RPGs typically have stories where it’s up to players to save the world and keep the peace. Final Fantasy 7 is a great example, as Cloud and the rest of his crew have to stop Sephiroth from carrying out his plan to destroy the world with a giant meteor. If Cloud doesn’t follow through with his mission, then the world is doomed.
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If Cloud wins or fails, it’s up to players because they could just as easily never finish the game. These other RPGs may have epic stories in their own right, but they don’t have any dire plots that will result in the world caring if the heroes succeed or not. These examples are more casual adventurers.
Cat Quest 3
Sail On Kitty
Cat Quest III
- Released
- August 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- The Gentlebros
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
Cat Quest 3 is one of the most chill open-RPGs that players can buy today. There’s not much of a central story, as players are a cat pirate who likes to go on adventures.
There’s no overarching villain threatening to destroy life itself or even the central protagonist in some wild plot with a twist. If the cat pirate decides to stop exploring caves, sailing the high seas, or taking over towers, then there’s not much consequence to anyone else in this game’s universe, which is refreshing.
Dead Rising
Survival Is Key
Dead Rising
- Released
- August 8, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
In the first Dead Rising, players go to Willamette, Colorado, as photo journalist Frank West to try and get photos of a zombie outbreak. When Frank lands on a mall rooftop, he doesn’t do it to save the citizens trapped in the mall or to go into the town itself and stop the zombie outbreak.
Instead, he just wants a scoop and gets overwhelmed in the process, which makes him seek aid from others within the mall. Frank is not the cure for the zombie apocalypse, as there are others seemingly out there who will take care of it eventually, meaning that the core story is just about Frank’s survival. If he dies, no one will seemingly care.
Dragon’s Crown
A D&D Style Adventure
Dragon's Crown
- Released
- August 6, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Vanillaware
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Dragon’s Crown is a great 2D RPG wherein players can choose one of six characters who each represent a typical RPG class, like a mage, warrior, or archer. From the HUB town, players can gather supplies and then go diving into the town’s surrounding dungeons alone or with others online.
There is no overarching plot tying the bosses of these dungeons together, as the world itself is not in any real turmoil. It can be likened to a Dungeons & Dragons session wherein the DM has set up dungeons to explore all in the name of EXP, loot, and glory, not at the expense of saving the world.
Elden Ring
The Tarnished One
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
Elden Ring, like many of FromSoftware’s action RPGs, has a loose story. In this open-world RPG, players assume the role of the Tarnished, a warrior who was sent into another dimension after being banished from the main realm.
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The quest within is not to restore the land to glory or to even escape it, as players just have to accept their fate. That said, they can choose to vanquish true evil in this other world to rise up and essentially become its leader. Whether players succeed or not is of no consequence to the citizens within, as this is a personal matter of importance in a world devoid of hope already.
Fallout: New Vegas
A Sandy Side Of Revenge
Fallout: New Vegas
- Released
- October 19, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Fallout: New Vegas begins with players getting gunned down in the desert, left for dead, before waking up in a doctor’s office, miraculously still alive. The game overall is a quest for revenge, unlike more noble plots in the Fallout series, like finding a child or getting water to sustain a population.
Whether players find their killer and get revenge is of no consequence to the population in this Nevada area of the apocalypse. Players can certainly save lives and make life easier for certain factions, but they’re not a savior.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Mom Troubles
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Released
- January 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Simulated Gambling, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth begins with Ichiban helping people find jobs in Japan, but then he finds out his biological mother needs help in Hawaii, thus starting another wacky Yakuza adventure. In his quest, he finds a Yakuza faction thriving on the island, a secret homeless empire, and a cult that is controlling all moves.
Things keep getting more hectic, but none of these villainous organizations have plans of world domination that only Ichiban and his compatriots can unwind through turn-based battles. It’s a personal story, and the world won’t cry if Ichiban can’t find his mom.
Octopath Traveler
Eight Individual Adventures
Octopath Traveler
- Released
- July 13, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Octopath Traveler gives players a choice to start with one of eight characters in this turn-based RPG, each with an assigned class like a Thief or a Hunter. This will determine their starting place in the world, but they can recruit the other seven members as they journey along.
Each character has a set of chapters they must complete to finish their story, which does not affect any other party member, nor will they react to someone else’s plot in any way. For a turn-based RPG, it’s a weird way to tell a story, but also refreshing since these are all smaller conquests that are about finishing personal business.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Becoming Number One
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
- Released
- October 16, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak, Creatures Inc.
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
Any of the Pokemon games would work for this idea because most follow a young Pokemon Trainer who is trying to become a Pokemon Master in their region, which will not affect the world. The latest entry, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, has an even smaller goal as players are just trying to become the champion of Lumiose City.
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Players can catch Pokemon in designated city zones, and at night, they can battle other Pokemon Trainers and earn points in an effort to rise from Rank Z to Rank A, hence the name. It’s a simple plot, but Pokemon fans mainly care about two things anyway: catching Pokemon and battling.
Tom Clancy’s The Division
New York Is A Battleground
Tom Clancy’s The Division
- Released
- March 8, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Massive Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Tom Clancy’s The Division is set in New York City following a pandemic wherein a terrorist organization laced paper money during Black Friday to cause an outbreak. The city quickly goes into quarantine, but during this time, factions start to take over the city as others are just trying to survive.
As a member of The Division unit, they are sent in to keep the peace, restore order to NYC, and prevent anyone from breaking out. Technically, if players fail, it could cause the outbreak to spread elsewhere, but there are other organizations at work, too. It’s not up to players to cure the disease, for example.
The World Ends With You
Back From The Dead
The World Ends With You
- Released
- July 27, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo DS, Switch, Android, iOS
The World Ends With You takes place in the afterlife, or a bizarre world in between life and death. Neku, a young teenager who was killed, is given a second chance at life if he decides to play a series of games.
If he survives seven days and makes it to first place, he gets a wish, which could include being revived. It’s another example of a personal quest that won’t affect the lives of anyone beyond those Neku is closest to, as well as serving as a personal journey for Neku to grow as a person.
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