I'm doing the Frolic project this year. I don't do many mystery type projects but I had an opening in my schedule and fabrics to use. I'm going to be one of the "not like the other" end products, I'm using hand-dyed fabrics and changing neutral to school bus yellow... The worst thing that happens is I donate the top and it keeps someone warm, I have no plans on what I'm going to do with it other than I'm going to do it. When it works to my schedule, I do like participating in sew-alongs. I typically press open and avoid swaps because of that.
I was a happy solo quilter for years, and then I found it could be a social activity. I'm not currently in a guild but I do have a weekly small group I go to. I do the mysteries and sew-alongs just for the fun of doing them with others. Even though we aren't physically in the same room through the magic of the internet we can share pictures and comments in real or "convenient to us" time.
If you are a solo quilter for whatever reasons, mysteries and sew-alongs are a fun way to try it as a social opportunity but without the commute or any potential risks involved in getting in the wrong group. You can ask for help, see what other people are doing, or even just lurk and maybe do it next time, but I do recommend trying one some time.