Summary
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and Red Dead Redemption 2 offer RPG experiences in non-fantasy settings.
- These games focus on realism, historical accuracy, and science fiction, without the use of magic.
- Players can enjoy alternative RPG worlds set in medieval Europe, futuristic dystopias, and the historic American West.
There are all kinds of RPGs out there, but thanks to the influence and popularity of the Fantasy genre, most of them take place in wonderous, magical worlds that include wizards, dragons, and other mystical creatures and powers. The market is so overwhelmed with fantasy RPGs that it's easy for players to get bored and yearn to find something different.
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Fortunately, there are more non-fantasy RPGs out there than most players have been led to believe. Alternative settings include other planets, dystopian futures, realistic historical periods, or urban city streets, each with their own fascinating take on the role-playing genre.
7 Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
The Gritty Reality Of Medieval Europe
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Released
- February 4, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action-Adventure, Open-World
It looks like a fantasy at first, because many use the knights and castles aesthetic, but the Kingdom Come franchise takes place in medieval Eastern Europe. The main character is fictional, but the places that he visits are real, and some of the people featured as leaders, lords, or kings are also authentic.
Henry, the protagonist of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, chooses between three different classes that concern either combat or rhetoric and have nothing to do with magic, because this is the real world, and magic doesn't exist. It's up to the player to hone their battle and social skills to progress in this game.
6 Cyberpunk 2077
A Futuristic Dystopia
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
Johnny Silverhand has some issues that can't be solved using magic, and whether the player likes it or not, they're along for the ride. The bio-chip that protagonist V gets implanted into their body at the start of the game has nothing to do with magic, even though such a thing might not be scientifically possible yet.
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5 The Outer Worlds
Exploring The Galaxy
The Outer Worlds
- Released
- October 25, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Science fiction might be the genre that takes second place to fantasy, and the whole The Outer Worlds franchise is a sanctuary for those who need a break from fantasy RPGs. This is a science fiction-based game that involves space travel and planetary exploration with no magic involved.
Halcyon is the setting of the game, and in keeping with the idea of an alternative human timeline, this planet is ruled by various corporate interests. The main character is just one cog in their financial wheel, at least initially, until they join with the other colonists to take down their rich and oblivious overlords.
4 Red Dead Redemption 2
The Historic American West
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
While not a cut-and-dry RPG in the traditional sense, Red Dead Redemption 2 features enough RPG mechanics to earn a spot on this list. Another choice for those who prefer realism and history, the Red Dead Redemption franchise uses the American West as its setting, along with all the era-appropriate accessories that players would expect. That means horseback riding, dynamite, wilderness survival, and cattle rustling, but no magic.
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The second game in the series ups the ante with even more true cowboy grit, and acts as a prequel to the first game. Arthur Morgan is the story's protagonist, and his quests consist of tracking down dangerous gang members and dodging government agents, which is painfully realistic.
3 Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Mankind Versus The Augmentations
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
- Released
- August 23, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
All of the games in the Deus Ex franchise are ideal for players who want alternative choices to fantasy, and Mankind Divided has a reputation for pushing the grit and gore to an even more dramatic level. This is the fifth game in the series, and players work by using ranged damage, stealth abilities, and modern technology instead of magic.
The world of Deus Ex is divided (pun intended) into two categories: "normal" humans, and those who have been altered using augmentation, or artificial organs, that improve their natural abilities. The main character, Adam Jensen, an augment himself, must utilize his skills as a sharpshooter and industrial spy whose primary goal is to expose the Illuminati.
2 Dune: Awakening
The MMO Adaptation Of The Sci-Fi Novel
Dune: Awakening
- Released
- June 10, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Survival, MMO
Frank Herbert was going against the grain when he left two things out of his books: magic and aliens. People in the Dune universe have indeed trained their minds and bodies in ways that might seem magical or even superhuman, but the lore maintains that these are natural human abilities learned through training and spice consumption.
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The backstory and history created for this franchise are so strict about the lack of fantasy that even thinking machines —the computers used in real life to create these games —are strictly forbidden. Dune: Awakening is an interesting mix of hard sci-fi, speculative fiction, and the power of the human mind, a unique setting in the world of MMOs.
1 Earthbound
A Virsion Of American Pop Culture
Earthbound
- Released
- June 5, 1995
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Suggestive Themes, Crude Humor
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Earthbound trips the light fantastic, with some magic and monsters, but it's grounded in a realistic setting, and the player is never sure how much of it is real and what's happening in the main character's imagination or his dreams. One player uses "praying" as their superpower, and the protagonist, Nes, carries a bat as a weapon; no wands or swords are required.
This game is the second in a series that is entitled "Mother" back in Japan, and its use of North American iconography is one of the reasons it didn't get a proper localization until fairly recently. The developers recreate typical neighborhoods and city streets with familiar brands and signs, reminding the player that this is a child's version of reality but not a fantasy world.
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