Punk music and cyberpunk have a long and memorable history. It’s easy to see why, as both mediums have always been a space for political rebellion, allowing artists to parody the current status quo and imagine a better future. The same is true with TTRPGs, as numerous designers have used their games to tackle big topics in an accessible and thought-provoking way. Last Solo, by Alxlinear, is the latest game in this long and storied tradition, using the idea of punk rebellion to craft a TTRPG about fighting government overreach.
Last Solo is set in a world where the government has decided to ban free music. Under this new regime, only a handful of officially approved songs are allowed to be played. However, a group of young musicians refuse to take this oppression lying down and have decided to fight against the government by bringing real music back to the people.
A TTRPG Structured Like A Punk Song
Before a game of Last Solo starts, players need to gather some D6. Making a character in Last Solo is suitably easy. Players first come up with a name and signature instrument for their musician, and then select one of three special abilities. After this, players pick one character to act as their group’s Frontman.
Being the Frontman comes with several advantages, as not only do they get the final say in the group’s actions, but they also can endure slightly more than the other bandmates and, once per section, add an extra die to a roll’s pool.
Like a song, the game is split into several sections (Intro, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Interlude, Jam Section, Bridge, and Outro). In a nice detail, each of these segments has a unique format, goal, or modifier. For example, during the Chorus, successes and failures become bigger and more impactful, and during the Jam section, players get to add an additional D6 to all their rolls.
However, the actual moment-to-moment gameplay is intuitive. Players describe their actions and then roll dice to see how it plays out. By default, players always roll a single D6. But they may add extra dice to their pool if the action involves the character’s signature instrument or involves them teaming up with another player.
Once the dice are rolled, the player takes the highest result. Like many other rules-lite games, Last Solo uses a partial success system. High rolls mean the player’s actions go perfectly. Medium ones lead to success with cost, while low rolls lead to outright failure.
These results will also lead to two different tracks rising or falling. The main one is the Threat track. This represents how close the players are to defeating the obstacle in their way, with tougher threats requiring more points to overcome fully.
There is also the Solo Track. A player’s Solo Track increases by one whenever the player gets a perfect success. Once a player has five points in their Solo Track, they can exchange the points for a buff that can help them or their bandmates.
However, players have one more thing to be worried about: Disharmony. Disharmony points are gained whenever an action ends in total failure. If a player manages to acquire 3 Disharmony points, their character is forced off-stage, meaning they are temporarily out of the game. Thankfully, being forced off-stage isn’t the end, as another player can exchange their Solo Track points to bring an off-stage player back on stage.
A Nearly Perfect Punk Rock Package
Last Solo is a fantastic game that’s perfect for groups desiring a fun pick-up-and-play punk TTRPG experience. The game’s dice system is intuitive, making it the ideal TTRPG for those new to the medium or for those who prefer games without heavy math.
The game’s focus on teamwork is one of its most standout elements. Unlike other games, where teamwork options are limited to specific moments, practically every mechanic in Last Solo allows players to help each other out. I especially love how this plays into the Solo Track and Disharmony mechanics, as allowing players to easily revive their fallen comrades fits the game’s theme while also encouraging players to take risks, as one failure doesn’t mean they’re out of the game for good.
The song-like gameplay structure is also a nice touch. Not only does it make sense thematically, but it also guarantees that each session will have a cohesive narrative arc with a beginning, middle, and end. Giving each section of the game a unique setup or modifier also helps the players avoid repetition, as players are mechanically encouraged to approach things from different angles and tackle obstacles in unique ways.
My only criticism of the game is the Frontman mechanic. While I understand what the designer was going for, having one player marked as the leader (and thus better than everyone else) feels like it goes against the game’s punk sensibilities and undermines the game’s mechanical focus on teamwork. Personally, next time I play the game, I’m going to add a house rule that says the Frontman role (and its associated buffs) gets passed to another player at the start of every scene.
Last Solo is an excellent punk rock adventure that’s perfect for both TTRPG veterans and newcomers. While the mechanics are simple, they come together perfectly in play and become much more than a sum of their parts. This, combined with the game’s unique but solid structure, makes it the perfect TTRPG for tables looking for an easy, self-contained one-shot that requires little to no prep time.
