{"slug":"the-bonsai-diary","title":"The Bonsai Diary","url":"https://www.ttrpg-games.com/item/the-bonsai-diary","agentUrl":"https://www.ttrpg-games.com/api/games/the-bonsai-diary.json","summary":{"blurb":"The Bonsai Diary is Gene Koo's solo draw-and-journal TTRPG about planting a bonsai, tracing its growth page by page, and writing the people who inherit it across generations.","atAGlance":"Solo draw-and-journal TTRPG - 1 player - No GM - Diceless - About 30 minutes per session - Paid PDF/print - Cozy generational reflection","whyItFits":"The Bonsai Diary is a verified, paid, solo draw-and-journal TTRPG with a simple diceless procedure, a cozy care premise, strong 2026 ENNIE solo-game recognition, and clear fit across solo, journaling, rules-lite, low-prep, beginner-friendly, and one-shot category pages."},"constraints":{"playerRange":"1-1 players + No GM","sessionRange":"30-60 minutes","setupMinutes":5,"characterCreationMinutes":0,"prepLevel":"None","priceModel":"Paid"},"fit":{"beginnerFriendly":1,"newGmFriendly":5,"oneShotFriendly":1,"campaignFriendly":0,"soloFriendly":1,"improvBurden":"Low","structureLevel":"Guided","contentIntensity":"Low"},"scores":[{"key":"complexity","label":"Complexity","value":2},{"key":"new_gm","label":"New GM Fit","value":5},{"key":"roleplay","label":"Roleplay Focus","value":3},{"key":"combat","label":"Combat Focus","value":0},{"key":"tactical","label":"Tactical Depth","value":0},{"key":"campaign","label":"Campaign Depth","value":1}],"availability":{"quickstartAvailable":0,"pdfAvailable":1,"physicalBookAvailable":1,"vttReady":0},"recommendations":{"bestFor":["Solo players who want a quiet draw-and-journal game with a finished keepsake.","Beginners who want a guided solo TTRPG without a GM, dice, or dense character sheet.","Players interested in cozy legacy stories, care, memory, and ordinary lives over combat."],"avoidIf":["You want tactical combat, party roles, or a traditional campaign engine.","You dislike writing, tracing, or making marks in a booklet or printed artifact.","You need strong random events or oracle-driven surprise every few minutes."]},"facets":{"genres":["Romance and Slice-of-Life"],"systems":[],"mechanics":["Diceless","Journaling TTRPGs","Rules Lite","Solo Play"],"themes":["Cozy TTRPGs"],"decisionTags":["Award-Winning","Beginner-Friendly","Low Prep","One-Shot Friendly"]},"links":{"websiteUrl":"https://stickydoodler.itch.io/the-bonsai-diary?ac=YUqaLN4pVvG","reviewsUrl":"https://gamewardbound.com/the-bonsai-diary-solo-first-impressions/"}}