The world is ending but here's a side quest - will RPGs ever solve their urgency problem?

RPGs face a timing issue where urgent plots can be sidetracked by side quests.

: Role-playing games (RPGs) often create scenarios where world-ending stakes wait for players to complete secondary tasks. This common RPG theme, seen in games like Dragon Age, Baldur's Gate 3, and The Witcher 3, raises questions about urgency and player freedom. Some games like Pentiment introduce a sense of time, prompting questions about evolving RPG mechanics. The genre may benefit from new design approaches that incorporate real urgency and decision-making.

Role-playing games (RPGs) frequently feature grand, world-ending stakes that paradoxically allow players to meander through side quests without urgency. This issue is prevalent across many RPGs such as Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Baldur's Gate 3, and The Witcher 3, where the urgent plotlines are often sidelined for side quests.

The article questions the definition of an RPG and how side quests have traditionally framed the genre. It examines whether any current games, like Pentiment, incorporate a real sense of passing time and limited opportunities.

Some argue RPGs are rooted in Dungeons & Dragons' player-centered experience, pondering whether new approaches would better communicate narrative urgency. Suggestions include real-time mechanics and more constrained play, which could evolve how RPGs are experienced, although the potential reverses their escapism allure.

RPGsSide Questsgame design