Summary
RPGswork on the idea of becoming more powerful as players gain experience points and level up. This is almost exclusively done through the lens of combat, but does it have to be this way? After all, gaining real-life skills often works like this. The time people spend practicing an instrument or learning a language can be similarly tracked.
They practice, gain experience, and become better at whatever discipline they are working on. Some video games are already on the same page, taking the concept of anRPGand letting players go through the story in non-violent ways. Not only does it make for a unique experience, but it is a reminder thatvideo games can be so much more than just combat.
Though the world ofDisco Elysiumis darkly comic and oppressive, players navigate through the story through non-violent means. All of the skills available to level up deal with investigating and talking to people rather than fighting with them.
The sheer depth of its mechanics is what makesDisco Elysiumso impressive. Even if there is no fighting, one’s playthrough will go through a radically different path than someone else if they allot their skills to different places. Coming out in 2019,it was a part of the early renaissance of the CRPG genre, which was followed by titles likeWasteland 3andBaldur’s Gate 3.
This classic looking JRPGtakes the idea of non-violence to the extreme. Players choose a class based on real-life occupations and chores and switch between them depending on the task at hand. Progressing through the game mirrors real-life achievements such as purchasing a home.
Though the game focuses its RPG mechanics on everyday life, there is still a narrative for players to follow that delves into the fantasy themes. After all, the game is still set in an imaginary world and is literally calledFantasy Life.
3Thirsty Suitors
Battles Are Dialogue-Fuled
Thirsty Suitorsputs players in the role of Jala, who recently came back home after being away for several years. It is a game all about realizing the mistakes one made and the people they might have hurt. This takes the form of several gameplay modes, including cooking, skateboarding, and turn-based battles.
However, these battles are not traditional fights to the death but instead conversations. Functionally they play out almost exactly like a traditional turn-based RPG with its own few quirks, but these battles are about confronting the past and making things right.
The drastic contrast between the high critic score and low user average review might be alarming to some. It is important to remember that unique games like this will often polarize players. To know if it is right for a particular gamer, they need to read the individual reviews and see what features those who liked it enjoyed and what detractors jeered at.
Harvest Moonis exactly as wholesome as the name implies. The game is all about farming and raising livestock. The explicit goal of the developer when making the firstHarvest Moonback in 1996 was to make an RPG with no combat, making ita perfect addition to this list.
The debut entry went through some development trouble and almost did not come out but it made it through and spawned a whole series that continues to this day. The official name of the franchise isStory of Seasons,whichnew games are now released under, including re-releases of olderHarvest Moontitles.
One can draw a direct line fromPlanescape: Torment toDisco Elysium. They both follow similar systems that ape theDungeons and Dragonsrules and both focus on non-combat scenarios. They take place in radically different settings, however.
Planescapeis a dark fantasy adventure where players control an immortal being who is on a journey to take back his memories and uncover the truth about who he is. The game runs on the Infinity Engine,which fans of late 1990s CRPGswill recognize as the same engine that runsBaldur’s Gate.
