Some people dream of an infinite Grand Theft Auto. Other people have actually played it.

The Mythic GM Emulator replaces GMs with d100s and d10s.  Whenever you have any question, you can just roll the dice to get an answer, and then you interpret that answer to continue your story. Here’s a quick summary of the rules of the Mythic GM Emulator rules. There are several different implementations of this program available online as well. Despite its name, the Mythic GM Emulator can also be used to represent players as well, as can be seen in this session report of someone using the GM Emulator to play a GMless game (Microscope). 

The Mythic GM Emulator does produce surprisingly satisfying narratives, although that may be because a human had a role in shaping those narratives (by interpreting the output of the Emulator) and making sure that the narratives themselves make logical sense. But this system could serve as a possible roadmap for implementing Togelius’ dream of “actual AI” in gaming.

The Mythic GM Emulator is a famous tool within the “solo RPG” scene, but by no means the only one. Here’s a list of other systems and tools that can attempt to scratch your itch to play a tabletop game by yourself.

Submitted by Igor Horst

Thanks for the submission! I have to say, this overlaps strongly with my interests in interactive narrative. Using generative methods for solo play has a long history in roleplaying, and the wargaming it borrowed from. Clearly, that’s something that is still continuing.