Variation 9: What is "A Session" in Solo Play?

What is "A Session" in Solo Play? (MGME2 pgs. 148 - 149)

Most games have an end of the session wrap up, be it handing out rewards, or just getting enough accomplished to feel you have moved the game forward. Though there is no one size fits all to this question, this short essay covers that theme.

While no articles below discuss this specific topic, a few do discuss bringing a game to an end, which can be adapted to suggestions on bringing a session to an end.

• “Starting, And Ending, Scenes”
• MM Vol. 10, pg. 4
• “Using Mythic With Published Adventures”
• MM Vol. 3, pg. 4
• “Conclusive Adventure Conclusions”
• MM Vol. 20, pg. 3

Of special mention are the various themed adventures, which by their very nature have high and lows which could signal a good time to put a book mark in and come back later.

• “Creating Mystery Adventures”
• MM Vol. 6, pg. 4
• “Emotional Quest Adventures”
• MM Vol. 14, pg. 3
• “Crafting Solo Horror Adventures”
• MM Vol. 19. pg. 20
• “Running Solo Procedural Dramas”
• MM Vol. 26, pg. 3
• “Gather A Crew” Mythic Adventures”
• MM Vol. 32, pg. 3

The articles below are especially good for defining beginnings and endings that could be good cut off points for a session. Of special note The Event Crafter is very good for splitting up sessions as it handles a reasonable progress of an event unfolding

• “The Event Crafter”
• MM Vol. 24, pg. 3
• “3-Act Structure For Mythic Adventures”
• MM Vol.43, pg. 12
• “Creating Game Loops In Solo Play”
• MM Vol. 43, pg. 3

Lastly, journal style games, for which we have two articles, are by their nature split into individual journal entries any of which could be a good stopping point for a session. I find these are especially good when a game-time has limited time.

• “Mythic As A Solo Journaling Game”
• MM Vol. 30, pg. 10
• “Solo Adventures In The Style Of Found Journals”
• MM Vol. 46, pg. 34

P.S.

While not a magazine article check out Variation 4: The Thread Progress Track. Any  accomplishment on that track would be an excellent wrap up to a solo session.