Key conclusions
- RPGs stand out because they combine storytelling and world-building with immersive text.
- Roadwarden, Wildermyth, Citizen Sleeper, Suzerain and Disco Elysium stand out for their immersive text experiences.
- These titles offer deep emotional connections, rich character creation, tense moral dilemmas, and compelling political narratives.
Role-playing games originate in the world of text and text-based titles. Who knows what the genre would be like today if it weren't for the monolithic world of tabletop RPGs that came before it? If there's one thing the best role-playing games have in common, it's a great combination of storytelling and world-building to create a very engaging and engaging title.
Relatives
5 JRPGs with morality systems
These JRPGs lead players down various moral paths, allowing them to make decisions based on morality as a guide.
Some games in particular know how to use the written word to improve their world. A significant area of overlap between books and video games is the prose's ability to capture the imagination and make the player even more involved in the game. For gamers who don't mind reading, here are a few titles to look out for.
5 Road worker
A sad journey through the untamed hinterland
Road worker it's a title that, despite being full of life, leaves the player feeling lonely in the best possible way. Here, there is a big focus on the main character, who is created from the ground up based on early player choices. This almost introspective tone is especially interesting when you consider that the story itself lends itself to a grand adventure story – the Guardian of the Road must brave the wilderness of the peninsula to help establish settlements and cities and protect the innocent from the monsters that roam the land.
This is a parallel to many great RPGs that have a fluid, dynamic, ever-changing world. U Road workertext is used alongside fantastic graphics with a captivating amber hue. Event descriptions, NPC dialogue, and combat interactions are all fantastic textual parts of this title, and the attention to player choice puts it right up there with some of the great branching RPGs available today.
4 Wildermit
A collection of short stories An epic of mythical proportions
Wildermit this is one of those games that will appeal to players for a long, long time. Not only is it an incredibly addictive strategy-style RPG, but it's also a brand new character creation system that does the impossible and combines the relatability and depth found in pre-written characters with the creative freedom and narrative choices that come with custom symbols. There are a lot of quirky ways the characters and events work, but the best way to play this one is to just dive in.
There's a strong yet understated sense of wonder in the writing of this game, with each event and hundreds of variations based on the characters' personalities written so expertly that it's not uncommon to forget the world outside of the game. Each campaign is framed as a mythical retelling, an epic that tells the story of a group of adventurers fighting some long-forgotten threat.
3 Citizen Sleep
A dystopian role-playing game for space travel
This unique text-based RPG is a masterpiece of cyberpunk aesthetics and themes, perfect for fans of… well, cyberpunk. There's a huge amount of passion that goes into everything from the tabletop stats to the unique mix of colors and artwork that make up the style of this game, with a heavy emphasis on shadows, deep blacks and bright reds. The text itself is of a romantic quality that reads like a mix of world-building DM enthusiasm and 70s and 80s sci-fi classics.
It's a game of tough choices, capitalist dystopias, and fascinating characters. The perfect title for those who want to immerse themselves in a spatial environment without cuts.
2 Suzerain
A political role-playing game that requires no punches
Suzerain uses text and narrative to immerse the player in the deep political machinations of a nation and its fledgling democracy trying to find its place in the world. In theory, the fictional nation of Swordland is under player control, but those looking for power fantasy will have to look elsewhere. The old crypto-fascist ex-president continues to manipulate parliament, the political right and left are trying to steer the country in two different directions, and through it all, the president must try to get a coalition of allies large enough to make his political ambition – an elaborate constitution – pass through parliament.
In other words, this game is brutal. A fantastic, extremely compelling, near-perfect formulation of what a good text-based RPG should be, yes. But also, tough. There are no promises that everything will work out, no promises that what one person tells you is true, but if the player does nothing but compromise and hedge, by the end of the game they will find themselves in a country with little to show for it. this stunning 900k word title.
1 Elysium discotheque
One of the greatest RPGs of all time
BAFTA winner Elysium discotheque has a level of quality that mostly speaks for itself. It's one of the greatest CRPGs of the 21st century, and with it comes a lot of stunningly written prose. Determining how the protagonist makes his way in the world, what his political and philosophical leanings are, and how this shapes the city around him is one of the most interesting experiences to be found in a modern video game.
Gamers would be doing themselves a disservice if they didn't get into this gritty, surreal, highly addictive RPG with dreamy text and world building that will leave people enthralled. As with the other titles on this list, the text isn't the only barrier to entry, as this is a fairly complex title at times and requires close attention to detail, but players who enjoy deep RPGs won't want to miss this one.
