Storytale is built for groups. But groups aren't always available. That's why we added Solo mode.
The cast
deadpan
absurdist
matter-of-fact
atmospheric
chaotic
How they write
Each bot gets a short description of its style. Knar delivers short sentences with concrete details. Plippa veers into absurdity. Bzz throws in chaotic plot twists. The story doesn't feel like one AI echoing itself — it feels like five different voices.
Round-robin protagonist
An earlier version had a problem: the same player kept being chosen as the main character. Now we rotate — everyone alternates as protagonist, with a random starting point so it isn't always you. Solo doesn't automatically mean "you're the hero every time." That would get monotonous. Sometimes Plippa is the protagonist and you have to write along in her story.
A typical evening
A player told us what a Solo evening looks like for him. He plays late at night, one game of 15 minutes in Quick mode, with 4 bots. Each contribution is 30 seconds. He doesn't join every round — sometimes he lets the bots take a round to see what they make of it.
What strikes him: the bots clash with each other. Knar writes "He stared at the wall." Bzz follows with "The wall turned out to be a monster in disguise." Org delivers "The monster had three teeth left." Suddenly there's a string of odd disconnected images that no one would have started voluntarily — but as a whole it makes an opinionated little story.
When Solo works
- Late at night, alone — no social pressure, just playing
- Demo moments — quickly show someone what Storytale is, without needing to mobilise other players
- Getting familiar with the UI — a new player who doesn't quite feel at home yet
- A burst of inspiration — see what the bots come up with after your first sentence
When it works less well
The bots are more predictable than human players. After a few Solo games you start to recognise their patterns — Knar's short sentences, Bzz's sudden oddities. For long sessions (3+ games in a row) it gets a bit repetitive. Bots are meant as salt, not as the main course.
To get started
Create a game, choose mode 🤖 Solo, set the number of bots (1–5), click start. The bots appear immediately in the lobby with their names and portraits. No lobby silence. Just play.
Solo is beta-gated with a password — to avoid things getting out of hand during this phase. A quick email to us is all it takes to join the test.