When I was first introduced to the world of Solo RPGs, Ironsworn was one of the most recommended systems, so of course I picked it up. And... I didn't really like it. The art style didn't click with me, I didn't really understand the Vows, the worldbuilding was too vague, and I was more into high fantasy anyways.
I put it aside and played a few other systems. But since the name Ironsworn kept coming up everywhere, I decided to give it another try. First with Ironsworn: Starforged and then finally back to the original Ironsworn.
And then it clicked. Everything fell into place. I have since played one of the most engaging campaigns I've ever experienced, and I say that with years of experience playing D&D, Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, and many other systems in various groups.
I’m telling you this because if you're like me and Ironsworn doesn’t click with you initially, give it another try. Take it slowly, and you'll discover a fantastic world to get lost in. I like it so much that I even decided to buy the physical books.
Ironsworn is dark and gritty. This is not a world for big and shiny heroes (at least not in my playthrough). But that is not to say there are no moments of hope and light. These may be rare, but they shine brighter and hit harder when they do happen.
So why should you give Ironsworn a try?
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It's free. The complete core rules are free. Not a slimmed down starter rules set. What do you have to lose?
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The community. It is one of the most welcoming and helpful I have come across. If you want to see how to play, there are many actual plays on YouTube or in podcast form. If you have questions or want to share your experiences, the subreddit is there for you and Shawn himself is active too. Also, there are so many community made free supplements of very high quality that can alter and expand your experience for many, many hours of play.
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The settings. Maybe low fantasy is not for you? There's Ironsworn: Starforged for sci-fi. Pirates more your thing? There is Sundered Isles, an Age of Sail setting that can easily be adapted into steampunk with a few tweaks.
Thank you, Shawn, for creating this fantastic system and sharing it with the world.