TheRPGgenre is forever linked with high fantasy. These are games set in Tolkien-like worlds, usually filled with things like magic, dragons, and great evils threatening to take over. Some of the most notable examples are Skyrim, Dragon Age, and The Witcher.
Yet, RPGs don’t need to be high fantasy or even resemble Lord of the Rings in any fashion. These types of titles can be based on science fiction, history, or even the modern world. All that’s required is that the game follows a few RPG conventions. The following games are some of the best examples of non-fantasy role-playing adventures.
Updated June 28, 2025 by Ben Jessey:A lot of the best RPGs are high fantasy, but not all of them. There are some wonderful RPGs that are set in futuristic worlds, modern worlds, or in the past. There are so many, in fact, that we put plenty of them on a list and there were still some remaining. Now, we’ve updated the collection to add a few more.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines didn’t have the most successful release of all time, either commercially or critically. However, it has since become a cult classic and one of the most beloved RPGs of its time. In it, you play as a human that is turned into a vampire. While that is something you generally want to avoid in real life, it does lead you to get a bunch of impressive powers in the game.
Yet, you can’t just run roughshod over humanity with your new skills. Vampires are meant to be sneaky, and the game tracks your sneakiness through what they call masquerade points. If you lose all these points, you lose the game. You also have to manage your humanity points to stop yourself from becoming an uncontrollable beast.
Dead Island 2 is an action RPG set in LA. Yet, it isn’t a normal version of LA. The place is under quarantine, and it’s filled with zombies. That sounds very serious, but the tone of the game is quite light. After all, there is plenty of humor in the title, as some characters are still as weird and superficial as they were prior to the zombie infestation.
Things get a bit more serious as you’re roaming the streets, as the countless number of zombies provide a severe threat. You can use a mix of melee weapons, firearms, and skills to take them down.
In Kingdom Come: Deliverance, you will see plenty of people wearing outfits and wielding weapons that you expect to see in high fantasy games. However, this is a medieval game, not a fantasy one.
It’s set in 1403, during a war in Bohemia. You play as a young blacksmith apprentice whose life changes after an attack on his home. You then embark on an adventure in an medieval open world. It will include plenty of fighting, talking to people, and making choices.
In The Fractured But Whole, the main kids from South Park don their superhero personas and participate in an epic live-action roleplay in their town. They’re split into two factions, who are attempting to create their own superhero franchise, much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Yet, as this is South Park, things quickly spiral out of control, and the children start to uncover a deep conspiracy. As the South Park creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, are involved in the production, it very much feels like a long episode of the show. And the series' signature brand of humor is certainly present throughout the adventure. Alongside it is a well-designed turn-based battle system.
Instead of fantasy, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is all about history. More specifically, it’s about the Viking Age, as the story sees two Norwegians make their way to England. Once there, they attempt to build up a settlement by making alliances with nearby regions. Along the way, youmeet many historical figures.
In classic Assassin’s Creed fashion, parkour is a big part of the game, as you may climb pretty much anything. In fact, you will need to scale plenty of things throughout your journey. When you encounter enemies, you typically have the option to sneak past or fight them. The latter involves plenty of dodging, parrying, striking, and using abilities.
CD Projekt RED is responsible for making one of the best-ever high fantasy RPGs with The Witcher 3. They also made Cyberpunk 2077, which is set in a futuristic world known as Night City. The protagonist, V, is trying to make money and a name for themself within this place. Things get more complicated, though, when they get another personality stuck in their head.
The game is played in first-person, and you routinely use guns or melee weapons to kill any enemy you face. Yet, you may avoid many of them, as stealth is usually an option. Along with deciding between fighting or sneaking, you’re asked to make many decisions throughout the story, which radically change how things play out.
In The Outer Worlds, humanity sent two aircraft to colonize new planets. One made it, while the other failed. The protagonist was a part of the latter. Yet, years later, a scientist manages to wake them up from cryosleep and asks them to acquire the resources to wake up the others. That turns out to be more complicated than it sounds.
4During the game, you go around to different places and meet all sorts of new people. All the actions and choices you make when interacting with these folks dictate your relationship with them. Yet, the entire game isn’t just about talking. The experience also includes plenty of stealth and first-person gunplay.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon is one ofthe best games in the Yakuza series, even though it’s quite a bit different from its predecessors. After all, it’s a turn-based RPG instead of an action-adventure title. It also introduces a new protagonist in Ichiban Kasuga. He teams up with a few companions to figure out why he was betrayed by his former boss.
It makes for a serious main narrative. But like every Yakuza game, the title is also very wacky. After all, there are silly attacks, strange enemies, and humorous dialogue. None of this detracts from what is a sometimes emotional tale, though.
As is always the case with the Fallout series, New Vegas is set in a post-apocalyptic world. This game revolves around a courier who is left for dead at the start of the story. Someone wanted to take them out and steal their very important package. The courier miraculously survives, though, and sets out for revenge.
While embarking on your adventure in the wasteland, you run into all sorts of dangerous people and creatures. Thankfully, you can also find plenty of weapons to keep them at bay. After all, this is an action RPG with first-person shooting mechanics. When you’re not gunning people down, you’re usually talking to them. And these conversations have plenty of choices that can sometimes impact the entire wasteland.
Persona 5 revolves around a vigilante crew called The Phantom Thieves. They’re a group of young people who can enter a supernatural realm created by people’s desires. Once inside, they’re able to change people’s hearts. Thus, they target evil folk to make them change their ways.
Each subconscious is called a Palace, which is effectively a dungeon that you must traverse. Along the way, you get into turn-based battles with physical manifestations of the person’s psyche. Outside of Palaces, though, you are just a regular teenager who goes about their life. And for these moments, the game includes several life simulation elements.
