Elements of Fantasy RPGs

You could say that almost every game has an element of role-play to it, because you are either being someone you’re not or doing something you don’t ordinarily do.


For example, in the board game Monopoly, players are big-spending millionaires trying to buy up property in order to own a monopoly on the town. And just about every video game that is a third-person shooter or platform game possesses a tiny onscreen avatar the player can control, making the player character a virtual extension of the player.

But a true fantasy RPG has much more to it than this. A true fantasy RPG must:


1. Give the player a persona, or player avatar, to control. This character can often be customized and grows over the course of the game.

2. Have a large fantastic game world for the player to explore, fight monsters, and scavenge for goodies in.

3. Have a long, winding, and branching storyline that entertains as well as serves the purpose of the game play. This storyline is told through little nuggets and quests the player undertakes.

4. Give the player items and an inventory to manage and the ability to perfect strategy in simulated combat situations. Combat can be action-oriented or turn-based.

The following are ways RPGs stand out from every other video game.