Odyssey of the Giant - Starter guide

What is Odyssey of the giant?

The game is designed by Paweł Kicman of Heltung Storytelling, and carries a clear artistic touchstone - the warmth and melancholy of Studio Ghibli. Think Princess Mononoke or The Boy and the Heron: a quiet journey through a changed world, where the bond between two very different beings matters more than any battle won.

How does the system work?

Odyssey of the Giant is built around a hex crawl structure. Before you set out, you roll a die to determine how many hexes stand between you and the haven - a d6 for a short journey, a d20 for a long one. Each hex you cross is a new piece of the world: a landscape, an encounter, a choice. The game uses a range of dice (d4, d6, d10, d12, and d20) paired with an extensive set of random tables that keep each run genuinely different.

You begin by creating your Caretaker - giving them a name, personal characteristics, and a motivation that shapes how you interpret events. You then choose or generate your Giant from four distinct types, each with their own needs, abilities, and traits. The Giant is not a passive object to be dragged across the map. They have moods that shift, needs that must be met, and a relationship with you that grows or frays based on your decisions.

At the end of each day you make camp, reflect on what happened, and allow your Giant to develop. The night phase is also where survival mechanics come into play - resources, rest, and readiness for the road ahead. The system is intentionally lean at 56 pages, and the rules are designed to support play without overwhelming it.

What do you need to start?

The core book is all you need. It contains the complete rules, all necessary tables, and a fillable character sheet. You will also need a standard set of polyhedral dice (d4, d6, d10, d12, d20), some paper, and a pen.

There is no free quickstart available. The PDF is available through itch.io and DriveThruRPG. A physical softcover edition also exists for those who prefer a book at the table.

Who is this game for?

Odyssey of the Giant suits players who enjoy solo play with a strong emotional core. If you are drawn to games about relationships, difficult choices, and emergent storytelling - rather than tactical combat or rules mastery - this is likely a very good fit. The hex crawl structure gives the journey a clear shape without demanding heavy prep.

It works especially well for people who want to play between sessions of other games, or who simply cannot always gather a group. The relatively short page count and straightforward setup also make it accessible to players new to solo TTRPGs.

Where it is less suited: players looking for deep mechanical crunch, combat-heavy systems, or group play will want to look elsewhere. This is a quiet game, and it asks you to sit with uncertainty and make decisions that feel meaningful even when no one else is watching.

How does it compare to other systems?

If you have played Ironsworn or Scarlet Heroes, you will recognize the general territory: solo play driven by random tables and meaningful narrative choice. Odyssey of the Giant is lighter and more focused than Ironsworn - it has a clear premise, a fixed companion, and a defined destination. Where Ironsworn gives you a vast open world to build yourself, Odyssey gives you one road and one relationship to tend.

Compared to Thousand Year Old Vampire - another acclaimed solo TTRPG - Odyssey is more structured and less purely journaling. The hex crawl provides a rhythmic, game-like progression that grounds the more emotional moments.

Where do you start?

Read the book from the beginning - it is short enough to do in one sitting. Then generate your Caretaker and your Giant before you do anything else. Take a few minutes with their backgrounds and let them feel real before the first hex is crossed.

The itch.io page includes a fillable character sheet. For community discussion, the Heltung Storytelling pages on itch.io and social media are the best places to find other players sharing their runs. If you want to see the game in practice before buying, looking up actual play write-ups or short session reports from other solo players can help you gauge whether the tone is right for you.

Recommended products

The main product you need is the Odyssey of the Giant core book. If you enjoy the experience and want to explore more work from Heltung Storytelling, Whispers of the Woods - their narrative-focused group TTRPG set in dark 18th-century forests - offers a complementary tone and design sensibility. For fans of solo TTRPGs more broadly, pairing Odyssey with a dedicated solo journal or a set of quality polyhedral dice makes for a complete and considered gift.