Cryptic Gamemaster
A downloadable game
A Simple Solo RPG Framework for Mental Adventuring
Imagine you are sitting before a wizened gamemaster. They've studied every role-playing game known to humanity. Like a true master they have internalized the world's most complex RPG rules and ornate world settings. They can be trusted to give any answer you seek.
RPG source books, rulesets, monster manuals, lookup tables, and adventure modules are great for inspiration. But set those aside. All the guidance you need is already within your consciousness and subconscious. Trust your intuition and flex your memory. Over time the Gamemaster's guidance will become more fluid and clear, giving you access to every genre and game world you've ever wanted to play, anytime and anywhere. Relax and venture forth with the Cryptic Gamemaster.
Pair with The Phonetic Oracle to generate dice rolls and random table results in your head.
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Curious how you include skills and or powers in CGM. Do you include it in the what if questions?
Yes, that's exactly right. Character questions are included with the "state of the world" questions in principle 4. It's a process of discovery.
I did this because I found character creation acting as a barrier to starting a solo session.
First, I'd spend a lot of time on learning how the system wanted me to do it.
Next, assuming I got that sorted out, I'd run through all the options to create the character. But then there wouldn't be much time left to progress the session.
Or sometimes after creating the character, I'd lose momentum to actually play the game. Character creation and running a game are such completely different activities, and the mood you get in for each are so different. So by integrating character creation into the session itself, I ended up playing more.
I wrote a review on my sometime blog of CGM
https://dungeonbook.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-cryptic-gamemaster-absolutely.html
Thanks so much for reviewing it! I left a comment on your blog.
thing changed my life. Now you know how.
I agree, we may have on the same tabletops, no? My handle on discord is Valdus1992, hope to see you on.
I believe your work has broken me from the chains of rpg. The need to use everything at your disposal. The CGM boldly tells me that nothing is required, only the mind.
Thanks, I can’t wait to take it for a test drive.
Thanks!
Yes, I know that feeling well: going through a few turns and then stopping to check a rule.
Or worse, not even starting a session because I haven't mastered the system yet. And probably never will.
Now I use RPG books and rules as an idea-generator, or to get a sense of mood or setting, and then just use these principles. I've enjoyed myself a lot more since.
Do you plan on expanding it? It appears quite complete but I was just curious. Dang. I wish I had found your work sooner, it would have saved me a lot of searching and buying.
I made a random dungeon word generator for just such an occasion.
https://perchance.org/dungeonwords
Hadn't really considered expanding it. I suppose making it any bigger would run counter to my original aim. :-)
If anything, maybe it could be further condensed. Although the first rule tries to accomplish that. I suppose it could be played in an even more minimalist way by just asking the oracle for everything, and not figuring success likelihood or counting failures.
That random dungeon word generator is very evocative!
Oh no, I didn’t mean that it needs refining. This is done, it’s great, and it has already served as a basis for play.
Asking the CGM for everything, may throw things for a loop (if that is what you like, great). I like the idea of you decide the world, the oracle decides chance. It is an elegant balance that should be preserved.
Now with a diceroller on your wrist, an adventure can be played almost instantly.