A couple of weeks ago, I asked for some recommendations for a journaling game to take on holiday with me. You lovely folks came through, with suggestions here and a bunch more from a similar post on Reddit.

I spent some time browsing all the recommendations on DriveThruRPG and Itch.io, and wow—there are some seriously tempting and creative games out there. Thank you so much to everyone who chimed in with ideas!

Then someone mentioned Star Trek: Captain’s Log—and suddenly, a lightbulb moment. “Wait a second,” I thought, “don’t I already own that?” A quick glance at my shelf confirmed it. Yep, still shrink-wrapped, quietly judging me.

Determined not to let it become yet another dusty addition to the infamous "shelf of shame," I pulled it down and started flipping through. And honestly? It looks fantastic.

Sure, there were a few other games that really caught my eye, but I figured—why buy something new when I’ve got a perfectly good journaling game just waiting to be played?

So, as we head off to Italy for 11 days (tomorrow—eek!), I’ll be packing Star Trek: Captain’s Log, a stack of photocopied character sheets, a couple of 2d20s, a notebook, and way too many pens. Let the captain’s log begin! 🖖

Let’s have a “first look”…

Captain’s Log is often categorised as a “Journaling RPG”, as it focuses on solo storytelling through structured log entries rather than traditional mechanics-heavy gameplay. The publisher, Modiphius Entertainment, describes it as a guided journaling experience, where players craft their own Starfleet captain’s adventures using random tables and narrative prompts rather than dice-heavy mechanics.

I’ve been diving into YouTube videos about **Captain’s Log**, and wow—it’s clear that this game has sparked some lively debate!

On one side, you’ve got players who feel like it leans too heavily into freeform storytelling rather than traditional RPG mechanics. They were hoping for a solo version of Star Trek Adventures and ended up feeling like they’d been handed a structured journaling experience instead.

If you’re looking for “deep tactical play”, this one might feel a little light on crunch.

But then there are the fans who absolutely embrace what it offers—players who love the idea of sitting in Picard or Janeway’s Ready Room, pondering how to deal with that renegade Cardassian ship or whether to make First Contact with a newly discovered civilisation. They’re here for the storytelling, not the rules.

And honestly? I think part of the confusion comes from Modiphius not making it crystal clear what this game was. With the same publisher as Star Trek Adventures, people assumed it would be a solo mechanical adaptation rather than a narrative-driven Trek sandbox.

That said, Captain’s Log does streamline the mechanics of STA, boiling things down to their storytelling essence. No more trait-based equipment rules—here, things like tricorders and phasers exist purely to serve the story rather than providing mechanical bonuses.

Momentum and Threat, the key tension-building tools in STA, are simplified into single points—you either have them or you don’t, with no gradual scaling.

Character creation still utilises the lifepath system, but the real heart of the game lies in its extensive random tables—and wow, there are a lot of them. If you love tables—and I do—you’re in your element here. Jim Johnson, the writer, mentioned that there are more than 150 tables packed into this 326-page book.

If Star Trek Adventures is the full Starfleet simulation, Captain’s Log is the captain’s personal diary—all about crafting stories rather than managing mechanics.

And, if I can speak honestly? That works for me.

With Olvir enjoying the rest and recuperation of a sojourn in Lostbrook, and my Fallout RPG campaign on the cusp of entering the Wasteland, I’m looking forward to digging into what Star Trek: Captain’s Log has to offer in the next couple of weeks.

The two Airbnb houses we are staying in both say they have good wifi, so I might have one or two short updates from the (Italian) expanse. Let’s see how that works out!

Otherwise, I’ll update when we get back. Thank you again to everyone who reads, likes, comments and subscribes. I appreciate you all!