The Sticker Game Review

I purchased The Sticker Game as part of the Solo But Not Alone 3 bundle. Being a fan of Cassi Mothwin, it quickly made its way to the top of the list of where to start when working my way through the selection.

Inspired by The Stanley Parable and Portal 2, The Sticker Game is an absurdist solo journaling game filled with puns and heart. While the game seeks to help players finally put a fun use to their sticker collection, the game also tackles concepts like loss, regret, and acceptance.
The Sticker Game is a prompt-driven game split among 41 audio tracks that last around one-to-two minutes each. The whole game is estimated to last less than two hours.
While traditional solo journaling games ask players to write about their characters’ experiences, players use stickers they have at their disposal instead. When the game is over, players will be left with a journal that chronicles their adventure in another universe.

I have a lot of stickers. Like…a lot. I went through a phase when bullet journaling (which I still do off and on) where I wanted to decorate things with Halloween, Horror, Witchy, SPC, and Dungeons and Dragons stickers. Between the cheap packs of stickers I ordered for that and the ones I got for random things like homeschooling my kid, adding my name to books, and more…I hundreds.

So when I saw there was a solo ttrpg that involved stickers AND was written by the creative wonder that is Cassi Mothwin AND part of the Solo But Not Alone 3 bundle…well I was thrilled.

For those who haven’t heard of Cassi Mothwin, I first became a fan of her work when she published What Crooked Roots – a collection of folk horror encounters for D&D 5e. I was excited to see someone else was just as enthusiastic about folk horror and adding general creepiness to ttrpgs. Ever since, I’ve been following her work and have yet to be disappointed. The Sticker Game is no exception.

As a side note, I mentioned I got The Sticker Game through the Solo But Not Alone game bundle on itch.io. This bundle aids suicide prevention and contains works from some amazing creatives including favorite solo ttrpgs of mine like Apothecaria, Delve, Six Figures Under, Grackle Teeth, and Goblin Market. You really can’t go wrong wit this collection and you’d be supporting an amazing cause.

The Sticker Game Review

Since purchasing this game, I have played it twice. Once by myself and once with my partner. Not only did I really enjoy it, my partner, who is new to ttrpg, also had a lot of fun using up some of my favorite stickers (he does not collect and yes it was kind of stressful to watch him slaughter a good stack of them).

I have played a number of solo ttrpgs (and written a few). This one with its audio prompts (and yall, the voice acting is awesome!) and using stickers as the primary means of self expression was so innovative. I’ve never seen anything like it. Not only did it make for a unique method of immersion but it also made the game quick and easy. I didn’t have time to (or need to) overthink (which is something I do a lot especially when muddling through creative writing prompts).

Despite the time frame and limited means of expression, the audios and the story style still sucked me in. There was still a story to be told. I felt very much a part of that story which had repercussions if I didn’t play my part. This, to me, makes for excellent ttrpg.

Another thing I love about solo ttrpg, or, at least, how I play them, is the creation of a character journal. I tend to make my own journals. Sometimes its a simple book of folded paper with some cardstock or the like as a cover. Other times I go full junk journal creation, and still other times its a mini zine. It all depends on the type of ttrpg. In this case I made a stack of folded paper journals for me and my partner to fill with stickers. The simplicity of the journal creation worked because the addition of the stickers and minimal note taking made for vibrant and loud artistry.

At the end of the game, we both had heft journals despite their length. Stacks of adhesive and colorful imagery made for an illustrated timeline that we then could flip through. Because of our sticker choices, it looked like we had different genres – his was more irreverent horror and mine a sword and sorcery adventure. This difference in genre really showcases how versatile The Sticker Game is. Each person, each sticker selection, can really make so much of a difference. I love that.

For its innovation, ease of play, immersion, and repeatable play, I give The Sticker Game 5 Stars.