played through this list? There’s no shortage of excellent solo RPGs to play:

• The Dragon Age trilogy
• The Mass Effect trilogy
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
• Elden Ring
• Dark Souls
• Disco Elysium
• Divinity: Original Sin 2
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• Undertale
• Stardew Valley